The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-19 00:00:00

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// Aoittev,i,l,
THE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC
TELEGRAPH.
Most of our readers have heard of the electro telegraph on
the Great Western Railway, between Paddington and Sloagh,
a distance of eighteen miles, by which any communication
can be made from one point to the other, or to any inter-
mediate station, in an almost inappreciably short space of
time. Professor Wheatstone and Mr.-C,Coke, to whose in-
gerittitylre are indebted for this interes_
Itter and important
application of electro-magnetism, havefetAirly.manss an
entirely new.artfingerfient- of their telegraph.-by which it has
been greatly simplified, and possesses great advantages over
the lbrmer one. It is now very portable, and any person,
after a few minutes' observation, can send and receive a mes-
sage through .ita medium. It requires merely a single pair
of wires, and froth forty to fifty letters, or signs, can be gent
by it in the course of a second. The telegraph, with its ac-
companying alarum, is included in a case-no{ - larger than
that of a small table clock. The telegraphic communication
is carried on by Means of conducting wires extending the
whole length of the ;friss' The wires are :uspended in the air
from wooden standards, on the average of. about nine feet
from the ground, and placed in such a way, both as regards
the supporting posts and the earth, as to ensure such a .
degree of insulation as to avoid the'tisk of the electric cur-
rent finding a shorter course through smite imperfectly in-
sulated point.
With respect to the telegraph itself, the upper portion of
the apparatus is appropriated to the alarum, and the part im-
mediately below is the indicator, which gives the letters or
the alphabet, the numerals, and several conventional signs.
In addition to this, an apparatus is annexed to it for printing
the communications received through the telegrapltt oft
similar principle to that used in printing the results of. the
calculations given by Babbage's machine, but in this case tisc
motive power is magneto-electric.
The principle on which the electric telegraph was recently
constructed is founded on Oersted's celebrated discovery of
inserting the magnetic needle through a magnectic current
with an artificial polarity. By the new arrangement of Pro-
fessor Wheatstone's telegraph, the power is derived from Pro- .
fessor Faraday's application of magneto-electricity, the results
of which discovery are likely to produce such important con-
sequences to science.
The mode in which the signals are give a is by means or
magnetic pointers, each suspended vertically on an axi 3 mov-
ing on the face of the dial, and behind the face of the dial
another magnet is placed, being fixed on the same axis as
the pointer, so that both move together. The motion of the
magnet is regulated by fixed stops. The general effect of
this arrangement is to transmit the electric dui(' along the
conducting wire, and through the rolls of wire surrounding
the magnets, so that on moving the handle to the right or
the left, to any one of the stops, the exterior pointers at the
distant stations indicate a corresponding and instantaneous
signal upon the dial at the extreme station. By merely
moving the handle a signal can be instantaneously trans-
mitted to the telegraph house at the extremity of the line of
electric communication, and the latter can asreadilv transmit
back signals in reply, correctness being insured Ity the si-
multaneous appearance of the signal on the instrument of
the operator and of the recipient. The object of the alarunt
or bell above the apparatus, is to call the attention of the
person attending the telegraph at the opposite station, and
this operation is also effected through the medium of the else- -
tric fluid.
Hitherto this most useful invention has been chiefly made
applicable to railway traffic, and fin. the important purpose
of working single lines of.railway it-is invaluable. Indeed,
without its application in such a case, it. would be inexpe-
dient to allow the formation of sack lines ; but from the
facility which this apparatus affords of communicating front .
one station to the other on a line of railway, the greateat
security is aflhrded against the occurrence of any accident
through the collisions of trains, or from any stoppage on the
line. Again, on such a line as the London and lilackwall
Railway, the application of the principle has proved most.
advantageous. It is well known that this railway is worked
by two stationary engines, each of which pulls a rope, by
which the train is drawn along the line. By means of a
telegraph of .this nature the most rapid intercommunication
is ,kept up between one station and another, and the most
minute knowledge is obtained at the London end of what. is
going on at Blackwall, or any of the intermediate stations,
and vice versa.
We understand that the electric telegraph on the Great
Western Railway has for the last few weeks been in great
activity, and that in some. days upwards of a hundred mes-
sages have been transmitted. MoSt of these have reference
to the traffic on the line, which of course would be materially
aided on those days when many heavy and extra trains were
requisite, by means of the telegraph. We give a few speci-
mens of the nature of the messages sent to and front the
Paddington station.
Slough, 6 18 p.m.—Send Mr. H— another train of empty
carriages immediately; we are in urgent want of them.
Paddington, 6 20 p.m.—Mr. C— cannot send any more,
as there are no spare engines—nut one.

