New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-13
A NEW ERA IN TELEGRAPHY.
SECRET COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH
CENTRAL STATION.
soprs INSPIRED BY SOME MACHINES JUST
SHOWN IN LONDON

hihi,ed in London within the last two VI ~
weeks one at the CONVERSATIONS WI c-.,o,u
,1,,o, and evbibition) of the Royal society,
and the other privately to rep'ese"'
tho "Ionaon News" which may eHec'
Hon in the use Of the telegraph ny -,
,,on and to some extent take the Piaoe "
tclenhone one of these Instruments Il
IN, telescrptor and the other the %e'o7'"'
Roth are machines for printing as well as "''''
hitting kilograms ho,,o
\ large number OF printing teies'aP"' ~
alro,dy been invented. Some OF these "'e
t~ely practical though rather coa''''
"ticker." which supplies stock quotations. 'p
nou,s and other intelligence on paper tape,
at the rate OF twenty words minute "
mom Another. devised by one Hughes mas
been extensively employed by the nr''.S" -. So,
,,t,orities fwho conduct the telegraph as wei
,s the mail service in the queens uoi"'no''
md also on the Continent of Europe o"i"s ~
tn. expense and to other causes 'neSe mo
- ora need only by the telegraph com
,,o,ios ord bv sppcial news agencies, ana not u!
orivotc husincss houses for cCmmercial co'io
e,,,derce The Hughes apparatus, HoIeoNc''
-,,,roe Tho services of a skilled operator IL 10
o,s,rt.d on the other hand, that the telescIlp-
tor &c a simple device, can he managed ny "
mere child and can be furnished ior o''''
tribe more than the price OF an ordinary "f0
writer The inventors purpose ana "ope a..
that his machine will come into genera use ~
business Offices which have occasion LOT sehu'ns
many kilograms.
A necessary part of his scheme is an ex-
change like that Of a telephone coihpah'' \"
which all the private subscribers snail DE 'r'ou
tarv and where mans wire Will DC co"-
nected (on demand) with that OF the person
with whom he wishes to communicate IL
thought that such a system Will prove superior
TO a telephone in several ways. one great au
vantage no doubt would be the absolute oiS
tinctness with which the message "ouio oe
transmitted. A printed copy is produceu' anu
there is no chance to mistake word or phrase
for something sounding much like 1t, but mean
ing something different.
The same instrument is used both as re-
ccycr and a transmitter. being changed Hoh
one 70 the other by the movement OF single
switch or lever. And the apparatus al Do'h
ends of the lire records message which is sent
and 4 perfect copy is thus made automatically
bv the very act Of sending, and may be retained
like COPIES in a letter-book. If any question
arises as to the nature OF the message II can W
settled instantly by reference to the sender
copy.
Anotber noeeiblv a greater merit OF the new
plan is that ii delivers the message whether
man &c there 10 receive it or not. man VINO IS
on the lookout for important communications
need not feel obliged to remain IN MS ONCE All
day awaiting them. He can step out al any
time for Ave minutes an hour, as MS con-
yenience demands with confidence that the
nessag. Will not only Toe received, but VIII he
recorded if il is only sent. in his absence ana
will await him on his return.
Perfect secrecy is attainabe by the telescrip-
tor and that is not true in the case oil the teie-
ohone. During rush hours, OF course, the EN-
ployes at telephone exchange are altogether
too busy to engage in eavesdropping All the
same it is entirely possible for a telephone mes
sage to reach ears for which 1t is mol intended
So too, confidential correspondence by telegraph
is practically impossible without resort To poth-
crsome cphers. The new instrument when was
recently exhibited to the Royal Society Is so
INSTRUCTED that 1t will not respond al all. or
,ake a record when another Of the same KIND
! in operation (even though they be connected
nv n suitable wire) unless both are set on the
same combination. Perhaps more accurate
WAY to EXPRESS the idea would be to say set at
the same number Of vibrations. In this respect
tho telescriptor resembles Marconfs wireless
teegraphic system. So long as the persons IN
correspondence keep the precise pitch OF their
apparatus a secret, nobody else can learn any
thing by tapping the wires.
One will be reminded perhaps by this de- |
scription, OF Gray's telautograph. which at
tracted attention in this country -FOUR or
five years ago. That apparatus faithtuily re-
produced outline pictures, as well as wri''hs'
but il is not proof against stealing at interme-