The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-07-22
The HeIiOgrapH.

WHILE people are discussing the posi-.
bilities and impossibilities Of the Keely
motor another experiment of almost equal
importance has been made without at
tracing much public attention, although
it promises to revolutionize the present
method of sending messages to distant
points. We refer to the new English in
vention of a system of talking at great
distances by flashes of light. Recent re-
ports to the Royal United Service Institu-
ton Of London show that the experiments,
as thus far conducted, have been attended
with most remarkable success. The in
strument which has achieved what may
well be called miracle is the heliograph,
which is simply mirror with an inclina-
ton which Can be SO changed, even to q
hairs breadth, in plane as to reflect a
ray of light at the option of the person
using it. Whether the place to which the
message is sent can be seen or not there
will be an answer IN the shape of a star Of
light in the line of the transmitted ray.
In India the dot and line alphabet has
been used with perfect success, the signals
having been seen fifty miles without the
aid of telescopes.
The immense benefits of this form OF
transmitting news can be seen at once. 1t
is medium of communication which can
never be cut or destroyed, and is not liza
BILE to damage by storms or heavy gales.
There are no wires to be selected or poles
to be blown down. There is no danger
that message would miscarry. The
news could not be intercepted, since the
peculiarities of transmission allow of an
infinite variety Of signals, and only those
engaged in the transmission would know
the nature Of the messages. Not the least
The heliograph only weighs five pounds
avoirdupois, and costs but G5, and of
course the expenses of its operation are
merely nominal. Its uses are as numer-
Gus as its benefits, growing out of the fact
that it is almost instantly available. In
case of war it would be of great value, and
the English papers point out that in the
siege of Metz the Photograph would have
taken the place of carrier-pigeons, and en-
abled the French to send news as easily into
the heart of the besieged fortress as out
of it, Upon the water also it would be OF
great service in communications between
vessels, and revolving lights could be
made to spell out their names, so that sail
ors would at once know where they were
when in unfamiliar waters. Of course
there is no limit to distance in using them,
as repeating stations can easily be estab,
lished and convey the messages even
across continent. The new system, if ii
works with the success claimed for it, will
create a revolution in the transmission OF
news. Its cheapncss is obvious at once
1t requires little outfit, no light of way, nc
expensive apparatus, and no heavy eX,
pcnses of operation. Air and light are
free to everybody, and there seems to be
no possible way in which it can be inter
fercd with, or in which it can get out OF
order. While it will not do away with the
necessities of the electric telegraph entire
ly, and probably can only be made to work
where there are no intervening objects, yet
its possibilities are almost innumcrable.-
Chicago Tribune.