Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-07-06
THE FIRST WIRE.
Morse's Experimental Line from Bal
CT timore TO- Washington.
Text o. the First Message-Prlmitivs
Communication Between New
Work Gnd Philadelphia
The First Company.
.riNew York Evening Telegram

The First Company.
srlNew York Evening Telegram.l
The scar completion Of the laying of the
first Or the Commercial company's cable from
Valertia TO Dover bay, calls to mind some
interesting facts connected with the history
Of telegraph building in this country. Forty
one years ago, in the month OF May, Pro
fessof Morse accomplished the aim OF his life
in having laid the first working telegraph
line in America between Washington and
Baltimore. On March 3, 1873 preceding the
great event, congress had passed bill appro-
priating 5000 for the construction OF this
experimental lime The debate on this ques-
ton was sharp. and public opinion much d.
videi. The resolution was finally
passed, the vote standing. 20 yeas and
y nays New Hampshire, Georgia,
Mississippi, 4 Alabama / AID Arkansas
voted solidiy agaiase New York Stool %
for, II against. The bill had yet TO pass the
senate Professor Morse was then at one of
the darkest periods of his life. After paying
his hotel bill at Washington and procuring
ticket for New York-for he despaired Of the
bill passing in the senats-he had just S7iI
cents left. On the day be was about to leave
Washington Miss Annie s. Ellsworth, the
daughter Of the commissioner of patents,
was the first to announce to and congratu-
late Professor Morse on the final passage OF
his bill The professor replied: @Annie, you
are the first to inform me, and now make
you a promise. When the line is completed,
the first dispatch sent upoI it from Washing
ton to Baltimore shall BE- yours"
a. EARLY DIFFICULTIES
Mr.. Morse at once turned his attention to
the construction Of the first Geographic line
in America; the government allowed him a
salary ~ g., 500 per annum meanwhile
Aifrei Vail took charge of the machinery,
and Ezra Cornell snperintendel the con
'stiuction. Mr.. Morse at 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 it in was
dug by plough invented for the purpose.
But seven miles OF wirs were tins lail from
Baltimore to the Relay house. Mr.
Morse found, to his great chasrin,
that the method was unsuitable, but
not till after half the 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, tho line
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OPENED 10 THE PUBLIC.
The new line was worked merely for ex-
hibition until April ], 1S45, on which day it
was opened for public business and a rate Of
transmission fixed. The first operators under
this rule were Mr. Vail, at Washington, and
MI Henry >. hogers, ut baitimore. Inc
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