,,heroes ,,of ,,the ,,telegraph  ,by ,j4
 ,munro  ,author ,of ',electricity ,and 
,its ,uses1' ,pioneers ,of              
,electricity1' ',the ,wire ,and ,the    
,wave'2 ,and ,joint ,author ,of ',munro 
,and ,jamieson's ,pocket-,book ,of      
,electrical ,rules ,and ,tables4'       
7,note3 ,all accents etc4 have been     
omitted4 ,italics have been converted to
 capital letters4 ,the ,british 'pound' 
sign has been written as ',l'4          
,footnotes have been placed in square   
brackets at the place in the text where 
a suffix originally indicated their     
existence47     ,,preface4   ,the       
present work is in some respects a      
sequel to the ,,pioneers ,,of           
,,electricity1 and it deals with the    
lives and principal achievements of     
those distinguished men to whom we are  
indebted for the introduction of the    
electric telegraph and telephone1 as    
well as other marvels of electric       
science4    ,,contents4       ,,chapter 
,i4  ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,the          

,,telegraph        ,,ii4  ,,charles     
,,wheatstone       ,,iii4  ,,samuel     
,,morse        ,,iv4  ,,sir ,,william   
,,thomson         ,v4  ,,sir ,,william  
,,siemens        ,,vi4  ,,fleeming      
,,jenkin       ,,vii4  ,,johann         
,,philipp ,,reis      ,,viii4  ,,graham 
,,bell        ,,ix4  ,,thomas ,,alva    
,,edison         ,x4  ,,david ,,edwin   
,,hughes       ,,appendix4         ,i4  
,,charles ,,ferdinand ,,gauss           
,,ii4  ,,william ,,edward ,,weber       
,,iii4  ,,sir ,,william ,,fothergill    
,,cooke        ,,iv4  ,,alexander ,,bain
         ,v4  ,,dr4 ,,werner ,,siemens  
,,vi4  ,,latimer ,,clark       ,,vii4   
,,count ,,du ,,moncel      ,,viii4      
,,elisha ,,gray     ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the 
,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,telegraph4  ,the  
history of an invention1 whether of     
science or art1 may be compared to the  
growth of an organism such as a tree4   
,the wind1 or the random visit of a bee1
 unites the pollen in the flower1 the   
green fruit forms and ripens to the     

perfect seed1 which1 on being planted in
 congenial soil1 takes root and         
flourishes4 ,even so from the chance    
combination of two facts in the human   
mind1 a crude idea springs1 and after   
maturing into a feasible plan is put in 
practice under favourable conditions1   
and so develops4 ,these processes are   
both subject to a thousand accidents    
which are inimical to their achievement4
 ,especially is this the case when their
 object is to produce a novel species1  
or a new and great invention like the   
telegraph4 ,it is then a question of    
raising1 not one seedling1 but many1 and
 modifying these in the lapse of time4  
,similarly the telegraph is not to be   
regarded as the work of any one mind1   
but of many1 and during a long course of
 years4 ,because at length the final    
seedling is obtained1 are we to overlook
 the antecedent varieties from which it 
was produced1 and without which it could
 not have existed8 ,because one inventor
 at last succeeds in putting the        

telegraph in operation1 are we to       
neglect his predecessors1 whose attempts
 and failures were the steps by which he
 mounted to success8 ,all who have      
extended our knowledge of electricity1  
or devised a telegraph1 and familiarised
 the public mind with the advantages of 
it1 are deserving of our praise and     
gratitude1 as well as he who has entered
 into their labours1 and by genius and  
perseverance won the honours of being   
the first to introduce it4  ,let us1    
therefore1 trace in a rapid manner the  
history of the electric telegraph from  
the earliest times4  ,the sources of a  
river are lost in the clouds of the     
mountain1 but it is usual to derive its 
waters from the lakes or springs which  
are its fountain-head4 ,in the same way 
the origins of our knowledge of         
electricity and magnetism are lost in   
the mists of antiquity1 but there are   
two facts which have come to be regarded
 as the starting-points of the science4 
,it was known to the ancients at least  

#fjj years before ,christ1 that a piece 
of amber when excited by rubbing would  
attract straws1 and that a lump of      
lodestone had the property of drawing   
iron4 ,both facts were probably         
ascertained by chance4 ,humboldt informs
 us that he saw an ,indian child of the 
,orinoco rubbing the seed of a trailing 
plant to make it attract the wild       
cotton2 and1 perhaps1 a prehistoric     
tribesman of the ,baltic or the plains  
of ,sicily found in the yellow stone he 
had polished the mysterious power of    
collecting dust4 ,a ,greek legend tells 
us that the lodestone was discovered by 
,magnes1 a shepherd who found his crook 
attracted by the rock4  ,however this   
may be1 we are told that ,thales of     
,miletus attributed the attractive      
properties of the amber and the         
lodestone to a soul within them4 ,the   
name ,electricity is derived from       
,,elektron1 the ,greek for amber1 and   
,magnetism from ,magnes1 the name of the
 shepherd1 or1 more likely1 from the    

city of ,magnesia1 in ,lydia1 where the 
stone occurred4  ,these properties of   
amber and lodestone appear to have been 
widely known4 ,the ,persian name for    
amber is ,,kahruba1 attractor of straws1
 and that for lodestone ,,ahang-,,ruba  
attractor of iron4 ,in the old ,persian 
romance1 ,,the ,,loves ,,of ,,majnoon   
,,and ,,leila1 the lover sings--        
',she was as amber1 and ,i but as straw3
       ,she touched me1 and ,i shall    
ever cling to her4'  ,the ,chinese      
philosopher1 ,kuopho1 who flourished in 
the fourth century1 writes that1 'the   
attraction of a magnet for iron is like 
that of amber for the smallest grain of 
mustard seed4 ,it is like a breath of   
wind which mysteriously penetrates      
through both1 and communicates itself   
with the speed of an arrow4' ,lodestone 
was probably known in ,china before the 
,christian era4 ,other electrical       
effects were also observed by the       
ancients4 ,classical writers1 as ,homer1
 ,caesar1 and ,plutarch1 speak of flames

 on the points of javelins and the tips 
of masts4 ,they regarded them as        
manifestations of the ,deity1 as did the
 soldiers of the ,mahdi lately in the   
,soudan4 ,it is recorded of ,servius    
,tullus1 the sixth king of ,rome1 that  
his hair emitted sparks on being combed2
 and that sparks came from the body of  
,walimer1 a ,gothic chief1 who lived in 
the year #dae ,a4,d4  ,during the dark  
ages the mystical virtues of the        
lodestone drew more attention than those
 of the more precious amber1 and        
interesting experiments were made with  
it4 ,the ,romans knew that it could     
attract iron at some distance through an
 intervening fence of wood1 brass1 or   
stone4 ,one of their experiments was to 
float a needle on a piece of cork1 and  
make it follow a lodestone held in the  
hand4 ,this arrangement was perhaps     
copied from the compass of the          
,phoenician sailors1 who buoyed a       
lodestone and observed it set towards   
the north4 ,there is reason to believe  

that the magnet was employed by the     
priests of the ,oracle in answering     
questions4 ,we are told that the        
,emperor ,valerius1 while at ,antioch in
 #cgj ,a4,d41 was shown a floating      
needle which pointed to the letters of  
the alphabet when guided by the         
directive force of a lodestone4 ,it was 
also believed that this effect might be 
produced although a stone wall          
intervened1 so that a person outside a  
house or prison might convey            
intelligence to another inside4  ,this  
idea was perhaps the basis of the       
sympathetic telegraph of the ,middle    
,ages1 which is first described in the  
,,magiae ,,naturalis of ,john ,baptista 
,porta1 published at ,naples in #aeeh4  
,it was supposed by ,porta and others   
after him that two similar needles      
touched by the same lodestone were      
sympathetic1 so that1 although far      
apart1 if both were freely balanced1 a  
movement of one was imitated by the     
other4 ,by encircling each balanced     

needle with an alphabet1 the sympathetic
 telegraph was obtained4 ,although based
 on error1 and opposed by ,cabeus and   
others1 this fascinating notion         
continued to crop up even to the days of
 ,addison4 ,it was a prophetic shadow of
 the coming invention4 ,in the ,,scepsis
 ,,scientifica1 published in #affe1     
,joseph ,glanvil wrote1 'to confer at   
the distance of the ,indies by          
sympathetic conveyances may be as usual 
to future times as to us in literary    
correspondence4' ,the ,rosicrucians also
 believed that if two persons           
transplanted pieces of their flesh into 
each other1 and tattooed the grafts with
 letters1 a sympathetic telegraph could 
be established by pricking the letters4 
,dr4 ,gilbert1 physician to ,queen      
,elizabeth1 by his systematic           
researches1 discovered the magnetism of 
the earth1 and laid the foundations of  
the modern science of electricity and   
magnetism4 ,otto von ,guericke1         
burgomaster of ,magdeburg1 invented the 

electrical machine for generating large 
quantities of the electric fire4        
,stephen ,gray1 a pensioner of the      
,charterhouse1 conveyed the fire to a   
distance along a line of pack thread1   
and showed that some bodies conducted   
electricity1 while others insulated it4 
,dufay proved that there were two       
qualities of electricity1 now called    
positive and negative1 and that each    
kind repelled the like1 but attracted   
the unlike4 ,von ,kleist1 a cathedral   
dean of ,kamm1 in ,pomerania1 or at all 
events ,cuneus1 a burgher1 and          
,muschenbroek1 a professor of ,leyden1  
discovered the ,leyden jar for holding a
 charge of electricity2 and ,franklin   
demonstrated the identity of electricity
 and lightning4  ,the charge from a     
,leyden jar was frequently sent through 
a chain of persons clasping hands1 or a 
length of wire with the earth as part of
 the circuit4 ,this experiment was made 
by ,joseph ,franz1 of ,vienna1 in #agdf1
 and ,dr4 ,watson1 of ,london1 in #agdg2

 while ,franklin ignited spirits by a   
spark which had been sent across the    
,schuylkill river by the same means4    
,but none of these men seem to have     
grasped the idea of employing the fleet 
fire as a telegraph4  ,the first        
suggestion of an electric telegraph on  
record is that published by one ',c4    
,m4' in the ,scots ,magazine for        
,february #ag1 #agec4 ,the device       
consisted in running a number of        
insulated wires between two places1 one 
for each letter of the alphabet4 ,the   
wires were to be charged with           
electricity from a machine one at a     
time1 according to the letter it        
represented4 ,at its far end the charged
 wire was to attract a disc of paper    
marked with the corresponding letter1   
and so the message would be spelt4 ',c4 
,m4' also suggested the first acoustic  
telegraph1 for he proposed to have a set
 of bells instead of the letters1 each  
of a different tone1 and to be struck by
 the spark from its charged wire4  ,the 

identity of ',c4 ,m41' who dated his    
letter from ,renfrew1 has not been      
established beyond a doubt4 ,there is a 
tradition of a clever man living in     
,renfrew at that time1 and afterwards in
 ,paisley1 who could 'licht a room wi'  
coal reek 7smoke71 and mak' lichtnin'   
speak and write upon the wa'4' ,by some 
he was thought to be a certain ,charles 
,marshall1 from ,aberdeen2 but it seems 
likelier that he was a ,charles         
,morrison1 of ,greenock1 who was trained
 as a surgeon1 and became connected with
 the tobacco trade of ,glasgow4 ,in     
,renfrew he was regarded as a kind of   
wizard1 and he is said to have emigrated
 to ,virginia1 where he died4  ,in the  
latter half of the eighteenth century1  
many other suggestions of telegraphs    
based on the known properties of the    
electric fire were published2 for       
example1 by ,joseph ,bozolus1 a ,jesuit 
lecturer of ,rome1 in #agfg2 by ,odier1 
a ,geneva physicist1 in #aggc1 who      
states in a letter to a lady1 that he   

conceived the idea on hearing a casual  
remark1 while dining at ,sir ,john      
,pringle's1 with ,franklin1 ,priestley1 
and other great geniuses4 ',i shall     
amuse you1 perhaps1 in telling you1' he 
says1'that ,i have in my head certain   
experiments by which to enter into      
conversation with the ,emperor of ,mogol
 or of ,china1 the ,english1 the        
,french1 or any other people of         
,europe444 ,you may intercommunicate all
 that you wish at a distance of four or 
five thousands leagues in less than half
 an hour4 ,will that suffice you for    
glory8'  ,george ,louis ,lesage1 in     
#aghb1 proposed a plan similar to ',c4  
,m4's1' using underground wires4 ,an    
anonymous correspondent of the ,,journal
 ,,de ,,paris for ,may #cj1 #aghb1      
suggested an alarm bell to call         
attention to the message4 ,lomond1 of   
,paris1 devised a telegraph with only   
one wire2 the signals to be read by the 
peculiar movements of an attracted      
pith-ball1 and ,arthur ,young witnessed 

his plan in action1 as recorded in his  
diary4 ,m4 ,chappe1 the inventor of the 
semaphore1 tried about the year #agij to
 introduce a synchronous electric       
telegraph1 and failed4  ,don ,francisco 
,salva y ,campillo1 of ,barcelona1 in   
#agie1 proposed to make a telegraph     
between ,barcelona and ,mataro1 either  
overhead or underground1 and he remarks 
of the wires1 'at the bottom of the sea 
their bed would be ready made1 and it   
would be an extraordinary casualty that 
should disturb them4' ,in ,salva's      
telegraph1 the signals were to be made  
by illuminating letters of tinfoil with 
the spark4 ,volta's great invention of  
the pile in #ahjj furnished a new source
 of electricity1 better adapted for the 
telegraph1 and ,salva was apparently the
 first to recognise this1 for1 in the   
same year1 he proposed to use it and    
interpret the signals by the twitching  
of a frog's limb1 or the decomposition  
of water4  ,in #ahjb1 ,jean ,alexandre1 
a reputed natural son of ,jean ,jacques 

