The record-union., 1898-06-01
PICTURES BY WIRE.
SUCCEssFUL TEST MADE BY
THE NEW YORK 'HERALD."
Mayor Van Wyck's Picture Trans
mitted Over a Circuit Of Six
Miles.

The new year opens with the practi-
cal and fully successful test, made by
the Herald" in the Herald" office,
Of a remarkably scientific achievement.
1t is nothing less than the actual and
IL every way practical transmission OF
pictures over an ordinary telegraph
wire.
The instrument is the one mentioned
. few weeks ago in the Sunday Her
aid" The invention of Ernest A. Hum
mel Of st. Paul, MINI. At the Her
AIDS" invitation Mr. Hummel brought
his instrument to New York that an
absolutely impartial test might be
made of it. The test was made in
this office under strict supervision, and
the results were in every respect graft
flying.
The portrait Of Mayor Van Wyck
was the first to be transmitted over a
circuit of six miles. Other pictures
were then sent over the wire with
equal success. Every detail of the op-
Grafton was carefully watched, and the
Herald" is this morning in the posi-
tion to state with authority that one of
the long cherished dreams of the CEN
tury is now fully and satisfactorily
solved.
OPERATION DESCRIBED.
Pictures sent by telegraph! 1t has
long been the cherished dream of the
newspaper maker, not to mention the
police officials and the thousands Of
persons whose individual enterprises
would be benefited by such an inven-
ton, and now the dream is an assured
fact. If you are skeptical study close
ly the picture here reproduced from
copy sent by wire. The Herald pats
itself on the back to-day, as the first
practical demonstration of telegraphic
illustrations.
1t is shown beyond the peradventure
Of a doubt that the application of the
electric fluid for the transmission of
pictures, be they of persons or !. Of
scenes, has passed that point that
may well term chimerical, where large
Drained men have stopped after years
of work and has reached the goal, mas
been brought into the realm Of reality
The interest of the Herald was in
spired entirely by the desire to acquaint
the public with the stride in this
branch of science, as well as record
the remarkable success of a young man.
who comes out of the West-an un-
known, who claims simply to be
matchmaker, and yet who has at the
close of the century succeeded in per-
fecti1g d piece of mechanism the work
of which has been the dream of those
versed in electricity and its wonderful
scope for at least thirty years.
Ernest A Hummel of st. Paul, Mimi,
is the inventor of the instruments
which the Herald has tested. The
Herald" brought Mr.. Hummel East
yxrifh h nd NV "a r
sonal supervision the tests We're made
that resulted in the telegraphing OF
several pictures. some of which are
herewith produced.
1t was just two weeks ago to-day
that the Herald gave some little
space to a description of the invention
of Mr.. Hummel. In connection with
the article there We're published four
pictures reproduced from some of his
work
Negotiations We're begun with Mr..
Hummel at once looking toward rrs
coming East and bringing with him his
wonderful Instruments The purpose
of the trip was that the Herald"
should be given every opportunity %
study the instruments, and after
careful scrutiny and exhaustive test
to let the world know the result.
Mr.. Hummel was willing to submit
to the test and replied that he would
be in this city on Thursday. He was
true to his word, but before he arrived
three large boxes reached the Herald"
office. duly and properly marked.
There was no one who cared to take
any liberty in the way of opening the
cases until the inventor was near at
hand to superintend the work. 1t is
but natural that Mr.. Hummel should
be an enthusiast and he grabbed
mallet and chsel and wrenched the
cases apart in short order
Then he began to lift out OF the
smallest of the three cases sundry pack
ages which contained parts of his cleo
trical mechanism. and carefully un-
wrap them From another case he
lifted large hardwood case, twenty
six inches long by eighteen inches IN
hight The receiver" was contained
in this case. A similar case held the
"transmitter."
The covers to these cases were re-
moved as is the box that protects the
working parts of a sewing machine, and
disclosed glass cases, which in turn
protected the picture transmitting ma
chimes OF these L will give a more
technical description after have taken
the readers. uninitiated in either mech
anisms or electricity, through the in
tereSring chain of experiments that
were made in the "Herald's" library,
where the machines We're placed side
by side on the end of one of the long
tables.
The glass cases over the beautiful
specimens of the mechanics art were
swung up and off on hinges, and the
inventor began the work OF putting
pieces OF the machine in place which he
had removed for safety's sake when
the Instruments We're packed for ship
ment to st. Paul.
This was but the work of a short
time. and then Mr. Humme said he
was ready to make a test for the pur-
pose of properly adjusting the instru
ments As in the case of ordinary tel
eeraphy, 1t is absolutely essential that
the instruments at either end of the
line be adjusted so that they Will work
together properly.
There was one wire in the 'Herald's
operating room that was lying idle and
which could be utilized for the purpose
from the Herald" office to the Western
Union Telegraph Company's building,
at the corner of Broadway and Dey
street a distance of four miles, or max
ing circuit of about eight miles. The
wire. runs through conduit. loop.
or extension. was made by the addition
IL.