Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-07-02
The TELEGRAPH.

From an article IN the Courier and In
quirer, it appears that there is now in oper-
alton $50 miles of submarine telegraphs in
the world, the longest line being that across
the Black Sea, which is $40 miles The old
est line is between Dover and Calais, across
the English Channel, laid in ISL and a
miles in length. If the present experiment of
laying the Atlantic cable is successful, there
will then be in this single line more than
double tho number of miles that existed pre-
viously in the world. The Steamers Aga
memnon and Niagara were to start ON their
mission the 18th of June, SO that we may
look for solution of this great question of
connecting the two worlds by Geographic
lines, in q few days. We copy the following
interesting facts from the Inquirer
The idea of the employment of electricity
as a means Of conveying intelligence to dis
lance appears to have been long entertained
and experiments to ascertain the practicable
ity of electrical communication between dis
tant places, were early made by scientific
men throughout the civilized world. In
l729, GREY and WHEELER discovered that
current of electricity could be made to flow
through considerable lengths of wire. In
LAG, WINCKLER, at Leipsic, and La Mon
NIER, at Paris, experimental on the same
subject of the transmission of the electric
current through conducting bodies. In
l747, DR.. WATSON, in England, repeated and
extended these experiments, sending a cur
rent through two miles Of wire and two of
earth; sending shocks across the Thames and
the New River. DR.. FRANKLIN, in l74S,
and De Luc, in l749, repeated many Of these
experiments. In addition, experiments bear
ing more or less on the subject of electric
telegrapby We're made by LEsAGE in l774.
/ REU.sER in 1874, CAvALLo in 1875, BErAN-
COURT in 1893, ,SoENMERISG in 1907, and
Prof OERsTEp in 1919.
The first electric telegraph actually ap-
piled, seem 10 have been the invention of NJ.
! d. T. SALIVA. HUMBoLDT says his telegraph
was established between Madrid and Aran-
JUGS in l79S-a distance of about 20 mil 5.
After many improvements and changes,
Professor S. F. B. MoRsE in the year 1885
constructed the basis of his present simple
and beautiful instrument. In September,
1887, he exhibited his instrument at the New
York University, working through 100 feet
of wire.
MoRsE applied for patent in the United
States in April, 1888. This application was
afterwards withdrawn. and his patent was
not taken out until June, 1910 In 1852
he petitioned Congress, who appropriated
$50 900 to his use for the construction of Il
line between Washington and BALTIMORE
In June, 1874, Morse had his invention in
successful operation between Washington
and Batimore-a distance Of forty miles,
This was the only line in the United States
constructed under government patronage.
The House Telegraph, the invention of
ROYAL +. House, differs from the previously
invented Geographic Instruments, by pri Mt
ing messages in the ordinary Roman letters,
and this invention, with the invention Of
DAVID Z. HrcnEs of Kentucky, is well fit
ted to precele the experiment of the Allan
tic cable. BY the latter invention the labor
which electricity has to perform is reduced
to a minimum, by making it necessary u
use only single electrical impulse t. form
letter; whereas by previous systems several
distinct impulses We're necessary. With the
al OF this invention we can transmit a mes
sage the distance Of one continent % another:
and SO We here have the practical decision in
regard to the feasibility Of the Atlantic cable,
the other difficulties being only mechaui-
cal.
To show the progress which has been
made throughout the world in building tel
egraph lines, we give Il summary Of the ex-
listing lines in the world: