Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-02-16
A WONDERFUL INVENTION.
Edison's New Arrangement for
Sending and Receiving Tele-
graph Messages on Rapid
ly Moving Trains.

New York, Feb. "a party of
some fifty gentlemen, including cap
italists, electricians and journalists,
started at 10 a. m. yesterday from
Clifton, Staten Island, for Fotten-
vile, fifteen miles, to witness the
practical working of Edison's latest
and most wonderful invention, viz:
the sending and receiving Of tele-
graphic messages by railway trains
while in motion. This is called tele-
graphing by induction, or telegraph
ing by induced currents through the
atmosphere. During the run of the
train between the points mentioned
large number of messages were sent
and received. Messages written by
the gentlemen of the party addressed
to themselves were left at Clifton 60
ing at full speed. The apparatus
consists of an ordinary Morse key, a
phonetic receiver, an electric magnet
and battery. No special or extra
wire is used running between or
near the rails, but the messages jump
through the air between the tin roof
of the cars and the ordinary wires
strung along by the side of the rail
way, distance of from twenty-five
to 400 feet. The farthest distance
traversed yesterday withouta wire
was some forty to fifty feet. The
metallic roofs Of the cars were con-
nected together by wires, which
communicated with a Morse tele-
phone instrument placed IN one of
the cars. An operator sat in front
of the instrument, and, though the
noise of the train rendered the ticks
indistinct he read them easily by
means of telephone, and wrote out
the messages as they were delivered.
To non-expert newspaper man 1t
seemed mysterious 10 send a mes
sage up to the roof of the car on a
short wire and have it jump thence
to the distant wire, selecting the
right wire, as it did yesterday from
twenty-four different ones. Mr.. Ed
ison was ON board, the subject of
many congratulations. He said that
another train coming behind us,
equipped with similar apparatus
could pick the message off the wire.
On the return trip from Tottenville,
he sent the following to leading
daily: eve are now sending and re-
Ceiving messages on moving train
on Staten Island. THos. EDISON"
Just before the train reached Cliff
ton message was received by Hen.
iy Seligman from his brother, Jos.
pm Seligman, the Wall street bank.
er, giving the latest quotations Of
Pacific Mail and Lake Shore. An.
other gentleman received the follow
ing message: "If l were a fugitive
from justice this invention would
interfere with my arrangements"
Gen. John Cochrane, who was ont
of the party, sent a message from thu
moving train to his city residence, a.
follows: "God made man upright
but he hath sought out many inven
tions."
The experiment was complete
success, messages being constant,
received and sent by all on boar
without hitch or interruption.
General Cochrane said: "To cap
ture fugitives, to prevent accident
and to enable all travellers to com
municate with their friends thi
system will be indispensable"
Mr.. Edison said that all the train
on every road would henceforth b
in constant communication wit
each other, and collisions will /
known no more. 1t is understoo
that experiments will be made b
Edison between vessels next summe
testing the adaptability of the sy
tenn 10 marine travel. Mr.. Ediso
thinks he can telegraph nearly thru
miles by employing merely the waite