,rousseau1 brought out a ,,telegraphe   
,,intime1 or secret telegraph1 which    
appears to have been a step-by-step     
apparatus4 ,the inventor concealed its  
mode of working1 but it was believed to 
be electrical1 and there was a needle   
which stopped at various points on a    
dial4 ,alexandre stated that he had     
found out a strange matter or power     
which was1 perhaps generally diffused1  
and formed in some sort the soul of the 
universe4 ,he endeavoured to bring his  
invention under the eye of the ,first   
,consul1 but ,napoleon referred the     
matter to ,delambre1 and would not see  
it4 ,alexandre was born at ,paris1 and  
served as a carver and gilder at        
,poictiers2 then sang in the churches   
till the ,revolution suppressed this    
means of livelihood4 ,he rose to        
influence as a ,commissary-general1 then
 retired from the army and became an    
inventor4 ,his name is associated with a
 method of steering balloons1 and a     
filter for supplying ,bordeaux with     

water from the ,garonne4 ,but neither of
 these plans appear to have been put in 
practice1 and he died at ,angouleme1    
leaving his widow in extreme poverty4   
,sommering1 a distinguished ,prussian   
anatomist1 in #ahji brought out a       
telegraph worked by a voltaic battery1  
and making signals by decomposing water4
 ,two years later it was greatly        
simplified by ,schweigger1 of ,halle2   
and there is reason to believe that but 
for the discovery of electro-magnetism  
by ,oersted1 in #ahbd the chemical      
telegraph would have come into practical
 use4  ,in #ahjf1 ,ralph ,wedgwood      
submitted a telegraph based on          
frictional electricity to the           
,admiralty1 but was told that the       
semaphore was sufficient for the        
country4 ,in a pamphlet he suggested the
 establishment of a telegraph system    
with public offices in different        
centres4 ,francis ,ronalds1 in #ahaf1   
brought a similar telegraph of his      
invention to the notice of the          

,admiralty1 and was politely informed   
that 'telegraphs of any kind are now    
wholly unnecessary4'  ,in #ahbf-g1      
,harrison ,gray ,dyar1 of ,new ,york1   
devised a telegraph in which the spark  
was made to stain the signals on moist  
litmus paper by decomposing nitric acid2
 but he had to abandon his experiments  
in ,long ,island and fly the country1   
because of a writ which charged him with
 a conspiracy for carrying on secret    
communication4 ,in #ahcj ,hubert ,recy  
published an account of a system of     
,teletatodydaxie1 by which the electric 
spark was to ignite alcohol and indicate
 the signals of a code4  ,but spark or  
frictional electric telegraphs were     
destined to give way to those actuated  
by the voltaic current1 as the chemical 
mode of signalling was superseded by the
 electro-magnet4 ,in #ahbj the separate 
courses of electric and magnetic science
 were united by the connecting discovery
 of ,oersted1 who found that a wire     
conveying a current had the power of    

moving a compass-needle to one side or  
the other according to the direction of 
the current4  ,la ,place1 the           
illustrious mathematician1 at once saw  
that this fact could be utilised as a   
telegraph1 and ,ampere1 acting on his   
suggestion1 published a feasible plan4  
,before the year was out1 ,schweigger1  
of ,halle1 multiplied the influence of  
the current on the needle by coiling the
 wire about it4 ,ten years later1       
,ritchie improved on ,ampere's method1  
and exhibited a model at the ,royal     
,institution1 ,london4 ,about the same  
time1 ,baron ,pawel ,schilling1 a       
,russian nobleman1 still further        
modified it1 and the ,emperor ,nicholas 
decreed the erection of a line from     
,cronstadt to ,st4 ,petersburg1 with a  
cable in the ,gulf of ,finland but      
,schilling died in #ahcg1 and the       
project was never realised4  ,in #ahcc-e
 ,professors ,gauss and ,weber          
constructed a telegraph between the     
physical cabinet and the ,observatory of

 the ,university of ,gottingen4 ,at     
first they used the voltaic pile1 but   
abandoned it in favour of ,faraday's    
recent discovery that electricity could 
be generated in a wire by the motion of 
a magnet4 ,the magnetic key with which  
the message was sent ,produced by its   
action an electric current which1 after 
traversing the line1 passed through a   
coil and deflected a suspended magnet to
 the right or left1 according to the    
direction of the current4 ,a mirror     
attached to the suspension magnified the
 movement of the needle1 and indicated  
the signals after the manner of the     
,thomson mirror galvanometer4 ,this     
telegraph1 which was large and clumsy1  
was nevertheless used not only for      
scientific1 but for general             
correspondence4 ,steinheil1 of ,munich1 
simplified it1 and added an alarm in the
 form of a bell4  ,in #ahcf1 ,steinheil 
also devised a recording telegraph1 in  
which the movable needles indicated the 
message by marking dots and dashes with 

printer's ink on a ribbon of travelling 
paper1 according to an artificial code  
in which the fewest signs were given to 
the commonest letters in the ,german    
language4 ,with this apparatus the      
message was registered at the rate of   
six words a minute4 ,the early          
experimenters1 as we have seen1         
especially ,salva1 had utilised the     
ground as the return part of the        
circuit2 and ,salva had proposed to use 
it on his telegraph1 but ,steinheil was 
the first to demonstrate its practical  
value4 ,in trying1 on the suggestion of 
,gauss1 to employ the rails of the      
,nurenberg to ,furth railway as the     
conducting line for a telegraph in the  
year #ahch1 he found they would not     
serve2 but the failure led him to employ
 the earth as the return half of the    
circuit4  ,in #ahcg1 ,professor         
,stratingh1 of ,groninque1 ,holland1    
devised a telegraph in which the signals
 were made by electro-magnets actuating 
the hammers of two gongs or bells of    

different tone2 and ,m4 ,amyot invented 
an automatic sending key in the nature  
of a musical box4 ,from #ahcg-h1 ,edward
 ,davy1 a ,devonshire surgeon1 exhibited
 a needle telegraph in ,london1 and     
proposed one based on the discovery of  
,arago1 that a piece of soft iron is    
temporarily magnetised by the passage of
 an electric current through a coil     
surrounding it4 ,this principle was     
further applied by ,morse in his        
electro-magnetic printing telegraph4    
,davy was a prolific inventor1 and also 
sketched out a telegraph in which the   
gases evolved from water which was      
decomposed by the current actuated a    
recording pen4 ,but his most valuable   
discovery was the 'relay1' that is to   
say1 an auxiliary device by which a     
current too feeble to indicate the      
signals could call into play a local    
battery strong enough to make them4     
,davy was in a fair way of becoming one 
of the fathers of the working telegraph1
 when his private affairs obliged him to

 emigrate to ,australia1 and leave the  
course open to ,cooke and ,wheatstone4  
,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,charles ,,wheatstone4 
,the electric telegraph1 like the       
steam-engine and the railway1 was a     
gradual development due to the          
experiments and devices of a long train 
of thinkers4 ,in such a case he who     
crowns the work1 making it serviceable  
to his fellow-men1 not only wins the    
pecuniary prize1 but is likely to be    
hailed and celebrated as the chief1 if  
not the sole inventor1 although in a    
scientific sense the improvement he has 
made is perhaps less than that of some  
ingenious and forgotten forerunner4 ,he 
who advances the work from the phase of 
a promising idea1 to that of a common   
boon1 is entitled to our gratitude4 ,but
 in honouring the keystone of the arch1 
as it were1 let us acknowledge the      
substructure on which it rests1 and keep
 in mind the entire bridge4 ,justice at 
least is due to those who have laboured 
without reward4  ,sir ,william          

,fothergill ,cooke and ,sir ,charles    
,wheatstone were the first to bring the 
electric telegraph into daily use4 ,but 
we have selected ,wheatstone as our     
hero1 because he was eminent as a man of
 science1 and chiefly instrumental in   
perfecting the apparatus4 ,as ,james    
,watt is identified with the            
steam-engine1 and ,george ,stephenson   
with the railway1 so is ,wheatstone with
 the telegraph4  ,charles ,wheatstone   
was born near ,gloucester1 in ,february1
 #ahjb4 ,his father was a music-seller  
in the town1 who1 four years later1     
removed to #abh1 ,pall ,mall1 ,london1  
and became a teacher of the flute4 ,he  
used to say1 with not a little pride1   
that he had been engaged in assisting at
 the musical education of the ,princess 
,charlotte4 ,charles1 the second son1   
went to a village school1 near          
,gloucester1 and afterwards to several  
institutions in ,london4 ,one of them   
was in ,kennington1 and kept by a ,mrs4 
,castlemaine1 who was astonished at his 

rapid progress4 ,from another he ran    
away1 but was captured at ,windsor1 not 
far from the theatre of his practical   
telegraph4 ,as a boy he was very shy and
 sensitive1 liking well to retire into  
an attic1 without any other company than
 his own thoughts4 ,when he was about   
fourteen years old he was apprenticed to
 his uncle and namesake1 a maker and    
seller of musical instruments1 at #dcf1 
,strand1 ,london2 but he showed little  
taste for handicraft or business1 and   
loved better to study books4 ,his father
 encouraged him in this1 and finally    
took him out of the uncle's charge4  ,at
 the age of fifteen1 ,wheatstone        
translated ,french poetry1 and wrote two
 songs1 one of which was given to his   
uncle1 who published it without knowing 
it as his nephew's composition4 ,some   
lines of his on the lyre became the     
motto of an engraving by ,bartolozzi4   
,small for his age1 but with a fine     
brow1 and intelligent blue eyes1 he     
often visited an old book-stall in the  

vicinity of ,pall ,mall1 which was then 
a dilapidated and unpaved thoroughfare4 
,most of his pocket-money was spent in  
purchasing the books which had taken his
 fancy1 whether fairy tales1 history1 or
 science4 ,one day1 to the surprise of  
the bookseller1 he coveted a volume on  
the discoveries of ,volta in            
electricity1 but not having the price1  
he saved his pennies and secured the    
volume4 ,it was written in ,french1 and 
so he was obliged to save again1 till he
 could buy a dictionary4 ,then he began 
to read the volume1 and1 with the help  
of his elder brother1 ,william1 to      
repeat the experiments described in it1 
with a home-made battery1 in the        
scullery behind his father's house4 ,in 
constructing the battery the boy        
philosophers ran short of money to      
procure the requisite copper-plates4    
,they had only a few copper coins left4 
,a happy thought occurred to ,charles1  
who was the leading spirit in these     
researches1 ',we must use the pennies   

themselves1' said he1 and the battery   
was soon complete4  ,in ,september1     
#ahba1 ,wheatstone brought himself into 
public notice by exhibiting the         
',enchanted ,lyre1' or                  
',aconcryptophone1' at a music-shop at  
,pall ,mall and in the ,adelaide        
,gallery4 ,it consisted of a mimic lyre 
hung from the ceiling by a cord1 and    
emitting the strains of several         
instruments--the piano1 harp1 and       
dulcimer4 ,in reality it was a mere     
sounding box1 and the cord was a steel  
rod that conveyed the vibrations of the 
music from the several instruments which
 were played out of sight and ear-shot4 
,at this period ,wheatstone made        
numerous experiments on sound and its   
transmission4 ,some of his results are  
preserved in ,thomson's ,,annals ,,of   
,,philosophy for #ahbc4 ,he recognised  
that sound is propagated by waves or    
oscillations of the atmosphere1 as light
 by undulations of the luminiferous     
ether4 ,water1 and solid bodies1 such as

 glass1 or metal1 or sonorous wood1     
convey the modulations with high        
velocity1 and he conceived the plan of  
transmitting sound-signals1 music1 or   
speech to long distances by this means4 
,he estimated that sound would travel   
#bjj miles a second through solid rods1 
and proposed to telegraph from ,london  
to ,edinburgh in this way4 ,he even     
called his arrangement a 'telephone4'   
,robert ,hooke1 in his ,,micrographia1  
published in #affg1 writes3 ',i can     
assure the reader that ,i have1 by the  
help of a distended wire1 propagated the
 sound to a very considerable distance  
in an instant1 or with as seemingly     
quick a motion as that of light4' ,nor  
was it essential the wire should be     
straight2 it might be bent into angles4 
,this property is the basis of the      
mechanical or lover's telephone1 said to
 have been known to the ,chinese many   
centuries ago4 ,hooke also considered   
the possibility of finding a way to     
quicken our powers of hearing4 ,a writer

 in the ,,repository ,,of ,,arts for    
,september #a1 #ahba1 in referring to   
the ',enchanted ,lyre1' beholds the     
prospect of an opera being performed at 
the ,king's ,theatre1 and enjoyed at the
 ,hanover ,square ,rooms1 or even at the
 ,horns ,tavern1 ,kennington4 ,the      
vibrations are to travel through        
underground conductors1 like to gas in  
pipes4 ',and if music be capable of     
being thus conducted1' he               
observes1'perhaps the words of speech   
may be susceptible of the same means of 
propagation4 ,the eloquence of counsel1 
the debates of ,parliament1 instead of  
being read the next day only1--,but we  
shall lose ourselves in the pursuit of  
this curious subject4'  ,besides        
transmitting sounds to a distance1      
,wheatstone devised a simple instrument 
for augmenting feeble sounds1 to which  
he gave the name of ',microphone4' ,it  
consisted of two slender rods1 which    
conveyed the mechanical vibrations to   
both ears1 and is quite different from  

