The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-05-30
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS.

The electric and galvanic powers have been lately
employed in transmitting Geographic signals through
wires 20 any enable distance. More than thirteen
years age Sir II. Dayy, DR. Richie, and several Others
formed the laea of sructng electrical lecgraph
and IN 1887, the model for an apparatus for this pur
| pose was Inhibited by Mr. Alexander u the Society
Of Ats in Edinburgh. Professor Wheatstone, Of
h ng's College, London, lately made considerable ia
provements in the construction these instruments
particularly IN the reduction of the number of wirs
requisite IN such apparatus. The general princi.
PIE on which such operation Is founded, Is that Of
causing the gal,anc current to defect needle poised
on centre and, by certain ngeme nts, the needle
| IS made to POINT 10 any letter al plate. Pro-
lessor Wheast'ne's apparatus consists OF two small
gaSanc tIoughs OF batteries four lengths OF copper
wire object resembling brass clock with sa al
opening or nd on he surface sufficient Ia show =
gle letter at time close by this UPRIGHT pivot OF
brass about thee inches higb having a circular top
inscribed with the letters of the alphabet all round,
and from each letter PIKE pointing outwaTds. The
whole stands on table, except the wires, which, be-
IL four miles IN length, AID warp in Dunhetess
convOlu IONS through the vaults of the college are
CD iervabe only thtr extlemes In conn.xiJn with
he apparatus. The gslvane property generated in
he batteries Is made 10 proceed along the wires and
IN lis passage effect the mechanism IN the apparatus
nov described. The letters cen be exposed at the
rate Of two in every second. gentleman wit
messed he performance says, A lady, turning the
capstan vita her fnger, brought into view the wod
LONDON, IN tie tine It could be uttered letter by
letter, although the idea had TO travel through four
miles OF wire"
The capabilities Of the principle Of ths ms ume mt
have been tested on the line Of the Great Western
Railway la September, 1899 the wires Of the cleo
Telegraph were earn to Drayton, a distance Of
ff1cn miles from London, and the experiment was
attended with complete success. To such gu, stion
the following" How many pa -.ngers STATED
from Draytoi by the 10 o'clock train 7" the ,wcr
could be transmitted from the terminus to Drayton
aud b'ck IN less than two minutes. The of
communication pass through a hollow iron tube an
inch and half diameter which is fixed about 81,
inches above the ground parallel with the railway and
about two or three feet distant from IL and 1t Is pro-
babe that by this time, they have been cared for
ward the whole length Of the railway, which extends
TO Bristol, distance of III miles.
In Transmitting the electric influence through |
wires-howeyer great the disance-the time occu- |
pied IN The transmission Is nearly the same for there
Is reason TO believe that 1t flies with the yeo
city as light, whose rate Of motion is nearly two |
hundred thousand miles in second. Were wires
extended from Britain 10 China on the one hand, |
and to America on the other intelligence could be
transmitted TO those regions in short time IN \
conveying II across garden a large hall II is |
afd 10 say TO what extent signals may, in point Of
lact DC communicated, IN this way in the course Of
the improvements which are now going forward - |
Were the nations OF Europe living in perfect smity
ana pease, and IN a friendly communication with |
each other, telegraphs Of this description might be
ramhed throughout the whole extent Of the CONT |
uen' rum hotu 10 south, and from east TO west
ana the expense OF constructing them would be- but
a slght htin compared with the sun. EXPENDED IN |
useless parade, IN warfare, and in schemes OF folly
they night, at any rate, be spread In different drec-
lions throughout the island oG Great Britain or al
least along the great thoroug leading toward
the metropolis; and Offices established Al different
stages for communicating and receiving intelligence
with prices affixed corresponding 10 the stance |
from which the intelligence conveyed. II il easy
to see that such a rapid commu ncson Of intelii- |
gence-in numerous instances which our limits will \
not permit Us 10 specfy-might be highly beneficial |
10 the interests Of general society.
Thus appears thrt the physical pr NJ ipo or
agent which produces the fokcd nd hIe-bail iphi-
nings and all the dread phenomena Of violent thun.
der storm-whlch rends TO pieces the sturdy OAK and
strikes whole herds cf cattle lfeess TO the prouhd-
which displays is terrific energy IN the aofol pho
bomeno OF volcanoes, hurricane and earthquake
that the same agent - nov, by human art rendered |
subscribed to the conveyance Of swift intelligence
from one place 10 another and to many other useful
purposes In socieiy-and perhaps ere long It's de-
stfr We energies may be completely oounteracted by
the eontfivnnces Of human ingenuity when its nature
and properties an its mode Of operation shall BE-
completely unfolded. And, il is not unlikely the
mves'igauons OF philosophy proceed, that prnci
pies may be discovered 10 the system Of nature more
wonderful than any that have yet come within the !
r, ach Of our knowledge which may both enlarge our
views Of the operations Of the Creator and be sppi-
cable TO manifold beneficial Purposes in the economy
Of human society