Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-06-21

other end the electricity passes from the positive
to the negative POLE and spark is seen, like that
proceeding from the common electrical machine,
which is the electricity seeking to establish an
equilibrium. If the two wires are kept in contact,
there is a stream Of electric fluid passing from one
to the other, which is kept up by the action of the
acid on the metallic plates already mentioned.
Now, the ordinary length of these wires, in q
common galvanic battery, is but few feet but
they may be o thousand or an hundred thousand
miles in length, and the effect of bringing them in
contact with each other is still the same-that is
the flow through the entire length of a stream of
electricity at the rate already mentioned. If there
fore the machine or battery is IN Washington, and
a wire from the positive pole is brought to Balh-
more aud carried back to Washington the end Of
it brought in contact with the wire at the negative
pole, which is but few feet long, will cause q
stream of electricity to flow from Washington to
Baltimore and back again along the wire and it
! is this wire, coming here and going back, which is
to be the posts in Pratt-stree the tUo wires
there visible being in fact but the opposite sides of
a loop OF wire which would be eighty miles in
length were it extended And this Is the first thing
to be understood,
Now it is known that piece of soft iron bent
into the shape Of q horse shoe or the letter U, be-
comes magnet SO long a stream of electricity
is passing through wire wrapped around it; and the
wire, from the positive pole of the battery, after
coming to Baltimore is wrapped here round piece
Washington. To make this iron a magnet, there
fore, in Baltimore it is only necessary to connect
the ends of the wires in Washington when, so
long they connected, the stream of electrl-
city which passes along them produces the desired
effect upon the iron. When the connection is in
terruped the iron ceases to be magnetic, and ia like
any other piece Of soft iron. This magnet which
the Professor has the power to create at pleasure,
is his prime mover. Immediately over the magnet
say IN Baltimore, is q brass lever, with piece OF
iron attached to it, which is brought within quar-
ter 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, it attracts the iron on
the lever and draws one end of the lever down,
causing, at the time, the opposite end 10 RISE
At this opposite end is the pen or stylus which is
of steel about inch long, and about the size of a
knitting needle. Immediately over it, is brass
cylinder with groove around it, into which the
stylus strikes when the magnet attracts the other
end Of the lever.
Not far from this roller are two Others, revolving
in contact, like the rollers used to draw out cotton
previous to spinning it i'll cotton MILL motion be-.
ing given to them by very simple clock work NOV
ed by weight The office OF these two rollers is to
draw from another roller, and under the grooved
roller strip of paper which is wound round it like
a ribband on its centre block. With these expla-
nations the operation of the machine can be reddi
ly understood. When the Professor in Washing
ton wishes to send message to Baltimore he spells
it with letters composed of dots and lines for in
stance may be dot and line thus -; b
two dots and line, thus. &c line and a
dot thus -. By connecting the ends of the
wires for instant only dot is made by the pres
sure of the stylus on the paper which is passing
over the grooved cylinder; line is formed by let
ting the ends of the wires remain in.contact for a
longer time, when the Sly us is kept pressed the
moving paper. The writing when completed re-
sembles the raised characters used in the insruc-
La. al,..k l..xl
phabet an alphabet Of dots and lines in different
combinations is made use Of
The mode of connecting the wires as required is
very simple. One of them is kept always miners
ed In a cup of mercury into which the other is dip
ped, whenever it is desired to send current Of
electricity through the entire circuit, the fluid met
al forming conductor between the ends. The op-
Grafton of writing consists in pressing button, TO
which the end Of the wires in use is attached, in
the manner in which a single key of piano is
struck by the finger, with u succession of rapid or
prolonged strokes, as dots or lines are required TO
be formed. We have spoken of the stylus u sin
gle piece Of iron, but it is in fact composed OF
three like hree-pronged fork, that each letter
is made in tripllcate.
AS already stated, the paper is drawn the
grooved roller yainst which the stylus presses by
two rollers which are set in motion by a simple
, -work-whlch in its turn, is started by the
first stroke of the iever-a detent, catch, being
WllnurdWn, IKE llle uClcHl Ol ana SO
J. long the writing Is going on, this detent is kept
back: and when the writing is done, the detent
falling into its place, stops the clock work, and the
paper ceases to move. The first stroke of the lev.
err rings little bell, which calls the attention Of
, the attendant TO the machine. The whole machine
ry does not occupy space of more than one foo,
V by two.
4 In the foregoing our purpose has been to make
such explanation will crafty the curiosity o.
,,uc fp nd tn No nprate
. philosophical knowledge we may doubtless have
\ exposed ourselves to tie criticism of those who
n possess 1t.
d We have described the mode ofworking the ma
is chnery, so TO speak, now used, but we understand
n that there are Others which would enable thost
1t who want the experience of Professor Morse, ant
his polite Assistant Mr. Vail, who is at the Balti
= more end, 10 write, by striking keys arranged ik
those OF piano and marked with the letters Of thu
N common alpbabet-the effect being produced b,
j. the passage of arms the projections cyl
r nder, after the manner of hand or musical box.
re The only remaining matter to be noticed is tn
% mode IN which 1t is proposed to make the Magnet
Id ic Telegraph generally useful for business purpos
to es Let suppose, for instance, that it is extend
ID ed from New York to New Orleans. John Smitl
d, in New York, wants to buy from James Brown i
or New Orleans 500 bales OF cotton at cents per II
st lie writes accordingly the following letter :
IN "James Brown-buy 500 bales cotton at 8 cts
IN John Smith" lie folds IT. directs it, and sends
be t. the Post Office marked Magnetic Telegraph
he Here it is at once sent TO the room of the cler
nd of the Telegraph who opens and writes the col
en- tents to New Orleans, where clerk in attcndanc
no at the Post Office at the end of the wires puts IL
ay letter into common writing, seals and directs it
a John Smith, and sends it off instantly by me
es senger in waiting. But cotton is ten cents per
ty and so James Brown writes buck" John Smit
cotton 10 cts, James Brown TO which Sm
"a answers" James Brown, buy at 10 cts, Jol
nd Smith" And all this is done between New q
lin leans and New York in the space of half an hou
allowing time for the passage OF the letters fro
an the offices to the counting houses of Sinith al
CHI Brown. Or, if 1t is desired that the correspon
ect ence should not be known, Smith and Brown mi
OF agree upon combination of dots and lines dfe
he ing from the combination of Professor Morse, al
to then upon sending the letter IN some such shape
to this" John Smith - - -. --.--.-
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