The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-31

WHAT II THE HUGHES INsTRUMENT!-rs 1T GOOD
FOR ANYTHING?


FOR ANYTHING?
10 THr EDITOR LONDON sEws.
MI Whitehouse published an article in your paper OF
printing telegraph instrument before the public In what
appears 10 unjust light that u.s. regards the
pcabiy Of TO ocean elcgraphing As one Of the own
defence and explanation seems necessary.
The, TO me, significant intelligence enanates from Mr..
Whtehouse that "much odium has been cndcavored 10
DC cast upon me, most unJustly, IN reference 10 an
opinion given by mson the merits OF the hughes printing
nsrumcn-one OF the latest propositions which has OBJ
tanned the sanction OF the directors for the Of
their linc.n
Again he ssyss-'I had reason to believe that a
great effort would at that time be made TO in.
duce the directors 10 purchase the patent right
or license 10 use the instrument and at cxorbi-
tant price. stated to the board and to Mr. Hughes
frankly what thought Of II. and Of lis capabilities
OF adoption TO our purpose offering at the same time TO do
my best TO render practically available 10 the Atlantic
telegraph stpuiatnr only that extra premium should
be received from the company In virtue Of any improve
mcnt introduced into the instrument by myself bu, that
should participate in these advantages, II used upon
other and non competing lines. Ny oficr refused
Now, /" who cndeavored 10 cast odium upon him -
Wcare he'd % infer that Il the directors And what
IIrghcs' nsrumentSp The odium' implies that i was
not favorable What ocr refused Is not explicitly
stated by Mr.. Wh,chousc.
ON my arrival in this country with Professor Hughes
and his sa OF stanis report made o. the board
upcn which resolution was Immediately passed, prompt.
~ aud kindly Offering Professor Hughes every facility
the power Of the company ote his instrument 70 render
practically available o. the Atlantic telegraph cable The
board read 10 their resolution and introduced INC TO Mr.
Nhicousc, who saidl concur IN the spirit of the
luton, and will give my best 10 carry II out
but feel my duty O. say, do not think you work
the cable but have the whole cable, or half OF IT,
o. hfty miles, thus insinuaing that the Hughes nsru
rnc0t could not work lfty miles
when went 10 Kcyham with instruments, the
Grt and natural proposition Professor Hughes asked
Mr WhehoSse 10 show him the rate Of speed which he
could send words the cable The attempt made,
but not single word could DC got through the conductor
by BIZ apparatus, could he do before Professor
Hughes cot his Instruments put up, and then, instead
q getting the rate Of speed by actual transmission
Of letters, or cots and lines representing letters, all
hc could do, with both o bis Instruments In sight Of
each other was make dots What Professor Hughes
wanted 10 know correctly was the rate al which electric
could he through the cable. This
certaincd by the dots made by the Whehouse nstru-
mcnt and 70 our amazement was found TO be only forty
currents a minute, a little less, while had taken
our guide Mr whtchouses report dated January 1855
which he stated by the adoption Of such an amount
0f abrcv ation, code signals, ind safe 10
transmitting through the entire length of the
cable dispatches at the rate Of four words minutew
Here u necessary TO explain that from eight to ten
currents about hvc waves, are required TO form
lcCr the whitehouse system, and assuming Eve let
10 be the average Of words, " v clear that II Mr.
whtehouse could have kept his magnets In adjustment
long enough 20 have sent short message, his maximum
speed could not possibly have exceeded word
minute, instead of "four words"
The Hughes instrument a time instrument, and ts
chanca construction must be in accordance with the
Of speed the electric waves by which II s worked
be made 10 pass through H. The instruments brought
from America based upon the Of speed stated ia
Mr.. Whtehouses report, and, matter OF course.
strumcnts made for minimum rate 81 four words
minute could not work correctly where The maximum
was, has been shown, less than word minute
Thus, az admitted the Hughes instrument did work
through the cable The next day after FIRST expert
mont was informed that Mr.. Whtchouse wished see
ON my arrival nj Mr.. Whehouses private office he
said he could how my instrument could be made 10
print nj least one letter every four seconds by the aiop
ion Of Information which he possessed and the dscove-
rcs Of friend, about 10 be patented and inquired what
interest would give in return This observation applied
10 Gail lines everywhere, both submarine and land
To this was necessary 10 dissent instruments
we're already perfected and at work land
lines and he could be Of no 70 them.
promised 20 consider the matter On examination not one
single new feature or patcnabc principle Of any mpor
lance applied To the whole appeared in hs Instrument
even had been capable Of working reliably. offered
Mr. Whtsbouse 10 give all that his patents or nformaon
mered, but have received reply; but from his own
statement he bound 10 give not only his patented w
formation, but all he possessed 10 the Atlantic oomps.
II admitted the first day Of trial hat INC f,utn
instrument could, when the mechanical GROWS oons'
quent upon Mr. whtehouses report were remover, VIZ
ono letter four seconds or AZ the rave on ,.ce %
a minutc-,lai is, with forty currents mnu'e-ar "o
which has been proved. ,.-..o., 49,, :,
least canabo o being made three hundred per cent better
than lis own, aud that be possessed lbe ssoEwa'10R