Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-02-01
WHOLE NO. 4O9.
From the n. Y. Com. Adv Jan "a.
THE ELECTRIC TELEGKApH.

We had the pleasure. yesterday, Of seeing
IN operation the very ingenious aud beautiful
contrivance invented by Professor M"rse, for
communicating intelligence at great distan-
ccs, with light like rapidity, by the agency
OF electro magnetism, or, as II used To be
called, the ga.yunic fluid. The machinery
employed by Mr.. Morse is far from oompli-
Gated, yet not easy to describe intelligibly.-
II consists of a galvanIc battery, any required
length OF coated wire, a font Of type, two die
ilonaries, small apparatus at one end of the
line for breaking ana renewing the gslyanior
chain of communication, regulated by the
type set up, and ut the other end OF the line
another set of apparatus by which brass
pen il made to strike upon sheet Of paper,
rolled round a small revolving cylinders
stroke of the pen being given at every re-
newal OF the galvanic communication. The
length Of wire through which the signals
were conveyed, was ten miles; this wire he
ing wound, for convenience, arD.md some
three or four large wooden rollers. In at
tempting TO give our readers some idea OF
this admirably ingenious machinery, we will
begin at what printers very naturally consl~
der The beglhnng-to wit, the types
These are thin pieces Of metal, about three
inches long and two thirds or threo quarters
of an inch in width, one of the longer edges
being notchcd TO the depth Of about half arr
inch-tlie number OF notches being from one
to nine, representing tho nine numerals; the
cypher is represented by long notch. or i'm
dentation, of about three quarters of an inch.
With these ten types, it is evident, therefore,
that any given amount in figures may be re-
presented.
Next come the galics, which arc pieces Of
wood about an inch square and 20 inches
long, having cogs on the undersde, and on
the upper n sln, extending throughout the
length, ond deep enough to receive about
half the width of The types above described.
which are setmto the slit in line, az requiredi
to represent the numbers.
Every word in the language is represente6
by number, the whole dictionary containing
some $4,000. The two dictionaries are Of
course precisely similar, one being for use
at either end of the telcgraphic line. Every
word has its number placed before it, so that
the number for the word or the word for the.
number may be found with sase and expe-
dition.
The apparatus for breaking and renewing
the galvanic communication is simple and ef-
fcicnt. 1t consists merely OF II lever, about
three feet long, moving on pivot at one end,
and having at the other a pair of copper
poluts, whiehfall into as many small cups
containing quicksilver, and are raised again,
according as the end Of the lever is'dcpressed
or elevated. The cups communicate by wires
with the galvanic battery, and to the lever is
attached the end OF the ten mile wire. Con-
nected with the lever is n small winch, work
ing toothed wheel, which plays in the cogs
Of the galley, so as to make il pass along I'M
der the lever.
Upon tho under side Of the lever, not far
from the pivot on which it moves up or down.
is brass tooth, fitting the notches in tie
types. So that the operation ia, when the
winch is turned and the galley moves along
under the lever, to make this rise and fall al
ternatcIy, as the tooth falls into the notches
in succession. Thus the communication is
broken and renewed in succession exactly
corresponding with the notchcs Of the types,
which notches in their order represent Civ
en- sum in figures. This is the contriyance
at one end Of the line-the end from which
intelligence is to be communicated.
The apparatus at the other end is some
what more compex,nnd we shall not attempt
to describe it farther than by saying, that its
object is, first, to attract attention by Stalking,
a bell, (acted upon by the gavanic stroke OF"
shock from the other end, through the ten
mile wire,) next TO set in motion the cylinder
around which tho paper is wound, and Justly,
tn make the brass pen strike this paper at
every renetoal Of the communication, and rise
from it at every break. II is obvious, there
fore, that the succession Of dots on the paper,
the cylinder all the while slowly revolving,
will correspond exactly with the no,ches in
the types, ns the galley passes under and nets
upon the lover at the other end. Thus, sup-
pose the notches to represent the numbers
%, AZ, 12l and 236. The dots on the paper
will stand thus:-
90 90 oooo 100000 o 90 90 600 oooooO
the long spaces indicating that tho number is
complete, and that a new one is to be CON-
menced. A cypher is Indicated by DASH
thus: -; the communication rema lining
unbroken while the long indentation in the
edge Of the typo passes under the tootfs
of the lever.
Such is the contrivnnce-if our readers can
the description-by which Pro-
fessor Morse proposes to communicate any
required information, between points howev-
er distant, in a space OF time much less thars
must be necessary by any other mode ever
devised or suggested. We have not the re-
quisitc science to offer an opinion whether is
is or is not liable to objection; but 80 far ss
the experiments we saw may be taken in evi-
dencc, the result is perfectly satisfactory and
A communication Of our own
suggesting, and only known to Mr.. Morse by
tho numbers representing the words, was
in eight minutes from the time
at which ho commenced setting the type /,
and this, too, under all the disadvantages
arising from want Of practice, and from the
Of a curious and eager throng OF
spectators.
That the gslvshic stroke was commnnics-
ted through the whole ten miles Of wire, was
abundantly demonstrated--as we understood
from gentlemen present. more capable than