The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-26
r HE IDEA Of using electricity for telegraph

r HE IDEA Of using electricity for telegraph
purposes was uppermost in the minds of
u many scientists ut the close of the GEN.
tury, though the history Of practical
electric telegraphy did not begin for many
years later. Iomond. OF France, had just
made an important advance by using only one
line of wire and alphabet of motions.
Prior to this the use of as many insulated con-
ductors rs there are letters in the alphabet had
been suggested. Each wire was to be utilized
for the transmission OF one letter only, and the
message was to be sent by charging the proper
wires in succession and received by observing the
movements of small pieces of paper marked with
the letters of the alphabet and placed under the
ends of the wires. An interesting modification
OF this was to attach to the end Of each wire Il
small light ball, which. when charged, would be at.
tractcd toward an adjacent bell and strike it. Lo-
mond's proposition will be seen therefore to be
great forward step. The same period brought
out the spark telegraph Of Reisar, of Don Silva
and of Cavallo. the pith ball telegraph Of Ron
aids and several Others Tile famous discovery of
Galvani and Volta at this time caused fresh
set of proposals in which voltaic electricity was
to be used. A system of experiments was thus
inaugurated that has its finale in the recording
telegraph by Morse, OF America who in 1885 con-
structed the first rude working model OF an in
strument.
Automatons were not altogether novel 'at the
close of the century. Vaucanson, the celebrated
mechanician, had on exhibition three admirable
fgurcs-the flute players, the tambourine player
and the duck which was capable Of eating, drink1
ing and initiating the natural voice of that fowl.
These gave great impulse to the construction
of similar figures, among the best known of that
period being an automaton which wrote, exhibit
ed at Vienna by Kaanss
Europeans historians were much interested in
some stakes found in a ford on the Thames about
a furlong west of Walton bridge, in SIiddlesex
county, England. They established beyond doubt
the locality OF the ford by which Caesar crossed
the Thames, Caesar having made special men,
tion OF the sharp stakes which he had to en-
counter.
Aseries OF journeys into the interior OF that por.
tion of the South African continent settled by the
Dutch in 1850 was commenced by Spowman, re-
sulting in valuable information the world knew
naught Of
There We're only four institutions for the blind
in the United Kingdom.
Among the births OF the year Of persons WHO
won fame in life were the following:
George Thomas Doc, English engraver.
John Nelson Darby, English theologian
George Friedrich Daumer, English writer.
Thomas A. Dorning, American naval officer.
Peter Desnoyers, French pioneer in America.
Morcny Diego, Mexican Roman Catholic bishop
Rev. William Rutter Dawes, English astron-
omer
Charles Dimmock, American engineer and ed
ucator.
John p. Durbin, American NJ. +. clergyman and
author.
Francis L. G. Egerton, Earl OF Files, English
author.
Andrew Jackson Donelson, American lawyer and
diplomat
Daniel S. Dickcrson, American jurist and
statesman.
Bryan Edwards, English merchant and author
in America.
William Chetwood De Hart, American jurist
and statesman.
Benjamin NJ. Drake, American N. f. clergy
man and educator.
Elisha J. Durbin, American Red Gross mis-
sionary and educator.