The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-11 00:00:00

HYDRAULIC TELEGRAPH.

A novel and ingenious method of conveying intelligence
from one place to another has been lately invented by Mr
Francis Wishaw, of South-square, Gray's Inn, in which
place there is now a model of the contrivance. The principle
on which the process is carried on depends on the well-known
fact of water always finding its own level (unless under cir-
cumstances where operated upon by suction, &c.), or, in other
words, of every part of a stream of water, when left to its
natural tendency, continuing to be equidistant from the
centre of gravity. The invention is worked by the risinf
or depression of water, and is therefore appropriately callet.
the " Hydraulic Telegraph." The detail of it is as fin
lows :—lt is proposed to place station-houses at
various
distances, from 20 to 30, 40, or 50 miles apart, the dig'
tances to depend upon the nature of the ground to be tra-
versed, as to its being a level or an unequal surface. Fromthe termini of the line, to which the communications are to be
made, and of course through the station houses, leaden pipes
are to be laid down at a distance of about five feet from tne
surface of the earth. In these pipes there is always t°
be a sufficient supply of water. At the termini, say Len;
don and Liverpool, and at each station, pipes are to extend
from the main pipes into a proper apartment, and an DPP'
ratus of glass pipes to be placed at the extremities of then.
These glass pipes will be perpendicular, and placed upon a
table of figures, which figures, by means of a vocabulary er
dictionary, are known to represent certain words, and are in-
terpreted by reference to the dictionary, or to the knowledge
of their signification which will arise from memory
practice. By cocks fixed to the pipes at each station Or
at the termini, the water in the pipes can be heightenedifia
lowered in such a manner as may be required to eon-
the water in the glass pipes to rise or fall, so 0 A°R
bring the upper surface immediately opposite any figure "t,
the table that may be necessary to represent the correspondent,
word or syllable or sentence in the dictionary. The wale
.a
rising or falling in the glass pipe instantaneously, and by the
principle of always finding its level, rising or falling at the
pipes at the corresponding stations in a space of time incre-
dibly rapid. By this means the communication is made froul
one station to another with the greatest accuracy and velocity'
and with little danger of disarrangement. Another detail
the same principle, which is appended to the model of this
ccntrivance now exhibited at the office of Mr. Wishaw, i 9
the use of cylinders at the extremity of the pipes at the sta-
tions, in which cylinders are floats, to one of which float!'
in one contrivance, an upright piece of wood is Wu'
which operates upon a transverse horizontal index, traversing
a sextant table, on which the figures representing the words
arc marked ; and on a float in another cylinder an upright
index is placed, having a small horizontal piece of wire
pointing to figures on an upright oblong table. These last
two methods are elegant and ingenious, but do not, perhaps,
at least as far as can be discerned at a first and cursory in'
spection, materially improve the machine. The pipe of the
model now in operation extends from a back-room in the office
of tit:: inventor through a larger room, and into a third aPsrt-
meet. The pipe is about half an inch in diameter, a dimension
said to be large enough for the actual plan, convoluted and
twisted in many folds, in order to render the distance through
the pipe as long as possible. At each end of it cocks le
regu'ate the water, and upright glass pipes, such as have been
described, with tables of figures are affixed, in which the
water mounts and falls by the regulation of the cock.%
tha surface pointing to the figures on the tables, 7:
mercury or spirits of wine in a thermometer points tothe scale of heat and cold. In the experiments which bar
been made, sentences of several words have been conuneni-
c rtt d with the greatest rapidity from one room to the oth;iP
and the interpretation, although the vocabulary of Mr. t:
shaw at present has not above 12,000 words, has been perfect,
The rough estimate of the expense of a telegraph of this sort,
including stations and contingent expenses, is 2001. a ita ea
The invention is exceedingly curious, though dependent on
web-known and simple principle. It is well worthy 8 visit
from all scientific persons, and from all who are interestediitfr
the rapid transmission of intelligence from places at great a
tances apart.
D -

ESTRUCTION OF THE MAID OF BU'
STEAMER t FraF..—By a letter received last night from
v,
liothsay we learn that the Maid of Bute, Captain Johnst°fire
was t:tally destroyed by fire while lying at the qua:-. The ft
broke out in the morning. between six and seven o'clock.. ch
originated in the cook's house amid ships, and spread with sue
rapidity that the vessel was speedily burnt down to the wilt—
edge. —Glasgow Courier.
On Sattuday the fly-wheel of one of the Wail;
en:ines of Messrs Somerville and Sons, Little Govan, igle,
way, and the segments of the rim were projected witll
velocity in different directions. Part of the floor of the eng,
house was torn up, and one piece of the wheel went threng"o.
thick iron door, another through a wall two feet in thie.nnce
awl afterwards rebounded against another wall at the dicta a in
of eighty feet. Fortunately a cart of waste was standuTiry,
a place which prevented the workers in the court from IN
Scots Times.

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