Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-07-14
THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH

Is hoped VIII soon Seld us electric lhfiil i
from the one hemisphere to the other
So far as they can, these ships now rep
resent the two greai Christian nations Of
the world, and We hope arc constantly !
interchanging with eac', other. as 'hey /,
steam each for her native land, the mess
age of calls we'll" May those MESA
ges not be broken until the ends Of The
cable are fast anchored to either shore,
and the trembling wires all over the two
hemispheres dart the glad tidings that
America and Europe are Connected
Cleue. Herald.
In anticipation of this great event, we
give brief history of telegraphic pro-
gress throughout the world. We cut it
from the New York Courier
In the year 1884, DIR. Hooke invent.
ed plan for an aerial telegraph, which |
was followed by the experiments of IL.
Amoutons for the same end. However.
neither of these plans were carried into
effect, and it was not till 1894 that the
semaphore was actually used. In that
year an erial telegraph, the invention Of
NJ. Claude Chappe, was employed for
the r.usmission of intelligence between
Paris and Lille; the conveyance OF a sig
nal from one Of these places to the 9TH
er occupying only Two minutes. Sema
phores were soon in use throughout Eu
rope.-in England, in 1895; Denmark,
in 1909; India, in 1928; Prussia and
Austria about 1888. in Russia in 1889.
The cost of working the aerial tele-
graph was very great. The line above
mentioned cost about 81, 500 per annum,
and similar line between London and
Portsmouth cost about SIG. 500 per an
mum. These telegraphs were necessarily
imperfect, exceedingly slow, and liable
to total interruption by storms and fogs.
The idea of the employment Of elec-
tricity as means of conveying intelli-
gence 10 distance. appears to have
been long entertained, and experiments
to ascertain the practicability of cleo
trical communication between distant
places, were early made by scientific men
throughout the civilized world. In 1929,
Grey and Wheeler discovered that
current of electricity could be made to
flow through considerable lengths of
wire. In 1746. Winckler, at Leipsic,
and La Monnier, at Paris, experimental
on the same subject of the transmission
of the electric current through conduct
ing bodies. In 1747, DIR. Watson, in
England, repeated and-extended these
experiments, sending current through
two miles of wire and two of earth
sending shocks across the Thames and
the New River. DR.. Franklin, in 1748.
and De Luc, in 1749. repeated many of
these experiments. In addition, expert
ments bearing more or less on the sub
ject of electric telegraphy, were made
by Lesage in 1774, Reusser in 1894,
Soemmering in 1907, and Prof. Oeisted
in 1919.
The first electic telegraph actually
applied, seems 10 have been the inyen-
ton of NJ D. f. Saliva. Humboldt says
his telegraph was established between
Madrid and Aranjuez in 1884 dis
tance of about 96 miles.
After many improvements and changes
Professor S. F. B. MORSE, in the year
1885, constructed the basis Of his pres
ent simple and beautiful instrument. In
September, 1897, he exhibited his instru-
ment in the New York University, work
ing through 1,7OO feet of wire.
Morse applied for patent in the Unit
ed States, in April, 1888. This appli-
cation was afterwards withdrawn, and
his patent was not taken Ou, until June,
184o. In 1S42 he petiIioned Congress,
who appropriated $4,000 to his use for
the construction OF line between Wash
ington and Baltimore. In juno, 1914,
Morse had his invention in successful
operation between Washington and Bal
timore-a distance of 40 miles. This
was the only line in the United States
constructed under government patron
age.
The House Telegraph, the invention
of ROYAL E. HOUSE, differs from previ-
ously invented telegraphic instruments,
by printing messages in the ordinary
Roman letters, and this invention, with
the invention Of DAVID E. HUGHEs, Of
Kentucky, is well fitted to precede the
experiment of the Atlantic cable. BY
the latter invention the labor which cleo
tricity has to perform is reduced 10 a
minimum, by making it necessary 10 use
only single electrical impulse to form
letter; whereas by previous systems
several distinct impulses were necessary.
With the aid of this invention we can
transmit message the distance of one
continent 10 another; and so we have
The practical decision in regard to the
feasibility of the Atlantic cable, the 9th
er difficulties being only mechanical.
To show the progress which has been
made throughout The world in building