the electrical microphone of ,professor 
,hughes4  ,in #ahbc1 his uncle1 the     
musical instrument maker1 died1 and     
,wheatstone1 with his elder brother1    
,william1 took over the business4       
,charles had no great liking for the    
commercial part1 but his ingenuity found
 a vent in making improvements on the   
existing instruments1 and in devising   
philosophical toys4 ,at the end of six  
years he retired from the undertaking4  
,in #ahbg1 ,wheatstone introduced his   
'kaleidoscope1' a device for rendering  
the vibrations of a sounding body       
apparent to the eye4 ,it consists of a  
metal rod1 carrying at its end a        
silvered bead1 which reflects a 'spot'  
of light4 ,as the rod vibrates the spot 
is seen to describe complicated figures 
in the air1 like a spark whirled about  
in the darkness4 ,his photometer was    
probably suggested by this appliance4   
,it enables two lights to be compared by
 the relative brightness of their       
reflections in a silvered bead1 which   

describes a narrow ellipse1 so as to    
draw the spots into parallel lines4  ,in
 #ahbh1 ,wheatstone improved the ,german
 wind instrument1 called the ,,mund     
,,harmonica1 till it became the popular 
concertina1 patented on ,june #ai1 #ahbi
 ,the portable harmonium is another of  
his inventions1 which gained a prize    
medal at the ,great ,exhibition of      
#ahea4 ,he also improved the speaking   
machine of ,de ,kempelen1 and endorsed  
the opinion of ,sir ,david ,brewster1   
that before the end of this century a   
singing and talking apparatus would be  
among the conquests of science4  ,in    
#ahcd1 ,wheatstone1 who had won a name  
for himself1 was appointed to the ,chair
 of ,experimental ,physics in ,king's   
,college1 ,london1 ,but his first course
 of lectures on ,sound were a complete  
failure1 owing to an invincible         
repugnance to public speaking1 and a    
distrust of his powers in that          
direction4 ,in the rostrum he was       
tongue-tied and incapable1 sometimes    

turning his back on the audience and    
mumbling to the diagrams on the wall4   
,in the laboratory he felt himself at   
home1 and ever after confined his duties
 mostly to demonstration4  ,he achieved 
renown by a great experiment--the       
measurement of the velocity of          
electricity in a wire4 ,his method was  
beautiful and ingenious4 ,he cut the    
wire at the middle1 to form a gap which 
a spark might leap across1 and connected
 its ends to the poles of a ,leyden jar 
filled with electricity4 ,three sparks  
were thus produced1 one at either end of
 the wire1 and another at the middle4   
,he mounted a tiny mirror on the works  
of a watch1 so that it revolved at a    
high velocity1 and observed the         
reflections of his three sparks in it4  
,the points of the wire were so arranged
 that if the sparks were instantaneous1 
their reflections would appear in one   
straight line2 but the middle one was   
seen to lag behind the others1 because  
it was an instant later4 ,the           

electricity had taken a certain time to 
travel from the ends of the wire to the 
middle4 ,this time was found by         
measuring the amount of lag1 and        
comparing it with the known velocity of 
the mirror4 ,having got the time1 he had
 only to compare that with the length of
 half the wire1 and he found that the   
velocity of electricity was #bhh1jjj    
miles a second4  ,till then1 many people
 had considered the electric discharge  
to be instantaneous2 but it was         
afterwards found that its velocity      
depended on the nature of the conductor1
 its resistance1 and its electro-static 
capacity4 ,faraday showed1 for example1 
that its velocity in a submarine wire1  
coated with insulator and surrounded    
with water1 is only #add1jjj miles a    
second1 or still less4 ,wheatstone's    
device of the revolving mirror was      
afterwards employed by ,foucault and    
,fizeau to measure the velocity of      
light4  ,in #ahce1 at the ,dublin       
meeting of the ,british ,association1   

,wheatstone showed that when metals were
 volatilised in the electric spark1     
their light1 examined through a prism1  
revealed certain rays which were        
characteristic of them4 ,thus the kind  
of metals which formed the sparking     
points could be determined by analysing 
the light of the spark4 ,this suggestion
 has been of great service in spectrum  
analysis1 and as applied by ,bunsen1    
,kirchoff1 and others1 has led to the   
discovery of several new elements1 such 
as rubidium and thallium1 as well as    
increasing our knowledge of the heavenly
 bodies4 ,two years later1 he called    
attention to the value of               
thermo-electricity as a mode of         
generating a current by means of heat1  
and since then a variety of thermo-piles
 have been invented1 some of which have 
proved of considerable advantage4       
,wheatstone abandoned his idea of       
transmitting intelligence by the        
mechanical vibration of rods1 and took  
up the electric telegraph4 ,in #ahce he 

lectured on the system of ,baron        
,schilling1 and declared that the means 
were already known by which an electric 
telegraph could be made of great service
 to the world4 ,he made experiments with
 a plan of his own1 and not only        
proposed to lay an experimental line    
across the ,thames1 but to establish it 
on the ,london and ,birmingham ,railway4
 ,before these plans were carried out1  
however1 he received a visit from ,mr4  
,fothergill ,cooke at his house in      
,conduit ,street on ,february #bg1      
#ahcg1 which had an important influence 
on his future4  ,mr4 ,cooke was an      
officer in the ,madras army1 who1 being 
home on furlough1 was attending some    
lectures on anatomy at the ,university  
of ,heidelberg1 where1 on ,march #f1    
#ahcf1 he witnessed a demonstration with
 the telegraph of ,professor ,moncke1   
and was so impressed with its           
importance1 that he forsook his medical 
studies and devoted all his efforts to  
the work of introducing the telegraph4  

,he returned to ,london soon after1 and 
was able to exhibit a telegraph with    
three needles in ,january1 #ahcg4       
,feeling his want of scientific         
knowledge1 he consulted ,faraday and    
,dr4 ,roget1 the latter of whom sent him
 to ,wheatstone4  ,at a second          
interview1 ,mr4 ,cooke told ,wheatstone 
of his intention to bring out a working 
telegraph1 and explained his method4    
,wheatstone1 according to his own       
statement1 remarked to ,cooke that the  
method would not act1 and produced his  
own experimental telegraph4 ,finally1   
,cooke proposed that they should enter  
into a partnership1 but ,wheatstone was 
at first reluctant to comply4 ,he was a 
well-known man of science1 and had meant
 to publish his results without seeking 
to make capital of them4 ,cooke1 on the 
other hand1 declared that his sole      
object was to make a fortune from the   
scheme4 ,in ,may they agreed to join    
their forces1 ,wheatstone contributing  
the scientific1 and ,cooke the          

administrative talent4 ,the deed of     
partnership was dated ,november #ai1    
#ahcg4 ,a joint patent was taken out for
 their inventions1 including the        
five-needle telegraph of ,wheatstone1   
and an alarm worked by a relay1 in which
 the current1 by dipping a needle into  
mercury1 completed a local circuit1 and 
released the detent of a clockwork4     
,the five-needle telegraph1 which was   
mainly1 if not entirely1 due to         
,wheatstone1 was similar to that of     
,schilling1 and based on the principle  
enunciated by ,ampere--that is to say1  
the current was sent into the line by   
completing the circuit of the battery   
with a make and break key1 and at the   
other end it passed through a coil of   
wire surrounding a magnetic needle free 
to turn round its centre4 ,according as 
one pole of the battery or the other was
 applied to the line by means of the    
key1 the current deflected the needle to
 one side or the other4 ,there were five
 separate circuits actuating five       

different needles4 ,the latter were     
pivoted in rows across the middle of a  
dial shaped like a diamond1 and having  
the letters of the alphabet arranged    
upon it in such a way that a letter was 
literally pointed out by the current    
deflecting two of the needles towards   
it4  ,an experimental line1 with a sixth
 return wire1 was run between the       
,euston terminus and ,camden ,town      
station of the ,london and ,north       
,western ,railway on ,july #be1 #ahcg4  
,the actual distance was only one and a 
half mile1 but spare wire had been      
inserted in the circuit to increase its 
length4 ,it was late in the evening     
before the trial took place4 ,mr4 ,cooke
 was in charge at ,camden ,town1 while  
,mr4 ,robert ,stephenson and other      
gentlemen looked on2 and ,wheatstone sat
 at his instrument in a dingy little    
room1 lit by a tallow candle1 near the  
booking-office at ,euston4 ,wheatstone  
sent the first message1 to which ,cooke 
replied1 and 'never1' said ,wheatstone1 

'did ,i feel such a tumultuous sensation
 before1 as when1 all alone in the still
 room1 ,i heard the needles click1 and  
as ,i spelled the words1 ,i felt all the
 magnitude of the invention pronounced  
to be practicable beyond cavil or       
dispute4'  ,in spite of this trial1     
however1 the directors of the railway   
treated the 'new-fangled' invention with
 indifference1 and requested its        
removal4 ,in ,july1 #ahci1 however1 it  
was favoured by the ,great ,western     
,railway1 and a line erected from the   
,paddington terminus to ,west ,drayton  
station1 a distance of thirteen miles4  
,part of the wire was laid underground  
at first1 but subsequently all of it was
 raised on posts along the line4 ,their 
circuit was eventually extended to      
,slough in #ahda1 and was publicly      
exhibited at ,paddington as a marvel of 
science1 which could transmit fifty     
signals a distance of #bhj1jjj miles in 
a minute4 ,the price of admission was a 
shilling4  ,notwithstanding its success1

 the public did not readily patronise   
the new invention until its utility was 
noised abroad by the clever capture of  
the murderer ,tawell4 ,between six and  
seven o'clock one morning a woman named 
,sarah ,hart was found dead in her home 
at ,salt ,hill1 and a man had been      
observed to leave her house some time   
before4 ,the police knew that she was   
visited from time to time by a ,mr4     
,john ,tawell1 from ,berkhampstead1     
where he was much respected1 and on     
inquiring and arriving at ,slough1 they 
found that a person answering his       
description had booked by a slow train  
for ,london1 and entered a first-class  
carriage4 ,the police telegraphed at    
once to ,paddington1 giving the         
particulars1 and desiring his capture4  
',he is in the garb of a ,quaker1' ran  
the message1 'with a brown coat on1     
which reaches nearly to his feet4'      
,there was no ',q' in the alphabet of   
the five-needle instrument1 and the     
clerk at ,slough began to spell the word

 ',quaker' with a 'kwa'2 but when he had
 got so far he was interrupted by the   
clerk at ,paddington1 who asked him to  
'repent4' ,the repetition fared no      
better1 until a boy at ,paddington      
suggested that ,slough should be allowed
 to finish the word4 ',kwaker' was      
understood1 and as soon as ,tawell      
stepped out on the platform at          
,paddington he was 'shadowed' by a      
detective1 who followed him into a ,new 
,road omnibus1 and arrested him in a    
coffee tavern4  ,tawell was tried for   
the murder of the woman1 and astounding 
revelations were made as to his         
character4 ,transported in #ahbj for the
 crime of forgery1 he obtained a        
ticket-of-leave1 and started as a       
chemist in ,sydney1 where he flourished1
 and after fifteen years left it a rich 
man4 ,returning to ,england1 he married 
a ,quaker lady as his second wife4 ,he  
confessed to the murder of ,sarah ,hart1
 by prussic acid1 his motive being a    
dread of their relations becoming known4

  ,tawell was executed1 and the         
notoriety of the case brought the       
telegraph into repute4 ,its advantages  
as a rapid means of conveying           
intelligence and detecting criminals had
 been signally demonstrated1 and it was 
soon adopted on a more extensive scale4 
,in #ahde ,wheatstone introduced two    
improved forms of the apparatus1 namely1
 the 'single' and the 'double' needle   
instruments1 in which the signals were  
made by the successive deflections of   
the needles4 ,of these1 the             
single-needle instrument1 requiring only
 one wire1 is still in use4  ,in #ahda a
 difference arose between ,cooke and    
,wheatstone as to the share of each in  
the honour of inventing the telegraph4  
,the question was submitted to the      
arbitration of the famous engineer1     
,marc ,isambard ,brunel1 on behalf of   
,cooke1 and ,professor ,daniell1 of     
,king's ,college1 the inventor of the   
,daniell battery1 on the part of        
,wheatstone4 ,they awarded to ,cooke the

 credit of having introduced the        
telegraph as a useful undertaking which 
promised to be of national importance1  
and to ,wheatstone that of having by his
 researches prepared the public to      
receive it4 ,they concluded with the    
words3 ',it is to the united labours of 
two gentlemen so well qualified for     
mutual assistance that we must attribute
 the rapid progress which this important
 invention has made during five years   
since they have been associated4' ,the  
decision1 however vague1 pronounces the 
needle telegraph a joint production4 ,if
 it was mainly invented by ,wheatstone1 
it was chiefly introduced by ,cooke4    
,their respective shares in the         
undertaking might be compared to that of
 an author and his publisher1 but for   
the fact that ,cooke himself had a share
 in the actual work of invention4  ,in  
#ahdj ,wheatstone had patented an       
alphabetical telegraph1 or1 ',wheatstone
 ,a ,b ,c instrument1' which moved with 
a step-by-step motion1 and showed the   

letters of the message upon a dial4 ,the
 same principle was utilised in his     
type-printing telegraph1 patented in    
#ahda4 ,this was the first apparatus    
which printed a telegram in type4 ,it   
was worked by two circuits1 and as the  
type revolved a hammer1 actuated by the 
current1 pressed the required letter on 
the paper4 ,in #ahdj ,wheatstone also   
brought out his magneto-electrical      
machine for generating continuous       
currents1 and his chronoscope1 for      
measuring minute intervals of time1     
which was used in determining the speed 
of a bullet or the passage of a star4   
,in this apparatus an electric current  
actuated an electro-magnet1 which noted 
the instant of an occurrence by means of
 a pencil on a moving paper4 ,it is said
 to have been capable of distinguishing 
#a_/gcjj part of a second1 and the time 
a body took to fall from a height of one
 inch4  ,the same year he was awarded   
the ,royal ,medal of the ,royal ,society
 for his explanation of binocular       

vision1 a research which led him to     
construct the stereoscope4 ,he showed   
that our impression of solidity is      
gained by the combination in the mind of
 two separate pictures of an object     
taken by both of our eyes from different
 points of view4 ,thus1 in the          
stereoscope1 an arrangement of lenses   
and mirrors1 two photographs of the same
 object taken from different points are 
so combined as to make the object stand 
out with a solid aspect4 ,sir ,david    
,brewster improved the stereoscope by   
dispensing with the mirrors1 and        
bringing it into its existing form4     
,the 'pseudoscope' 7,wheatstone was     
partial to exotic forms of speech7 was  
introduced by its professor in #ahej1   
and is in some sort the reverse of the  
stereoscope1 since it causes a solid    
object to seem hollow1 and a nearer one 
to be farther off2 thus1 a bust appears 
to be a mask1 and a tree growing outside
 of a window looks as if it were growing
 inside the room4  ,on ,november #bf1   

