Polynesian., 1853-03-05

averaging twenty-five words each, besides
the address, sixty Of which were sent in ro-
| tation, without word Of repetition.
! The Instruments cannot be worked sue
cessfully without skillful operators, good bat
terles and machines, and thorough insula-
tion Of the conductors. The expense o
copper wire, which was at first used, has
caused it to be superseded by that of iron
which is found to answer the purpose as well,
though the wire in this case must be of in
creased size About 800 pounds of iron
wire are required to a mile, and it is support
ed by spars or posts from % to 80 feet in
height, set five feet deep, nine inches in di-
ameter at the base, four and half at the
top, and placed about fifteen rods distant
from each other. The insulation of the wire
is effected by winding it around glass or
glazed stone ware knobs, passing it
through caps Of the same material, or encIo-
sing it throughout with guta percha. The
cost of construction, including wire, posts,
labor, Sc, is about $3.50 per mile The
average performance of the Morse nstru-
ment is TO transmit from S 900 to 5000 let
ters per hour
In the majority Of electric telegraphs in
actual use, batteries composed Of heterogen-
eous metals, chiefly zinc and platinum, moist
eneG by liquid or liquids, are employed
for the generation of force The earth it,
self has been made to furnish supply of
electric force; in other words, single pair
OF zinc and copper plates have been buried
sufficiently below the surface to be in the
wet subsoil, when the earth, saturated with
water, represents the sand saturated with
Id r hatt
TINS means a current of low intensity can be
Obtained, even when the plates are miles
apart The earth acts as the return wire to
any given number of distinct wires, without
in the least affecting the regularity of the ac-
ton of any of them.
The only constant and economical battery
which Is used in the United States is Groves,
of cups of zine with strips of platinum in
AN earthenware or porcelain cup, which cup
Is filled with nitric acid, which is placed in
-ide nl the zinc cup, in a tumbler containing
diluted sui phuric acid The main battery on
"A line (trom 80 to so cups) requires renew
ing only once in every two weeks and daily
III l"caI batteries of two or three cups.
The usual charge of Transmission is 25
cents for ten words or less, sent one hum
dred miles
Messages passing from one very distant
point 10 another have usually to be rewrit-
ten al intermediate stations; though by an
improved method, the sea-board line has in
good weather transmitted commune ations
direct between New York and Mobile, dis
tance of nearly 500 miles, without inter
mediate rewriting. By the Cincinnati
route 10 New Orleans, a distance of nearly
1000 miles, the news brought by an Allan
lie steamer ai s o'clock A. NJ. has been tel
egraphed from New York To that distant point
and the effects produced on the market there
returned to New York by Ii o'clock A. Nj.
The Congressional reports from Washing
ton are usually received simultaneously in
Baltimore, Philadelphia aud New York and
all that is necessary at the intermediate sta
lions is the presence Of the operator TO re-
ceive the message as it is developed on paper
by the instruments.
The electric telegraph has been applied in
this country TO a new and highly important
purpose, that of the reg istration of asironom-
ical observations, thus establishing the best
possible means for the determination of the
difference of longitude The observatores
in different parts of the country are connect
ed by telegraph wires, and the most delicate
experiments, dependent upon the apprecla-
iion of minute portions Of time, have been
successfully performed. This method has
been recently used for the determination Of
The wave time Of electrical currents.
To show the great extent to which tele-
graphing is now carried and its importance
To the community, reference may here be
do 10, ptS of he, ,SS no
press in New York, and their expenses for
teIcgr aphic dispatches. The Associated
Fress. consisting Of the seven principal morn
ing papers published in New York, paid du
ring the year ending November 1852, nearly
$50, 900 for dispatches, une-thIrd of which
was foreign news The several newspapers
composing this Association paid during the
same time about ST. 900 for special and ex
elusive dispatches.
Alexander Balm, native of Scotland, pa
tented an Eeciro-C Chemical Telegraph on
the 18th December, 1916 and another was
granted to him in connection with Robert
Smith in October, 1919 The advantages
which the inventor attributes TO the Electro
Chemical Telegraph are: lst More economy
and simplicity in the primitive constructions;
ID More rapidty in The transmission of DIS
paiches-a single wire with good insulator
can transmit | 900 letters minute; 3d. An
electric current more feeble than is ordinary
sufires TO cause the apparatus to work; 4ih
More simplicity and economy in the CORES
pondence and superinicndence; 5th. Fewer
chances of error in the dispatches sent The
Balm Telegraph used in this country has
been materially improved by Henry J
Rogers.
The following is list Of the BAN Tele-
graph lines in the U. S:
New York to B,.ston, via
Providence, $50 miles
eacl,) 2wires, 500 miles
Boston to Portland, wire, 100 miles
y ,hr1,unh N II