Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-16
Bt6cellamtouS Matter.
WONDERFUL TELEepApmuC FEAT.


One Of the most astonishing feats in tele-
graphing has just been accomplished between
this city and St. Louis, Mo-, in the transmits
sion Of the Presidents Message between the
two cities. Messrs. O'Reilly, of the Atlantic
and Lake Telegraph Company, and H. J. Ro-
gers, Of the American Telegraph Company,
wishing to prove beyond all cavail that the
lightning line could be made available tor
the transmission Of large documents as well
as for shor, messages, determined to take ad-
vantage Of the Presidents Message as test
little thinking at the time that it would be of
the very inordnate length it has proved 10 be.
For this purpose they stationed the most ex-
perienced operators on the various lines un-
der their charge, extending from Baltimore
10 St. Louis, Mo-, the starting point being
in this city, where the Messa3 a3e was received
at 25 minutes before 2 o'clock, by Govern
ment Express from Washington, and by horse
express from the Mount Clare Depot TO the
telegraph office in the Exchange. Messrs
Reddish and Hough, of Philadelphia, connec-
ted with the O'Reilly line, having been de.
tailed for the most important part of the du-
ty 10 be performed, that of writing the entire
document in Baltimore, commenced their ar
duous task Tuesday, shortly after its re-
ceipt, and at few minutes before O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon finished their almost
Herculean undertaking-at which hour the
signature of JAMES X. Polk and the Washing
ton date were written as plainly and lcgibly
as the caption had been, "a hours previously
The two operators were at work, relieving
each other occasionally, during the entire
time, with the exception of a couple of hours
yesterday morning, when they were inter-
rupted by storm at the Western end Of the
line. They wrote the Message out in full,
following the copy rerbatim, even to the pune
tuation and paragraphs--a thing not usually
done in telegraphing. The operators at this
end of the line did moi keep register of the
number of words contained in the document
but are of the opinion that from the time oc-
cupied there cannot be less than fifty thousand.
In its progress to St. Louis the Message was
dropped at the following stations on the line,
VIZ. lOIh; IldliIsDuiS, SdlHslt, ShdiHpeis-
burg, Bedford and Pittsburgh, in Pennsylva-
MIA, Massillon, Cleveland, GAINESVILLE, Colum-
bus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, in Ohio; Madi-
son and Evansville, in Indiana; Louisville, in
Kentucky; and Saline, in Illinois; large
portion of the Message reached Buffalo, New
York, but the connection was broken off by
storm prevailing at that end of the line be-
fore its completion; it was also received at
all the minor intermediate stations between
this city and Evansville, Indiana-the above
mentioned placed having all acknowledged
its receipt entire. This is truly wonderful
performance; and the gentlemen connected
with the enterprise have succeeded in their
arduous undertaking in a manner proving
them to be able to accomplish anything they
may make up their minds TO do in the tele-
graphing line. The idea of document filling
twelve columns of the Washington Union, or
upwards of eight closely printed columns of
the american, appearing in print in city
nearly one thousand miles distant from WASH
ington, twenty-four hours after its delivery,
is almost beyond belief, and is, perhaps, one
of the greatest feats ever performed in this or
any other country. As the enterprise was
conceived and carried out by Messrs. O'Reil-
ly and Rogers gratuitously, they certainly de-
serve and will no doubt receive the thanks of
the entire Western press,-Baltimore Ameri-
can.
HE HAD HER THERE!