The Washington herald., 1909-01-03
BEGINS At The KEY
P. B. Delany InYentS Tele-
post Message System.
STARTS STUDYING IN 1871
Associates with Edison and Gets In
spiration from that Masters Ge-
Rius-Great Invention Comes After
Others Vow in General USe-Talxes
Up Rapid TeIegraphy.

Patrick p. Delany. inventor Of the
5J5-word-a-minute automatic telegraph
system, Is another OF the many men OF
note who began life as telegraph oper-
ators- At sixteen he was al expert teIeg-
rapher, At Jwenty-six he had begun his
career a. an inventor. his latest rapid
automatic system called The telepost be-
ing only one Of many revolutionary ac-
cOmpHshments in this field
Delany was born in Kings County, Ire
land, in 1Ss5. and came 10 America when
nine years Of age. He learned teIeraphy
al Hartford. and rose steadily in this
work until he was appointed night circuit
manager at Albany for al the wires be-
tween New York and Buffalo. He after
ward became chief operator Of the
Franklin Telegraph Company. at Phila-
delPhia, Pa, assistant general super.n-
ten6ent Of the Southern and Atlantic
Telegraph Company. and superintendent
Of the Automatic Telegraph Company.
Associated with Edison.
M DeIany began his inventions in the
telegraph field in 1871, az which time and
for three years afterward he was asso-
cisted with Mr.. Edison in experiments
with a system OF rapid telegraphy, for
which a wire was constructed between
New York and Washington
AIr. Delanys second invention was
known as the 'Anti-Pase" relay. The
Western Union owned the Page patent
which practically dominated the tele-
graph business Of the country. and en-
abIed the Western Union % force all
the great railroads into exclusive con
tracts. which for many years gave them
immense advantages and prevented sue
cessfuI competition in telegraphy The
anti-Page relay threw the field open 10
competition.
His next important invention was the
anti-inducti0n cable. upon which three
patents were issued 10 him in the early
SOS On these the Standard Under
ground Cable Company, Of Pittsburg.
now one Of the largest cable manufac-
turers in the world. was started The
patents netted NJ. Delany over S110.010.
His patents in underground cables num-
Der over q score altogether.
Six Circuits on Single Wire.
IN 1852 Dir. Delany turned his atten-
ton 20 synchron0us multipIex telegraphv.
and succeeded after three years OF con-
slant experimentation in producing a
perfect and commercially practicable
system whereby six Morse circuits were
obtained from a single wire. so that six
separate messages could be sent stimuli
tane0usly just as readily as If six wires
were used. For this invention he was
awarded the highest awards gold medal
and diplomat by the International Inven-
tons Exhibition held at London. Eng
land, in 1855
The system was adopted by the British
government, and was used extensively
throughout Great britain.
After this Nj Delany began 70 ex-
pertinent with ocean cable telegraphy.
and succeeded in the unheard-of feat Of
working Morse by sound over an Anglo
American cable from Hearts Content tG
London through a repeater at Valentia,
Ireland
Takes Up Rapid TeIegraphy.
About Jwenty-one years ago Mr. De-
lany. having established a well equipped
laboratory at South Orange, y J, deter
mined TO devote his entire time to auto
matte rapid telegraphy. Faint visions
Of possibilities Of rapid transmission
which found lodgment IN his mind in
the early days OF his Investigations had
haunted him during the Intervening
years, and he set out 10 build I'D a sys-
ten that would utilize the full carrying
capacity Of a wire instead OF about one
twentieth Of It, the best that could be
realized by existing systems
Long years Of slow but 1sure progress
rewarded the inventors patient endeavor
until about twelve years ago the results
began 10 attract the attention OF scientific
bodies. when Mr. Deiany. by invitation.
lecJU7ed upon and demonstrated the
progress he had made before the Frank
In Institute, the New York Electrical So
ciety, and Cornell University. Even at
this early stage the Franklin Institute
awarded Mr.. Delany the Elliott Cresson
Gold Medal
Exhibited ut Buffalo.
The system was exhibited at the Pan
American Exhibition in 1901, receiving the
gold medal there, and at the Worlds
Fair, St Louis, in 1891 where il was
similarly honOref as- 7-sa- ~, E--,,,1,