RECENT TELEPHONE EXPERIMENTS. 125, 
RECENT TELEPHONE EXPERIMENTS. 
At the suggestion of one of the proprietors of this Journal—Mr. A. E. 
Beach—a series of interesting experiments relating to the electrical transmission 
of sounds has lately been commenced in this vicinity, which seems likely to lead 
to a variety of useful results. In the introductory experiment the Sczentzfic 
American office and Mr. Beach’s dwelling, in the upper part of this city, were 
connected by wire with the auditorium of Plymouth Church—Rev. Henry Ward 
Beecher’s—in Brooklyn, N. Y., and these points were also telegraphically joined 
by the wires of the Bell Telephone Company and those of the Gold Stock Com 
pany, the electrical circuit being thus enlarged and ramified in all directions, 
communicating with offices and dwellings in New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, 
Newark, Orange, Elizabeth, Yonkers, and other adjacent places. One object of 
the experiment was to determine approximately through how many united cir- 
cuits and lines the voice of a public speaker might be simultaneously trans- 
mitted. 
At Plymouth Church, in Brooklyn, the wire passed under the floor to the plat- 
form or pulpit, where it connected with two of the well known Blake transmitters 
arranged upon a shelf under the speaker’s desk. The general arrangements for 
the experiments were under the charge of Mr. Fredrick C. Beach, Ph. B., of the 
Scientific American office. 
When it became known at the Bell telephone office in Brooklyn that experi- 
ments were to be tried, the interesting news soon spread to all other telephone offi- 
ces, and the various operators not only called into their offices parties of their 
_ friends to enjoy the treat, but gave notice to numbers of private persons having 
communicating wires, who in turn invited friends to their dwellings. Thus at 
many points on the great ramification of connecting wires were groups of per- 
sons waiting, with telephones at their ears, to hear the words of the distinguished 
speaker. At one of the stations fifteen telephones were in this way connected, 
the instruments being joined by wires, just as a circle of people join hands in 
sharing an electrical shock. 
The first experiment was made on Sunday, April.18, and was on the whole 
perhaps more successful than could have been expected. The telephone listen- 
ers stationed in Brooklyn, and nearest the church, were enabled to hear the ser- 
vice with much satisfaction; but those in New York, Yonkers, and Orange, N. 
J., only heard the music and portions of Mr. Beecher’s sermon. It was con- 
cluded on the whole that there were too many telephones in circuit; and it was. 
subsequently ascertained that the wire leading to the church had been surrepti- 
tiously tapped where it passed over a dwelling, a ground made on the tin-roof, ~ 
and a considerable number of telephones smuggled in. 
On the following Sunday, April 25, another trial was had, precautions hav- 
ing been taken not to allow so many tapping lines or instruments in circuit. 
Special care was also taken by Mr. Adee, the adjuster of the Bell Telephone. 
