The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-03
PROFESSOR MORSE AND HIS TELE-
GRAPH. ~

1 Our readers are all doubtless familiar with
the fact that legal controversy has arisen
| In he West between Professor Morse, the
inventor Of the Magnetic Telegraph, and
Mr.. Henry O'Reilly, who has established
lines through the Western States, using an
instrument known there as that of Barnes
4 Took, which they claim to have invented,
and which Professor Morse insists is an in
fragment Of his patent. The final issue
will be tried next month before the United
States Circuit Court at Frankfort, Ken
lucky, and both parties have been for many
weeks preparing for that issue by collecting
evidence for the occasion.
MI. Morse has been in this city for the
past week taking testimony under com
mission which Is to be read on that Trial, and
having been permitted TO peruse the evl-
dence produced in advance Of its being read
before The Court, and to make such use OF It
as we thought proper, we purpose giving a
briei analysis Of it.
From the evidence Of Capt. VIM. w.
Pell, well known as the former popular COM
mander Of the Hayre packet ship Sully,o
i appears that in October, 1882, Mr.. Morse
was passenger with him returning home
from a thrte years tour in Europe. A few
drys out from Havre Mr.. Morse announced
al the breakfast table that since leaving port
l,e had invented d system Of electric tele-
grePhing, and he went into an explanation
Of tie means by which this was to be ac-
couplshed, and that, too, by a single circuit.
MI Morse exhibited to Captain Pell and
others i small sketch hook in which he had
drawn the various parts Of tue apparatus
necessary Cor this telegraph, and among them
" cugged type was included, but alter
wards discarded as unnecessary,
This book Professor Morse had FORUM
ately preserved, aud il was identified immc-
diateb by Captain Pell, who strengthens
bis testimony BY recalling an expression
made by Mr.. Morse Just before leaving the
ship, and which he says he could never for
iet II was TO this elect" Well, Captain,
II you hear one OF these days that the Flee
tric Telegraph has been put in operation,
remember that il was discovered on board
the good ship Sully,n These words made
an impression on him which he says he never
could forget, and th.y were recalled with
great force some time after their utterance,
BY seeing this very telegraph in operation
il the University IN this city, whittier he
had been invited BY Professor Morse.
! Messrs. Richard and Sidney Il. Morse,
brothers Of the Professor, confirm the claim
20 the discovery Of the Telegraph at this
time, (is32.) They state that they went
10 the foot Of Rector street on the arrival Of
the /" Sully," in the month Of November,
1882, TO meet their brother, and almost the
first thing he said after the usual greetings
had passed between them, was to announce
that on the passage home he had made q
discovery that wonld astonish the world, and
he then communicated the fact Of his having
invented an Electric Telegraph, and SO full
was be OF his discovery, that while walking
up to the residence Of his brother in East
Broadway, he pulled his sketch-book fom
bis pocket and exhibited and explained to
them the various drawings he had made Of it.
Both brothers fully and clearly identified this
sketch-bool, the same as seen by Captain
Psll Immediately after removing his lug
gage from the ship, he commenced making
experiments, and cast his type in the parlor
Of Mrs Morse's house, and this TACT Is the
more distinctly recollected by AZ, from the
circumstance that he spilled some OF the
melted type metal on the drugget and one
OF the chairs, and severely burned his fingers
in the operation
To confirm this testimony, already so
strong, d.. Bliss, Of this city, states that he
attended Professor Morse ior cntaneols
eruption from the 4tb to the 18th Of De-
cenber, is32, and Mr.. VI. then commune
Gated 10 him the fact tina, he had discovered
an electric telegraph, and explained the op-
Grafton TO him and the Doctor well remem-
ben the fact that Mr. M's fingers were
burned hy the type metal. Some Of the
very type cast On that occasion have been
fortunately preserved, and We're forwarded
10 Frankfort 10 be produced on the trial.
Both the brothers Of the Professor state
that this invention was the subject OF fire.
quent conversations among them the Pro-
iessof insisting that only single circuit was
necessary, while one Of them TIVE forget
which one) thought that as many circuits
were necessary as there were letters 10 the
alphabet.
| Anothcrrery remarkable disclosure brought
to light by this evidence, is, that among the
earliest conceptions Of the Professor was that
Of using some chemical preparation in which
the paper 10 be written on was to be soaked
and the marks would be made by aecompos.
ing this preparation by means Of electricity
This plan, however, he afterwards entirely
discarded, (as he had done the type, on tho
ground Of is being too complicated and hs
continued his experiments un,h he brough,
I i 10 is present state Of perfection. lnls37
il was exhibited 10 his friends and some 81.
entiiic gentlemen 10 the University Of TIL.
city, he having i there in operation on .
circuit Of ten miles IN extent Several sci,
cutiiic gentlemen have been examined be.
tore the Commission, al Of whom concur 10
the unqualiiied statement that the Instrument
Of Bain's 4 Took, as used BY 0'Reilly, ],
4 but a Variation Of That invented by The Pro.