, 1884-06-27
THE FIRST WIRE.
norse's Experimental Limo from Bal.
timore to Washington.
Text of the First MeNsaGe-PrImIIiVs
Communication Between New
York and Philadelphia
Tho First Company.


~ NShlPhHg
New York Evening Te!egram.l
The near completion of tho laying OF the
Grst of the Commercial conpany's cable from
Valsntta to Dover bay. calls to mind some
interesting facts connected with ths history
of telegraph building in this country. Forty
one years ago, in the month OF May, Pro-
tessor Morse accomplished the aim OF bis life
in having laid the first working telegraph
line IN America between Warrington and
Baltimore. Ga Marcia ., 1913. preceding the
great event, congress had passed a bill appro-
priating 5000 for the construction of this
experimental line. The debate ON this ques-
ton was sharp, and public opinion much di-
videi. The resolution was finally
raised, the vote standing 81 yeas aud
81 nays New Hampshire. Georgia,
Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas
voted solid against. New York stooi -
Tor, IL ag inst. The bill hal yet to pass the
senate. Professor Morse was the at ons of
the darkest periods Of his life. After paying
his hotel bill at Washington and procurin Z a
ticket for New York -fOr no despaired OF tho
bill passing in the senste-he had Just 37k
cents left. On the day he was about to leav4
Washington Miss AMMO S. Ellsworth, tho
daughter Of the commissioner OF patents,
WINS the first TO Announce to aud con gratu-
! tie Professor Morse on the final passage Of
his bill The professor replied: "Aunie, you
are the first to inform INC, aud now 1 make
you L promise. When tue line is completed,
the first dispatch sent upou 1t from Washing
ton to Baltimore shall be yours"
DIFFICULTIES.
Dir. Morse at once turned his attention to
the construction of the first telegraphic line
in America; the government allowed him n
salary of $500 per ennum meanwhile.
Alfred Vail took charge OF the machinery,
and Ezra Cornell superintendent this con
struction, M. Morns q: first adopted the
underground method. He ordered forty
miles Of a fine wire cable In New York en-
closed in lead A trench to lay 1t in was
dug by a plough invented for the purpose.
But Seven miles of wins were thus laiI from
Baltimore to the Relay house. Mr..
Morse found, to his great chagrin,
that tho method was unsuitable, but
not till after half tho appropriation
had been spent 1t was finally deter
mined to lay the line on poles, with two cop
per wires, covered with cotton saturated
with gum shellac. In May. 1874, the line
was completed. The first office was at Wash.
~inston, in the capitol The apparatus used
On this first line was bulky and coarsely con.
%ssructel. Tho relay magnets weighed 1856
pounds The coils were eighteen inches in
iiamrtsr, Of No. 10 copper wire, insulated
with cotton thread. Mr.. Morse presided at
the instrument in Washington aud Mir. Vail
in Baltimore.
THE FIRST MESSAGE.
Miss Ellsworth was sent for by Mr.. Morse
and lie requested her to frams the first mes
"a e TO be sent over the first wire. She sent
this mes8nge: "lYhat has God wrought" 1t
was successfully transmitted, and the strip
Of paper on which it was imprinted was
claimed by Governor Seymour OF Con-
necticut in honor OF the Lady, who was a mn.
live OF his state, and OF the inventor, who
ind there received his college education. The
first public message snt was by Vail to
Iorse. The occasion was the meeting Of the
national convention at Baltimore to uomi-
nate a president. James X. Polk was nomi-
a.sted for the presidency, ami Silas Wright
for tue vice presidency. Mr.. Morse con
veyed the message to Wright, who was in
Washington. Wright declined the uomina-
ion. and Morse telegrnphed to that effect to
Baltimore. 1t was a great surprise to the
Convention to receive this news within a few
minutes Of their previous action. The boly
refused TO beiieve-the information authentic,
ant waited until n committee ha / been sent
b Washington to confer with Wright. Tho
committee coitirmel the first message b. a
i-cond one. Thus the telegraph received a
.reat boom and came prominently into pub
&c notice.
OPENED TO THE PUBLIC,
The nav lin. yas ,vorved r,rolv Tor
n hilton until Anrii / Is45 on ,rbi,b a. :.
,.,s nn.rsi TO- nrrIin SnG. - IaJ
% ansmisSion fxel. The first operators under
;His rule were Mr.. Vail, at Washington, and
Ir. Henry J. Rogers, at Baltimore. Tie
tariff was liked by the postmaster general At
I cent for every four characters, under whose
supervision the lius was placed by congress,
which voted an appropriation OF s., 900 to
keep 1t in operation during the year. The
receipts for the first four days Of public
. Grafton -cro exactly J cant This was the
contribution of an office seeker, WHO wanted to
s'e the working OF the wire for nothing Mt
hrt, but who was informed that it was i'm
p s4hle,as the operators were sworn to do paid
tlty. As the otice-seeker had but a S2J-biIl
ani | cent, so he said, 1t was arranged that
l' should invest in n cents worth OF cleo
city. Washing ON asked baltimore ~"
'vaich signal meant "What time il itl' Balti-
more rel lied a." meaning l O'Clock. As this
;usssage included only two characters, the
uilige->aeker was entitled to half "a cent in
mango. Az the change was not fortbcom-
ing, the new line was half Il cent ahead ON the
legal rites. On April o business was brisk;
is:s cents was received. On April d, Sun
day. no messages were senG Ca April z,
there was a startling rise in tho receipts-6J
C ntS. On April y the business was over
w~Lelming-Si.3l This was too good To las.
GA Aprit o thu recefuts dwindled down 10
sLOI
mn ,nsr