The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-20

a
battery: but nc stood stoutly Ivy Morse,
with never thought of recognition for
himself The big fight was with prof.
Joseph Henry. q most regrettabe affait,
n which partisans disgraced their rim
cipals and involved these two big mon
in a dispute unworthy the powers and
position of each
The story of Morse's inspiration and
his struggle to make it good" is pretty
we'll known. and we do not see that the
inventors son rev.ses it vitally. except
in one respect, that of the telegraph.c
alphabet. Here Vail was said Ia have
made definite technical contribution;
but ii appears to he fua0ly establish II
| that the change from the carly code
| book, based upon a numbered UlCtiun-
AIRY, to the system of dots and daehes
| representing letters was hut n return
to the very first conception which Morse
! had jOttcd n his note book in 1892. He
seems to have autcdatcd others in the
extremely useful dcy.c Of the "rc.ay."
| The editor does, very fairly. say that an
| electric telegraph would Edvc been in
vented surely. even If Morse had never
! had "a thought of 1t: also that he might
! have perfected his invention without
suggestions adv'Cc or practical arsst-
ance from o;ho@s. More significantly
| ,and 'crelitab,yD still: at seems but
simple justice to admit that the wonder
| fu' discoveries OF Henry were essential
| to the successful working over ,png
! dis:anCc oc Morsp's discoveries AMI In
ventions. But Il is also iust
to place emphasis on tho fact that
! UCnry'S experiments were purely ecien-
| t!fc. They led up 90 the
| tel graph; they Wrrr not . practical
| telegraph i'm themselves" But at ,east
| a. early az 1885 pr.f. Henry was us,ur
! . short telegraph linz from his college
| laboratory to his home across the
| prnc ton campus: the aerial w.rcs
| were u marvel To- tho ur icrgradud'"s Of
hat time. 81 is saii to have been the
| first line with n galvanic circuit COM
| pletcl through the oarth) And It was
precisely in the practical" a. opposed
! To- the theoretical. experimental field
/ that Ueury's successes with tho projec-
/ tile ,aS opposed 10 the heatInC) powers
of cells. and with magnets in the
wrapping Of wh.ch Morse was AVA off
tho track. that Honry's scientific dis
,oVcrlcs were us fu, to IN" inventor.
! Even more striking than the compile
meutarv relation between the actIv.t az
~ Morse and those oc Horny was tho
startling parallclism (wholly indepcn-
/ dHnt Of HCurv'~ work aIl that Of rs
great English contemporary Faraday.
! Ii X rcgrer, able thst precisely this
part of Morsc's career. where documents
are most to he desired. is its lcas' docu-
mcntcd part. Nc kept TO regular diary,
his wife and parents, 10 whom lie wrote
So constantly and fully IN earlier life
were dead. ana his brothers Were in
such intimate and direct contact with
! him in these later vars that he had u0
occasion 20 write To- thJm. But there
are letters 20 friends. notably fenimorc
| Cooper that cord c.opuently ,Es per-
sunal struggles aud trials. ambitions
hopes and deSpa"s OF the years when
ne was battling to get his invention set
led con the market" troubles in Eng
lard. Franc, and Russia as well as AZ
home: with individuals az well as with
Governments and patent offices.
Edward l.. Morse has done a labor
az love, IL would perhaps have beer
a labor more useful TO the American
public. ever ready, even eager 20 d.
justice to its henefaCtors, II here haC
been less Of love in f. Mr.. Morse Is
finely fair. but an editor WIKI less %
personal interest IN his suhjcc' woulC
not have had 20 fall back On his fair
ness. for he would have seen N clearer
persnective lines OF value the past an,
happily pretty well forgotten contru
vcrsy. Aside from thar wrrtched affair
delightful and valuable volume cou',
he made ought 80 be made--of he lit'
/ of that ripe. scholarly, modest SCENTS
Henry. whose lie was devoted to un
ostentatl,us service. CLOSING appropr.
atcly with his presidency Of the Smith
sorian Institution. | IS said that while
teaching at Aiua"N IN 1891 o. Henry
operated an C.',,ro-magn''! ;"l"Srdp!
over m,'n of wire line ,pr1iecti., eN
tension WIS tive great difficulty, ana hi
INTENSITY" battery presented It's frs
satisfactory S,iUtiou'. talking b,
means e a h.ll tapped when tho arma
.urc was attracted by tho magnet TIL.
statement was made n 1855 lay Edwar'
y. Dickcrsou. a STUDENT und"r Henry IL
1899, and an ardent hut DISCRIMINATING
adrircr of the rrofesSur Tbo name O
samuel T. r. MprS was one Of the 'i"s
to b. ".mm,rtaliaod in hron2" tn
stately Colounade' ~ the Hal -
Fame. and that OF Joseph Henry ouch
to he held in grateful" off Ctonit
memory hV his COuntrNmCu.