The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-05
A New Ezra I'm CivillEasion-The Electric
Telegraph.

Il u
in progress to extend the extraordinary agency Of
Morse's Electric Telegraph to this city, Phladel-
phia. Boston, and other large cities of the Union
Once the design scarred into effect, asl undoubt-
eddy will be ere long, we shall commence new
era ofcivilzation and progress on this continent
With steam-power working everywhere as our
servant on railroad, and river, lake and ocean:
and this new and wondrous application Of that
mysterious and subtle agent, till now known only
by its hostile and destructive visitations made sub
ect to our control and bidding annihilatipg,
as it were, both time and space, bringing into the
| limits Of an hour the opposite extremes of vast
continent, tits difficult even for the most enthusi-
astic imagination, to exaggerate the progress Of the
race during the next half century. 1t becomes, in
these circumstances, very interesting subject to
inquire into the past history of teegraphc conmu-
nica,ion, and we will accordingly endeavor to fur
nlsh some information on this matter, as briefly
and accurately as possible.
The ar, of corresponding by means Of signals is
OF very high antiquity; amongst others, the
clients used fire, torches and flags, in announcing
with celebrity, to distant points, intelligence OF a
new and I'M ortant character. The Greeks and
Romans were aware OF its value, and it is upon re-
cord that Theseus, in his expedite against the
Argonauts and Mardonius, in the time of Xerxes.
availed themselves of its aid. Thucydides. also,
frequently alludes to his mode Of speaking by sig
mails and in the days of the decline Of the Roman
Empire it was very well known to that military
people, who were too well aware of its great i'm
portance TO them to let it be neglected In the
middle ages, louo noises and the sound OF instru-
mens were substituted for light, fire and smoke,
the invention Of gunpowder contributing 10 make
he nPpfo rahl Ahv he noce sei.
ty Of choosing points Of great altitude, and not
dependant upon the state Of the atmosphere. II is
very certain that this art is nearly old that of
war itself The Greeks brought it to great perfec.
ton; and in the tenth book Of Polybius some
curious details are given on this subject.
In China, fire, as mode Of signalisng, was in
very general use, they were acquainted with
the secret of making certain compositions which
impaired dazzling brilliancy In naval battles
when smoke would interfere prejudicially, this was
a great improvements these artificial lights were
employed also in surveying operations. Among
the various systems Of the moderns that Of M.
Chappe, which has been in for fifty years in
France, may be mentioned in the.f first rank. This
system first tested ON July H. 1898, in presence
Of the committee OF public instruction Of the ma
tonal convention, and its success was complete.
II was found that in Is minutes 40 seconds, short
despatch could be transmitted to distance of 4S
leagues Previous to this, there was no known
means Of transmitting intelligence with secrecy
and despatch, and adapted to all distances, which
difficulty was surmounted by Chsppe's system, and
hence il was distinguished from all olherspreviously
known. Napoleon, who neglected no means to con-
firm his numerous victories, has been more than
once indebted for his success, TO The Teegraphs
which connected his different armies, of which truth
the battles of Austerlitz, Wagram and bylaw, are
striking instances AS soon this system of Chappe
was known its eous suits were admired land
many learned men perceving its value to govern
ment, applied themselves to further improve it; but
all their attempts were unsuccessful. Amongst |
others who essayed to bring il to higher degree Of
perfection, we may mention the names Of Ed
wrantz, Beltancourt, Breguet, Moncalrer, Pillow,
Latour, Edgeworth, Charriere, Spratt and whole
host Of others.
Without further dwelling upon the subject of
telegraphing it has been, few words upon 1t as
ii is, will now be offered with proprety. Monsieur
Eunemond Gonon, an industrious and enter
pricing Frenchman, has lately communicated
to the Academy of Science, in Paris, the re-
suits Of twenty-five years Of study for the pur-
pose of perecting this art, and although the bene-
seized with that avidity which they merit, by his
own government, it is very likely that ere long
they will be. The details Of those improvements
furnished byMons q. in his treatise thereon, are
very striking. 1t is adapted to all kinds of dis
patches, all technical phrases and figures; it en-
poys fewer signals than the words in the dispatch
free from errors; adapted TO different languages
independent of miss and fogs; available by night;
ac hair ,,c 1..u al
persons; its.signals easily construed; quick,
and capable Of operating at greater distances than
many previous systems.
We have already given full and accurate de-
scrption of Professor Morses Electric Telegraph,
which is justly regarded by the scientific world as
The best and most admirably adapted 10 its object
of all that have been yet invented. We have no
space at present to follow out the reflections which
this subject naturally excites. But we shall soon
recur to it.
ANNIVERSARY SERMON DIR. Spring preached yes
terday his thirty-ffth anniversary sermon in the
Beekman Street Presbyterian church. A large at
tendance of hearers showed that it was looked TO
with some interest. The preacher, on this occa.
sion, confined himself altogether TO purely spi-
ritual topics, and therefore some who attended,
expecting TO hear discourse Of more compre-
hensive kind, some structures on the general state
and prospects Of society, the signs Of the times &c,
were disappointed. II cannot be said, however,
that there was cause for regret on that account.
The text chosen was from Johns Gospel, 10th to
to 32d verse. He took retrospective view Of the
prevalence Of unbelief in the days Of the Saviour,
well as it's continuation till now-the ignorance
Of God which prevails-the duties of the Christian
ministry, and closed with an affecting allusion to
his long connection with the congregation he was
then addressing, and an effectionate exhortation
them TO meet him in the eternal world, well pre-
pared to render an account before God Of the way
in which they profted by his ministry.
The sermon was good although not an eloquent
one The solemnty of the preachers manner