Wingless Flight Predicted

CAPE ARGUS – 1918, November 9

“The airplane is to be a deciding factor in this war. Men now fly 20 000 feet in the air, and what I want you to note,” said Prof. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, at a recent meeting, “is that theoretically the machine at that height should be more efficient by flying faster and more economically. Supposing your propeller has the same push at that height where the air is rare, you should get more speed.”

Dr. Bell then gave a scientific explanation of why the airplane should travel faster at a great height. A change of gear, as in a motor car, which would make the propeller travel faster, he pointed out, was the solution of this problem, and he predicted the day when the flying machine would attain such speed that the wings may be unnecessary. 
“Now, if we have machines flying without wings, how about flying without engines? All other things that fly, fly without engines. 
Consider the albatross, which, without the movement of its wings, can overtake a ship even when the bird is travelling against the wind. The flying of these birds is a problem open to science.”

Phonograph? Graphophone? Sounds like Noah’s names for Audio Systems

CAPE ARGUS - 1915, 2 January

THE STAR Johannesburg- 1918, 22 February

THE CAPE TIMES - 1933, 17 July

In 1877 Thomas A. Edison invented the PHONOGRAPH to record and reproduce sound mechanically. This device was the forerunner of the Gramophone or Record Player.

Other inventors had devices that could record sounds, but Edison’s phonograph succeeded in reproducing the recorded sound for the first time in history. Sound was recorded onto a sheet of tinfoil wrapped around a rotating cylinder. He invented a stylus that could respond to sound vibrations to produce an up and down groove in the foil. 

In 1915, Edison advertised his Phonograph in the Cape Argus, to reproduce the best music, clearly rendered by the new Diamond Point Reproducer. These phonographs - both cylinder and disc models - were of the concealed horn variety. 

(CAPE ARGUS - 1915, 2 January)

In the 1880’s Alexander Graham Bell made improvements before he introduced his GRAPHOPHONE. In 1918, Columbia Graphophones were advertised in THE STAR Johannesburg (1918, 22 February). Special needles would ensure the prolonged life of records.

In 1933, a Table Radio-GRAMOPHONE was advertised in THE CAPE TIMES, (1933, 17 July). This Two-speed device had all the latest improvements like 5 Valves, Tone Control and new-type Radiotrons to ensure Power, Purity of Tone, Value and Compactibility.