Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-08-26
THE MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH IN ENGLAND


The last London Quarterly Review, just issued by L.
Scott Co., contains interesting article ON the electric
telegraph. The writer attributes the Introduction of that
invention, practical iustrumentaity ~ Professor
Wheatstoue, OF Kings College London who had in ope.
ration line Of wire mile aud quarter long between
the Custom Square and Camden Town stations on the
London aud Birmingham Railway, the 25th day OF
July, 1887. Seinhei Of Munich, according to a COM
munclon OF Arago to the French denny of Sciences,
had in operation line of Telegraph miles long, on
the 10Th Of the same month but Whei,s,ones patent
had been taken out in June previous and Senhe pub
shCd description oil his instrument for more than
year after, nor until August, 1888. w1en it hal been
greatly altered and improved from its original FORM The
reviewer acknowledges the merit OF Stenheis discovery
and gives him credit for being the first who the
earth to complete the circuit lie pronounces it. however
be inferior that OF Wheatstone; and it was soon
abandoned by the inventor for modification Of Professor
MorseS instrument The date to which he assign, IN
exhibition OF Mofses machinery In action Is September
1887, and IL Is said then TO have worked mperecty bu,
IN proof OF its ultimate superiority is ia stated that out oil
$4,000 miles OF wire which had been erected BIZ 1889 In
the United States, l2 2i worked on the sy.ten az
Morse. The question Of priority, between Wheatsone
aud SIeinhei Is justly regarded unmporInt the orgi.
nality Of their respective nvesga being fully ,stab
shed The claim of Morse 10 priority Is referred TO an
announcement OF the idea Of such instrument az the
Magnetic Telegraph, in conversations which occurred h.
ia
home from lilvre in the ship Suy. Prof. Jicksol WIS
deeply interested in the subject OF Electro
and wont to recount the wonders which hiI expert
mens with it had developed to any who seemed ab
TO comprehend his discoveries and he claims TO have
suggested Prof Morse possibility of using IL, agency
for the communication Of thought Without determining
the controversy between the Professors the Reye
thinks that the Telegraph was with both of them a,
time, only crude idea.
Tue introduction Of the telegraph into use in Grea,
Britain was more gradual than in this country; but IL
tension there has been rapid within few years thou
I'VE have not yet" says the Reviewer "got into tho
habit Of employing the telegraph like the Americans on
the mere everyday business OF life" There il ,psciaI
system OF telegraphic communication in operation In
London, for government purposes aud social
When Parliament Is in session, the proceedings Of both
Houses dispatched az they occur to the S. James
street Commercial Station Of the Electric Telegraph
Company set no, printed and posted every half hour
the great Club Houses aud Italian Opera chiefly en-
rbe legislators who frequent these places to remain In
disturbed enjoyment Of the music their dinncrs till the
inmnence Of division obiges them repair to tue
House Ia order 70 he included In the count.
lrou wire coated with zinc prevent rust used com
monty for tclegraphs THE article under tho
OF galvanized wire, is approved substitute Tor clothes
Nnc ~ domestic use The best material for insulating
the wires from their supporting poles IL said be stone
ware because, besides It's non.conducng qualities I,
sheds water With pecglior fcily-an important eonsd
Grafton In rainy weather wh9n tq9 electric duid is wont
TO make bdg- On the insuator by which TO paas from
ho wire down the post to tho eirh and return to il.
battery before having performed the GRAND which il wa.
commissioned to execute. bridge OF water With siui.
lar results, is sometimes formed by dripping stream
which conveys the aud from upper wire to one sus
pended horizontally below the same poles; and the
writer tells OF which which effected like inter.
ference by lying against the wires 10 rain storm and
threading his neck up through than, doun which aud
over his body the water streamed bearing the fud from
one wire TO another In ia course.
. me more annoying aud dangerous contingencies oil
lightning arc modified avoided by the nae of conduc
t3rs which Srs Varog,ly constructed; but that OF M
hghtoD, commended Tor its Simplicity and eff ,iency /,
described as follows by tho Reviewer
The method adopted by Dr.. Highton Is TO line a su al
deal box say ten OF twelve inches long with tin plate
70 put this plate 10 connection With the earth The wire
boundup In bbuous papor-Whoh Is sufficient iosusto
Tor the owtensoned fluid Of the batety- carried beot
i enters the instrument through the center OF the box an,
surrounded with iron angs. Toe high tenslonod cleo
ttioity OF the lightning instantly darts from the wire
through tho pores tho psper 70 the million points Of tn
hney divided iron, and 20 escapes 10 the EARTH
Oh the first Of January last the number Of miles Of tee
graph in operation, belonging the Electric Telegraph
Company, was 400, skrtiDg all the lines lines Of rail
way In Gres, Britain and covering the surface OF the Is
ana WITH the exception Of the highlands Of North VALE
aud Scotland, with complete work. The number o
miles Of wires was 1880 In the uI moths prsyou.