Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-02-21

| SOSo VI apparatus. Mhny abQ
ingenious clook-work contrivances. cleo
the governors, rapid, separate impulses,
and so on, were restored to In the hope
os obtaining this essential; but they all
Jailed either in certainty or rapidity,
until little over year ago, when by
the discovery of visual synchronism"
the stubborn problem was at last solved,
and the one great bar to the progress
and perfection of rapid telegraphy was
removed and a path opened up along
which the march of improvement may
go on to achievements hitherto I'M
dreamed of.
Some idea of the marvellous precision
made possible by this discovery will be
gained by comprehending and realizing
the following fact: If if a line were
drawn across the rim of two fy-wheeis
with fine pencil, and these two wheels
were revolving at rate of 8, 600 revolu-
tons per minute-one In San Francisco
and the other In New York-the system
of visual synchronism" would indicate
the variation of the hundreth part of an
inch between the line on the wheel in
New York and that on the one in San
Francisco-that is to say, if the line on
one wheel at given fraction of time
were directly on top, and that on the
other a hundredth part of an inch be-
low that point, both wheels revolving
at the high rate of speed mentioned, the
little electric fash which acts as gauge
would indicate the fault; and the OPP
orator by slight change of friction
would be enabled to correct the small
but all-important deviation from per-
feet identity of movement.
The precision thus insured has per-
mitted the adoption of a method of
telegraphing which is marvellous in its
results. No skill beyound that of type
writing is needed to operate this new
instrument, as the ordinary writing
machine may be furnished with a
punching attachment which prepares
the strips for transmission, and the ma
chine as constructed will transfer the
work ola dozen expert typewriters with.
out difficulty. Then the receiving in
strument instead of printing its mes
sages in dot and dash, sends them pour
ing out into the hand of the messenger
or clerk in the form of Roman letters,
ready for the eye of the person to whom
they are dispatched.
Nearly three thousand characters a
minute are already transmitted by the
new machine of ]. Harris Rogers, and
by multiplying the printing apparatus
of the instruments this amount may be
increased tenfold, thanks to the enor-
nous rapidity of which the governing
fy-wheel is capable. Nor is this all,
for by applying the multiplex system
discovered by Edison several such COM
pound instruments may be operated by
a single current of electricity, or mess
ages may be sent by the old Morse key
and sounder simultaneously with the
operation of the new rapid telegraph
and over the same wire.
The autographs telegraph which
transmits the absolute handwriting of
the sender, invented many years ago by
Casselli of Paris, and stree improved
upon by American mechanicians, by the
application of visual synchronism, can
be made infinitely more rapid and GER
tain in its action. Another most aston
ishing result of the new discovery is the |
transferrence of visual images from one
uASCduG pO1HG W duOIu0Is Liz H0Cudu- |
ism by which this is accomplished is of |
such nature that, like Edison's quadru-
pick telegraphy, it can hardly be ex-
planned to any one but an expert cleo
trician, but the results, though not yet |
perfect, suggest almost boundless pos
sibilities for the future. It may be that |
we shall see the time when visual i'm |
pressions will be conveyed to a great
distance by the electric current with the |
same accuracy which is now attained in
the transferrence of sounds by the tele-
phone and their record and storage in
the phonograph.
One thing, at least, is certain. A
giant stride has been made in the art of |
transmitting impressions by means of |
the electric current. And if the public
could but only reap the full advantage
of this great advance the telegraph, in
stead of being the expensive luxury it
is at present, would soon become, as the
mails have been for many years, the
common servant of the people.
Chinese PhVsicIanS.