The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-29
Professor Hughes telegraph.

PROM tlie Liverpool IUSt, August ISL
correspondent writes from Paris as Follows
That "they do these things better France was never
more trumpharty shown than in the of Professor
Hughes telegraph. This gentleman lately Professor
OF Natural Philosophy in the University of Kentucky,
United States and is tho inventor and patentee of new
system Of telegraph printing Of which speed
perorty any existing tecgraphc process thore
be no question: and the fact Of the French
having entirely adopted it must set all doubts rest
That Professor Hughes should have carried his nven
ton TO France will doubtless, occasion you surprise,
but when inform you that both America and England
had first been applied to- astonishment will cease 1t
was not because of any defect that Professor Hughes
Improvement was rejected, but simply from the fear
entertained by electricians that its Introduction would
seriously Interfere with their peculiar rights The
folly of telegraph companies thus allowing themselves to
BE guided BY eel d bns The o@ es Mss viii
probably serve as usefu lesson for the future. But it
- limo that proceed to give you description of this
NV dlscoveiycertainly the ne pius ultra of electric
There is marked difference between the Hughes sys
TEN and the old (sorse system, both regards results
aud the means of obtaining them. Unlike Morses Pro.
iessor hughes system requires but one emission of
rent for each letter. and the message recorded in plain
Roman tyre, thus being Ave times rapid than the
Old system, and allowing not the possibility Of an error
This Instrument is the result Of twelve year study and
as there are many points that now and Interesting
will attempt to describe the means by which such perfect
results are obtained
The letters Of the alphabet, as well rs q dot and a
blank, are marked on twenty keys arranged like
those of piano, save that they are alternately black and
white These keys correspond twenty eight holes mr.
ranged in Gree the horz ,nal or or table of tho
instrument, imme Lately front of the keys Each key
is connected by lever with little steel knob which
wnsn the Key is pressed down by the finger rises up
through one Of the holes. An arm connected with a
vertical shaft sweeps over the twenty eight holes If
key marked with particular letter be touched the knob
corresponding with this letter RISES the revolving arm
passes it, and fer the instant closes the circuit and
allows an electrical impulse to be transmitted This i'm
pulse, by arrangements causes the particular letter to
be recorded on slip OF paper in printers ink. The ia
slant tho passes egthe little raised knob tho cir
cult is broken and if tho finger were held hnnredth
"A a. ElV thn hand
on the knob, and the letter would be repeated 10 pre-
vent this the hand carries after that portion of it which
rides over the knob aud completes tho metallic contact
which closes tho electrical circuit, little inclined
Plane which throws the knob out of s position so that
the hand cannot pass over it on any future revolution
aftor the first contact This arrangement is rendered
necessary to prevent the repetition Of letters account
Of the extreme rapdy Of the revolving and record
Tho Instruments kept In motion by weight act
ing upon train OF wheeis the spring governor acting
upon them by means OF an ordinary escapcment These
vibrations may succeed each other with any degree OF
rapidy desired. although the Instruments may be any
punber OF miles apart.
Tho mode OF operating with this instrument is OK.
remedy simple and easily acquired. The Office do
firing to transmit message calls the station by
touching the keys in prearranged order, the dis
tant Office at once returns the 60 K.," or all
right The manipulation then commences the mes
sage, first striking tho zorro key. II the message
is received correctly, he is allowed to finish, and
then the operator at the distant office gives the re.
turn signal Of Gall right If there Is a mistake the
receiving officer touches his key board which throws
iett'IS 10 transmitting StltOl. ana no then
commences again from the point where he made mis-.
take. There can be no mistake however, II the opera
touches the right key and the manpulators become
30 expert that they seldom touch the wrong one;
il they do the is shown by the copy of the mes
sage on their own Instrument, and Immediately cor
rected.
The Average speed obtained upon the longest lines in
France viz Marseilles 10 Paris $50 kilometres 1900 Eng
lfsh miles, with this instrument, s "a words per mi
mute. With the old Morse system, the lines the
average speed was only thirteen words per minute with
about three per cent Of errors-whilst with the Hughes
not single has occurred during years contn
al The French government have paid 200 900 francs
to the inventor for tie patent and almost every govern
in Europe is present treating the use Of tho
instrument upon their lines. There he but little
doubt that will soon be universally adopted throughout
Europe, for its superiority is too apparent.