New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-14
IMPROVED TELEGRAPHY
THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM.
DESCRIPTION OF ITS oPERATIoN-THE Cal


or THE WIRES SAID 70 BIZ INDEFINITELY IN.
CRRAsED-BoTH TIME AND MONEY SAVED.
The automatic telegraph now in operatio,
between New-York and Washington seems to be grow.
ing in public favor The OF its attemp, La,
Winter to transmit the Presidents message over On.
wire in a shorter time than the Western Onion Compan,
was able to transmit eight wire, demonstrates
the merit the system This system In its pres
ent form Is the invention OF Thomas A. El.'oa Of New
ark, N. j. who is pcrfectingt Tae ordinary bat.
tcres used to generate the electric huii and no
change h made I'm the system Of telegraph wires on
poles in The pecuiarty OF the system consists
both In the method OF preparing the message ami
In the manner Of transmitting ~ 10 tho wires
The message be transmitted IL first given n a man
who translates 1t the characters OF the Morse el
graphic system by peri0raing those In along
strip OF paper. This Ia done by means OF a machine
called perforat0r, which consists OF series OF punches
each representing letter OF the Morse alphabet, oper
ated by double bank OF twenty-sx keys rcscmbNngm
their action the keys levers OF chime OF bells Too
slip of paper to be perforated passes over drum aud
kept in motion by q racket-wheel 80 a. % receive the
letters in regular sequence from the punches An En-
pert operator can thus perforate 50 or 60 word.
minute The perforated slip Is then taken TO the trans
hitting machine which sends the message at the rate o.
800 To 1909 words minute. The essential parts Of
this machine are drum over which the perforated
paper passes, and projecting over the dfum aud
sustaining little spring which keeps two small wheel,
constantly pressed upon the drum. These wheel,
connected with the electric battery, aud the drum IA
connected with the line Of wire over which The mes.
sages are teegraped that when the wheels and the
drum arc In contact the circuit Is complete AMI cur
rent passes over the wires The dry paper which con.
tans the perforated characters - perfect noB-c00.
ductOr OF electricity, and when 1t Is inserted between
the little wheels and the surface OF the drum the Circuit
is broken As the paper passes along these wheels drop
Ia. drum h.l4
thus producing momentary currents over the wires, IN
the same way that they are produced By the orii-
nary Morse machine, but very much more rap.
IDLY. or course, az the pcrfoatons are 30 arranged
as to regulate the length OF the connection the result
the transmission OF the ordinary dots and dlses Of ho
teIegraphc alphabet Tie receiving machine, which Is
combined the transmitting one, also consists OF an
arm projecting drum. upon which the point OF an
pin is pressed The pm connects with the battery
and the drum with the over this drum strip Of
paper with chemical solution i mace 70 pass.
Wet paper Is a conductor aud as the dispatch come,
over the wires the flashes OF electricity pass through
from the drum pin. These flashes dccomp1'o the
the paper and tho oxygen thus set free at once
unites with the iron pin, producing oxide Of RON
Tbs Combines VITA the chemical substances
IN the paper, and the result Is the pro
ductlon of an intensely blue rust on tie
point OF the iron PIN which rubs OF upon the PAPER
making alternate dots and dashes. Tue paper contain
ing the message is received on coil as IL leaves he
drum and carried 10 the copysts, VINO translate tao
Geographic characters. A. the messages are uans
United with such extraordinary rapdlty, th' capacity
OF wire is greatly increased, and - performing
machines, each cutting CD words minute 1t Is claimed
would not crowd the wire beyond Its capacity
Tho great economy Of this invention i sad TO lie 10
the fact that the work which requires the greatest
expenditure OF tme-perforatn2 and copying-- dono
with the least costly portion or the machinery while tho
wire. which the bulk of the capital must necessarily
be invested, is left free TO perform an IN
limited amount Of work an increase or its vorknS
capacity meaning only increase of the num5erd
perorators and cOpysts On the other hand by the Old
Morse SYSTEM the amount OF work which can be per
formed by a wire is limited by the ability OF the opera
tor TO transmit the messages. which cannot be done
faster than % words minute aud in order to do moro
work more wires must be used.
The automatic system Is not one OF recens invention
1t was first tried In lsis by Alexander Balm OF Edinburgh
lie was unable, however TO devise any meani for
punching the rapidly, and the invention met
with little favor About seven years ago the same sy
means were devised for periorating ABOUT 100 wOrsa
minute. new difficulty now arose. IL was found
cn d 10 tbe sfar drageI e Na p
duced the prepared paper instead Of clear dots and
dashes. For several years the best crtfcans iTed 10
vain to Obyate this difficulty Mr. l. iSOn, who nnaly
succeeded In overcoming n, Experienced during 10
consecutive nights IN 1873 on the ine between NeWf
and Washington. The method which De conceived Is
very simple IL consists IN placing magnet al
each end OF the line in sue2 position thit u esd,
after current, and thus the whole dhculty l. Ooyied
The result that Nj. Edisons machine marks the char
acters with perfect clearness Tns method Is clled tho
principle OF inducuye compensation, and the can
~ undisputed. In the words Of George B
Prescott {" Mr. Edison in this respect stani'
above All the electricians in the world" Mr. Ellison as
invented the performing machines used Dy TIE auoDf
TIC telegraph Before bis invention great difficulty vas
dash W
dots with the same machlue MI Ellison abandoned zoe
attempt dashes IN the paper, but cut instead thfs
round holes situated IN the form or triangle. The two
little wheels before mentioned as running upon zoe
drum OF the transmitting instrument are situated
By side, and as they pass over the paper one OF then
the dash. Before 1t gets out the other wheel drops
into tue hole at other apex OF the triangle thus pr
longing the connection, which Is stu iurt1a
extended by the first wheel again dropping into
the third hole. Tnus dash Is made. Mr. l. Ison i
now completing method by which ordinary roma,
characters can be transmitted instead OF dots AMI
dashes. This he accomplisnes by perordtlng numod
OF holes. arranged IN i've parallel lines IN The orDd
The letters OF the alphabet Five wheels are tLen usi
TO make the connection with the drum and these DRIP
ping through the holes produce letters made upG.
end OF the line, aud these letters perfectly legoe
Five wires were az first used for this purpose bat o
is now found TO be sufficient to transmit 80 words,
minute. When this system Is perfected no copystsWb
be needed. as the messages VIII De DELIVERED 10 Tue
Tue points claimed III favor VI the automatic TELEGRAPH
are that IL indefinitely increases the capacity OF w
wires; that il slyes time by making whole iettdh
once by machinery, Instead OF rea airing an ayeF-G
81 motions OF the human hand TO form letter as Ik
case III the old system that IL makes II possible
transmit twenty times as much matter IN the ssps
time the old system, ana that It r. aires only oneS
two skilled men IN each Office most OF tue empoyew
lug cOpyists and perf0ratOrs, VINO be hired t1t we
month, while skilled operatives must be pau slN
month. Tue system Is now being tried by the Bntl,.
Government, who invited Mr.. Edison 10 exniot ~
invention at their expense in he was aes
TO transmit 500 words minute. Tie C0g
pany, which the Hon. George Harrington
president intends TO establish other liues DesN
that now operated between NewY0rk and wdshinstoS,
rg,. lf l4II con
Boston, which is said ~ be the best payns eIreu'~
the Uni ell states. ,..,,