True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-08-18
Telsgraph Triunphs.

ca by telagraphio wires. The hopes of
lie people were well nigh prOstraIed by
recent failures in The enterprise, when the
arrival of the Niagara at Trinity Bay,
and the safe landing Of her end of the
cable together with the intelligence by
signals from the Agamemnon, at Valen-
tia, awakened an enthusiasm which has
rarely been exceeded, Cannon, illumina-
tion, and similar demonstrations, have in
various sections indicated the great joy OF
the people at the prospect of speedy
realization Of their most sanguine hopes
A brief retrospect of the history Of tele-
graphic efforts may not at this time be out
of place. For many years the necessities
of mankind had felt the distractions of
of the ordinary methods Of communication
with distant points, and human ingenuity
had been severely taxed to devise means
to facilitate this end. Signal fires, torch
es, trumpets, and after the invention Of
gunpowder, cannon and sky rocket, had
all served their purpose. In 1794, an
erial telegraph transmitted intelligence
between Paris and Lille; and since that
time this method has been in use in Eu-
rope. In 1852, the only @rial telegraph
line liz England was that between Liver,
pool and lIolyhead. The cost incident
to this method was great objection to its
general adoption, to say nothing of lis
slowness,and its total liability to Interrupt
ton from changes in the weather.
Electricily as means Of conveying
intelligence, did not escape the attention
of scientific men. At Leipsic, at l746,
experiments were made on small scale,
and in l747, DR.. Watson, in England,
repeated and extended them, and was
successful in transmitting the electric cur
rent through two miles of wire, and two
of earth, sending shocks across the
Thames and the New River. Dr. Frank
lin, l74s repeated some of these expert
ments; and at various dates since that
time, occasional efforts have been made at
improvement, but up 10 1909 no methods
had resulted in enabling the experimentor
TO preserve continuous current for any
extended distance. "The principal cause
of failure" 1--WE quote from the "Cyclo-
pedia of Commerce,'O " seems to have
been in the employmen, of (rictional elec.
tricity, which is, on account of its high
intensity, confined with great difficulty to
conducting bodies, rapid and incontinuous
in its action, and from its small quantity,
devoid of energetic force" ..
Galvanism went a step farther, but
with comparatively little Of strong prom
ise. But in 1892, Professor Morse con.
ceved the idea Of an electric telegraph,
such as we now possess. In September,
1887, the New York University were
called up TO examine its working through
ZOO feet of wire. In 1888, Professor
Morse applied for patent, but the appli'
cation was afterwards withdrawn; and il
was not taken out until ls4O Congress
soon after appropriated 100000 to his
use, for the construction of line between
Baltimore and Washington-the only
line in the United States under govern
ment patronage.
OF the success Of the electric telegraph
on land, everybody is advised. Its con
venience and utility are universally ac
knowledged. 1t has been regarded by
scientific men as the great discovery o
the present century. Not only on lh'
land but by submarine wires are its won
ders constantly effected. In 1850, th
first submarine cable was laid between
Dover and Calais, France. 1t "a mile
in length. England and Ireland are thu
connected between Holyhead and Howtf
by cable 64 miles in length. Thes
and various other successes of the sam
g nature suggested the possibility Of COZ
5 Meeting the shores Of the old and ne
world, so that instantaneous communict
tions might be kept up between them.-
In 1856, Cyrus W Field visited Englan'
The result Of his visit was the formatic
of the Atlantic Telegraph company, vii
9 capital of 935O,00O for the purpose
g connecting Europe with America.
}. 1857 an attempt was made to lay dow
II the immense coil Of cable, but il resulte
d in disastrous failure. This cable VI
e 2 500 miles in length, weighing near
Ie one ion per mile, capable Of bearing a
ID rect strain of over five tons without fra
d, ture. The centre Of the cable was fofr
a ed by seven fine copper wires, twist
a. into cord l-l6 Of an inch thick. III
lis strand was coated with gutta percl
to forming small rope ) Of an inch thic
then coated with hempen twine soaked
pitch and tar lastly an external shea
= ing Of Is iron wires, each wire being
dh sirand of seven iron viraa makin0 in