#ahdj1 he exhibited his electro-magnetic
 clock in the library of the ,royal     
,society1 and propounded a plan for     
distributing the correct time from a    
standard clock to a number of local     
timepieces4 ,the circuits of these were 
to be electrified by a key or           
contact-maker actuated by the arbour of 
the standard1 and their hands corrected 
by electro-magnetism4 ,the following    
,january ,alexander ,bain took out a    
patent for an electro-magnetic clock1   
and he subsequently charged ,wheatstone 
with appropriating his ideas4 ,it       
appears that ,bain worked as a mechanist
 to ,wheatstone from ,august to         
,december1 #ahdj1 and he asserted that  
he had communicated the idea of an      
electric clock to ,wheatstone during    
that period2 but ,wheatstone maintained 
that he had experimented in that        
direction during ,may4 ,bain further    
accused ,wheatstone of stealing his idea
 of the electro-magnetic printing       
telegraph2 but ,wheatstone showed that  

the instrument was only a modification  
of his own electro-magnetic telegraph4  
,in #ahdc ,wheatstone communicated an   
important paper to the ,royal ,society1 
entitled ',an ,account of ,several ,new 
,processes for ,determining the         
,constants of a ,voltaic ,circuit4' ,it 
contained an exposition of the          
well-known balance for measuring the    
electrical resistance of a conductor1   
which still goes by the name of         
,wheatstone's ,bridge or balance1       
although it was first devised by ,mr4   
,s4 ,w4 ,christie1 of the ,royal        
,military ,academy1 ,woolwich1 who      
published it in the ,,philosophical     
,,transactions for #ahcc4 ,the method   
was neglected until ,wheatstone brought 
it into notice4 ,his paper abounds with 
simple and practical formula3 for the   
calculation of currents and resistances 
by the law of ,ohm4 ,he introduced a    
unit of resistance1 namely1 a foot of   
copper wire weighing one hundred grains1
 and showed how it might be applied to  

measure the length of wire by its       
resistance4 ,he was awarded a medal for 
his paper by the ,society4 ,the same    
year he invented an apparatus which     
enabled the reading of a thermometer or 
a barometer to be registered at a       
distance by means of an electric contact
 made by the mercury4 ,a sound          
telegraph1 in which the signals were    
given by the strokes of a bell1 was also
 patented by ,cooke and ,wheatstone in  
,may of that year4  ,the introduction of
 the telegraph had so far advanced that1
 on ,september #b1 #ahde1 the ,electric 
,telegraph ,company was registered1 and 
,wheatstone1 by his deed of partnership 
with ,cooke1 received a sum of ,l#cc1jjj
 for the use of their joint inventions4 
,from #ahcf-g ,wheatstone had thought a 
good deal about submarine telegraphs1   
and in #ahdj he gave evidence before the
 ,railway ,committee of the ,house of   
,commons on the feasibility of the      
proposed line from ,dover to ,calais4   
,he had even designed the machinery for 

making and laying the cable4 ,in the    
autumn of #ahdd1 with the assistance of 
,mr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,llewellyn1 he submerged a 
length of insulated wire in ,swansea    
,bay1 and signalled through it from a   
boat to the ,mumbles ,lighthouse4 ,next 
year he suggested the use of            
gutta-percha for the coating of the     
intended wire across the ,channel4      
,though silent and reserved in public1  
,wheatstone was a clear and voluble     
talker in private1 if taken on his      
favourite studies1 and his small but    
active person1 his plain but intelligent
 countenance1 was full of animation4    
,sir ,henry ,taylor tells us that he    
once observed ,wheatstone at an evening 
party in ,oxford earnestly holding forth
 to ,lord ,palmerston on the            
capabilities of his telegraph4 ',you    
don't say so6' exclaimed the statesman4 
',i must get you to tell that to the    
,lord ,chancellor4' ,and so saying1 he  
fastened the electrician on ,lord       
,westbury1 and effected his escape4 ,a  

reminiscence of this interview may have 
prompted ,palmerston to remark that a   
time was coming when a minister might be
 asked in ,parliament if war had broken 
out in ,india1 and would reply1 ',wait a
 minute2 ,i'll just telegraph to the    
,governor-,general1 and let you know4'  
,at ,christchurch1 ,marylebone1 on      
,february #ab1 #ahdg1 ,wheatstone was   
married4 ,his wife was the daughter of a
 ,taunton tradesman1 and of handsome    
appearance4 ,she died in #ahff1 leaving 
a family of five young children to his  
care4 ,his domestic life was quiet and  
uneventful4  ,one of ,wheatstone's most 
ingenious devices was the ',polar       
clock1' exhibited at the meeting of the 
,british ,association in #ahdh4 ,it is  
based on the fact discovered by ,sir    
,david ,brewster1 that the light of the 
sky is polarised in a plane at an angle 
of ninety degrees from the position of  
the sun4 ,it follows that by discovering
 that plane of polarisation1 and        
measuring its azimuth with respect to   

the north1 the position of the sun1     
although beneath the horizon1 could be  
determined1 and the apparent solar time 
obtained4 ,the clock consisted of a     
spy-glass1 having a nichol or           
double-image prism for an eye-piece1 and
 a thin plate of selenite for an        
object-glass4 ,when the tube was        
directed to the ,north ,pole--that is1  
parallel to the earth's axis--and the   
prism of the eye-piece turned until no  
colour was seen1 the angle of turning1  
as shown by an index moving with the    
prism over a graduated limb1 gave the   
hour of day4 ,the device is of little   
service in a country where watches are  
reliable2 but it formed part of the     
equipment of the ,north ,polar          
expedition commanded by ,captain ,nares4
 ,wheatstone's remarkable ingenuity was 
displayed in the invention of cyphers   
which have never been unravelled1 and   
interpreting cypher manuscripts in the  
,british ,museum which had defied the   
experts4 ,he devised a cryptograph or   

machine for turning a message into      
cypher which could only be interpreted  
by putting the cypher into a            
corresponding machine adjusted to       
reproduce it4  ,the rapid development of
 the telegraph in ,europe may be        
gathered from the fact that in #ahee1   
the death of the ,emperor ,nicholas at  
,st4 ,petersburg1 about one o'clock in  
the afternoon1 was announced in the     
,house of ,lords a few hours later2 and 
as a striking proof of its further      
progress1 it may be mentioned that the  
result of the ,oaks of #ahij was        
received in ,new ,york fifteen seconds  
after the horses passed the             
winning-post4  ,wheatstone's next great 
invention was the automatic transmitter1
 in which the signals of the message are
 first punched out on a strip of paper1 
which is then passed through the        
sending-key1 and controls the signal    
currents4 ,by substituting a mechanism  
for the hand in sending the message1 he 
was able to telegraph about #ajj words a

 minute1 or five times the ordinary     
rate4 ,in the ,postal ,telegraph service
 this apparatus is employed for sending 
,press telegrams1 and it has recently   
been so much improved1 that messages are
 now sent from ,london to ,bristol at a 
speed of #fjj words a minute1 and even  
of #djj words a minute between ,london  
and ,aberdeen4 ,on the night of ,april  
#h1 #ahhf1 when ,mr4 ,gladstone         
introduced his ,bill for ,home ,rule in 
,ireland1 no fewer than #a1ejj1jjj words
 were despatched from the central       
station at ,st4 ,martin's-le-,grand by  
#ajj ,wheatstone transmitters4 ,were    
,mr4 ,gladstone himself to speak for a  
whole week1 night and day1 and with his 
usual facility1 he could hardly surpass 
this achievement4 ,the plan of sending  
messages by a running strip of paper    
which actuates the key was originally   
patented by ,bain in #ahdf2 but         
,wheatstone1 aided by ,mr4 ,augustus    
,stroh1 an accomplished mechanician1 and
 an able experimenter1 was the first to 

bring the idea into successful          
operation4  ,in #ahei ,wheatstone was   
appointed by the ,board of ,trade to    
report on the subject of the ,atlantic  
cables1 and in #ahfd he was one of the  
experts who advised the ,atlantic       
,telegraph ,company on the construction 
of the successful lines of #ahfe and    
#ahff4 ,on ,february #d1 #ahfg1 he      
published the principle of reaction in  
the dynamo-electric machine by a paper  
to the ,royal ,society2 but ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4
 ,siemens had communicated the identical
 discovery ten days earlier1 and both   
papers were read on the same day4 ,it   
afterwards appeared that ,herr ,werner  
,siemens1 ,mr4 ,samuel ,alfred ,varley1 
and ,professor ,wheatstone had          
independently arrived at the principle  
within a few months of each other4      
,varley patented it on ,december #bd1   
#ahff2 ,siemens called attention to it  
on ,january #ag1 #ahfg2 and ,wheatstone 
exhibited it in action at the ,royal    
,society on the above date4 ,but it will

 be seen from our life of ,william      
,siemens that ,soren ,hjorth1 a ,danish 
inventor1 had forestalled them4  ,in    
#ahgj the electric telegraph lines of   
the ,united ,kingdom1 worked by         
different companies1 were transferred to
 the ,post ,office1 and placed under    
,government control4  ,wheatstone was   
knighted in #ahfh1 after his completion 
of the automatic telegraph4 ,he had     
previously been made a ,chevalier of the
 ,legion of ,honour4 ,some thirty-four  
distinctions and diplomas of home or    
foreign societies bore witness to his   
scientific reputation4 ,since #ahcf he  
had been a ,fellow of the ,royal        
,society1 and in #ahgc he was appointed 
a ,foreign ,associate of the ,french    
,academy of ,sciences4 ,the same year he
 was awarded the ,ampere ,medal by the  
,french ,society for the ,encouragement 
of ,national ,industry4 ,in #ahge he was
 created an honorary member of the      
,institution of ,civil ,engineers4 ,he  
was a ,d4,c4,l4 of ,oxford and an       

,,ll4,d4 of ,cambridge4  ,while on a    
visit to ,paris during the autumn of    
#ahge1 and engaged in perfecting his    
receiving instrument for submarine      
cables1 he caught a cold1 which produced
 inflammation of the lungs1 an illness  
from which he died in ,paris1 on        
,october #ai1 #ahge4 ,a memorial service
 was held in the ,anglican ,chapel1     
,paris1 and attended by a deputation of 
the ,academy4 ,his remains were taken to
 his home in ,park ,crescent1 ,london1  
and buried in ,kensal ,green4           
,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,samuel ,,morse4      
,cooke and ,wheatstone were the first to
 introduce a public telegraph worked by 
electro-magnetism2 but it had the       
disadvantage of not marking down the    
message4 ,there was still room for an   
instrument which would leave a permanent
 record that might be read at leisure1  
and this was the invention of ,samuel   
,finley ,breeze ,morse4 ,he was born at 
the foot of ,breed's ,hill1 in          
,charlestown1 ,massachusetts1 on the    

#bgth of ,april1 #agia4 ,the place was a
 little over a mile from where ,benjamin
 ,franklin was born1 and the date was a 
little over a year after he died4 ,his  
family was of ,british origin4 ,anthony 
,morse1 of ,marlborough1 in ,wiltshire1 
had emigrated to ,america in #afce1 and 
settled in ,newbury1 ,massachusetts1 ,he
 and his descendants prospered4 ,the    
grandfather of ,morse was a member of   
the ,colonial and ,state ,legislatures1 
and his father1 ,jedediah ,morse1       
,d4,d41 was a well-known divine of his  
day1 and the author of ,morse's         
,,american ,,geography1 as well as a    
compiler of a ,,universal ,,gazetteer4  
,his mother was ,elizabeth ,ann ,breeze1
 apparently of ,welsh extraction1 and   
the grand-daughter of ,samuel ,finley1 a
 distinguished ,president of the        
,princeton ,college4 ,jedediah ,morse is
 reputed a man of talent1 industry1 and 
vigour1 with high aims for the good of  
his fellow-men1 ingenious to conceive1  
resolute in action1 and sanguine of     

success4 ,his wife is described as a    
woman of calm1 reflective mind1 animated
 conversation1 and engaging manners4    
,they had two other sons besides        
,samuel1 the second of whom1 ,sidney ,e4
 ,morse1 was founder of the ,new ,york  
,,observer1 an able mathematician1      
author of the ,,art ,,of ,,cerography1  
or engraving upon wax1 to stereotype    
from1 and inventor of a barometer for   
sounding the deep-sea4 ,sidney was the  
trusted friend and companion of his     
elder brother4  ,at the age of four     
,samuel was sent to an infant school    
kept by an old lady1 who being lame1 was
 unable to leave her chair1 but carried 
her authority to the remotest parts of  
her dominion by the help of a long      
rattan4 ,samuel1 like the rest1 had felt
 the sudden apparition of this monitor4 
,having scratched a portrait of the dame
 upon a chest of drawers with the point 
of a pin1 he was called out and         
summarily punished4 ,years later1 when  
he became notable1 the drawers were     

