Polynesian., 1853-03-05
CHE polpnesian.
Progress Of Telegraphs.

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+ Progress Of Telegraphs.
| We give below an interesting Summary O
the present state of the electric telegraph
enterprise, prepared by ]. C. G. Kennedy
superintendent Of the Census in the United
States @
The telegraph system is carried to greatei
extent in the United States than any othei
part of the world; and the numerous lines
now in full operation form network over
the length and breadth Of the land They
are not confined to the populous regions OF
the Atlantic coast, but extend far into the
interior, climb the SUBMITS of the highest
mountains, and cross the almost bOundless
Iprairies; and in a few years a continuous
communication will be established between
1.-THE Capitol Of the nation and the shores of
1.-THE Pacific, 1t now exists between the At
Ilantc, the great Lakes and the Gulf of Mex
ico.
Telegraphing employs large amount of
Icapitsl, engages the attention of thousands
Iof our citizens, and has become indispensa-
|ble in social, political aud commercial
point of view.
1t is to American ingenuity that we owe
the practical application Of the Magnetic
Telegraph for the purpose Of communication
between distant points, and 1t has been per-
fecied and improved mainly by American
science and skill.
While the honor Is due to Professor
Morse for the practical application and sue
cessiul prosecution Of the Telegraph, it is
mainly owing to the researches and dlscov-
cries Of Professor Henry, and other scientific
Americans, that he was enabled to perfect SO
valuable an invention.
| The first attempt which was made to rem
der electricity available for the transmission
of signals, of which we have any account,
was that of Lesage, a Frenchman, in I174
From that time to the present there have
been numerous inventions and experiments
tu effect ihis object, aud fr"m lS20 to 1850
there haze been no less than sixty three
claimants for different varieties of tcle9raphs.
We will direct attention only 10 those oi
Morse, BAN and House, they being the only
kinds used IN this country
| During the summer of 1882 Mr. Samuel
r. b. Morse, an American conceived the
idea OF an electric, or eieciro-cheinical tele-
graph, and announced his invention to the
unDiic, IN Hpfii, 1861. rsiiH
On the 10Th OF March, 1887, Hon. Levi
Woodbury., then Secretary of the Treasury,
ISSUED circular, requesting information ia
regard To the propriety of establishing a sys-
TEN of telegraphs for the United States; to
which Prof. Morse replied, giving AN account
ot his Invention, IT'S proposed ad, aiiiages and
probable expense At that time he ''pre-
sunrd that five words could be transmitted
in minute"
Prof. Morse petioned Congress to aid
him IN prosecuting his experiments, and 10
test the practical operation of his invention
An appropriation of S3O, 900 was made for
this purpose, and he then erected the first
Teiegraphic line in the United States, in the
month of June, 1874, b:tween Washington
and Baltimore, over a length of 40 miles;
previous to which, however, he had conduct
ed a series of experiments in the Capitol
building
This line was cxtende 10 Philadelphia
and New York, distance of $50 miles Ii
reached Boston in 1915, and became the
great line of the North, from which bI anched
two others is.-one, the length Of | 900 miles,
from Philadelphia TO Lancaster, Harrisburg,
PIttsburg, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louis
vile and st. Louis-the other, the length OF
300 miles, from New York to Albany,
Troy, Utica, Rochester, Buffalo,. Erie,
Cleaveland, Chicago and Milwaukee
| Another line, 1916 miles in length, goes
from Buffalo to Lockport, QueensowE. Nj
agara, Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, Que
bee and Halifax.
Two lines run South; one from Cleave-
| land Ohio, 10 New Orleans, bv Cincinnati,
and is 200 miles long; the other from
Washington by FredIcksburs, Charleston,
Savannah and Mobile to New Orleans, being
| ] 900 miles.
| The only line constructed with Govern
ment aid, was that connecting the cities of
Washington and Baltimore The others
have been established by private enterprise,
the patentee being allowed one half the stock
for the use OF the patent, as his snare of the
investment.
The following table exhibits the annual
receipts OF the g Magnetic Telegraph Com
pany," extending from Washington to New
York, which was the first organized in the
country, from lis commencement to July,
1852:
From Jan 81. 1916, TO July J.,
| 1916, S4,227 a
FIN July I. 1916. to July 1. 1917. 81 $40 Is
FIN July |, 1917, to July 1, Isis, 52.2o2 81
Fin July l, isis, ioJuly l, lS49. 62,35762
FIN July 1. ISty, to July l. 1850, 6l,3S39S
Fin July l, 1850. to July |, 1851, 81, 737 IL
F'mJuIy ], 1851. to July l, 1852, IO3, $50 "a
Total amt rec d up to July 1852. S:,S5. .6ii 81
The capital of the Company is S37O, 900.
1t has six wires from Washington to Phila-
delphia, and seven from Philadelphia to New
York The number Of messages sent over
jtbis line in the last SIX months was Isl, ,5l4