Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-12-17
TERMS 50 so in advance.
WHOLE NO. 10.
from the Scientific American.

llE "A"NH ~ TELEGRAPH. |
Signals for telegraphing news RAPIDLY to
great distances have been employed from
time immemorial. The mounds scattered
throughout Europe and America were no
doubt used for such purposes, as we'll as
places Of defence. The Romans had tow
ers erected on their great roads at certain
distances, and on commanding situations,
so that light hung out upon wall could
be replied 10, or conveyed as intelligence,
hundreds of miles in few hours. The
cairns in England, Ireland. and Scotland;
were undoubtedly used for the same pur-
poses, as they are all placed upon com.
manding heights, and tradition corroborates
the supposi,ion. In Ireland the tradition
is, that the Danes erected these mounds.
In Scotland the tradition is, that the Picts
erected them, and that they were used to
give waning of danger to other places, by
lighting fire on one. which in shor,
time would be replied to By thousands
flashing on hills and mountains STERN" In
Switzerland the same system IS often used
at the present day, and frequently has it
been used in Britain during the last ten
years by the peasantry in the rural districts.
With the progress Of physical science
the means of conveying intelligence rapid
ly have not been neglected, and it is no
longer a desideratum-it is a discovery.
On the wings of the swift lightning, the
thoughts Of man can now be conveyed
from sea 10 sea. The first idea of employ
ing lightning-clectricity-fo the purpose
/ of conveying intelligence, was suggested
by the grand discovcrer himself, Benjamin
Franklin, but the success Of the application
was destined for another.
| From every source which has been open.
ed unto us for examination, it would ap.
: pear that Prof. Summering, of Bavaria
S was the first to employ the galvanic agen.
cy Of telegraphing. He constructed in
1907, model, in the University Build
ings Of Munich, but he employed thirty
Il five wires, and it was found to be practi
cally useless. In 1893, Gauss and Weber
commenced series Of Geographic commu
a nicatiOns respecting observations making
at the Observatory and the Physical Insti
}, tute at Gottingen. Their Telegraph hat
! only two wires, and was successfully
l worked for some years. In 1886, drec
! tors Of the Leipsic Dresden Railway votet
two thousand dollars for experiments OF
Gauss and Weber's plan, but they failed
L. L. In 1910, Mr.. Wheatston employed frs
successfully his telegraph on the grea
d Western Railway. The first telegraph
constructed il England was composed Q
'e a number of wires isolated in glass tubes
operated on by keys, nearly like House,
n In 1887. Geographic model of machin
was exhibited by VIM. Alexander, befor
Il the Society of Arts in Edinburgh, and thi
l. was the first time The Thing was brough
in a tangible shape before the public il
lie Great Britain. Mr.. Alcxandcr's apparatu
had thirty copper wires for the twenty-si:
. letters of the alphabet, the points and al
: astcrisk. II was operated on like piano
We have been informed that the subject Q
- Morse's Telegraph was suggested to th
Professors mind in 1895, and Wheatstol
conceived the idea of his telegraph il
" 1887. Morse's.pIan is different from
Wheats TONS, and IS so we'll known that
description is super1uous. 1t is simple
: and a knowledge Of it has been scattsre
throughout the land by apamphlet publish
ed two pears ago.
There is now another system of tele
!, graphing, which, in regard to interests
;" conflicts with Professor Morse's. 1t is TIL
~ invention of Mr.. House, and instead Of a
r alphabet of dots and lines, made bya poir
: like Professor Morse's, it prints distinc
Roman letters. An operator by it in Cir
cinnai can print his message in Louisville
~ The appearance Of the machine is some
thing like piano. 1t has keys labeile
, like the letters Of the alphabet. and upo
o the top of the box is small horizont;
y, =, steel wheel, upon the edge Of which ever
~ ~ letter is cut. Around perpendicular cy
~ inder standing near the wheel, passes
" narrow ribbon saturated with ink, and bt
70 tween it and, the wheel passes narro'
:, slip of paper, upon touching the key A ft
;" instance, the little wheel reyolves as quic
as thought, until A is presented 10 the cy
: inder, which at the same instant strikes il
y ternally, driving the paper and ribbon
gainst the letter. and makes the impression
:, There arc many claims TO originality
:" regard to the first inventor of the eleclr
y telegraph, but previous 10 all the invention
and applications we have mentioned. the
~ ~ is passage in Young's Travels in Franc
NJ published in 1877, which states that it W
&c &c known at that period in that country, ar
:" practised TO some extent, by a gentems
- named Lomond, which, if true, throw
darkness upon the light of more mode'
inventors.
&c From the Philadelphia Ledger