The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-08-19
For the Voice Of Freedom.
Application OF Electro-Magne--
tism to TeIegraphio purposes.
NR. HOLCoMB-

ME. HoLcoMB-
Sir: The many enquiries respecting the use Of
the Electro Magnet in propelling the machinery to
Professor Morscs 1tiegrphic apparatus, has Undue
ed me to ask of you small space in the columns of
the Voice, for the purpose of making few remarks
Oh this truly interesting subject Interesting to me,
because have ever placed high value on the pow
er of the Electromagnetic since my mind was first
drawn to the subject, which il, the year 1883
when Immediately commenced oxpermentingan
as it Is well known, succeeded in applying the pow
Of the electronagnet to the propulsion ofnachn-
cry,-for which I obtained letters patent in 1887.
The use Of the electromagnetic in working the tee-
graphic apparatus of course could not be patented
subsequent to the date of my patent. OF the date
of Professor Morses patent for the electromagnetic
Telegraph, am not informed, but the following let
ter from the Proessor shows the date of of his
I first experiments in the Tclegraphlc invention.
Washington, Jan. 30, 1917.
| DEAR SIR: Yours Of the 18th inst. has
! just been received, -forwarded to ne from
New York. In reply to your inquiries re-
spectng the date Of my first experiments in
applying Electro NagnctiSm to Ic'egrdphic
purposes | would say, that in 82G my atten-
ton was first drawn TO the subject OF Electro
magnetism, in the Lectures of my personal
friend and Colleague Lecturer at the New
York Athen9um, PROF. JAMES FREEMAN
DANA formerly Of DGHmouh College. When
in 1882, on board the packet ship, l concoiy-
ed the plan of my Intercollegiate Telegraph
the information received from PROF. DANA
in relation to the ElectrG-magnct furnished
me with the ready conception Of applying its
power to imprint my signs for letters and nu-
merals. The more important Of my expert
ments, however in applying the magnet, were
not made until the latter part Of the year
1885. At the Nelc York Gig University, tho
essential parts of my present invention were
then proved and during the year 1886 were
occasionally modified, as ] had leisure from
other duties to make experiments. My OBJ
ject was not to obtain an4y greet Io'eer, but
eng p0accr, however small with the magnet, or
magnetism, at q distance this | had obtain
ed for short distances Of few hundred feet
only, but had no funds at that time and was
compelled to wait for their accumulation, he
fore | could try its power even for half mile.
In the beginning Of 1887 l had contIiyed to
obtain half a mile of wire upon which eXpe-
rimcnted satisfactorily, but it WAS not till the
latter part of 1897 that | obtained the ten
mites of wire which had insulated, and with
which my experiments were performed pub
icly at the University and in Washington"
Very Respectfully your obt. seryt,
S. +. Z. MORSE.
Thomas Davenport Esq, Brandon ".
The invention of the electromagnetic Telegraph
consisted in magnetizing iron at considerable dis
lance from the battery, and arranging signs for let
tcrs and numerals" "The more Important of tho
experiment, however, the "applying the magnetic
seems, was not made until after had invented the
mode of controlling the polarity aud power of the
magnet by applying it to moving machnery,-as
will be seen by the following from the Troy Budget
of August 18th, 1885.
can obscure blacksmith of Brandon, VT, 16
miles south of Middebury College, happened acci
IDENTIFY to become acquainted with Professor HcaJy'S
discoveries in electromagnetic Possessing one Of
those minds which cannot be confined to the limits
of q blacksmith shop-nor any shop less than the
canopy of hoaven-he applied his power, to the as.
constituent Of scientific mechanics. He turns three
horizontal wheels around so times per minute by
this power The wheels and shaft weigh II lbs"
My first experiments consisted in inventing plan
to produce and destroy the power Of the Electro
magnet, with great rapidly. My object was to ap
ply the power to give motion to machinery, chow
ever small" which, when accomplished, an mror