Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-06-12
Che Versatility of the Morse Alphabet.

Such is the adaptability of the Morse
alphabet used in telegraphin@ that it
can be communicated by the sense of
hearing. taste, sight or feeling.
About twenty years ago Col. j. j. S.
Wilson, Of St. Louis, then IN active
telegraph superintendent, was on 4
tour III the southern part of Missouri
1t was season of floods. Large por-
tIons of the country adjacent 10 the
ONO and Mississippi Rivers were inun-
dated, and the wreckage had included
the washing away of many miles OF
poles and wire. 1t became necessary
to communicate with 3 point on the
Missouri bank of the Mississippi River
by telegraph. The fertile invention Of
Col Wilson directed that a locomotive
be run TO the Illinois bank. Mounting
the ioot-board, lie grasped the valve,
and soon the shTill screams of the To-
! cOmOtIVe whistle were heard by the
listening operators on the other shore,
WhlStling out Wilson's message in the
long and short sounds of the alphabet.
familiar to them as that OF their prim-
erS. Communication was kept up in
this way for several hours.
A rich citizen OF San Francisco owes
his lie to his knowledge of telegraphy
acquired many years ago. Wandering
over Southern California as prospect
or, he was captured By = band of Mex
can desperadoes. They carried him to
an abandoned hacienda, and with mock
ing cruelty set him at their table to
feast, before, as they told him, they
killed him. The prisoner recognized
among his captors an old companion
also an operator, who had gone to the
bad little time before. The recogni-
ton was mutual, but neither dared to
address the other. The caplive's quick
wit improvised sounder out of his
knife and fork, and, while to the others
he appeared playing with them, his cry
for assistance was read and understood
by his old-time comrade. They formed
IN this way plan Of escape, which was
successfully carried out.
A train on a Western railroad several
! years ago met with q terrible accident
miles from any station. Among the
passengers was q young telegrapher.
His ready mind took in the situation,
and climbing the nearest pole l. was an
easy task to cut the wire, and using tho
two ends as q key sent q message for
help. To receive the reply was more
difficult task. Here again the young
mans invention stood in good stead
and spurred him on to an exhibition of
nerve that is rarely met with. Admon-
ishing the distant operator to send
SLOWLY, he placed the cut ends of the
wire upon his tongue, and by the
strength of each shock to that delicate
member made out the letters until the
message was complete. That young
mans sense of taste was destroyed and
returned only in Il weakened degree
after two or three years.
There happened to be an operator on
board of u small coasting schooner
which was cast on 4 Florida reef in
such q position that escape from the
ship and aid from the shore were both
out of the question during the night of
the wreck. Throughout the long hours
Of suspense he kept up communication
with another operator on shore by
means of a lantern, and words of hope,
of sympathy and encouragement passed
back and forth until day dawned and
made rescue possible.
The United States Government in
several OF its lighthouses has the LIANT
ems arranged SO as to emit long and
short flashes of light, which form GER
tain letters of the telegraph code. This
is method of distinguishing the
beacon, which is easily understood by
little practice.