The Washington critic., 1886-08-10
OLD TIME TELEGRAPHY.


Its First Tests and Early Operators
nt the National Capital,
II was enacted by Congress on the
3d of March, 1913, that the sum Of $780,,
Geo be appropriated for testing the ca
pacily and usefulness Of the system of
electromagnetic telcgraphs, invented
ll Samuel f. b Morse Of New York,
for the use of the Government of the
United States, by constructing line Of
siid electro magnetic tclegraphs, under
the csupciiulcndcnce Of Professor Morse,
OF such length and between such points
us should fully test its practicabiIity
and utility; the same to be cXpen lei
under the direction of the Secretary Of
the Treasury upon the application Of
said Morse
The second section of the act al.
thoriZes the Secretary of the Treasury
to pay from the $50, 600 what he may
deem fair compensation TO Morse and
others for supcrint ending the ConstruC.
tion of the telegraph.
There were four patcntcCs, Morse, f,
q. j Smith, Alfred Vail and George
Vail. Professor Morse, in attempting
to construct the line between Washing.
ton and Baltimore for they were the
cities to be conncctcd), conceived the
idea of building it underground and &C.
cordingly, after the wire was made,
which, by the way, was of copper
wrapped with fine thread and tarred
so as to make as perfect an insulation
as was known at that date, leadcn
pipe was selected and made to receive
the wire underground. About 81 600
Of the $4,000 was expended on this
pipe before test was made, The test
however, was failure. 4 battery and
instrument were placed at either end of
the lead pipe, but there was no cur.
rent, and it was soon celtainci that
the current all passed from the wire to
the pine and from the pipe to the best.
known conducior-Moiher Earth.
MIR. George Wood, a clerk TO the pat
entets, suid ariorwurd that for several
days it was thought Professor Morse
would lose his reason in consequence
of this disappointment.
After Il lengthy consultation, y O.
j. Smith, better known as "Fog"
Smith, agreed to buy the lcnlrn pipe
for small consideration, aud it may
he stated that but for II suggestion
made hy Smith and he alone is en-.
titled TO the crediU, Mat he rire ApW3
b. PIT an poleS, as HCy are Hor, years
might have elapsed before the electro.
magnetic telegraph would have been in
operation. Smiths suggestion was Il
success, much to the delight of Morse,
who had in the meantime gone almost
distracted, and things then went on
swimmingly.
The line having heen completed be-
tween the two cities the Office at Wash
ington was established in the north
end of the Capitol. Mr.. Louis +,
Rnntzingcr was the operator Cthe first
in this city, and good one.) Such a
thing as key to write with in those
days was not known. The mode of
writing or making the character then
was with the wire as ii came in to the
operating room from Baltimore; or, to
10 give better idea, imagine one of
the wires on the street swagging so low
that it could be cut in two. A good
operator can take either end of the
wire In his right and left hand, and by
striking them one with the other send
message. This was about the way
messages were then transmitted.
When it was no longer doubt that
the telegraph was a success the office
was removed TO Seventh street, between
Il and f streets, over the then City
l.4aN 80 t,.a .N s.E 4.