The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-22

a Frtsad Denies the justice OF Mr.. vairs
Claims as Part Inventor.

Claims as Part Inveator.
To THE EDITOR OF The suN-St: An article
in recent number OF The SUN on Where
the telegraph Was Born" and later q letter In
THE SUN from Stephen Vail on the Inception
OF the Electric Telegraph" recall to my mem
ory facts with reference to this matter as told
me by Prot. u. F. B. Morse which mar be inter-
estinE ct this time no less than conclusive Of
his sole and perfect right to tho claim he made.
which until now has been conceded to him. OF
being not only the discovsrer OF the
possibility Of applying electricity to telegra-
ply. but also that the dot-and- dash" alpha
bet was devised and perfected and put into
practical use by him. Now. nifty years after.
tie novel claim 10 made that the dot and
dash" alphabet known all over the world as
the Morse Alphabet" was devised and
developed Dy Alfred vail-thst he alone and
unaided By Morse devised the so-cAllsd dot
and dash alphabet and the apparatus nsess-
sAry TO the utilization OF this entirely new and
original code OF siEnAlA" This post m ortem
claim set up By the Walls 10 so lacking In all
probabilities as to make It too incredible to
md any lodgmsnt In public acceptance
More than thirty years ago when Prof Morse
wasa resident OF Poughksspsie. I was also
living In that city. knew Prof Morse very WELL
and was often his guest Ia his home In the
able occasion Prof Morse told me In detail the
story of the magnetic telegraph. which will
briefly summarized He did not claim priority
OF discovery OF the possibility Of conveying ia
telligsnee. or at least Of signalling by means
OF electricity through an insulated wire. lie
said that scientific Investigation and expert
msnt and thought led to substantially the
same physical aud philosophical results and
conclusions the world over. and that for some
time before he gave any attention TO the sub
iset scientific men IN European countries
had been experimenting with electricity
being made to convey calls and sISp.ls'
His attention was first directed 20 tho subject
magnetism on board ship on which he was
returning from Europe and on which were a SO
: number Of men rho were on return from
One gent man stated that a bell at the end
bs the wf' his able tors ss T2 Ss:a
made 10 ring when connection was made with
saif at ss GnHT 70 end q .sI T Mo
that II the electric current could he
made 20 ring a bGll ihrOuGh wire nils
distance from each other This This Statement snss
ME GoTss maze careful FG@ l6s
randum OF on going to his cAhin. And that
vas the beginning in his mind. OF the mag
On his return 20 New York and TO the uni
ysrsity building. where his art studio was Mr..
Morse vas then portrait painter he expert
m ed with the electric current over a wire
until he arrived at the conclusion that Il could
well as do mechanical work. But how aud ~
what mechanical means to be able 10 do this!
having devised and developed into practical
use the dot and dash" or. as II Is and has
been always known. the Morse alphabet"
To the psrieeting Of thls alphAbst he devoted
slsysn OF the beat ysaIs Of his life. Much Of
IL hl!ssS I.isStk a.. e sss 80 ii ia