Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-23
ELECTRICITY ON THE JUMP.

ELECTRICITY ON THE JUMP.
. Catching a Train by Telegraphinl
Through the Roof of the Car.
Two hundred railway, telegraph an,
newspaper men of Chicago and vicinity
saws the Chicago Herald of the Goth
were Yesterday given an opportunity t
witness Edison's latest wonder, telegraph
} ing from a moving train,q in practica
operation. In the baggage car OF a specla
train. run to Milwaukee and back by thu
St. Paul Road and the Telegraph ant
Telephone Company, of New York, wa
little table, by which sat an operator
with receiving cups resembling telephone
receivers buckled tight over his ears
and an ordinary Morse dispatching key
under his fingers. In boxes near by was
| powerful battery, and wires connected
the instruments with the wheels Of the
car beneath and with the roof overhead
Thus simple was the apparatus which
performs such marvellous work. Before
leaving Chicago many of the guests
wrote messages addressed to themselves,
and these were received as the train
sped toward Milwaukee. One message
was received from the Office of the
company in New York. superintendent
Tubbs and Clowry received messages re-
lating to the business of the Western
Union Telegraph Company. One gentle
man sent a dispatch inquiring the condi-
ton of relative who was ill, and an
hour later received a reply. Another in
quired for and was given the latest quota
ton on st. Paulstock and June wheat.
A HORSEPOWER had correspondence with
his agent regarding the rental of build
ing, and while running forty miles an
hour Conductor Glass received the first
train order ever sent to running train.
1t was:
P.J. GLASS AND ENGINEER SPECIAL: Pass
No. ID (thirteen) at lakewood and run to
Minerva regardless of No. TO- G. I. K.
In all something like two hundred
messages were handled, even the names
of persons being in most cases correctly
received. The dispatches were sent
through the train and delivered by mes
senger, and passengers found that with
out leaving their comfortable seats they
could send messages to their homes or
places of business and receive replies
thereto.
'The process is very SIMPLE" said
Manager McGregor; "the secret of the
whole thing lies in the fact that the air,
for short distance, does not make any
perceptible resistance to the transmission
of an electrical current. Consequently,
when touch this key, Issend current |
through the wires to the roof of the car,
where it makes leap to the wires rum
ming along the road, distant, perhaps, |
twenty-five to one hundred feet, although
it is possible for the current to leap
through the air, as we. have practically
demonstrated, distance of $50 feet.
Messages are sent as by the Morse meth
cd, and received by the telephone instead
Of by ordinary sounder With the receiv-
ing cups over his ears the operator is re-
leved of all annoyance by the noise of
The train. In order to telegraph, you
know, we must have a circuit. This is
secured by connecting our wire with the
wheel of the car by copper ring around
he axle, the current passing thence, of
course to the rail and ground. At fixed
station for this exhibition, at Wadsworth,
The overhead wires are grounded by con-
lectlon with the rail, and thus we have
complete circuit, excepting only the
distance from the car roof to the wires
strung along the track. By induction
his space is jumped and the circuit COM
'leted. Induction is electrical sympathy,
md telegraph men have much trouble
With the tendency of currents to lump
rom one wire to another, from telegraph
wire to an electric light wire, for instance.
placed too close fooetbar =
This system was brought into it's pres
mt shape by Mr.. Edison, but the first
atent was taken out by William WILEY 4
mith, of Tennessee, who, with E. I. -.
the noted New York electric 4
In, co-operated with Mr.. Edison in the
natter. Mr.. Smith conceived the idea of
avlng message pass from train to an
rdlnary wire along the route by simple n
lductlon. He told Mr.. Gilliland. Mr..
Iilliland told Mr.. Edison. The telegraph
no telephone company has a million I
oilars capital, and proposes to sell roy
ties to railroad companies. 1t is claimed :.
lat with this system trains may be oper- q
;ed with greater ease and safety, as the
spatcher can communicate directly 4
lth all conductors, no matter whether u
ley are at telegraph stations or not. In s,
Use OF any accident help could be sum- III
oned Immediately, and messages may q
sent from one train to another. =
That the method is success there can w
no doubt after yesterdays exhibition. r
'legraphing to and from moving trains Z
verify. In every sleeping car there G.
ay be telegraph office, in every par Tt
car grain and stock ticker. The sys- pf
m is interesting and it7works marvel -,
s, but there is much doubt as to it's VI
actlcal utility, the trouble being that =.
cry train must take telegraph oper- "
or, and that this is an expense which
railroads will be willing to incur. To
is objection replyis made that conduct RI
can soon learn to telegraph, and that
my unimportant fixed telegraph sta
ms may be dispensed with, local pa an ?
ms delivering their messages to passing 26t
lns, to be transmitted therefrom. IT'S da
% claimed that the presence of opera
s on passenger trains will largely in q
ase commercial business, travellers
ng the wires more freely than now be- -
Use OF the increased convenience and
Gritty in forwarding the messages and
ewing replies. Operation of the train N
egraph in nowise interferes with the
lal service of the wires emnloved
uotless the new method will be adopt
on the limited and other important ex- D.
SIS trains on many roads, and some sa
stern roads which maintain manv tel
aph offices solely for the management f. +.
rams may find it's use advantageous I Iet
economical. The many electricians WIN
railway telegraph superintendent -
sent We're delighted with the novelty Jas j.
ne system and its successful working
doubtful Of its utility; financially con'