The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-09-15
Recent Improvements in Telegraphy.

newly organized Postal Telegraph Com
pany are those known as the Leggo
rapid automatic system, patented this
spring by w. A. Leggo, an Englishman,
who has been in business in this city for
some years; the Leggo fac-simile sys-
tenn; the Gray harmonic multiple system
and the patent compound steel copper
coated wire, such as is now used by the
Rapid Telegraph Company. These four
patents are what the new company re-
lies upon to make telegraphy So cheap
that it will cost but little more to send
telegraphic dispatch than to send a
written message through the mails.
A reporter Of the EUen,ng Post found
MIR. Leggo at his workshop this morn
ing, and obtained from him and from
MIR. Matthew Taylor, his partner, a
brief account of all these patents.
Taking the automatic system first,
the reporter was shown a slowly re-
volving wheel or drum with diameter
OF perhaps three feet and face, or
periphery of the wheel, about foot
and q half wide and covered with
brightly polished zinc. Suspended
above this drum and almost in contact
with its cleaning surface was COM
plicated sort of pen, which came in
contact with the zinc face of the wheel
whenever a current of electricity was
passed through the two magnets to
which it was attached. When the big
wheel turned round the so-called pen
moved slowly on threaded rod across
the face of the wheel from left to right;
one complete turn of the drum was
sufficient to move the pen half an inch
across its surface. When current was
sent through the pen it struck the zinc
noiselessly and sufficient aniline ink to
make distinct mark was deposited on
the surface of the wheel or drum. If
the pen was placed at the extreme left
edge of the face of the wheel and the
machine was started with the pen down,
The result would be continuous spiral
line of aniline ink.
If. to illustrate, the uncovered drum
was in a lathe, and a person should.
while the lathe was in motion, place q
pencil against the surface of the drum and
move it slowly from one end of the drum
to the other, the result would be long
spiral mark. In Leggo's instrument
the pen strikes and leaves the zinc cyl
inder in obedience to the workings of
an ordinary Page telegraph key, and
the result on the cylinder is long spi-
raj line running around and around it,
composed of the dashes and dots pc
culiar to the Morse alphabet, written
out in aniline ink. Now, if the pen is
bearing down upon the zinc surface is
Withdrawn and in its placea steel STYLUS
substituted, it follows that a current
running from this stylus will be
broken just in accordance with the dots |
and breaks marked on the cylinder, for |
aniline ink is a nonconductor. ANY |
ordinary receiver will transmit these |
dots and dashes to a paper tape. 1t |
will be seen by those persons who are |
familiar with the Rapid Telegraph
Company's system of using perforated
paper that there is similarity between
the systems, with the advantage of sim
plicity in favor of the new invention. I
In this case no perforated stencil of the
message is required.
The working of the instrument is as
follows: A message of half column is
brought. say. for Albany. The
operator begins playing upon his
page clicker. Whenever he presses
the key, down goes the pen
upon the revolving zinc. After the
roller has revolved several times and
the pen has advanced an inch or two
from the edge, the ink along the first
line OF dots and dashes is dry enough to-.
allow the dispatching stylus to be ap-
Piled. The operator calls for Albany
and applies the stylus. A receiving
machine begins revolving in Albany,
and every time the stylus in New York
is lifted from the zinc by dash or dot
OF aniline ink, down goes the pen in
Albany and makes 4 corresponding
mark on the Albany tape. Thus long
before the New York man has goi
through writing out his message the
hrst part is in Albany. the stylus follow
ing after the pen within few lines.
The advantages of such an instrument
IRE practically innumerable. In the
hrst place the rapidity of the present
mode OF sending messages depends
argely upon the rapidity with which
he receiving clerk can interpret the
clicking of the instrument before him
ind write it out. He will miss words
u get them wrong, and in receiving a
AAooSe5o VA OAty q low WoTuS lie Is Ia
Die to ask the sender to begin again at
UGH a word. The new plan obviates
he difficulty, for the message can be
translated at leisure from the tape. II
Another important advantage is in the
ending OF relay messages. A message {
rom here to San Francisco, for instance.
annot travel over one wire for mora
han six or eight hundred miles, espec-l
ally If the weather is stormy; it has to I
'e received al Buffalo, sent on to Chi 9
ago. received there, sent on to Omaha | 4
nd so on. until it gets to San Francisco, /
avihg been resent or IS relayed'' half a 9
oxen times, with opportunities for err t
ors aceyery relay. With the new in
ention the work is not touched from /
lew York to San Francisco, except to I
ut the different machines at the relay i
tations into operation. Say that a long i
1essage is to go from New York to San t
Francisco. The New York operator e
fter getting q few lines of mixed dots t
nd dashes on his cylinder, sets the e
tylus in motion; the stylus is connected
18th another pen and cylinder in the :
ufalo Office, which is in turn followed +
y stylus connected with q third pen y
nd cylinder in the (lmaha off;co and =