Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-06-28

City Of New York. and, in 1885. be de-
livered a eourse Of lectures before The un-
versity on this topic Prior to this, how
ever. his attention had been directed TO a
subject which was thencefGrth to engross
his thoughts and labors. While in college
he had been a proficient in chemistry aud
natural philosophy, as those sciences were
then taught, and his interest in them had
been subsequently, maintained and ibcreas-
ed by the new aud brilliant discoveries
which were making in both sciences. In
lS26-'27, when be was lecturing on the
fine arts before the Atheneum, his iRti-
mate friend, Prof. J. Freeman Dana, was
lecturing at the same institution on elec.
tro-magnetism, and the phenomena Of this
new discovery were displayed TO Mr.. Morse
By his friend, and excited his deep inter-
est. Prof. Dana exhibited aud explained
in his lectures the electro-magnet con-
s'ructed on Surgeons principle (the first
which had been shown in the U S J, though
his own spiral volute coil approached much
more nearly TO the elcctro-magnet Of the
present day. The Sturgeon electrO-mag-
net eventually came into Mr.. Morso's pos
session by gift from Prof Torrey, but he
was not slow to appreciate the advantages
Of Dana's improved magnet, which in the
next Ave years had come into very general
use in the L. S.
In the autumn of 1882 Mr.. Morse en-
barked at Havre for the U. S. on board
the packet.ship Sully. During the voy-
age he held several conversations with
gentleman passenger in regard to the then
recent experiments in France with the
electro magnet, in which the electric spark
had been produced, aud its identity with
electricity thus conclusively demonstrated.
The question was asked in one Of the con-
versation, " How long time was occu-
pied by the electric fluid in passing through
the coil?" which was hundred feet or
more in length. The reply was that its
passage was instantaneous. Mr.. Morse
suggested that the electric fluid, by means
of insulated wire (such as was used in the
helix), could be carried to any distance,
and might be made to convey and record
intelligence. The other persons engaged
III the conversation assented indiflerently
10 the remark but it had taken so firm a
hold upon Morse's mind that he undertook
to develop the idea which he had thus
originated, and, before the completion of
the voyage, he had not only worked out
| IN his own mind but had committed to pa
per the general plan Of the invention with
which his name is ndissolubly connected.
His main object was TO effect u commuhi-
cation, by means of the electro-magDet
that would leave permanent record by
signs answering for an alphabet, and
which, though carried to any Distance
would communicate with any place through
which the line might pass. His first idea
was to pass strip Of paper, saturated with
some chemical preparation that would be
decomposed when brought in connection
with the wire, along which the electric
current was passing, and thus by series
of chemical marks, varying in width and
number for the different letters of the al
phabet, record the message without sepa-
rating the wire at each point of commune
cation. This was aftcrward substantially
accomplished, though not by him, but was
found less convenient IN practice than 9TH
er methods.
On MIR. Morse's return to New York
he resumed his profession as a painter,
still, however, devotiug all his leisure, un-
der great disadvantages, to the perfection
of bis invention, He constructed rude
apparatus, but it did not work successful
ly, and he was compelled finally to aban-
don the chemical process. He next avail
ed himself of the action of the electro
magnet upon lever as mode of using
pens and ink as they are used in the rul-
ing-machiAe. After trying these with
but slight success, he substituted pencils
for them, and, finding these liable to break,
and having ascertained by experiment that
he could obtain any requisite force from
: the lever, he adopted the stylus, or steel
: point, for indenting the paper, which he
! has since used. Iu these various expert.
ments, and in others appertaining to the
= practical working of the telegraph, three
years were consumed, snd it was not un.
! til 1885 that be had SO far perfected his
, instrument as to he able to exhibit it tc
, : his friends, and send by it message to o
distance of half mile. Even at this time
i he could not receive an answer through
ihe same wire. The apparatus, though
= rude, was substantially the same as thai
: since in use in the Morse telegraph, in
7" Guiding even the clock-work for regulat
ing the movement of the ribbon of paper
}, He was still delayed by the difficulty
i of having instruments constructed to com
plete his plan, and by his further expert
ments in endeavoring to utilize the return
: : current aud, though he exhibited his ex
periments to many pepsohs in 1885 ant
1886, it was not until the summer O
1887 that he had succeeded in producin!
> = instruments by which he could TELEGRAPH
4 4 to distance and receive replies. Ii
= = Sept, 1887, having his whole plan com
: !; pleted he exhibited to hundreds of peopl
4 j at the University of the City Of New Y orr
= !, the operation Of his system OF telegraph
- :, ing, and in October Of the same year file
: his caveat at the Patent Office.
a The ensuing winter and spring were de
i i voted to the attempt to interest Congress
~ or in the subject, the great advantages
. telegraphic communication to the govern
= ment and the nation, and the vastness :
~ 4ha nndortnk inot hoinn e,lfficienf rensnr