treasured by one of his admirers4  ,he  
entered a preparatory school at         
,andover1 ,mass41 when he was seven     
years old1 and showed himself an eager  
pupil4 ,among other books1 he was       
delighted with ,plutarch's ,,lives1 and 
at thirteen he composed a biography of  
,demosthenes1 long preserved by his     
family4 ,a year later he entered ,yale  
,college as a freshman4  ,during his    
curriculum he attended the lectures of  
,professor ,jeremiah ,day on natural    
philosophy and ,professor ,benjamin     
,sieliman on chemistry1 and it was then 
he imbibed his earliest knowledge of    
electricity4 ,in #ahji-aj ,dr4 ,day was 
teaching from ,enfield's text-book on   
philosophy1 that 'if the 7electric7     
circuit be interrupted1 the fluid will  
become visible1 and when3 it passes it  
will leave an impression upon any       
intermediate body1' and he illustrated  
this by sending the spark through a     
metal chain1 so that it became visible  
between the links1 and by causing it to 

perforate paper4 ,morse afterwards      
declared this experiment to have been   
the seed which rooted in his mind and   
grew into the 'invention of the         
telegraph4'  ,it is not evident that    
,morse had any distinct idea of the     
electric telegraph in these days2 but   
amidst his lessons in literature and    
philosophy he took a special interest in
 the sciences of electricity and        
chemistry4 ,he became acquainted with   
the voltaic battery through the lectures
 of his friend1 ,professor ,sieliman2   
and we are told that during one of his  
vacations at ,yale he made a series of  
electrical experiments with ,dr4        
,dwight4 ,some years later he resumed   
these studies under his friend          
,professor ,james ,freeman ,dana1 of the
 ,university of ,new ,york1 who         
exhibited the electro-magnet to his     
class in #ahbg1 and also under          
,professor ,renwick1 of ,columbia       
,college4  ,art seems to have had an    
equal if not a greater charm than       

science for ,morse at this period4 ,a   
boy of fifteen1 he made a water-colour  
sketch of his family sitting round the  
table2 and while a student at ,yale he  
relieved his father1 who was far from   
rich1 of a part of his education by     
painting miniatures on ivory1 and       
selling them to his companions at five  
dollars a-piece4 ,before he was nineteen
 he completed a painting of the         
',landing of the ,pilgrims at           
,plymouth1' which formerly hung in the  
office of the ,mayor1 at ,charlestown1  
,massachusetts4  ,on graduating at      
,yale1 in #ahaj1 he devoted himself to  
,art1 and became a pupil of ,washington 
,allston1 the well-known ,american      
painter4 ,he accompanied ,allston to    
,europe in #ahaa1 and entered the studio
 of ,benjamin ,west1 who was then at the
 zenith of his reputation4 ,the         
friendship of ,west1 with his own       
introductions and agreeable personality1
 enabled him to move in good society1 to
 which he was always partial4 ,william  

,wilberforce1 ,zachary ,macaulay1 father
 of the historian1 ,coleridge1 and      
,copley1 were among his acquaintances4  
,leslie1 the artist1 then a struggling  
genius like himself1 was his            
fellow-lodger4 ,his heart was evidently 
in the profession of his choice4 ',my   
passion for my art1' he wrote to his    
mother1 in #ahab1 'is so firmly rooted  
that ,i am confident no human power     
could destroy it4 ,the more ,i study the
 greater ,i think is its claim to the   
appellation of divine4 ,i am now going  
to begin a picture of the death of      
,hercules the figure to be as large as  
life4'  ,after he had perfected this    
work to his own eyes1 he showed it1 with
 not a little pride1 to ,mr4 ,west1 who 
after scanning it awhile said1 ',very   
good1 very good4 ,go on and finish it4' 
,morse ventured to say that it was      
finished4 ',no6 no6 no6' answered ,west2
 'see there1 and there1 and there4      
,there is much to be done yet4 ,go on   
and finish it4' ,each time the pupil    

showed it the master said1 ',go on and  
finish it4' ,,the ,,telegraph ,,in      
,,america1 by ,james ,d4 ,reid ,this was
 a lesson in thoroughness of work and   
attention to detail which was not lost  
on the student4 ,the picture was        
exhibited at the ,royal ,academy1 in    
,somerset ,house1 during the summer of  
#ahac1 and ,west declared that if ,morse
 were to live to his own age he would   
never make a better composition4 ,the   
remark is equivocal1 but was doubtless  
intended as a compliment to the         
precocity of the young painter4  ,in    
order to be correct in the anatomy he   
had first modelled the figure of his    
,hercules in clay1 and this cast1 by the
 advice of ,west1 was entered in        
competition for a prize in sculpture    
given by the ,society of ,arts4 ,it     
proved successful1 and on ,may #ac the  
sculptor was presented with the prize   
and a gold medal by the ,duke of        
,norfolk before a distinguished         
gathering in the ,adelphi4  ,flushed    

with his triumph1 ,morse determined to  
compete for the prize of fifty guineas  
and a gold medal offered by the ,royal  
,academy for the best historical        
painting1 and took for his subject1     
',the ,judgment of ,jupiter in the case 
of ,apollo1 ,marpessa1 and ,idas4' ,the 
work was finished to the satisfaction of
 ,west1 but the painter was summoned    
home4 ,he was still1 in part at least1  
depending on his father1 and had been   
abroad a year longer than the three at  
first intended4 ,during this time he had
 been obliged to pinch himself in a     
thousand ways in order to eke out his   
modest allowance4 ',my drink is water1  
porter being too expensive1' he wrote to
 his parents4 ',i have had no new       
clothes for nearly a year4 ,my best are 
threadbare1 and my shoes are out at the 
toes4 ,my stockings all want to see my  
mother1 and my hat is hoary with age4'  
,mr4 ,west recommended him to stay1     
since the rules of the competition      
required the winner to receive the prize

 in person4 ,but after trying in vain to
 get this regulation waived1 he left for
 ,america with his picture1 having1 a   
few days prior to his departure1 dined  
with ,mr4 ,wilberforce as the guns of   
,hyde ,park were signalling the victory 
of ,waterloo4  ,arriving in ,boston on  
,october #ah1 he lost no time in renting
 a studio4 ,his fame had preceded him1  
and he became the lion of society4 ,his 
',judgment of ,jupiter' was exhibited in
 the town1 and people flocked to see it4
 ,but no one offered to buy it4 ,if the 
line of high art he had chosen had not  
supported him in ,england1 it was       
tantamount to starvation in the rawer   
atmosphere of ,america4 ,even in        
,boston1 mellowed though it was by      
culture1 the classical was at a         
discount4 ,almost penniless1 and        
fretting under his disappointment1 he   
went to ,concord1 ,new ,hampshire1 and  
contrived to earn a living by painting  
cabinet portraits4 ,was this the end of 
his ambitious dreams8  ,money was       

needful to extricate him from this      
drudgery and let him follow up his      
aspirations4 ,love may have been a still
 stronger motive for its acquisition4   
,so he tried his hand at invention1 and1
 in conjunction with his brother        
,sidney1 produced what was playfully    
described as ',morse's ,patent ,metallic
 ,double-,headed ,ocean-,drinker and    
,deluge-,spouter ,pump-,box4' ,the pump 
was quite as much admired as the        
',jupiter1' and it proved as great a    
failure4  ,succeeding as a portrait     
painter1 he went1 in #ahah1 on the      
invitation of his uncle1 ,dr4 ,finley1  
to ,charleston1 in ,south ,carolina1 and
 opened a studio there4 ,after a single 
season he found himself in a position to
 marry1 and on ,october #a1 #ahah1 was  
united to ,lucretia ,p4 ,walker1 of     
,concord1 ,new ,hampshire1 a beautiful  
and accomplished lady4 ,he thrived so   
well in the south that he once received 
as many as one hundred and fifty orders 
in a few weeks2 and his reputation was  

such that he was honoured with a        
commission from the ,common ,council of 
,charleston to execute a portrait of    
,james ,monroe1 then ,president of the  
,united ,states4 ,it was regarded as a  
masterpiece4 ,in ,january1 #ahba1 he    
instituted the ,south ,carolina ,academy
 of ,fine ,arts1 which is now extinct4  
,after four years of life in ,charleston
 he returned to the north with savings  
to the amount of ,l#fjj1 and settled in 
,new ,york4 ,he devoted eighteen months 
to the execution of a large painting of 
the ,house of ,representatives in the   
,capitol at ,washington2 but its        
exhibition proved a loss1 and in helping
 his brothers to pay his father's debts 
the remains of his little fortune were  
swept away4 ,he stood next to ,allston  
as an ,american historical painter1 but 
all his productions in that line proved 
a disappointment4 ,the public would not 
buy them4 ,on the other hand1 he        
received an order from the ,corporation 
of ,new ,york for a portrait of ,general

 ,lafayette1 the hero of the hour4      
,while engaged on this work he lost his 
wife in ,february1 #ahbe1 and then his  
parents4 ,in #ahbi he visited ,europe1  
and spent his time among the artists and
 art galleries of ,england1 ,france1 and
 ,italy4 ,in ,paris he undertook a      
picture of the interior of the ,louvre1 
showing some of the masterpieces in     
miniature1 but it seems that nobody     
purchased it4 ,he expected to be chosen 
to illustrate one of the vacant panels  
in the ,rotunda of the ,capitol at      
,washington2 but in this too he was     
mistaken4 ,however1 some fellow-artists 
in ,america1 thinking he had deserved   
the honour1 collected a sum of money to 
assist him in painting the composition  
he had fixed upon3 ',the ,signing of the
 ,first ,compact on ,board the          
,mayflower4'  ,in a far from hopeful    
mood after his three years' residence   
abroad he embarked on the packet ,sully1
 ,captain ,pell1 and sailed from ,havre 
for ,new ,york on ,october #a1 #ahcb4   

,among the passengers was ,dr4 ,charles 
,t4 ,jackson1 of ,boston1 who had       
attended some lectures on electricity in
 ,paris1 and carried an electro-magnet  
in his trunk4 ,one day while ,morse and 
,dr4 ,jackson1 with a few more1 sat     
round the luncheon table in the cabin1  
he began to talk of the experiments he  
had witnessed4 ,some one asked if the   
speed of the electricity was lessened by
 its passage through a long wire1 and   
,dr4 ,jackson1 referring to a trial of  
,faraday1 replied that the current was  
apparently instantaneous4 ,morse1 who   
probably remembered his old lessons in  
the subject1 now remarked that if the   
presence of the electricity could be    
rendered visible at any point of the    
circuit he saw no reason why            
intelligence might not be sent by this  
means4  ,the idea became rooted in his  
mind1 and engrossed his thoughts4 ,until
 far into the night he paced the deck   
discussing the matter with ,dr4         
,jackson1 and pondering it in solitude4 

,ways of rendering the electricity      
sensible at the far end of the line were
 considered4 ,the spark might pierce a  
band of travelling paper1 as ,professor 
,day had mentioned years before2 it     
might decompose a chemical solution1 and
 leave a stain to mark its passage1 as  
tried by ,mr4 ,dyar in #ahbg2 ,or it    
could excite an electro-magnet1 which1  
by attracting a piece of soft iron1     
would inscribe the passage with a pen or
 pencil4 ,the signals could be made by  
very short currents or jets of          
electricity1 according to a settled     
code4 ,thus a certain number of jets    
could represent a corresponding numeral1
 and the numeral would1 in its turn1    
represent a word in the language4 ,to   
decipher the message1 a special         
code-book or dictionary would be        
required4 ,in order to transmit the     
currents through the line1 he devised a 
mechanical sender1 in which the circuit 
would be interrupted by a series of     
types carried on a port-rule or         

composing-stick1 which travelled at a   
uniform speed4 ,each type would have a  
certain number of teeth or projections  
on its upper face1 and as it was passed 
through a gap in the circuit the teeth  
would make or break the current4 ,at the
 other end of the line the currents thus
 transmitted would excite the           
electro-magnet1 actuate the pencil1 and 
draw a zig-zag line on the paper1 every 
angle being a distinct signal1 and the  
groups of signals representing a word in
 the code4  ,during the voyage of six   
weeks the artist jotted his crude ideas 
in his sketch-book1 which afterwards    
became a testimony to their date4 ,that 
he cherished hopes of his invention may 
be gathered from his words on landing1  
',well1 ,captain ,pell1 should you ever 
hear of the telegraph one of these days 
as the wonder of the world1 remember the
 discovery was made on the good ship    
,sully4'  ,soon after his return his    
brothers gave him a room on the fifth   
floor of a house at the corner of       

