, 1858-11-19
History Of The Electric Telegraph.

In connection with the great triumph oI
science which has just been achieved, the
following resume Of the history Of the pro.
cesses through which the electric telegraph
has passed in obtaining its present perlec-
ton will be found interesting
I727-An Englishman named Wood dis
covered that the electric fluid could be con.
Quoted long distances by wires.
IT46-Herr Winkler of Leipsic, dis.
charged Leyden jar by friction machine,
through wire Of considerable length, the
river Pleis forming part of his circuit
l747-D. Watson made a successful ex,
pertinent of a similar character, over a
space of four miles, at Schoorer's Hill, nesr
London, embracing his circuit Of two miles
of wire and an equal distance Of ground
A writer in the Philosophical Transactions
vol. xiv, I84S, gives him the credit ol
having been the first to suggest the appli'
cation of electricity to telegraph purposes
lT4S-Dr Franklin set fire to spirits by
an electric current sent across the Schuyl-
kill on a wire, and allowed it to return by
the river and earth.
l714-M. LIE Sage of Geneva construct
ed an electric telegraph, consisting Of
twenty-four wires, each properly insulated,
and terminating at one end Of either, was
put into communication with the prime con-
duntor Of an electrical machine, the ball
was repelled, and q corresponding letter
thus indicated.
I794-M. Lommond, of France, com
municated telegraph signals to neighbor-
ing room by means of potatoe ball eleC-
trometer acted upon by electricity.
NJ Reise Illuminated letters upon plate
glass formed of tin foil, by means of cleo
tricity.
l795-M. Cavalo proposed to form an
electric telegraph by firing q gas pistol at
the distant end Of wire, and thus to give
signals.
NJ. Savar attributes the FIRST idea Of an
electric telegraph to DR.. Franklin.
lT9S-Betancou established q tele.
graph between Madrid and Aranjuez, a
distance oftwenty-fve miles, through which
current ofeectricity was passed and gave
signals for letters. 3D.
l809-Soemering constructed the first
galTanic telegraph at Munich, which oPer.
ated by the decomposition of water, and
which he also caused to ring bell at the
opposite end Of the wire. Soemering's wa'
the first decomposition or chemical tele-
graph, and can be even now, successfully,
but less rapidly worked than Bain's.
lSI6-Dr John Redman Coke, Of Phi
ladelphia, proposed to establish an electric
telegraph, and to make signals at distance
by the decomposition Of water and metallic
salts, causing q change in color TO ensure
I8I9-Professor Verstsd, Of Copenha-
gan, discovered electric magnetism, or cleo
tro magnetic motion.
ls2O-M. Ampere, Of France, discover
ed the electro magnetic telegraph. This
he constructed of as many wires as there
were letters, and used the DETECTION OF the
needle as a signal. He broke and renewed
the crcuts by finger keys, something sim
liar to those Of piano forte.
lS23-Fraucis Ronalds Of England, pro
posed telegraph by the use OF irictlona
electricity. In his arrangements there
were clocks at the station which kept time
with each other, and which were furnished
with a light disc Of cyphers in place ol
hands, having twenty different signs to-
ward their circumference. AT the moment
the proper sign on the disc passed before
the index at one station the spark was dis
charged, and the electrometer placed al
the other discharged, and caused the sign'
on the disc at the other to be noted. Th'
telegraph is said TO have extended to Ham
mersmith, eight miles, and to have used the
discharge of gas pistol as an alarm,
l825-Mr. Barlow, Of Greenwich, Eng
land, made an attempt to put galvanic
telegraph in operation, but was bailied by