Bridport, Beaminster, and Lyme Regis Telegram and Dorset, Somerset, and Devon Advertiser. — 1885-02-13 (Bridport, Dorset, England)

ELECTRICITY AND THE TELEGRAPH.  A lecture on the above subject was given. in oonnection with the Town Society, at the Burdon Assembly-room on Tuesday evening by Professor Forbes, F.R.B,E. The professor, who was somewhat Indisposed. illustrated his lecture by experiments, and for about an hour &Wasted the careful attention of a rather large audience. He commenced by saying that he wished to draw attention to the progress of electricity. It was applied to arts of peace, as well as to arts of war, and none of the probable applications struck the attention of the public more than the likelihood that porno deo they would have their houses lighted by Daring the past year he and other scientific) men paid • visit to America, and whilst there he studied the progress science had made. In nearly every town the streets were lighted by electricity, and on returning to England the dismal lights in the streets of London were unpleasantly noticeable. It had also been proposed to drive their locomotives by electricity, and in New York steps were being taken to adopt the scheme, several railway companies being about to lay down electric railways for competition between themselves. It was also used for torpedoes, and in some towns there were electric clocks. Electrioity was also used in the telephone, and in the Sandwich Isles this means of communication was very much in use. He exhibited a four needle instrument, and said it was the first which ever caught a murderer. Just after one had been set up a murder was oommitted in Liverpool. The murderer took passage for London, the instrument was brought into use, and the murderer was (taught, consequently the instrument was somewhat historioal. The clerks found that two needles were only necessary, and sines then a one needle instrument had been adapted, and was much in use oaths railwaya. He explained the A.B.C. instrument of Freestone, which he said did not require a battery. In America =need an Instrument of a very different kind, the "Sounder," preferring to seed by the est rather the. by the eye, and so increase the quickness by whisk the =may Gould be written out. It was serseibles to go into see of the offices Wad Mat the :=ll the Instmeents, and it seemed hardly that the sleeks amid make eye tkeirown mesesees. But he and say that it MB Med time Irds=sot wry. tiim ealmstrei affected their balm to aim Is hi sold ME id  Zw;triCAiy.  IPt 1 0,..,1^,ekd  require a large instrument. The diffioulties of the operator were very slight, and it was aitonishing with what rapidity the poles could be laid. He followed the Russian army during the Turko-Rttsdan War, and maid it was only by means of the telegtaPh that the Turkish army was routed in Aide, the generals being able to oonimunicate with each other. The submarine telegraphy was due to the indomitable pluck of the English nation. The cable from Dover to Calais was carried out in 1851, and was still I carrying messages between the two countries. He remarked that the supposed long time occupied In sending messages was not due to the slowness of the electricity, but to the clerks who transmitted the sentences from one offioe to another. Electricity was I said to travel 288,000 miles a second, and could be sent round the world ten times in the space of one seoond. It had been discovered that it was possible to sand two messages, in opposite direction', on the same wire. and. In America now four messages could be sent on one wire, two in one direction and two in the other. In conolusion he said he thought he had shown that every intelligent person should try to take some interest in the subject and try to understand something about it. All branches of electricity were of great Interest, and would be found an enormous pleasure to the student'. Dr. MOORHIMD proposed a vote of thanks to the Professor, which he briefly acknowledged,