,nassau and ,beekman ,streets1 ,new     
,york4 ,for a long time it was his      
studio and kitchen1 his laboratory and  
bedroom4 ,with his livelihood to earn by
 his brush1 and his invention to work   
out1 ,morse was now fully occupied4 ,his
 diet was simple2 he denied himself the 
pleasures of society1 and employed his  
leisure in making models of his types4  
,the studio was an image of his mind at 
this epoch4 ,rejected pictures looked   
down upon his clumsy apparatus1         
type-moulds lay among plaster-casts1 the
 paint-pot jostled the galvanic battery1
 and the easel shared his attention with
 the lathe4 ,by degrees the telegraph   
allured him from the canvas1 and he only
 painted enough to keep the wolf from   
the door4 ,his national picture1 ',the  
,signing of the ,first ,compact on      
,board the ,mayflower1' was never       
finished1 and the #cjj dollars which had
 been subscribed for it were finally    
returned with interest4  ,for ,morse by 
nature was proud and independent1 with a

 sensitive horror of incurring debt4 ,he
 would rather endure privation than     
solicit help or lie under a humiliating 
obligation4 ,his mother seems to have   
been animated with a like spirit1 for   
the ,hon4 ,amos ,kendall informs us that
 she had suffered much through the      
kindness of her husband in becoming     
surety for his friends1 and that when   
she was dying she exacted a promise from
 her son that he would never endanger   
his peace of mind and the comfort of his
 home by doing likewise4  ,during the   
two and a half years from ,november1    
#ahcb1 to the summer of #ahce he was    
obliged to change his residence three   
times1 and want of money prevented him  
from combining the several parts of his 
invention into a working whole4 ,in     
#ahce1 however1 his reputation as an    
historical painter1 and the esteem in   
which he was held as a man of culture   
and refinement1 led to his appointment  
as the first ,professor of the          
,literature of the ,arts of ,design in  

the newly founded ,university of the    
city of ,new ,york4 ,in the month of    
,july he took up his quarters in the new
 buildings of the ,university at        
,washington ,square1 and was henceforth 
able to devote more time to his         
apparatus4 ,the same year ,professor    
,daniell1 of ,king's ,college1 ,london1 
brought out his constant-current        
battery1 which befriended ,morse in his 
experiments1 as it afterwards did ,cooke
 and ,wheatstone1 ,hitherto the voltaic 
battery had been a source of trouble1   
owing to the current becoming weak as   
the battery was kept in action4  ,the   
length of line through which ,morse     
could work his apparatus was an         
important point to be determined1 for it
 was known that the current grows       
feebler in proportion to the resistance 
of the wire it traverses4 ,morse saw a  
way out of the difficulty1 as ,davy1    
,cooke1 and ,wheatstone did1 by the     
device known as the relay4 ,were the    
current too weak to effect the marking  

of a message1 it might nevertheless be  
sufficiently strong to open and close   
the circuit of a local battery which    
would print the signals4 ,such relays   
and local batteries1 fixed at intervals 
along the line1 as post-horses on a     
turnpike1 would convey the message to an
 immense distance4 ',if ,i can succeed  
in working a magnet ten miles1' said    
,morse1',i can go round the globe4 ,it  
matters not how delicate the movement   
may be4'  ,according to his own         
statement1 he devised the relay in #ahcf
 or earlier2 but it was not until the   
beginning of #ahcg that he explained the
 device1 and showed the working of his  
apparatus to his friend1 ,mr4 ,leonard  
,d4 ,gale1 ,professor of ,chemistry in  
the ,university4 ,this gentleman took a 
lively interest in the apparatus1 and   
proved a generous ally of the inventor4 
,until then ,morse had only tried his   
recorder on a few yards of wire1 the    
battery was a single pair of plates1 and
 the electro-magnet was of the          

elementary sort employed by ,moll1 and  
illustrated in the older books4 ,the    
artist1 indeed1 was very ignorant of    
what had been done by other             
electricians2 and ,professor ,gale was  
able to enlighten him4 ,when ,gale      
acquainted him with some results in     
telegraphing obtained by ,mr4 ,barlow1  
he said he was not aware that anyone had
 even conceived the notion of using the 
magnet for such a purpose4 ,the         
researches of ,professor ,joseph ,henry 
on the electro-magnet1 in #ahcj1 were   
equally unknown to ,morse1 until        
,professor ,gale drew his attention to  
them1 and in accordance with the        
results1 suggested that the simple      
electro-magnet1 with a few turns of     
thick wire which he employed1 should be 
replaced by one having a coil of long   
thin wire4 ,by this change a much       
feebler current would be able to excite 
the magnet1 and the recorder would mark 
through a greater length of line4 ,henry
 himself1 in #ahcb1 had devised a       

telegraph similar to that of ,morse1 and
 signalled through a mile of wire1 by   
causing the armature of his             
electro-magnet to strike a bell4 ,this  
was virtually the first electro-magnetic
 acoustic telegraph4,,american ,,journal
 ,,of ,,science4  ,the year of the      
telegraph--#ahcg--was an important one  
for ,morse1 as it was for ,cooke and    
,wheatstone4 ,in the privacy of his     
rooms he had constructed1 with his own  
hands1 a model of his apparatus1 and    
fortune began to favour him4 ,thanks to 
,professor ,gale1 he improved the       
electro-magnet1 employed a more powerful
 battery1 and was thus able to work     
through a much longer line4 ,in         
,february1 #ahcg1 the ,american ,house  
of ,representatives passed a resolution 
asking the ,secretary of the ,treasury  
to report on the propriety of           
establishing a system of telegraphs for 
the ,united ,states1 and on ,march #aj  
issued a circular of inquiry1 which fell
 into the hands of the inventor1 and    

probably urged him to complete his      
apparatus1 and bring it under the notice
 of the ,government4 ,lack of mechanical
 skill1 ignorance of electrical science1
 as well as want of money1 had so far   
kept it back4  ,but the friend in need  
whom he required was nearer than he     
anticipated4 ,on ,saturday1 ,september  
#b1 #ahcg1 while ,morse was exhibiting  
the model to ,professor ,daubeny1 of    
,oxford1 then visiting the ,states1 and 
others1 a young man named ,alfred ,vail 
became one of the spectators1 and was   
deeply impressed with the results4 ,vail
 was born in #ahjg1 a son of ,judge     
,stephen ,vail1 master of the ,speedwell
 ironworks at ,morristown1 ,new ,jersey4
 ,after leaving the village school his  
father took him and his brother ,george 
into the works2 but though ,alfred      
inherited a mechanical turn of mind1 he 
longed for a higher sphere1 and on      
attaining to his majority he resolved to
 enter the ,presbyterian ,church4 ,in   
#ahcb he went to the ,university of the 

city of ,new ,york1 where he graduated  
in ,october1 #ahcf4 ,near the close of  
the term1 however1 his health failed1   
and he was constrained to relinquish his
 clerical aims4 ,while in doubts as to  
his future he chanced to see the        
telegraph1 and that decided him4 ,he    
says3 ',i accidentally and without      
invitation called upon ,professor ,morse
 at the ,university1 and found him with 
,professors ,torrey and ,daubeny in the 
mineralogical cabinet and lecture-room  
of ,professor ,gale1 where ,professor   
,morse was exhibiting to these gentlemen
 an apparatus which he called his       
,electro-,magnetic ,telegraph4 ,there   
were wires suspended in the room running
 from one end of it to the other1 and   
returning many times1 making a length of
 seventeen hundred feet4 ,the two ends  
of the wire were connected with an      
electro-magnet fastened to a vertical   
wooden frame4 ,in front of the magnet   
was its armature1 and also a wooden     
lever or arm fitted at its extremity to 

hold a lead-pencil4444 ,i saw this      
instrument work1 and became thoroughly  
acquainted with the principle of its    
operation1 and1 ,i may say1 struck with 
the rude machine1 containing1 as ,i     
believed1 the germ of what was destined 
to produce great changes in the         
conditions and relations of mankind4 ,i 
well recollect the impression which was 
then made upon my mind4 ,i rejoiced to  
think that ,i lived in such a day1 and  
my mind contemplated the future in which
 so grand and mighty an agent was about 
to be introduced for the benefit of the 
world4 ,before leaving the room in which
 ,i beheld for the first time this      
magnificent invention1 ,i asked         
,professor ,morse if he intended to make
 an experiment on a more extended line  
of conductors4 ,he replied that he did1 
but that he desired pecuniary assistance
 to carry out his plans4 ,i promised him
 assistance provided he would admit me  
into a share of the invention1 to which 
proposition he assented4 ,i then        

returned to my boarding-house1 locked   
the door of my room1 threw myself upon  
the bed1 and gave myself up to          
reflection upon the mighty results which
 were certain to follow the introduction
 of this new agent in meeting and       
serving the wants of the world4 ,with   
the atlas in my hand ,i traced the most 
important lines which would most        
certainly be erected in the ,united     
,states1 and calculated their length4   
,the question then rose in my mind1     
whether the electro-magnet could be made
 to work through the necessary lengths  
of line1 and after much reflection ,i   
came to the conclusion that1 provided   
the magnet would work even at a distance
 of eight or ten miles1 there could be  
no risk in embarking in the enterprise4 
,and upon this ,i decided in my own mind
 to ,,sink ,,or ,,swim ,,with ,,it4'    
,young ,vail applied to his father1 who 
was a man of enterprise and             
intelligence4 ,he it was who forged the 
shaft of the ,savannah1 the first       

steamship which crossed the ,atlantic4  
,morse was invited to ,speedwell with   
his apparatus1 that the judge might see 
it for himself1 and the question of a   
partnership was mooted4 ,two thousand   
dollars were required to procure the    
patents and construct an instrument to  
bring before the ,congress4 ,in spite of
 a financial depression1 the judge was  
brave enough to lend his assistance1 and
 on ,september #bc1 #ahcg1 an agreement 
was signed between the inventor and     
,alfred ,vail1 by which the latter was  
to construct1 at his own expense1 a     
model for exhibition to a ,committee of 
,congress1 and to secure the necessary  
patents for the ,united ,states4 ,in    
return ,vail was to receive one-fourth  
of the patent rights in that country4   
,provision was made also to give ,vail  
an interest in any foreign patents he   
might furnish means to obtain4 ,the     
,american patent was obtained by ,morse 
on ,october #c1 #ahcg4 ,he had returned 
to ,new ,york1 and was engaged in the   

preparation of his dictionary4  ,for    
many months ,alfred ,vail worked in a   
secret room at the iron factory making  
the new model1 his only assistant being 
an apprentice of fifteen1 ,william      
,baxter1 who subsequently designed the  
,baxter engine1 and died in #ahhe4 ,when
 the workshop was rebuilt this room was 
preserved as a memorial of the          
telegraph1 for it was here that the true
 ,morse instrument1 such as we know it1 
was constructed4  ,it must be remembered
 that in those days almost everything   
they wanted had either to be made by    
themselves or appropriated to their     
purpose4 ,their first battery was set up
 in a box of cherry-wood1 parted into   
cells1 and lined with bees-wax2 their   
insulated wire was that used by         
milliners for giving outline to the     
'sky-scraper' bonnets of that day4 ,the 
first machine made at ,speedwell was a  
copy of that devised by ,morse1 but as  
,vail grew more intimate with the       
subject his own ingenuity came into     

play1 and he soon improved on the       
original4 ,the pencil was discarded for 
a fountain pen1 and the zig-zag signals 
for the short and long lines now termed 
'dots' and 'dashes4'  ,this important   
alteration led him to the ',morse       
alphabet1' or code of signals1 by which 
a letter is transmitted as a group of   
short and long jets1 indicated as 'dots'
 and 'dashes' on the paper4 ,thus the   
letter ,e1 which is so common in        
,english words1 is now transmitted by a 
short jet which makes a dot2 ,t1 another
 common letter1 by a long jet1 making a 
dash2 and ,q1 a rare letter1 by the     
group dash1 dash1 dot1 dash4 ,vail tried
 to compute the relative frequency of   
all the letters in order to arrange his 
alphabet2 but a happy idea enabled him  
to save his time4 ,he went to the office
 of the local newspaper1 and found the  
result he wanted in the type-cases of   
the compositors4 ,the ,morse1 or rather 
,vail code1 is at present the universal 
telegraphic code of symbols1 and its use

 is extending to other modes of         
signalling-for example1 by flags1       
lights1 or trumpets4  ,the hard-fisted  
farmers of ,new ,jersey1 like many more 
at that date1 had no faith in the       
'telegraph machine1' and openly declared
 that the judge had been a fool for once
 to put his money in it4 ,the judge1 on 
his part1 wearied with the delay1 and   
irritated by the sarcasm of his         
neighbours1 grew dispirited and moody4  
,alfred1 and ,morse1 who had come to    
assist1 were careful to avoid meeting   
him4 ,at length1 on ,january #f1 #ahch1 
,alfred told the apprentice to go up to 
the house and invite his father to come 
down to see the telegraph at work4 ,it  
was a cold day1 but the boy was so eager
 that he ran off without putting on his 
coat4 ,in the sitting-room he found the 
judge with his hat on as if about to go 
out1 but seated before the fire leaning 
his head on his hand1 and absorbed in   
gloomy reflection4 ',well1 ,william8' he
 said1 looking up1 as the boy entered2  

and when the message was delivered he   
started to his feet4 ,in a few minutes  
he was standing in the                  
experimental-room1 and the apparatus was
 explained4 ,calling for a piece of     
paper he wrote upon it the words1 ',a   
,,patient ,,waiter ,,is ,,no ,,loser1'  
and handed it to ,alfred1 with the      
remark1 ',if you can send this1 and ,mr4
 ,morse can read it at the other end1 ,i
 shall be convinced4' ,the message was  
transmitted1 and for a moment the judge 
was fairly mastered by his feelings4    
,the apparatus was then exhibited in    
,new ,york1 in ,philadelphia1 and       
subsequently before the ,committee of   
,congress at ,washington4 ,at first the 
members of this body were somewhat      
incredulous about the merits of the     
uncouth machine2 but the ,chairman1 the 
,hon4 ,francis ,o4 ,j4 ,smith1 of       
,maine1 took an interest in it1 and     
secured a full attendance of the others 
to see it tried through ten miles of    
wire one day in ,february4 ,the         

demonstration convinced them1 and many  
were the expressions of amazement from  
their lips4 ,some said1 ',the world is  
coming to an end1' as people will when  
it is really budding1 and putting forth 
symptoms of a larger life4 ,others      
exclaimed1 ',where will improvements and
 discoveries stop8' and ',what would    
,jefferson think should he rise up and  
witness what we have just seen8' ,one   
gentleman declared that1 ',time and     
space are now annihilated4'  ,the       
practical outcome of the trial was that 
the ,chairman reported a ,bill          
appropriating #cj1jjj dollars for the   
erection of an experimental line between
 ,washington and ,baltimore4 ,mr4 ,smith
 was admitted to a fourth share in the  
invention1 and resigned his seat in     
,congress to become legal adviser to the
 inventors4 ,claimants to the invention 
of the telegraph now began to spring up1
 and it was deemed advisable for ,mr4   
,smith and ,morse to proceed to ,europe 
and secure the foreign patents4 ,alfred 

