The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-04
a NoyELTY IN TELEGRAPHY.
Eeventy-t Messages at Once Over One
Wire-A New Line in New England.

Seventy two Messages at Once Over One
Wire--A New Line in New England.
Boston Special.
A new telegraph line has just been opened be-
tween this city and Providence which intro
duees new idea into the general telegraph bus
mess of the country, The purpose Of the new
invention is not so much to compete for general
commercial business, as it is to afford an abso-
lutely secret and safe system of private tele-
graphing at a Low expense. The invention is as
marvellous in its way as the telephone. Those
who have dropped into the Office of the new line
at q Deyenshire street to enjoy sight Of its
performances are almost thpnderstruck.
The new system was invented by Paul La
| Cour, of Cepen hagen but has been perfected in
| America by Patrick b. delaney, at an Office en-
4 Broad street, in New York city. 1t is called
s'synchrono US multiplex telegraphy," and Is
based on the idea of the phonic wheel. Imagine
| two large horseshoe magnets shaped like tunr
| ing forks, one in Boston and one in Providence
and both vibrating in tuning fork style in exact
\ unison. This is the starting point of the sys-
! TEN. Then a mechanism is employed which
] looks like perpendicular steel axle, with sew
4 enty or more knitting needle spokes projecting
4 from it This little wheel has no tire but con
sists merely Of axle and spnkes. A trailing pen
travels around rapidly on these steel spokes,
touching each in turn, and sending Hash q
electricity through it. This wheel Is the second
4 important peculiarly Of the mechanism. There
4 Is one at each end Of the wire,
In the well known quadruplex system efteleg-
faphy, four messages may be sent at once over
! one wire Two in zach direction BY the new
system, seventy two messages may be sent at
once over the same wire, all in one direction, or
part one way and the rest the other Speed Of
transmission varies with the number OF topeFat
4 OFFS. Six men can use the wire, and each SEND
thirty five words minute, but if twelve should
use It the speed would be reduced to twenty
4 words If seventy two operators should use IT.
i the speed would be reduced even below that OF q
4 very slow Morse operator The regular tele-
4 graph companies require quick transtnlsslon
but there are hundreds of business men whose
business does not demand the speed of quick ep-
4 orators If they could have a private line, the
SLOW transmission OF wire worked IN connee-
i ton with telegraph printing instruments would
do well enough for them. 1t is to meet the
needs of class of business men who require the
/ safety OF private wire rather than speed, but
i who cannot afford to pay 81, 500 q year for one
| that the multiplex system has been perfected.
j Seventy two printing Instruments can be worked
SIM ultaneopsly over enc wire, and Without any
1 man getting message not intended for him. as
Il people often do in the case of the telephone or
4 getting his business mixed up with anybody
i elses. The messages are printed in capital let
4 tiers on narrow strip of paper, and both those
i sent and received are recorded there Ii 1ner-
chant should leave his Office and message were
i4sent in his absence it would be found printed
4 there for perusal on his return 1t has been
demonstrated that in six hours, the duration OF
an ordinary business day each one of the Soy
entyr two nsers of single wire can transmit one
1 hundred messages Of the ordinary length
i A@earious feature of this new system Is its
secrecy. The line cannot DO tapped in any way
/ whatever If that were attempted a confusion
of sounds tumble of words, would be the only
reeompense for the thief
i The line between Boston and Providence has
4 been in operation only short time, but quite
4 long enough to attract some attention in bust
/ ness circles 1t seems to be novelty in tel
4 iegraphy, and to have field almost exclusively
4 its own.