The morning call., 1893-03-23
ANOTHER TELEGRAPHIC WONDER.

1elegraphic facilities are now so numerous
and so efficient that they almost constitute
an embarrGS de TicheSSeS There are land
liRes thousands of miles long across CONT
nents and cables laid thousands of miles at
a stretch along the beds of oceans. All the
earth is at last Of one speech-telegraph
The advances made within twenty years
are prodiglous, but especially in submarine
and telephone communication. The tele-
phone, indeed, has been created and prac-
ticaly applied within that period, although
a glimmeTing forecast of its Introduction.
as well that of the microphone, had been
made by Wheatstone when telegraphy
was nascent. There are now over a dozen
cables doing effective work across the
Atlantic So great is the pressure of busi-
ness and promising the opening for invest
ment that third cable is about 10 be laid
by the Commercial Company, and probably
the present total Of lines will be doubled
within the next quarter of century As
10 the telephone we have advanced far be-
yond the radius Of a city's bounds. By
abandoning the ground circuit and using
one wholly metallic the electric engineer has
made the telephone operative between New
ork and Boston. and even New York and
Chicago. nearly 1000 miles. 1t is merely a
h4hAtC4 u Lub tdlCuIdblOu u HdtEfihlS NDeLn-
er the voice cannot be carried farther. In
California the metallic circuit telephone
has been extended to Fresno, and soon will
be at Los Angeles. It will be Just as easv
to stretch wires to San Diego, Portland and
Seattle. The telephone has even been car
ried successfully under the sea between
London and Paris, and from Paris there is
now communication with Brussels and
Marssilles. Between Paris and St. Peters
burg the distance is not too great for the
telephone. OF late experiments on large
scale by Mr.. w. II. Preece show the practi-
cabiity of telephone communication with
out wires. This Is certainly a wonderful
step, bnt how far it may be carried has vet
to be proved.
The autograph telegraph of Elisha Grav.
which was subjected to experiment on
Tuesday at New York, is evidently a great
advance on the COwper writing telegraph.
which never advanced beyond the stage of
being curiosity, and is also an improve
ment on the process recently described by
Galton of using points in circle for draw
ings. The telautograph, as the name i'm
plies. enables the sender of a message to
transmit it In his own handwriting. As
fast as he writes the message is transcribed
at the receiving end in fac-simile, and II
the handwriting be known to the receiver
there can be no successful Justification. No
skill is required in the transmission. The
sender writes his message In pencil at one
end as fast as he rleases, and as well or as
carelessly, and at the other end the instru-
Inent automatically repeats the message
letter for letter in ink. If the message be
handed to a clerk it will go in the clerks
chirography. 1t is obvious that drawings
OF any kind may be thus telegraphed. for
whatever the form outlined by the pencil
the pen will faithfully present the imita-
ton.
Should the telautograph be found avail
able for long distances the uses are mani
fold to which 1t can be put 1t is scarcely
probable that it can be used for cable mes
sages, the very delicate galyanometer in
struments necessary for long-distance SUBJ
marine work being very different from
land instruments. But the telautoeraph on
land has sufficient future II it is service
able Tor even 1000 miles. 1t may prove a
formidable rival to the telephone. The
latter must have listener. The telauto-
graph only needs paper on a desk to make
its own record for the person addressed.
who may come for the message In his own
time. For confidential communications IL
is preferable. A cipher message in auto
graph cannot be blundered over in trans
mission. Newspapers would make use Of
it for drawings Of persons, places or graphic
delineations Of any kind for illustration