The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
AUTUGRAPHIC TELEGRAPHY.
Ns5f4 Apparatus for sending Messaxes
r In the Handwriting at the Writer.
lLondon Timesl

iLondon TimesI
Autographs telegraphy, or the process OF
transmitting messages In the actual hand
writing OF the sender, has OF occasionally, dur
ing the past thirty years, constituted the
special study Of scientific minds. SO long
since as 1850 Mr.. F. G. Bakewell invented a
copying telegraph, by means OF which auto
graphic biography was Effected and this was
probably the first time it was effectually ac-
complished. In this instance the message
was written by the sender with gummy ink
or varnish on metallic paper or tln-foil, and
this writing was, by the aid OF mechanism,
used to actuate electric currents In such a
tay as to produce record at the distant sta
TIN by the chemical decom position OF soiu-
ti6a with which the receiving paper was
damped. Both the written message and the
similar form and dimensions, one
being placed in the transmitting and
the Other In the recording instrument, and
the cylinders were caused to revolve with
corresponding velocities. Each time the
gummy, and consequently, raised lines OF tho
writing wefe crossed by a pointer under
which the metallic paper was travefsed In the
transmitter, q mark cOrrespc nding In position
was made ON the prepared paper at the re-
ceiving cid. 1t therefore followed that the
sum Of all the marks Reproduced the writing
itself. Mr. Blackwell successfully reproduced
the writing in white on blue ground, but
the process failed to become one Of public
utility, owing to the extreme slOwness with
which the apparatus worked, and tho difficult
ty that was experienced In maintaining uni
form and SyncbrOnouS motion In the instru-
ment. In 1856 the Able CaseIll, In Italy, en-
deavored to solve the problem OF photographic
atus was exhibited In England, and it was
Marseilles and Paris Paris and 1' Lyons oa
Plans, drawings and autograph
ent places, but it was found that the apparatus
had not only the defects Of Bakeweli,s, but it
was costly and complicated. The other sub
sequent workers in this direction were M.
Meyer and d. Lenoir, who tried to accom-
They, however, pursued their Investigations
quite independently and unknown to each
! other. We have recently been afforded the
opportunity OF examining the latest example
OF this class Of apparatus ut the general post
Office where it has been submitted to tho
authorities for trial. This Ia the invention OF
M. Dartmouth, Of Paris, and its general
principles are similar to those which govern
Bakewell's system. The distinguishing fea-
ture In DArlincoufts apparatus, however, ID
the introduction OF an extremely ingenious
Which the speed Of trsve of he cylinders Is
rendered uniform, both in the Transmitting
be sent. which may be either In the ordinary
hand or shorthand, Is written with thick.
gummy ink upon a strip Of metallic-faced
paper about twelve inches long and two and
a half inches deep, which Is wrapped around
the cylinder Of the transmitting instrument.
strip OF white paper, chemically prepared
and Of similar dimensions, is placed on the
cylinder OF the recording apparatus and the
instruments are placed i'm electrical connec-
ton and started. The raised writing, actu-
atfnR the electric current, causes reproduc-
tion OF the original message In fac simiIe on
the puper In the recording instrument. which
may be hundreds OF miles away from the
other. Upon the occasion OF our visit the two
Instruments, although In the same ROOM
were practically placed 200 miles apart. The
writing can DO reproduced In either blue,
brown, red or black, according to the
chemical preparation OF tho paper, but
copies can b taken from ono original. In the
same way sketches. plans or drawings may
be faithfully transmitted; some sketches
were, In fact, accurately reproduced ON the
occasion OF our visit. Although the apparatus
Is perfect In its action 1t still has one draw
back, which was common toits predecessors
that OF slOwness 0f reproduction. The time
occupied In revolving the cylinder sufficient
number OF times to allow the pointer to ira
verse the whole surface Of the paper Is seven
minutes, and this rate OF speed is far below
that required and attained iu practice for
commercial purposes. The p0etoffice author
tiles, to whom we are indebted for our inspec-
ton, do not, therefore, see their way to utilize
M. fArlincourts ingenious invention at pres
ent. 1t Is, however, being worked lin France
Ia fortresses and for similar military pur-
poses, for use In which, and In some special
eases, 1t is exceedingly well adapted.