,vail undertook to provide an instrument
 for exhibition in ,europe4  ,among     
these claimants was ,dr4 ,jackson1      
chemist and geologist1 of ,boston1 who  
had been instrumental in evoking the    
idea of the telegraph in the mind of    
,morse on board the ,sully4 ,in a letter
 to the ,,new ,,york ,,observer he went 
further than this1 and claimed to be a  
joint inventor2 but ,morse indignantly  
repudiated the suggestion4 ,he declared 
that his instrument was not mentioned   
either by him or ,dr4 ,jackson at the   
time1 and that they had made no         
experiments together4 ',it is to        
,professor ,gale that ,i am most of all 
indebted for substantial and effective  
aid in many of my experiments1' he said2
 'but he prefers no claim of any kind4' 
,morse and ,smith arrived in ,london    
during the month of ,june4 ,application 
was immediately made for a ,british     
patent1 but ,cooke and ,wheatstone and  
,edward ,davy1 it seems1 opposed it2 and
 although ,morse demonstrated that his  

was different from theirs1 the patent   
was refused1 owing to a prior           
publication in the ,london ,,mechanics' 
,,magazine for ,february #ah1 #ahch1 in 
the form of an article quoted from      
,silliman's ,,american ,,journal ,,of   
,,science for ,october1 #ahcg4 ,morse   
did not attempt to get this legal       
disqualification set aside4 ,in ,france 
he was equally unfortunate4 ,his        
instrument was exhibited by ,arago at a 
meeting of the ,institute1 and praised  
by ,humboldt and ,gay-,lussac2 but the  
,french patent law requires the         
invention to be at work in ,france      
within two years1 and when ,morse       
arranged to erect a telegraph line on   
the ,st4 ,germain ,railway1 the         
,government declined to sanction it1 on 
the plea that the telegraph must become 
a ,state monopoly4  ,all his efforts to 
introduce the invention into ,europe    
were futile1 and he returned            
disheartened to the ,united ,states on  
,april #ae1 #ahci4 ,while in ,paris1 he 

had met ,m4 ,daguerre1 who1 with ,m4    
,niepce1 had just discovered the art of 
photography4 ,the process was           
communicated to ,morse1 who1 with ,dr4  
,draper1 fitted up a studio on the roof 
of the ,university1 and took the first  
daguerreotypes in ,america4  ,the       
,american ,congress now seemed as       
indifferent to his inventions as the    
,european governments4 ,an exciting     
campaign for the presidency was at hand1
 and the proposed grant for the         
telegraph was forgotten4 ,mr4 ,smith had
 returned to the political arena1 and   
the ,vails were under a financial cloud1
 so that ,morse could expect no further 
aid from them4 ,the next two years were 
the darkest he had ever known4 ',porte  
,crayon' tells us that he had little    
patronage as a professor1 and at one    
time only three pupils besides himself4 
,crayon's fee of fifty dollars for the  
second quarter were overdue1 owing to   
his remittance from home not arriving2  
and one day the professor said1 ',well1 

,strother1 my boy1 how are we off for   
money8' ,strother explained how he was  
situated1 and stated that he hoped to   
have the money next week4  ',next week6'
 repeated ,morse4 ',i shall be dead by  
that time444 dead of starvation4'       
',would ten dollars be of any service8' 
inquired the student1 both astonished   
and distressed4  ',ten dollars would    
save my life1' replied ,morse2 and      
,strother paid the money1 which was all 
he owned4 ,they dined together1 and     
afterwards the professor remarked1      
',this is my first meal for twenty-four 
hours4 ,strother1 don't be an artist4   
,it means beggary4 ,a house-dog lives   
better4 ,the very sensitiveness that    
stimulates an artist to work keeps him  
alive to suffering4'  ,towards the close
 of #ahda he wrote to ,alfred ,vail3 ',i
 have not a cent in the world2' and to  
,mr4 ,smith about the same time he      
wrote3 ',i find myself without sympathy 
or help from any who are associated with
 me1 whose interests1 one would think1  

would impell them at least to inquire if
 they could render some assistance4 ,for
 nearly two years past ,i have devoted  
all my time and scanty means1 living on 
a mere pittance1 denying myself all     
pleasures1 and even necessary food1 that
 ,i might have a sum to put my telegraph
 into such a position before ,congress  
as to insure success to the common      
enterprise4 ,i am crushed for want of   
means1 and means of so trifling a       
character too1 that they who know how to
 ask 7which ,i do not7 could obtain in a
 few hours4444 ,as it is1 although      
everything is favourable1 although ,i   
have no competition and no              
opposition--on the contrary1 although   
every member of ,congress1 so far as ,i 
can learn1 is favourable--yet ,i fear   
all will fail because ,i am too poor to 
risk the trifling expense which my      
journey and residence in ,washington    
will occasion me4 ,i ,,will ,,not ,,run 
,,into ,,debt1 if ,i lose the whole     
matter4 ,so unless ,i have the means    

from some source1 ,i shall be compelled1
 however reluctantly1 to leave it4 ,no  
one call tell the days and months of    
anxiety and labour ,i have had in       
perfecting my telegraphic apparatus4    
,for want of means ,i have been         
compelled to make with my own hands 7and
 to labour for weeks7 a piece of        
mechanism which could be made much      
better1 and in a tenth part of the time1
 by a good mechanician1 thus wasting    
time--time which ,i cannot recall1 and  
which seems double-winged to me4  ',hope
 deferred maketh the heart sick4 ,it is 
true1 and ,i have known the full meaning
 of it4 ,nothing but the consciousness  
that ,i have an invention which is to   
mark an era in human civilisation1 and  
which is to contribute to the happiness 
of millions1 would have sustained me    
through so many and such lengthened     
trials of patience in perfecting it4'   
,morse did not invent for money or      
scientific reputation2 he believed      
himself the instrument of a great       

purpose4  ,during the summer of #ahdb he
 insulated a wire two miles long with   
hempen threads saturated with pitch-tar 
and surrounded with india-rubber4 ,on   
,october #ah1 during bright moonlight1  
he submerged this wire in ,new ,york    
,harbour1 between ,castle ,garden and   
,governor's ,island1 by unreeling it    
from a small boat rowed by a man4 ,after
 signals had been sent through it1 the  
wire was cut by an anchor1 and a portion
 of it carried off by sailors4 ,this    
appears to be the first experiment in   
signalling on a subaqueous wire4 ,it was
 repeated on a canal at ,washington the 
following ,december1 and both are       
described in a letter to the ,secretary 
of the ,treasury1 ,december #bc1 #ahdd1 
in which ,morse states his belief that  
'telegraphic communication on the       
electro-magnetic plan may with certainty
 be established across the ,atlantic    
,ocean4 ,startling as this may now seem1
 ,i am confident the time will come when
 the project will be realised4'  ,in    

,december1 #ahdb1 the inventor made     
another effort to obtain the help of    
,congress1 and the ,committee on        
,commerce again recommended an          
appropriation of #cj1jjj dollars in aid 
of the telegraph4 ,morse had come to be 
regarded as a tiresome 'crank' by some  
of the ,congressmen1 and they objected  
that if the magnetic telegraph were     
endowed1 mesmerism or any other 'ism'   
might have a claim on the ,treasury4    
,the ,bill passed the ,house by a       
slender majority of six votes1 given    
orally1 some of the representatives     
fearing that their support of the       
measure would alienate their            
constituents4 ,its fate in the ,senate  
was even more dubious2 and when it came 
up for consideration late one night     
before the adjournment1 a senator1 the  
,hon4 ,fernando ,wood1 went to ,morse1  
who watched in the gallery1 and         
said1',there is no use in your staying  
here4 ,the ,senate is not in sympathy   
with your project4 ,i advise you to give

 it up1 return home1 and think no more  
about it4'  ,morse retired to his rooms1
 and after paying his bill for board1   
including his breakfast the next        
morning1 he found himself with only     
thirty-seven cents and a half in the    
world4 ,kneeling by his bed-side he     
opened his heart to ,god1 leaving the   
issue in ,his hands1 and then1 comforted
 in spirit1 fell asleep4 ,while eating  
his breakfast next morning1 ,miss ,annie
 ,g4 ,ellsworth1 daughter of his friend 
the ,hon4 ,henry ,l4 ,ellsworth1        
,commissioner of ,patents1 came up with 
a beaming countenance1 and holding out  
her hand1 said--  ',professor1 ,i have  
come to congratulate you4'              
',congratulate me6' replied ,morse2 'on 
what8'  ',why1' she exclaimed1' on the  
passage of your ,bill by the ,senate6'  
,it had been voted without debate at the
 very close of the session4 ,years      
afterwards ,morse declared that this was
 the turning-point in the history of the
 telegraph4 ',my personal funds1' he    

wrote1' were reduced to the fraction of 
a dollar2 and had the passage of the    
,bill failed from any cause1 there would
 have been little prospect of another   
attempt on my part to introduce to the  
world my new invention4'  ,grateful to  
,miss ,ellsworth for bringing the good  
news1 he declared that when the         
,washington to ,baltimore line was      
complete hers should be the first       
despatch4  ,the ,government now paid him
 a salary of #b1ejj dollars a month to  
superintend the laying of the           
underground line which he had decided   
upon4 ,professors ,gale and ,fisher     
became his assistants4 ,vail was put in 
charge1 and ,mr4 ,ezra ,cornell1 who    
founded the ,cornell ,university on the 
site of the cotton mill where he had    
worked as a mechanic1 and who had       
invented a machine for laying pipes1 was
 chosen to supervise the running of the 
line4 ,the conductor was a five-wire    
cable laid in pipes2 but after several  
miles had been run from ,baltimore to   

the house intended for the relay1 the   
insulation broke down4 ,cornell1 it is  
stated1 injured his machine to furnish  
an excuse for the stoppage of the work4 
,the leaders consulted in secret1 for   
failure was staring them in the face4   
,some #bc1jjj dollars of the ,government
 grant were spent1 and ,mr4 ,smith1 who 
had lost his faith in the undertaking1  
claimed #djjj of the remaining #gjjj    
dollars under his contract for laying   
the line4 ,a bitter quarrel arose       
between him and ,morse1 which only ended
 in the grave4 ,he opposed an additional
 grant from ,government1 and ,morse1 in 
his dejection1 proposed to let the      
patent expire1 and if the ,government   
would use his apparatus and remunerate  
him1 he would reward ,alfred ,vail1     
while ,smith would be deprived of his   
portion4 ,happily1 it was decided to    
abandon the subterranean line1 and erect
 the conductor on poles above the       
ground4 ,a start was made from the      
,capitol1 ,washington1 on ,april #a1    

#ahdd1 and the line was carried to the  
,mount ,clare ,depot1 ,baltimore1 on    
,may #bc1 #ahdc4 ,next morning ,miss    
,ellsworth fulfilled her promise by     
inditing the first message4 ,she chose  
the words1 ',what hath ,god wrought8'   
and they were transmitted by ,morse from
 the ,capitol at #h4de a4m41 and        
received at ,mount ,clare by ,alfred    
,vail4  ,this was the first message of a
 public character sent by the electric  
telegraph in the ,western ,world1 and it
 is preserved by the ,connecticut       
,historical ,society4 ,the dots and     
dashes representing the words were not  
drawn with pen and ink1 but embossed on 
the paper with a metal stylus4 ,the     
machine itself was kept in the ,national
 ,museum at ,washington1 and on removing
 it1 in #ahga1 to exhibit it at the     
,morse ,memorial ,celebration at ,new   
,york1 a member of the ,vail family     
discovered a folded paper attached to   
its base4 ,a corner of the writing was  
torn away before its importance was     

recognised2 but it proved to be a signed
 statement by ,alfred ,vail1 to the     
effect that the method of embossing was 
invented by him in the sixth storey of  
the ,,new ,,york ,,observer office      
during #ahdd1 prior to the erection of  
the ,washington to ,baltimore line1     
without any hint from ,morse4 ',i have  
not asserted publicly my right as first 
and sole inventor1' he says1 'because ,i
 wished to preserve the peaceful unity  
of the invention1 and because ,i could  
not1 according to my contract with      
,professor ,morse1 have got a patent for
 it4'  ,the powers of the telegraph     
having been demonstrated1 enthusiasm    
took the place of apathy1 and ,morse1   
who had been neglected before1 was in   
some danger of being over-praised4 ,a   
political incident spread the fame of   
the telegraph far and wide4 ,the        
,democratic ,convention1 sitting in     
,baltimore1 nominated ,mr4 ,james ,k4   
,polk as candidate for the ,presidency1 
and ,mr4 ,silas ,wright for the         