Paddington, 7 10 p.m.—Has the up-train left Slough ?
Slough, 7 12 p.m.—Yes, but it was delayed some time.
Slough, 7 30.—The extra train has started, very heavy,
about twenty-three carriages.
Paddington, 7 41 p.m.—Tell Mr. ll the Pluto engine
has just come in. Shall she return with empties? If so,
with what?
Slough, 7.43 p.m.—Yes, with four first class, and five second
class carriages.
Paddington, 1 50 p.m.—Mr. C— wishes to know at what
time Prince Albert will leave Slough.
Slough, 1 53.—About twenty minutes past two: send im-
mediately to the royal mews to order carriages to be in at-
tendance.
Slough, 2 18.—Prince Albert has started for Paddington.
Paddington, 2 49..—The Prince has arrived.
Slough, 3 s.—Mr. wishes to know if the royal party
has arrived.

Paddington, 3 B.—Not yet arrived.
Paddington, 3 12.—The royal party has just arrived.
Paddington, 3 16.—The royal party has just started.
Slough, 3 44.—The royal party has arrived.
Slough, 3 51.—Tell Mr. C— that the returning royal
train will precede the regular up-train.
Paddington, 4 20.—Tell Mr. IT— that the four o'clock
down-train was ten minutes late in starting. The royal car-
riages were late and had to be put on ; it contained seven car-
riages and two horse boxes.
* *

April 13, Slough..—lt is her Majesty's command to receive
notice by telegraph on :the arrival of Prince Albert at Pad-
dington. A messenger from the Castle will be in attendance
here to convey the news to the Castle.
Paddington, 5 44.—Te1l the messenger that Prince Albert
has arrived at Paddington.
Paddington. 5 46.—The royal train has started.
Slough, 6 15.—The royal train has arrived.
• • *
Paddington.—ls everything ready for the reception of the
Emperor of Russia at Slough?
Slough.—Yes, everything is ready.
• • r•

The latter message was sent at the request and in the pre-
sence of the Emperor. We might quote from the check-
book at the telegraphic-office at Slough, several hundred
curious communications made by this apparatus, the answers
to which were received in an almost incredibly short space of
time.
We have hitherto only alluded to the importance of this
extremely beautiful instrument as regards private commu•
nication, even for this short distance ; but it is hardly pos-
sible to conceive the great public advantages that would re-
sult from the laying down lines of telegraphic communi-
cation along all the great lines of railway. The present
public telegraphs, both in this and other countries, are liable
to constant uncertainty and interruption in their communi-
cation, either from inclemency of the weather, or the night.
Every one who has been in the habit of reading the public
papers must repeatedly have observed that the telegraphic
communication between Marseilles and Paris is broken off
in the middle of a message through the setting in of the
night; and interruption of this kind could never arise with
the magneto-electric telegraph. In addition to this, the ex-
pense of a telegraph of thelatter nature would be consider-
ably less than the charge of the present establishments of
this nature. Another advantage of the electric telegraph is
the great celerity with which messages can be conveyed
in
comparison with the present cumbrous telegraphic establish-
ment. Hence then the advantages in favour of Mr. Wheat-
stone's most useful and beautiful apparatus are certainty, ce-
lerity, and economy.
We shall conclude this notice with giving the following
extract on this subject from the 4th report of the Committee
of the House of Commons on railways, presented July 2d;
1840
" Mr. Saunders, the Secretary of the Great Western Rail-
way, states the expense of constructing the electrical tele-
graph on the line of that railway to have been from 250 E
to 300/. a mile. This description of telegraph, however,
when once constructed, is worked at a very trifling ex-
pense; whereas the telegraph now in use between London
and Portsmouth, independent of the original outlay, costa
about 3,300/. a year; and the lines of telegraphic communi-
cation to Plymouth, to Yarmouth, and to Deal, were aban-
doned in the year 1816, on account of the expenditure
required for their maintenance.
" When a telegraph shall have been laid down between
London and the other ports and mercantile cities of the
island, it will give to its proprietors great advantages in ob-
tabing and transmitting information. which must be at-
tended with most important resUlts. For the purposes of the
railway itself this telegraph may also be frequently used, to
preVent the risk of accidents, and to obviate delay and in-
convenience.

