Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-06-20
MoRsE's MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.


of interest. The considerations relative to the ef
iects OF this communication Of intelligence by light
ming. the dangers, well as the benefits which i,
may have are beginning to be thought Of; and a
sIr' ng calls made upon the government TO become
the owner of the pa,en, right. Many think it too
great ON advantage to give the s'priests Of this
mute oracle" We see that move with this
view has been made, MIR. Choa,e having on Fri
day introduced into the Senate bill for the pur-
chase OF the right from Professor Morse.
We have already published articles describing
the principle on which this telegraph is construct
ed. This is not new; but Prof. N. has earned a
lasting lame ny It's successful application. The
Baltimore American thus describes the modus
opersndi oi'ile telegraph between Baltimore and
ashngton:-R. Compiler.
"it is known that piece Of soft iron bent into
the shape of horse shoe, or the letter u. be-
comes magnet so long as stream of electricity
is passing through wire wrapped around it: and
the wire from the positive pole of the battery af-
ter coming to Baltimore, is wrapped here round a
piece OF iron of the proper shape, and then goes
back to Washington. To make this iron mag
net, there fore. in Baltimore il is only necessary
to connect the ends Of the wires in Washington.
when, so long as they connected, tn, Stream
OF electricity which passes along them produces
the desired effect upon the iron. When the con-
necilon is interrupted the iron ceases to he mag
ne'ic, and is like any other piece Of soft from
This magnet, which the Professor has The power
TO create at pleasure, is his prime mover. lnl,ne-
d'alely over the magnet, say IN Baltimore. is a
brass lever, with piece of iron attached to il,
which Is brought within quarter Of AN inch or
less, OF the horse shoe. AS soon as this last is
made magnet by uniting the ends of the wire
at Washington, il attracts the iron on tbe lever
nd of tha Lava
at the same time, The opposite end to RISE At
MS opposite end is the pen or stylus, which is of
steel, a'out an inch long, and about the size of a
knitting needle. immediately over il is brass
cylinder with groove around il, into which the
stylus strikes when the magnet attracts the other
end Of the lever. Not far from THIS roller are TWO
others revolving III contact, like the rollers used
TO draw out cotton prior TO spinning ii In cotton
mill, motion being given to them by very simple
clock work moved by weight. The Office Of
these two rollers is to draw, from another roller,
and under the gTooved roller, a strip of paper
which is wound round it like ribband ON its
centre block. With these explanations the one
raon OF The machine can be readily understood
When the Professor in ashington wishes TO
send message 10 Baltimore he spells it with let
Iers composed of dots and lines-for Instance A
may be dot and line, thus -; ID two dots
and line, thus -; G. line and dot thus
-. by connecting the ends of the wires for
an instant only, dot is made by the pressure of
The stylus on The paper which is passing over the
grooved cylender; line is formed by letting the
ends oil The wires remain in contact for a longer
time, when the tylus is kept pressed on the NOV
Ing paper. The writing when completed fesen-
Dies Tie raised characters used in the instruction
OF the blind, only instead of the common alpha-
bet an alphabet OF dots and lines in different
combinations is made use of
Inc mode oil connecting the wires required
is very simple. One of them is kept ALWAYS inn
meIsed In cup of mercury, into which the other
is dipped whenever it is desired to send current
oil electricity through the entire circuit the fluid
metal forming a conductor between the ends
he operation of writing consists in PRESSING a
Duttoh, to which The end of the wires i'm use is
attached; III ting manner in which a singh key of
piano is struck 10y the finger, with "a succession
oil rapid or prolonged strokes, as dots or lines are
required 10 be formed. We have spoken of the
stylus as single piece of iron; but it is in fact
composed OF three, like three pronged fork, SO
mat each letter is made in triplicale.
AS already stated the paper is drawn over The
grooved roller, against which the stylus presses
BY Two rollers, which set in motion by sim
pie block work-Which. in its turn, is started by
The FIRST stroke OF the 1ever-a deent or catch be-
ing Withdrawn like The detehi OF a stop watch:-
and So long as the writing is going on, this de-
tent is kept back, and when the writing is done.
The detnt falling into its place stops The clock
work, and TN" paper ceases TO move. The first
stroke OF The lever also rings a little bell, which
calls the attention of the attendant to the ma
chine. The whole machinery does not occupy a
space OF more than one foot by TWO.
AS startling illustration Of the advantages of
this telegraph to Government the American saws:
What difficulty does extent of territory pre-
sent TO pernanency of government. but the DELAY
and Inconvenience of transmitting intelligence
from one portion Of it to anoiher,-intelipenc
between men in business, and between the Exc
cuiive and its officers ?-Suppose the line of
wltes To extend TO Oregon, and that squadron
lay OIL tile mouth of the Columbia, which it was
desired to order home, or TO send to Honololu-
The Secretary of tie Navy could receive the an
swer that all hands were piped to weigh anchor
before the ink with which he signed his name to
The order, If he wrote heavy hand, had dried
upon the paper. VI vessel bound for an Allan
tic port had backed her topsa in the midst of the
Squadron, the Commodore might ask from the
Department., and receive, d permission for an Off
Ger to return in her before, her Yards could be
braced round; and her sails shreted home; for
the rate OF electricity is 10000 miles in Sc
cond, and a. tiis speed would the correspondence
between W as:'ington and Oregon be carried on.
Startling DIS such statements may appear, no one
can gainsay them who will see what has been
doing daily Tor week pas, at the Pratt street
depot. Instances might be multiplied without
of Professor Mofse''
The letter of Mr.. Calhoun 10 Messrs Van Zandt
and Henderson, dated on the eleventh of April.
says mat 'ihe Secretary Of the Navy has been in
siructed to order sionp naval force TO concep-
tra'e In The Gulf Of Mexico 10 meet anu eo1erpeD-
Y; ana similar orders haUe been issued by the
Secretary OF War to move the disposable military
forces on our SouheTn frontier 70. the same mr.