Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
PORTRAITS BY TELEGRAPH.
Process Which Promises Useful
Results.

From the st. James Budget.
The inestimable- services rendered TO
science and art by photography are now
among the commonplace Of the day. The
sensitive eye Of the camera, immeasurably
transcending both in delicacy and power
the visual organ Of man, is constantly dis
corning and registering for permanent
reference facts, especially In the domain of
astronomy, beyond the reach of human
vision, even when aided by the most pow
erful OF telescopes. But IL photography
has deserved thus well in the loftier re-
gions Of science, her services are none the
less remarkable in the more homely paths
Of everyday life. The camera has been
used to catch by stealth and permanently
record the features of criminals in the very
commission Of their crimes and thus to
assist the work of justice. And now, with
the aid of electricity. this useful handmade
OF the arts is likely to render further aid
In bringing lawbreakers to book, for it
has been found possible to transmit photo
graphs by telegraph.
The merit of discovering this remarkable
process is attributed to a German inventor,
Mr.. N. s. Amstutz of Cleveland. His
method. which is simple appears to be an
adaptation Of the well-known process by
which such objects, say. as gunstocks are
now made, by means of drills which,
through the instrumentality of an In
genious mechanical arrangement, are made
to follow the contour of a revolving model,
an exact copy of which they reproduce
from a piece of wood subjected TO their
operation while it revolves at precisely
the same speed as the model. Wood cary
ings are produced in a very similar fashion.
For the Geographic transmission of pho
tographs there are placed at the Dispatch
ing and receiving office corresponding CYL
indrical rollers, similar to those employed
in the photograph. the equal and parallel
movement Of which is insured by a mech
anism of clockwork In contact with the
ell, the point of which, when the cylinder
Is made to revolve. traverses 1t in spiral
lines from end to end. The pencil is SO
adjusted that the strength of the current
varies according to the resistance Offered
to the pencil point by any variations on
the surface Of the cylinder. So long the
surface Is even there is no variation in
the current but should 1t present any inc
with its risings and fallings while the PEN
Gil still continues to describe its close spiral
lines. This varying current Is, by proper
electrical means, transmitted to the re-
ceiving station where in its turn 1t in
fuences a pencil in contact with the wax
covered surface Of the receiving cylinder
as to cause it to impress upon it grooves
varying in depth according to the chang
ing strength of the current.
In order that a photograph may be thus
transmitted 1t has first, by the ordinary
process of rhoto-printing, to be converted
into gelatine relief. which is placed upon
the transmitting cylinder, which is then
set In motion. Following according to the
process described the risings and fallings
of this relief the pencil of the receiving
cylinder reproduces in close spiral lines a
sort of elementary copy of it. The result
of the process is very clearly indicated by
the accompanying Illustrations. Ele-
mentary as the pictures undoubtedly are
1t is clear that any one familiar with the
features Of the originals would have little
difficulty In recognizing them.