264 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



box, 20 centimeters long by 12 wide and 12 deep, was first used as a 

 receiver. Afterwards, a large tin packing-box, 80 cm. long. 50 cm. 

 wide, and 50 cm. deep, was substituted for it, and gave a very loud 

 sound. Most of this apparatus is still preserved at the Institute of 

 Technology, and was used in the legal examination quoted below. In 

 the last part of December, 1873, and the first week of January, 1874, 

 a number of other experiments were tried by Professor Cross, and 

 another exhibition of the instrument was made by him on January 7, 

 1874, at the first lecture of his Lowell Free Course of that year. 

 Several forks were tried, and the receiver transmitted the charac- 

 teristic sound of each, but one only was used publicly. The sound 

 persisted when the magnet touched the box, but was then feeble. 



Most of the above facts were testified to by Professor Cross in a 

 legal examination held on June 18, 1879. It was agreed that the same 

 deposition should be used in the two cases. Harmonic Telegraph Com- 

 pany et al. vs. The New England Telejjhoue Company, and Harmonic 

 Telegraph Company et al. vs. Charles "Williams, Jr. Present, Caus- 

 ten Browne, Esq., of counsel for complainants, Chauncey Smith and 

 J. J. Storrow, Esqs., of counsel for defendants, and W. P. Preble, Jr., 

 Examiner. Professor Cross also testified as follows : — 



"^ns. On the 10th of June, 1879, I tried a number of experiments 

 with this receiver, which was set up in a manner similar to its ar- 

 rangement in the exhibition already mentioned, it being in the office of 

 Mr. J. J. Storrow, Union Building, State Street, Boston. It, together 

 with a Blake transmitter, was connected in the primary circuit of a 

 battery ; the transmitter being placed in Room 42, Union Building, and 

 connected with the receiver by wires stretching across the open court 

 separating these two rooms, and about one hundred feet in length. A 

 second circuit, containing two ordinary hand telephones, was stretched 

 between the two rooms, so that any messages sent by the apparatus 

 which I am describing could easily be verified. 



" The magnet in these experiments was placed near to the outside 

 of one end of the tin box, which rested upon its side, and when faint 

 sounds were transmitted the head was placed inside the box, with the 

 ear opposite the poles of the magnet, in order to detect the sounds. I 

 first asked Mr. Watson, who was assisting me, to play a small mouth 

 harmonica before the mouthpiece of the Blake transmitter. I was 

 expecting to hear the sound given by that instrument, and so was some- 

 what surprised to hear loud and clear notes resembling those of a 

 music-box. On inquiring of Mr. Watson what instrument he had been 

 using, I was informed that he had been transmitting the sound produced 



