Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-02-19

By the system which has been dis.
placed the messages wsge spalled out
By flashing rays Of light Back and forth
across standard line, the right and
left flashes corresponding with the
dots and flashes Of the ordinary teles
graphic alphabet.
In this system the light is flashed by
reflection from an extremely light
mirror, which is turned right and left
by the opposing influence of positive
aud negative impulses. This system
has the advantage OF being operated
with very slight impulses, but also
the disadvantage Of leaving no perma-
neht record.
To secure the latter very important
end, the recording instrument has
been adopted. The press dispatch
announcing the change states that in
the new record the ink is discharged
by the agency Of electricity being now
similarly employed in the recording
instruments used at Hearts Content,
the Newfoundland station of the
Anglo American company's cables.
A recent visitor to the Hearts
Content describes as follows the
method of receiving messages at that
point: The recorder is horse shoe
magnet electrified BY the usual circle
OF fine wire, and attracting small
metallic coil. The coil is hung be
tween the magnet poles, aud by
light lever and a thread, almost as fine
as the strand of cobweb, is connect
ed with a delicate siphon hung in a
little reservoir of ink. The lux is
electrified, so as to produce
repulsiOn Of the particles,
making it flow more reldily
through the siphOn, which, outside, is
about the size of a darning needle,and
the interior tube scarcely larger than
a hair. The lower end OF the sipS0n
rests against a paper tape playing per-
pendienlar through rollers. The whole
machine is almost Of gos,amer fneuess
and fexibility, so as to minimize the
electric strain necessary for working
the cable"
Let us imagine now that coming
message has been signalled from far
across the ocean at ValeDtia, The
operator at first opens the simple ma
chinery that works the brass rollers.
On the center of the cape, as it passes
between the rollers. the siphon at first
marks only a straight line. Suddenly
the line swerves to the right or left.
The message has started and the end
of the siphon has begun its record.
Worked by two keys, and positively or
negatively electrified, the coil swings
the siphon point now TO one side,
now to the other, along the
page. Responsive to the trained
hand Of the operator, the
tilament of ink marks out on one
notch, two notches, three notches,
then suddenly it may be a higher ele-
walton or depression until the deli
cate line traced on the tape looks like
the tiny outline of a mountain range.
But 1t is range whose very hilltop,
peak and valley mean an alphabetical
symbol to the telegrapher eyes. The
recorder is the invenIien Of the famous
electrician, Sir William Thompson.
How delicate an interpreter it is may
be inferred from the fact that ten jars
work 1900 miles of cable between
Valen!ia and Hearts Content, while
twenty. five jars Of the same electric
power would be needed to work $50
miles Of land wire; in other words,
tie recorder is more than twelve
times as efficient for its purpose as the
ordinary Morse instrument. The re.
corder traces its characters on the
tape about as fast as a slow peuman
copies a letter. Besides its delicacy
Of work, the recorder, as its name
imports, has the name Of leaving the
record Of the message.