New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-03
A PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT IN TRANSMITTING
TELEGRAPH MESSAGES.

The number Of miles of telegraph and the
Of telegraph business doDe steadily and rapidly
,a ne i.s e,iIms,.S 20 bs about "a COO
In the number had increased 10 nearly 10000 ana
in operation about 100 miles Of telegraph wire Sup
posing the same rate OF increase to be might
Sc supposed that 100000 additional miles OF which
would he ssary might easily be put up by 1878 But
shall show. there serious obstacle In the way
Let take tho number Of wires radsting from New
York and compare the same periods and make the
calculations rs We have done above with respect 10 the
aud three southwark sufficient to accommodate the
business this metropolis. In 1858 there in
eight wires eastward and ten southwark At the present
each Of these routes We have not exact
the number Of lines running westward but their rate
OF Increase be less than that OF the others The
capacity OF single wire for the transmission OF messages
Is much greater than 1t was formerly. In conse-
quence OF the lines being maintained In o vastly
improved condition. 80 that the increase IN the
number OF wires running from the city does not
equal the increase In business In 1878, suppos
city with the Of the country continues
loo wires or more on each OF the Eastern Southern and
Western routes Here energies the difficulty Even now.
the city the way bordered with forest OF telegraph
poles and wires II has been found by expo
rence that every addition TO the number Of wires upon
range OF poles adds 10 the difficulties OF working and IN
crcases the danger Of Interruptions In storms
they present mach surface 30 the gale that they
frequently blown down. especially when and Zee
adhere TO them For these aud other reasons which
not be Indefinitely mStped In number nor indeed be
greatly increased without creating serious dicuties
IL likely that tho speed with which
be transmitted under the present system susceptible OF
any considerable improvements. good operator can
send 1900 words per hour, and more will fall below this
rate than above It, There Is no inducoment for the
companies 10 lower the rates to business They
Of about all the business they can do railroad
train carry 1000 letters easily rs one. but ele
graph wire can carry but one message ~ time. There
Is however what seems avery way OF getting
the difficulty. and simple Is 10 that hope 20
make II clear to every one who may take the trouble to
read this article.
IL consists in tho adoption of q system. the same in
every essential particular as the signal system Of the
Army and Navy. Two Engshmen-Capts Bolton and
Barrowhave already nearly completed large work, of
the nature OF dictionary In which number ID given to
each word and also TO each OF tho sentences most fro
quently recurring In Geographic communications When
therefore, message IL received for Transmission 10 10
first translated INTO numbers, then transmitted, and
translated into words for the receiver The transaoRs
are TO be done by clerks who would make this part OF
the work their sole occupation and thus acquire
hciency In the use of the numbers which would enable
them to do the work Will all necessary speed 30 simple
requires the operator under the present system
init 65 signals BY the signal book OF Messrs Bolton and
Barrow would be necessary only to send the number
Among the other advantages this system would DOS
sess are these The operator who transmitted the mes.
sages woud have no knowledge whatever OF their
tents aud could not US IL tho have their atten
ton divided between involuntary thoughts upon the sub
ject matter and their mechanical operations Books with
English, French and German columns, corresponding
with each other. might be made and International tele.
graphing thus be- greatly facilitated.
land with this system ut the offices OF the Electric and
International Company. on their line between BlrmiDg
averaging 10 words per message. transmitted by
the Bolton and Barron system In t minutes without
occupied and several occurred in the process Of
sending Whether this stem be applied TO the toll
ographe matter which " sent to tho press we should
Judge from what We have read TO be tte doubtful,
but tho advantages OF greater secrecy aud speed
tanly commend IT, not only To telegraph companies but
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