The morning call., 1894-01-09
A SIGNALING INVENTION.

a telegraph apparatus called the tele-
photos is the latest development Of science
to improve the means of communication,
which are already so abundant, and yet
leave room in the inventive mind for
further advances. In its operation it
really is an apparatus 10 give the signals
of the Morse aphabetic code by light, and
this it accom- plshes in a method entirely
new. The inventor is Mr.. BoughtOn of
Buffalo, n. Y, and his invention was
shown for the first time three weeks ago
in London by Colonel Gcurand. Mr.. Edi-
sons representative In Europe. in the
telepbolos number Of incandeseent lamps
are flashed into luminosity by pressing the
keys of keyboard on the principle of the
tyne writer, and these flashes are so con-
trived as to produce the symbols of the
Morse code not in detail, but completely
and simultan eously. The dashes are five
feet in length, made with ten lighted
lamps, the dots three inches. made with
one lamp, and there are unlighted inter
walls of five feet between each. Thus the
complete symbol is presented at once in
stead OF being spelled out by repetltlons.
The best use OF the telepbOtos will be be-
tween points several miles apart, which it
is impossible to connect by ordinary tele-
graph. The lamps are peculiar both in the
arrangement of the flaments for incan-
descence and in the shape. They resem-
bic an ordinary door handle, ana a concen-
trio lens and parabolic reflector enable
the light TO be seen at a distance of ten
miles or more at night and even two or
three miles in the daytime. There does
70 hn mi in "a
working arrangements so far as the opeT-
ator is concerned. The keys are pressed
down one after the other and each pro-
duces its symbol. The entire Morse
alphabet and numerals would require 535
lamps il for eacn part OF a signal there
were a separate lamp, but by an ingenious
concentration only ffty-three lamps are
needed, the current as it is cut off from
one symbol instantly rellghting the lamps
to form the next symbol. In the ordinary
telegraph key there are 129 motions to
complete the alphabet and numerals. and
in the telephotos only thirty eight motions
are required.
The invention has been criticized favor
ably by a number of naval men, including
Admiral Colomb, the inventor of lamp
signals employed on vessels of war. Ad-
mral Colomb believes that with mod ifica-
tons it may DO good service. Army men
do not perceive so much utility in it for their
purposes, except for fixed stations and
forts. where focusing signals will not be
requisite if the telephotos comes into vogue.
The rate of communication by signal in
the army Is at the most twenty words, and
the usual rate is twelve words a minute.
On commercial steamers at sea the tele-
photos gives opportunities Of eommunica-
tions not now possessed. The amount OF
information conveyed by rockets is vague
and meager in the extreme. Even if the
distance were only five miles instead OF
ten the gain in effective means Of eommu.
nication is considerable. But for the light.
house and ligbtsnip service the telephotos
presents means of conveying messages
rapidly and intelligibly without going tC
the expense of connecting them with the
land by telegraph wires. Such signaling
would always be available in clear weather
1t would be possible to connect the Faral.
lones in this manner with Point Lobos OIL
Point Reyes by making use of the tele
scope Very likely Mr.. BOughton may
succeed in perfecting improvements which
would render his invention far superior tc
the present methods of communicating be-
tween war vessels. which it is obvious
need an all-rOund signal, aud not one in g
single direction by means of lenses and re.
Electors. The plant is so light that it NIGH
almost be employed for signaling in bal
mons