Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-08-17
MORSE'S ELECTROMAGNETIC
TELEGRAPH.

MORSE'S ELECTROMAGNETIC
TELEGRAPH.
A variety Of statements 10 reference 70 'he
peculiar construction aud modus opeiano' v
This wonderful and admirable macnihe' now
in successful operation between Baltimore anu
Washington, have been published 10 various
,onrnals lbronphou. the United States. Many
nc ,hese descriptions conveyed but partial
and inaccurate idea Of the telegraph as It re-
allv is, aud some Of them have led TO positive
error.
That the curious and scientific may have a
lust conception Of this admirable and aston
ishinp triumph Of art, we have collected facts
from sources alone to be relied on, and prepared
the following statement:
The generator OF the gavanic fluid, consists
of SO glass tumblers OF the size in common
use, 10 each Of which is zinc hollow cyin.
der reaching from the top to the bottom OF the
glass, and almost filling II up. From the top
Of The zinc cylinder projects an horizontal arm
Of the same metal, extending two inches be-
yond, TO which is soldered platinum foil IL
inches long and half an inch wide, and hangs
vertically from the end of The arm. In the hol-
low of the zinc cylinder is placed small po-
Ious cup inches long and ! IA inch 10 d.
ameter. The glass tumber is then filed with
diluted sulphuric acid, and then the small cup
filled with pure nitric acid. Being thus7pre-
pared, the plantinum of one glass is put into
The small porous cup Of the other, aud 50 on
through the whole series. The last glass at
one end of the row has its platinum soldTed
10 strip OF copper, which terminates in cup
Of mercury n the platform upon which the
glasses stand. Al the other end the projecting
H. al nyoiantinu otFID g0lderpu
and terminates in a cup Of mercury IN The same
manner as the other end. These two ends
constitute the negative and positive poles Of
ihe battery, which is at Washington.
From one oil these cups Of mercury proceeds
a copper wire, ofthe size ofcommon beI.wlre,
extending to Baltimore, upon poles 25 feet
high and 225 fee, apart. Here i, enters the
telegraph Office, and passes round first one
prong OF bar of iron, bent In the form OF a
horse shoe. and from that round the other
prong, and then the wire returns 10 Washing.
ton upon The same poles as The other. At
Washington the return wire is soldered 10 a
slim fiattened slip OF brass, the ono end Of
which is fastened upon a pedestal. and the
other end with an ivory button upon II stands
over brass plate of tho oize OF d five cent
piece without touching it. TO the under side
Of the brass plato is soldered wire, which
extends TO the other pole of The battery. The
battery being now ready for action, you have
but to place your finger upon the key and press
il, until il touches the brass plate below, and
Instantly the gavanic fluid flies its eighty
milos. Take of the pressure Of your finger,
and instantly the fluid has ceased to flow.
We have alluded To The bar oiiron bent in
The form Of horse shoe at Baltimore, around
which the main wires are colled. II is per-
haps not generally known that If bar Of soft
iron is cncircled with copper-wire would with
some insulating substance like bonnet wire,
aud a current Of galyanlc luiJ passed through
the wires thus surrounding the iron, il becomes
instantly magnet. Ii the current IS made to
cease, that instant the magnetism OF the iron
is gone II over tho ends of The prongs of the
bar of iron, where II projects beyond the coils
Of wire around il, small naiiened straight
bar of similar soft iron is placed, being hung
upon one end Of a lever, and the lever sup
ported deieaely upon plvois, so as 10 rise
and fall--it is clear that whenever the bent
iron Is made a magnet, the iron directly over
it, upon the lever, will be attracted down with
force. The lever recedes when
the magnetism is destroyed, by means Of
sprinr. On the other end of this lever are
three steel points pointing upwards, and d.
rectIy over them is steel roller with grooves
turned in it, corresponding to the three points
SO hot whom they strike tho roller by the pow
er OF the magnet, each Of them fall into lis
own groove.
Between tho three points and the steel roll I
Ter. the paper passes. at an uniform rate, being
irawn along by two rollers connected with
The clock. work, which is driven by a weight.
The paper is in rolls Ii inches in diamaer
and IL inches wide, forming a ribbon Of
a continuous length This roll is placed upon
a spool which turns easily upon its axis in
front Of the pen, as the paper is drawn of by
he movement Of tho clockwork. The alpha.
bet is as follows:
A b & ID l. L CT III
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