The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28
NEW THING IN TELEGRAPHY.
Result of Experiments at Johns Hop
kins University.

Baltimore American.
Some time during this week DR.. Henry A.
Rowland, of Johns Hopkins University, will
try the merits of a wonderful machine which
he has perfected. Already the machine, or
instrument, has been working in the labora-
tory for some time and now the doctor will
give it practical test The test will de-
termine whether four messages can be trans
mitted at the same time in different direc-
tons. The instrument will endeavor to send
four messages at the same time to Pittsburg,
and to receive at the same time, in this city,
four messages from that city.
The instrument can be called a printing
telegraph instrument. It's essential advan-
tages over the instrument now in use are
that it enables several messages to be sent
and received together, and at the same time,
from the same or separate points over the
same wire; that it makes it impossible to
tap wire and catch any one or more
of the passing messages, and that it will not
be affected by the weather. With all these
advantages, the expense Of the new instru-
ment will not be great.
Professor Rowland's patents are not yet
fully secured, and he, accordingly is not
ready to explain the instrument sufficiently
to show chow it works. Next spring, how
ever, he expects to have completed all the
necessary preparations for public exhibit
ton, where the invention may be fully ex-
amined.
A model instrument is now in operation in
the Johns Hopkins physical laboratory Not
withstanding the incompleteness of some of
the details, the little machine already per-
forms it's work successfully. When ready
for practical use it will have a message
printing capacity of at least three hundred
words per minute.
uNt,o I,o
most readily understood by beginning with
a consideration of the part of the mechan-
ism situated at the sending station. The
sending instruments are htted with key
boards like typewriterS. Their number is
the same as that of the messages that it
may be desirable to send simultaneously.
Eight is the regular number of messages
that the instrument is designed TO handle
at once, but ten could be taken without
special inconvenience Each keyboard must
have person to operate it; the economy in
labor is experienced at the receiving end of
the line Still, considering the sending in
strument, and supposing all eight OF the
keyboards-it matters not how widely sepa-
rated-to be in use, the six operators rattle
ahead with their messages as rapidly as
LleY choose and without regard to one an
other. 1t would seem as though the eight
dispatches, switched to a single wire,
would produce hopeless confusion, but one
of the devices of Professor Rowland's in
strument adjusts the words in such a way
that the separate letters of the respective
messages cannot start on the main Wire out
OF its regular turn.
For example suppose the first words of
six sentences, started simultaneously to be,
'.Yonkers, $ League" and Armenian the
adjuster would select in turn the letters;
Nv, II, j, Y, l., A. III, h, a, c, e, r, ETC.,
the order of rotation being constantly pre-
served.
SO long as the ssage-sending capacity
of the instruments is not exceeded it makes
no difference whether the messages all be
sent in one direction or part OF them in one
direction and part in the contrary. The adj
juster will accomplish its work as well with
four messages going north and four coming
south, or one going north and five coming
| south as it will with the whole group of the
| messages proceeding in the same direction.
| This result is made possible by the nature
| of the alternating current.
| At the receiving station the Rowland re-
| ceiVer performs it's work without human
| aid. The eight messages are automatically
| separated and distributed to six instruments.
These print out the messages as fast as re-
| ceived. At present DIR. Rowland'S instru-
| such as is used in the familiar ticker but
| his perfected machine will print the mes
| sages out on sheets of paper OF any desir-
| able shape and size Hitherto there never
| has been a successful attempt to attain this
result.
| Absolutely the only attention necessary at
| the receiving station is to supply the in
| strument with paper and take away the
printed sheets.
II is obvious that an adoption of the sys-
| operators of line by just one-half. for
/ the Morse system, now in use in this coun-
try. demands an operator to receive as well
| as one to send the message. The mercan-
/ tile advantages to be gained by the use of
such a system would be vast. In a news
/ paper office, for example, the value of the
| time saved on such an occasion as an cleo
! ton night, would be almost beyond calcu-