▁water ▁from ▁a ▁flo oded ▁compart ment ▁from ▁entering ▁other ▁compart ments ▁via ▁its ▁voice pip es . ▁ ▁P erman ently ▁fitted , ▁rig id ▁voice ▁pip es ▁are ▁still ▁in ▁use ▁and ▁are ▁generally ▁covered ▁with ▁heavy ▁l ids ▁to ▁avoid ▁ing ress ▁of ▁water . ▁The ▁speaker ▁has ▁to ▁place ▁his ▁mouth ▁in ▁the ▁" horn " ▁or ▁bell - sh aped ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁pipe ▁and ▁the ▁receiver ▁has ▁to ▁' b end ▁an ▁ear ' ▁to ▁hear ▁what ▁is ▁being ▁said . ▁ ▁Vo ice ▁pip es ▁have ▁generally ▁been ▁replaced ▁by ▁sound ▁power ed ▁tele ph ones . ▁The ▁speaking ▁tub es ▁on ▁naval ▁ships ▁are ▁used ▁when ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁" clam " ▁mode ▁instead ▁of ▁tele ph ones ▁for ▁electronic ▁ste alth . ▁ ▁Dom estic ▁use ▁ ▁In ▁domestic ▁applications , ▁voice pip es ▁were ▁smaller ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" spe aking ▁tub es ". ▁The ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁t ube ▁were ▁often ▁flexible ▁for ▁convenience ▁of ▁use . ▁The ▁speaking ▁t ube ▁supp lement ed ▁the ▁array ▁of ▁rem ot ely ▁controlled ▁hand ▁b ells ▁that ▁were ▁operated ▁in ▁the ▁up st airs ▁rooms ▁and ▁rang ▁in ▁the ▁servant ' s ▁qu arters ▁in ▁even ▁mod est ▁houses ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁phrase ▁" get ▁on ▁the ▁horn " ▁and ▁" g ive ▁him ▁a ▁blow " ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁" b lower " ▁as ▁a ▁syn onym ▁for ▁" tele phone "