The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-31
OVER 5000 WORDS A MINUTE.
NEW DISCOVERY IN SINE WAVE
SYSTEM oF TELEGRAPHK.

Gen. Greedy EmbOdtes the Results of
Tests in His Annual Report-Dis-
coveries Made and Tested by Two
Young PhySicIans working Under
Direction of The chief Signal on
cer-InventiOns Destined To RcvO-
IutiOnize TeIegrRphy and Very
Valuable.
Washington, Oct. s0.-One point IN the
annual report of Gerss Greedy has escaped
public attention, owing to its disassocia-
ton with the late waE Il relates 20 The
discoveries of tw0'dgoung physicians.
Prof. A. c. Crehore and Lieut.. Col. George
o. Squier, volunteer signal officer VINO
have lately pursued, under the direction
OF the chief signal officer of the army,
certain scientific investigations that prom
Use to work a revolution in methods OF
ocean biography. Gen. Greedy expresses
his belief that these discoveries and In
ventions have assumed such form and
phase as to be of the greatest value to the
commercial world.
The discoveries outline the true scientific
method OF telegraphy known as the sine
wave system, The first experiments were
made at the artillery school, Fort Monroe,
Va, and were discussed theoretically in
1897 under the title Of n"Tfie synchrono-
graph a new method OF rapidly transmit
ting intelligence by the alternating cur
rent. The next step, was the testing of
this system ON long telegraph line and
for this purpose Prof. Crehore and Col
Squier visited England, where they were
afforded every facility for experimental
work over the government telegraph lines,
through the courtesy of the postmaster
general and the distinguished electrician,
Chief Engineer William H. Preece.
These experiments the report sets forth,
prove conclusively the superiority of
modern alternating current, smooth wave,
the typical form OF which Is a simple sine
wave, as compared with the system now
exclusively used throughout the world in
code biography. Under the sine wave
system, words were sent and received over
line l,lO0 miles long at a rate of over 1900
words per minute. Under this new system
the speed of the Wheatst0ne commercial
receiver was increased as much as three
fold when operated Under identically the
system of the old code telegraphy The
superiority of the sine wave having been
decided by experimental apparatus the
next step was 10 construct transmItters
for actual commercial conditions. Two
SPECIAL apparata was devised, one for op-
Grating land lines, and the other for the
transmission of messages over long cables
The cable transmitter was completed and
the land instrument advanced when the
late war interrupted PROGRESS which has
only lately been renewed by direction of
Gen. Greedy.
The first practical tests Of the cable
tranSmitter have just been made through
the courtesy of George Clapperton and
other officials of the Commercial Gable
Company Of New York. The experiments
were made over the cable between New
York city and Kane, which had a length
of S21 knots, an electrical resistance of
| 1900 ohms, and an electric distributing
capacity of 231 mlcrofarads. These tests
were made between Sept. Is and Oct 16
1895
The change from existing telegraphic
methods consist in the substitution Tor the
| present appliance, Of a transTnitter sending
| smooth waves, such as are obtained in
| alternating currents working. without
making any other changes whatever in
the clements of the present system. The
| conditions for the transmission of mes
| sages over long cables are distinctly and
/ widely different from those on aerial lines.
! The necessity of increased speed over
ocean cables, the report continues, while
not generally appreciated, is strking1y
obvious when examined from a CONNER
cial standpoint Since every cable SPAN
ming the Atlantic ocean costs several mill
ion dollars, the value of any discovery
that will increase the working power Of
! these cables is at once apparent.
Gen. Greedy says he has no hesitation in
expressing his opinion that the sine wave
system, which also admits of easy duplex
ing, will within a year or two Increase
very materially the working capacity Of
every cable to which it is applied