The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-19

a Companion to the Telephone
Typcwriting by electricity has at last
been accomplished, and tho inventor SAYS
tho days Of the Morse instrument are mum
bcrcd. Inventions in which the mystic.
nous fiuld Is the force power have crowd
cd so fast into the patent Office that the
list would, if printed, require book Of
tremendous dimensions to record it, The
many thousands of these products of tho
mechanics brain must be scheduled un.
der the head OF toys, however Few have
been found of every day practicability.
and still fewer have rcvolutionizcd exist
ing conditions. Among tho latter tho tel
ephonc and illuminating appliances stand
out most prominently.
Electrical inventors AFRO n unit I'm tho
opinion that tho Essex page printing tel
cgraph Instrument for that is the name
OF the newcomer, Is u fit companion in
usefulness to the telephone, and that the
invention is the most Important one since
tho people of the civilized world com.
1ncncod to transmit their voices over wires
Instead of printing on "a long tape, as
IN the TICKER tho machine causes Il
line to bo written across u page, and the
shifting and lining arc done automatic.
ally. BY pressing on the desired letter on
the keyboard an arm similar to though Ion
ger than the ones which carry the type 10
the ribbon in tho typewriter is raised to
tho shaft, which rcvolvcs with great rapid
~ until contact with tho point of the
arm and tho post corresponding with the
Key Is made. Then the little wheel stops
bumps up against the white paper and
leaves tho impression of the letter.
The principle involved in this action is
precisely that illustrated in music box.
The little posts which extend from the
cylinder all hare a duty to perform, AMI
their position on the cylinder determines
the air they produce with their contact
with the forks Tho spacing is done with
the Same action rs applies in the type
writer. When tho end of the limo is reach
o the pressing of one key causes the hold.
or containing the white paper to shift ;.:.i
mt the Same time raises it the space Of a
line.
Tho practical uses of this wonderful in
vcntion arc illimitabc. The machines
may be operated at the limit of distance
to which electrical force may be carried.
ana what that distance is no man can SAY
Very triiiinS Is the loss of force observed
mt the receiving end of the ocean cable.
So ut least 5000 miles is no Obstacle in
the way Of transmission of characters
which convey intelligent meaning.
10 a single wire may he attached rs
great number of receivers as to the or
binary telegraph instruments The ma
chino cannot lie, us the Morse instrument
frequently does. Climatic conditions fire.
qucntly cause the arbitrary alphabet of
dots and dashcs TO become jumblcd in
transmission. For one letter another may
DC clicked out. Added to these dangers
To correct transmission are the frequent
errors made by tho operators thcmsclvc,
These are among the reasons why the
great telegraph companies refuse to admit
responsibility unless the message ii re
pcntCd."
at the majority Of railway stations
along any of the great trunk lines tho
agent is tho baggage man, ticket seller and
telegraph operator. To the errors of rural
operators many of the most tlistro4sful nc
cidents have been due In the past With
hundred duties crowding upon him ut
about tho hour for tho arrival of trains. il
Is littio wonder that he becomes easily be
fuddlcd, and the use or omission OF so lit
Ito Il word as not in instructions from
tho train dispatcher has moro tina, once
hurled two rushing trains toy. in
disastrous collision. The staff. is
frequently absent from his :
worked, he falls sleep.
Tho printing Telegraph
plctcly abolishcs all sue
orator may 20 to sleep
may be delivered just the
he awakcs there arc his ins
~ printed for him He ne
switch or fail to fill the
His instructions will be wait
when he returns to his lair
words, whore il takes two pcrso
crate the Morse INSTRUMENTAL So. ga
rccciYcr-but ono is necessary
form better work with the new mac
There can Inc no mistake in tn,
system ut the receiving end. The Sc.
OF tho message presses the letter " b, !;
1t is absolutely certain that the letter
will Instantly he printed on the white ~
per at tho other end of the line \ gen
crnl or0cr intended for every office on the
circuit can be transmitted with once send
ing it, or if the order is intended but for
one Office and it is desirable that other
Offices of the circuit should not know its
contents all may he switched aside save
the one wanted.
Another point OF vast Significance is
that any man, woman or child who can
read can operate the muchinc with IL few
hours practice and send message ;s
rapidly rs the fastest operator in the
world could take IL from the wires under
the present system Besides that the nc-
cwracy attGincd is of vital Importance.
And it is also pointed out that while many
operators can pound cut 40 TO $50 words
minute on the ordinary typewriter from
dictation the mechanism Of the page print
ing telegraph instrument will not per
NIT OF moro than ~ third of such speed.
Hence the sending operator is forced 10
he careful. At All times when he is send.
ing IL message the Same appears before his
eyes in lcgiblo type, this being another
safeguard against inaccuracy, besides
maintaining correct copy of the message
sent
Mr. EsSick declares his invention is