Half-Tones By Wire

Successful Experiment in Telegraphing Pictures Over 1,000 Miles.

NEW YORK, April 13 — Two bodies of scientific men gathered last night — one in Havemeyer Hall, Columbia college, this city, and the other in the rooms of the Quadrangle club, in Chicago, to witness the test of an electrical instrument which was to transmit the half-tone pictures by wire of President Seth Low to the Chicagoans, and that of President Harper to the New Yorkers.

The experiment was a success at the New York end and 3,000 people gathered in the hall and watched the features of the president of the Chicago university evolve out of a maze of pin points in tin foil until it became a facsimile of the one on the transmitter, 1,000 miles away. The Chicago audience, however, according to word received by telegraph, was disappointed. The instrument at that end did not work because of heavy induction in the wires.

R. H. Palmer operated the electrical machine transmitting the picture. The instrument contains tin foil perforated with countless pinholes, each containing a separate wire. The paper upon which the picture is produced is wrapped around a cylinder upon which the sensitive tin foil stylus makes the ink dots corresponding in light and shade to the half-tone picture being transmitted.

Nikola Tesla, later in the evening, performed some interesting experiments with his electrical oscillator, using a 30,000 volt current and securing startling results. He secured marvelous color effects with Geissler tubes and illustrated his system of wireless telegraphy by means of induced currents.

M. R. Richardson experimented with eight deaf mutes, using an electrical instrument he called the “Akauphone,” which intensified sound and at the same time made it articulate. A deaf mute was made to pronounce simple words that were spoken to him through the instrument. The deaf mutes were made to hear music and all of them broke into smiles on hearing the tunes played into the instrument.

Other electrical experts performed experiments with Roentegen rays; “Faraducters,” and revolving sparks.