Bell's Telephonic Researches 



ous phenomenon. Dr. Channing has, however, 

 addressed a letter upon the subject to the editor 

 of one of the Providence papers, giving the names 

 of such songs as were recognized, and full details 

 of the observations, in the hope that publicity 

 may lead to the discovery of the performer, 

 and thus afford a solution of the mystery. 



My friend, Mr. Frederick A. Gower, communi- 

 cated to me a curious observation made by him 

 regarding the slight earth connection required 

 to establish a circuit for the telephone, and to- 

 gether we carried on a series of experiments 

 with rather startling results. We took a couple 

 of telephones and an insulated wire about 100 

 yards in length into a garden, and were enabled 

 to carry on conversation with the greatest ease 

 when we held in our hands what should have 

 been the earth wire, so that the connection with 

 the ground was formed at either end through 

 our bodies, our feet being clothed with cotton 

 socks and leather boots. The day was fine, and 

 the grass upon which we stood was seemingly 

 perfectly dry. Upon standing upon a gravel 

 walk the vocal sounds, though much diminished, 

 were still perfectly intelligible, and the same 

 result occurred when standing upon a brick wall 

 one fcot in height, but no sound was audible 

 when one of us stood upon a block of freestone. 



One experiment which we made is so very 



interesting that I must speak of it in detail. Mr. 



Gower made earth connection at his end of the 



line by standing upon a grass plot, whilst at the 



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