The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-01
EXTRAORDINARY TELEGRaPHY.

M ARCONI is not the only inventor whose
genius and industry are working a revolution
in the ART ot teeeraply IL stands indeed at
the head oi those who aye advancing the system OF
telegraphng without wires but what he has done in
that direction Is not more remarkable than what has
apparently been accomplished by Josef Virag and
Anton Polak IN increasing the rapidty with which
messages can be sent over wires.
According 20 reports the two inventors made ex-
rerimental tests in New York in sending dispatches
between that city and Chicago and succeeded in trans
uniting signals consisting OF letters OF the alphabet at
the rate of 10000 an hour To achieve that feat
j. was necessary 10 use an electric current OF seventy
five volts and genuine messages were not transmitted
because oi the amount 81 induction 20 be overcome
and the interference and interruptions with the wire
Further experiments were made in Chicago. first
between that city and Milwaukee and afterward with
Buffalo. in those tests real marvels were accom-
p.ished In the first experiments messages were dis
patched Al the rate OF $4,000 words an hour. Then
wires were obtained 10 Buffalo and back. making
circuit OF 1902 miles, and over that distance messages
were sent at the rate OF 10000 words an hour when
owing 10 the excessive voltage there came blur in
the receiver which stopped further experiments for
the time. Over a short loop messages we're sent be-
ginning slowly but gradually increasing in speed un-
u they were run up 20 the rate OF 10000 words an
hour
To send messages At that rate u speed they are
first translated into the Morse code by Wheatstone
periorator which punches holes in a strip OF paper
tape in the upper side o the paper hole represents
a dash and on the lower side a dot The tape is
placed so as 20 run from one spool TO another passing
oyera brass drum and two wire brushesrun OVERT one
brushing along the dots and the other along the
dashes. Wherever hole in the tape permits the
brush 10 come into contact with the drum ii closes
the circuit and causes a vibration upon a telephone
diaphragm at the other end OF the wire
10 receive the message tiny mirror is fastened 10
the center OF the diaphragm and placed as to re-
feet the rays OF an incandescent light through a
tube into drum where It strikes senstized paper
revolving a spool The mirror moves up and
down with the diaphragm in response TO the electric
vibrations and as II does so the beam which il re-
fleets vbrates along the paper. Alter the transmits
sion has been completed the paper taken from the
spool and developed ike the negative OF photo
graph, and by counting each upward angle as dash
and each downward one as dot the horizontal lines
representing spaces between words and letters the re-
ceying operator reads the message without difficulty
he only defect Of the system thus FAR is the slow
method Of perforang the strip OF paper which is 10
be used in transmitting the message. The inventors
believe they Gan remedy that defect before LONG.
When once the paper has been perforated the mes
sage can be sent rapidly the spool on which the
tape is wound can be revolyed and a speed OF 10000
words an hour is regarded being practicable for
general use over ordinary distances
Such is the probability Of telegraphy which now
ooniront the world Under the present system about
1000 words an hour is the best a rapid telegrapher
can do 1t viii be seen that what is promised IS
virtually revolution and viii enable one operator 70
do the work OF forty