" Your Committee are of opinion that circumstances may
arise in which it may be very inconvenient to leave in the
hands of a private company, or possibly of an individual,
the exclusive means of intelligence which this telegraph
will afford, and it cannot fail to be of paramount import-
ance that the Government should be furnished with similar
means of procuring and transmitting intelligence, and they
believe that no ra►lway company will object, on fair terms,
to give every facility to the Government fur establishing a
line of electrical communication over the whole length of
their railway."

FIRE IN GREAT PORTLAND-STREET.—Wednesduy
morning, shortly after two o'clock, a fire broke out in a
spacious range of premises, the property of his Grace the
Duke. cf Portland, but tenanted by Mr. Gotobed, corn-
merchant and hay salesman, and Mr.-Gould, an upholsterer,
in Riding-house-lane, Great Portland-street. The fire ori-
ginated, from some unknown cause, in that part of the
building occupied by the former individual. The escape
belonging to the Royal Society for the Protection of Life
from Fire was quickly at the scene, but fortunately it was not
required. Six engines of the. London establishment, with
those of the parish and West of England Company, arrived
in rapid succession, and there being a good supply of
water flowing from the mains of the West Middlesex Com-
pany, five of the engines were called into operation, but
so strong a hold had the fire obtained, that it continued,
in spite of the firemen, to spread, and the engines were
worked incessantly until past six o'clock, when the confla-
gration yielded at last to the labours of the brigade and .t he
great body of Nytver thrown upon it. The damage done is
as follows :—Considerable injury to building and stock in
basement and ground floors, a large quantity- of the stock in
trade destroyed; Mr. James Gould, upholslerer, first floor,
stock in trade, and furniture damaged by tire and waxer,
window-frames burned out; No. 9, Little Titchfield-street,
Thomas Leay, tailor, building and stock damaged by water,
&c. Both Mr. Gotobed and Mr. Gould were insured in the
Sun Fire-office, and his Grace the Duke of Portland was in-
sured in the Imperial. Mr. Leav, however, was not insured
Monday was St. Swithin's day, and the weather
throughout was beautifully title and bright. In ordinary sea-
sons the observers of signs and tokens would front this pre-
dicate a favourable harvest; but the season has been so dry,
that we question whether rain must not have beer. welcome
even on St. Swithin's day, with the prospect of a long conti-
nuance of wet.—Brighion Guardian. LAt Manchester, Li-
verpool, and Newcastle, SI. fiwithin was tidied in with rain
and t h under. ]
NcomE-'TAX INFLICTION.—it is a positive truth
that surveyors of taxes and other officers have not yet been
recompensed for their heavy labours for the first year under
the Income-tax Act, which expired April 5, 1843. Pr6tty
good interest was raised out of the money stopped frost
parties whose annual income is under 15W., and something
will be gained to the Government, in a like manner, out of
money belonging to officials we here allude to. Sir Robert
"fiend" to others as well as farmers:.