Year: 1865

We have several times had occasion
10 mention the Abbe Cassali's wonder.
full invention, by which he not only
transmits from ono place to another
tho words Of q dispatch, but the very
handwriting Of the persons who sends
it. AS this sncw telcgrapbic system il
now beginning to receive practical ap.
plication on largo scale, descrip.
tion of the apparatus may not be I'M
interesting TO our readers. Imagine
a cast iron frame shaped like an A, and
a pendulum suspended from its apex.
AT each foot of the franc there is an
electro magnet, through the action OF
which the pendulum, which is two
metres in length, oscilatcs between
them, according as an electric current
passes from one to another. About
the middle Of the shaft of the pendu.
lum there is a sort of arm or cam,
which, at each oscillation, causes le-
yer, fixed at the Gloss. bar of the A, to
describe circular arc.


AT the first stroke the metallic vi
bration is interrupted, and at the Sec
ond a fork is SET in motion, the prongs
of which alternately act on the tceth
of the ratcb, which is thus forced TO
turn, and in SO doing communicates
motion to an endless screw cut into
its own shaft. This endless screw
causes two small charriots to move
simultaneously; each chariot carries
a fine steel point, or stylus. Now, as
in virtue Of the endless screw, these
two points move uniformly in the same
direction the progress Of the one not
differing from that of the other even
by hairs breadth it follows that
whatever stroke is described by the
one will be initiated @ith mathemati.
cal exastncss by the other. Now, sup.
pose metallic plate to be placed un-
der each point, these plates being
curved like the circular arcs described
by the points; then, after certain
number Of oscillations of the pendulum
these points in moving along will have
described upon the plates as many
parallel lines infinitely close to each
other as there have been oscillations
hence the whole surface Of the plate
willhave been gone over. The plates
are in direct communication with the
ground by means Of chains; one of the
plates we will call the transmitter, the
other the recipient.


The sender of the dispatch writes it
with common ink on sheet Of timed
paper, and places it on the transmit
ter. On the recipient we place sheet
of chemical paper, impregnated with q
solution of cyanide ofpotassium. Let
US now set the apparatus in notion
The current being established, SO long
as the transmitter only touches upon
the tin, the electric fluid will escape
into the earth; but no sooner does il
meet the ink of the writing, which is
a non conductor, than the fluid, not
finding an escape there, will seek it
along the wire which connects the two
points tagother. Thus the point which
works on the chemical paper of the
recipient will produce blue stroke on
the latter for every black stroke on the
dispatch; for steel in contact with cy-
anide of potassium, and under the in.
fuence Of a positive current, produces
blue. Hence, supposing the dispatch
to have been written in black in Paris
and transmitted to Lyons, the CORES.
pondent at the latter place will receive
in blue, the fac smile of the sendor's
hand writing. An order to pay Ger.
tain sum may thus be transmitted
with perfect safety Galignani.