Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-11
-xEA< NsilNHS
1a1I1l - EN0lf
WAITED. A NOVELTY.

.There Is N. New Thi Under the Sum-"
We unite in hailing the electric tele-
graph as the wonder OF the age, but the
idea is as old as 1857, at least. Scher-
wenter in that year explains how two
individuals can communicate with each
other by means Of the magnetic needle.
In 1746 lie Monnier, by series Of ex-
perimentS in the Royal Gardens in Paris,
showed how electricity could be trans
mItted throue h iron wire $50 fathoms in
length, and in 1853 there was remark
able description of the electric telegraph
in the Scots Magazine, in an article
entitled An Expeditions Method OF
Conveying Intelligence" by Charles
Marshall. In l774 We find an electric
telegraph in full working order, and
capable Of transmitting messages.
This was The invention of George Louis
Leeace. of Geneva, who announc. d it in
1760. His instrument was compC sed of
twenty-four metallic wires, separate
from each other and inclosed in a nom
conducting substance. Each wire ended
in stalk, mounted with tile ball OF
elder Woot; suSpe ded by silk thread.
When stream OF electricity. no matter
how slight, was sent through the wire.
the elder ball at the ena was repealed,
such movement designating some letter
OF the alphabe.
a few years later, in Arthur YounSs
Travels in X ance, we iea4 Of a SIM
liar machine, the inv ntion Of ii.
Lomond, Of Paris.
Photography is only sk;llful devel-
opment o. a very old idea. Sun-paint-
ing by the d2Gaerreo s. G was known TO
Leonardo ia Incl III the fifteenth cen
tury. The art then lay in oblivion ill
1860, when it vas clearly Indicated IN
book published in Paris. entitled - Clip
han,ie," written by Tiphanie dc la
Roche.
josiah We'd wood, Sir Euinphry favy,
and James Walt made experiments On
the action Of light upon nitrate O liver
at the beginning OF tie present &c. tury,
and many years after. among the OLD
hou eholi lumber of Watts parther,
Ma thew Bouiton, was found represen-
tattoo O; ;he cid pre.uis at Soho, on
silyered ppcr Plate. apparently taken
by some such process.
We often hear tAe Thames tunnel cited
"a an example OF the wonderful genius
OF moGern engineering, but the tunnel
unaer he Euphratcs at ancient Babylon
wa equally wonderful, and that under the
wide mouth Of the harhC I at MarSe.lle5
was q greater enterprise, while both
the eancient works were as sk.iliully eX-
ecuted is the modern.
In Z; museum at Venice there are
numerous fire arms Of the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries that toves.a.l many
Of eur most recc:.. improvements, such
as revolving pistols, ii..ed Eluskets, and
breech- loa;.ing cannon.
Steam locomoticn ~ sea and lard had
always been & cream Of scientists AS
early as 1913 Bia-co de Caray ti!e to
accomplish it in the Earbor Of Barcelona
Denis Papin made IA similar attempt at
Cassel N l7C7. But it was not till
the problem of the steam engine had
been solved by Watt that the idea OF
steam locomotion could be put in
practice.
THOUGH Denis Papin was unsuccessful
in h 5 attempt to effect steam como
ton. 20 him is due the credit Of having
first thrown out the idea of atmospheric
locomotion, and another Frenchman,
Gauihey, in 1882. projected method
OF conveying parcels and merchandise
similar to the now familiar pneumatic
tube.
The reap;ng- is an old inven-
ton. Barnabe Goo e. in Il book trans
listed ON The German, entitled Tine
Whole Are OF Husbardrie," published
in 1877, speaks Of it as WORKOUT in
ventiou-a thing which was woolt to
be usei in France. The evice was
lowe kinde Of care, with a couple Of
wheeles, and the .runt armed with sharp
syclles, whiche, forced by the beaste
through the corne, did cut down al be-
fore il. This tricke might be used in
!evel II and champion countr Us, but with
US it wolde make but il-favored
woorke
Gunpowder was known to the Romans,
though they only used it for fireworks,
and the secret of the terrible and
destructive Greek fire has cen lost
altogether.
Suspension bridges were known in
China for centuries, and the people
OF the same country used coal gas
regularly or lighting purposes long
before We did.