,vice-,presidency4 ,alfred ,vail        
telegraphed the news to ,morse in       
,washington1 and he at once told ,mr4   
,wright4 ,the result was that a few     
minutes later the ,convention was       
dumbfounded to receive a message from   
,wright declining to be nominated4 ,they
 would not believe it1 and appointed a  
committee to inquire into the matter2   
but the telegram was found to be        
genuine4  ,on ,april #a1 #ahde1 the     
,baltimore to ,washington line was      
formally opened for public business4    
,the tariff adopted by the              
,postmaster-,general was one cent for   
every four characters1 and the receipts 
of the first four days were a single    
cent4 ,at the end of a week they had    
risen to about a dollar4  ,morse offered
 the invention to the ,government for   
#ajj1jjj dollars1 but the               
,postmaster-,general declined it on the 
plea that its working 'had not satisfied
 him that under any rate of postage that
 could be adopted its revenues could be 

made equal to its expenditures4' ,thus  
through the narrow views and            
purblindness of its official the nation 
lost an excellent opportunity of keeping
 the telegraph system in its own hands4 
,morse was disappointed at this refusal1
 but it proved a blessing in disguise4  
,he and his agent1 the ,hon4 ,amos      
,kendall1 determined to rely on private 
enterprise4  ,a line between ,new ,york 
and ,philadelphia was projected1 and the
 apparatus was exhibited in ,broadway at
 a charge of twenty-five cents a head4  
,but the door-money did not pay the     
expenses4 ,there was an air of poverty  
about the show4 ,one of the exhibitors  
slept on a couple of chairs1 and the    
princely founder of ,cornell ,university
 was grateful to ,providence for a      
shilling picked up on the side-walk1    
which enabled him to enjoy a hearty     
breakfast4 ,sleek men of capital1       
looking with suspicion on the meagre    
furniture and miserable apparatus1      
withheld their patronage2 but humbler   

citizens invested their hard-won        
earnings1 the ,magnetic ,telegraph      
,company was incorporated1 and the line 
was built4 ,the following year1 #ahdf1  
another line was run from ,philadelphia 
to ,baltimore by ,mr4 ,henry ,o',reilly1
 of ,rochester1 ,n4,y41 an acute pioneer
 of the telegraph4 ,in the course of ten
 years the ,atlantic ,states were       
covered by a straggling web of lines    
under the control of thirty or forty    
rival companies working different       
apparatus1 such as that of ,morse1      
,bain1 ,house1 and ,hughes1 but owing to
 various causes only one or two were    
paying a dividend4 ,it was a fit moment 
for amalgamation1 and this was          
accomplished in #ahef by ,mr4 ,hiram    
,sibley4 ',this ,western ,union1' says  
one in speaking of the united           
corporation1 'seems to me very like     
collecting all the paupers in the ,state
 and arranging them into a union so as  
to make rich men of them4' ,but         
',sibley's crazy scheme' proved the     

salvation of the competing companies4   
,in #aheg1 after the first stage coach  
had crossed the plains to ,california1  
,mr4 ,henry ,o',reilly proposed to build
 a line of telegraph1 and ,mr4 ,sibley  
urged the ,western ,union to undertake  
it4 ,he encountered a strong opposition4
 ,the explorations of ,fremont were     
still fresh in the public mind1 and the 
country was regarded as a howling       
wilderness4 ,it was objected that no    
poles could be obtained on the prairies1
 that the ,indians or the buffaloes     
would destroy the line1 and that the    
traffic would not pay4 ',well1          
gentlemen1' said ,sibley1 'if you won't 
join hands with me in the thing1 ,i'll  
go it alone4' ,he procured a subsidy    
from the ,government1 who realised the  
value of the line from a national point 
of view1 the money was raised under the 
auspices of the ,western ,union1 and the
 route by ,omaha1 ,fort ,laramie1 and   
,salt ,lake ,city to ,san ,francisco was
 fixed upon4 ,the work began on ,july   

#d1 #ahfa1 and though it was expected to
 occupy two years1 it was completed in  
four months and eleven days4 ,the       
traffic soon became lucrative1 and the  
,indians1 except in time of war1        
protected the line out of friendship for
 ,mr4 ,sibley4 ,a black-tailed buck1 the
 gift of ,white ,cloud1 spent its last  
years in the park of his home at        
,rochester4  ,the success of the        
overland wire induced the ,company to   
embark on a still greater scheme1 the   
project of ,mr4 ,perry ,mac,donough     
,collins1 for a trunk line between      
,america and ,europe by way of ,british 
,columbia1 ,alaska1 the ,aleutian       
,islands1 and ,siberia4 ,a line already 
existed between ,european ,russia and   
,irkutsk1 in ,siberia1 and it was to be 
extended to the mouth of the ,amoor1    
where the ,american lines were to join  
it4 ,two cables1 one across ,behring    
,sea and another across the ,bay of     
,anadyr1 were to link the two           
continents4  ,the expedition started in 

the summer of #ahfe with a fleet of     
about thirty vessels1 carrying telegraph
 and other stores4 ,in spite of severe  
hardships1 a considerable part of the   
line had been erected when the          
successful completion of the            
trans-,atlantic cable1 in #ahff1 caused 
the enterprise to be abandoned after an 
expenditure of #c1jjj1jjj dollars4 ,a   
trace cut for the line through the      
forests of ,british ,columbia is still  
known as the 'telegraph trail4' ,in     
spite of this misfortune the ,western   
,union ,telegraph ,company has continued
 to flourish4 ,in #ahhc its capital     
amounted to #hj1jjj1jjj dollars1 and it 
now possesses a virtual monopoly of     
telegraphic communication in the ,united
 ,states4  ,morse did not limit his     
connections to land telegraphy4 ,in     
#ahed1 when ,mr4 ,cyrus ,field brought  
out the ,atlantic ,telegraph ,company1  
to lay a cable between ,europe and      
,america1 he became its electrician1 and
 went to ,england for the purpose of    

consulting with the ,english engineers  
on the execution of the project4 ,but   
his instrument was never used on the    
ocean lines1 and1 indeed1 it was not    
adapted for them4  ,during this time    
,alfred ,vail continued to improve the  
,morse apparatus1 until it was past     
recognition4 ,the porte-rule and type of
 the transmitter were discarded for a   
simple 'key' or rocking lever1 worked up
 and down by the hand1 so as to make and
 break the circuit4 ,the clumsy         
framework of the receiver was reduced to
 a neat and portable size4 ,the inking  
pen was replaced by a metal wheel or    
disc1 smeared with ink1 and rolling on  
the paper at every dot or dash4 ,vail1  
as we have seen1 also invented the plan 
of embossing the message4 ,but he did   
still more4 ,when the recording         
instrument was introduced1 it was found 
that the clerks persisted in 'reading'  
the signals by the clicking of the      
marking lever1 and not from the paper4  
,threats of instant dismissal did not   

stop the practice when nobody was       
looking on4 ,morse1 who regarded the    
record as the distinctive feature of his
 invention1 was very hostile to the     
practice2 but ,nature was too many for  
him4 ,the mode of interpreting by sound 
was the easier and more economical of   
the two2 and ,vail1 with his mechanical 
instinct1 adopted it4 ,he produced an   
instrument in which there is no paper or
 marking device1 and the message is     
simply sounded by the lever of the      
armature striking on its metal stops4   
,at present the ,morse recorder is      
rarely used in comparison with the      
'sounder4'  ,the original telegraph of  
,morse1 exhibited in #ahcg1 has become  
an archaic form4 ,apart from the central
 idea of employing an electro-magnet to 
signal--an idea applied by ,henry in    
#ahcb1 when ,morse had only thought of  
it--the development of the apparatus is 
mainly due to ,vail4 ,his working       
devices made it a success1 and are in   
use to-day1 while those of ,morse are   

all extinct4  ,morse has been highly    
honoured and rewarded1 not only by his  
countrymen1 but by the ,european powers4
 ,the ,queen of ,spain sent him a ,cross
 of the ,order of ,isabella1 the ,king  
of ,prussia presented him with a        
jewelled snuff-box1 the ,sultan of      
,turkey decorated him with the ,order of
 ,glory1 the ,emperor of the ,french    
admitted him into the ,legion of        
,honour4 ,moreover1 the ten ,european   
powers in special congress awarded him  
#djj1jjj francs 7some #hj1jjj dollars71 
as an expression of their gratitude3    
honorary banquets were a common thing to
 the man who had almost starved through 
his fidelity to an idea4  ,but beyond   
his emoluments as a partner in the      
invention1 ,alfred ,vail had no         
recompense4 ,morse1 perhaps1 was        
somewhat jealous of acknowledging the   
services of his 'mechanical assistant1' 
as he at one time chose to regard ,vail4
 ,when personal friends1 knowing his    
services1 urged ,vail to insist upon    

their recognition1 he replied1 ',i am   
confident that ,professor ,morse will do
 me justice4' ,but even ten years after 
the death of ,vail1 on the occasion of a
 banquet given in his honour by the     
leading citizens of ,new ,york1 ,morse1 
alluding to his invention1 said3 ',in   
#ahce1 according to the concurrent      
testimony of many witnesses1 it lisped  
its first accents1 and automatically    
recorded them a few blocks only distant 
from the spot from which ,i now address 
you4 ,it was a feeble child indeed1     
ungainly in its dress1 stammering in its
 speech2 but it had then all the        
distinctive features and characteristics
 of its present manhood4 ,it found a    
friend1 an efficient friend1 in ,mr4    
,alfred ,vail1 of ,new ,jersey1 who1    
with his father and brother1 furnished  
the means to give the child a decent    
dress1 preparatory to its' visit to the 
seat of ,government4'  ,when we remember
 that even by this time ,vail had       
entirely altered the system of signals1 

and introduced the dot-dash code1 we    
cannot but regard this as a stinted     
acknowledgment of his colleague's work4 
,but the man who conceives the central  
idea1 and cherishes it1 is apt to be    
niggardly in allowing merit to the      
assistant whose mechanical skill is able
 to shape and put it in practice2 while1
 on the other hand1 the assistant is    
sometimes inclined to attach more       
importance to the working out than it   
deserves4 ,alfred ,vail cannot be       
charged with that1 however1 and it would
 have been the more graceful on the part
 of ,morse had he avowed his            
indebtedness to ,vail with a greater    
liberality4 ,nor would this have        
detracted from his own merit as the     
originator and preserver of the idea1   
without which the improvements of ,vail 
would have had no existence4 ,in the    
words of the ,hon4 ,amos ,kendall1 a    
friend of both3 ',if justice be done1   
the name of ,alfred ,vail will for ever 
stand associated with that of ,samuel   

,f4 ,b4 ,morse in the history and       
introduction into public use of the     
electro-magnetic telegraph4'  ,professor
 ,morse spent his declining years at    
,locust ,grove1 a charming retreat on   
the banks of the ,river ,hudson4 ,in    
private life he was a fine example of   
the ,christian gentleman4  ,in the      
summer of #ahga1 the ,telegraphic       
,brotherhood of the ,world erected a    
statue to his honour in the ,central    
,park1 ,new ,york4 ,delegates from      
different parts of ,america were present
 at the unveiling2 and in the evening   
there was a reception at the ,academy of
 ,music1 where the first recording      
telegraph used on the ,washington to    
,baltimore line was exhibited4 ,the     
inventor himself appeared1 and sent a   
message at a small table1 which was     
flashed by the connected wires to the   
remotest parts of the ,union1 ,it ran3  
',greeting and thanks to the telegraph  
fraternity throughout the world4 ,glory 
to ,god in the highest1 on earth peace1 

goodwill towards men4'  ,it was deemed  
fitting that ,morse should unveil the   
statue of ,benjamin ,franklin1 which had
 been erected in ,printing ,house       
,square1 ,new ,york4 ,when his venerable
 figure appeared on the platform1 and   
the long white hair was blown about his 
handsome face by the winter wind1 a     
great cheer went up from the assembled  
multitude4 ,but the day was bitterly    
cold1 and the exposure cost him his     
life4 ,some months later1 as he lay on  
his sick bed1 he observed to the doctor1
 ',the best is yet to come4' ,in tapping
 his chest one day1 the physician said1'
 ,this is the way we doctors telegraph1 
professor1' and ,morse replied with a   
smile1 ',very good--very good4' ,these  
were his last words4 ,he died at ,new   
,york on ,april #b1 #ahgb1 at the age of
 eighty-one years1 and was buried in the
 ,greenwood ,cemetery4    ,,chapter     
,,iv4 ,,sir ,,william ,,thomson4  ,sir  
,william ,thomson1 the greatest         
physicist of the age1 and the highest   

authority on electrical science1        
theoretical and applied1 was born at    
,belfast on ,june #be1 #ahbd4 ,his      
father1 ,dr4 ,james ,thomson1 the son of
 a ,scots-,irish farmer1 showed a bent  
for scholarship when a boy1 and became a
 pupil teacher in a small school near   
,ballynahinch1 in ,county ,down4 ,with  
his summer earnings he educated himself 
at ,glasgow ,university during winter4  
,appointed head master of a school in   
connection with the ,royal ,academical  
,institute1 he subsequently obtained the
 professorship of mathematics in that   
academy4 ,in #ahcb he was called to the 
chair of mathematics in the ,university 
of ,glasgow1 where he achieved a        
reputation by his text-books on         
arithmetic and mathematics4  ,william   
began his course at the same college in 
his eleventh year1 and was petted by the
 older students for his extraordinary   
quickness in solving the problems of his
 father's class4 ,it was quite plain    
that his genius lay in the direction of 

mathematics2 and on finishing at        
,glasgow he was sent to the higher      
mathematical school of ,st4 ,peter's    
,college1 ,cambridge4 ,in #ahde he      
graduated as second wrangler1 but won   
the ,smith prize4 ,this 'consolation    
stakes' is regarded as a better test of 
originality than the tripos4 ,the first1
 or senior1 wrangler probably beat him  
by a facility in applying well-known    
rules1 and a readiness in writing4 ,one 
of the examiners is said to have        
declared that he was unworthy to cut    
,thomson's pencils4 ,it is certain that 
while the victor has been forgotten1 the
 vanquished has created a world-wide    
renown4  ,while at ,cambridge he took an
 active part in the field sports and    
athletics of the ,university4 ,he won   
the ,silver ,sculls1 and rowed in the   
winning boat of the ,oxford and         
,cambridge race4 ,he also took a lively 
interest in the classics1 in music1 and 
in general literature2 but the real     
love1 the central passion of his        

intellectual life1 was the pursuit of   
science4 ,the study of mathematics1     
physics1 and in particular1 of          
electricity1 had captivated his         
imagination1 and soon engrossed all the 
teeming faculties of his mind4 ,at the  
age of seventeen1 when ordinary lads are
 fond of games1 and the cleverer sort   
are content to learn without attempting 
to originate1 young ,thomson had begun  
to make investigations4 ,the ,,cambridge
 ,,mathematical ,,journal of #ahdb      
contains a paper by him--',on the       
uniform motion of heat in homogeneous   
solid bodies1 and its connection with   
the mathematical theory of electricity4'
 ,in this he demonstrated the identity  
of the laws governing the distribution  
of electric or magnetic force in        
general1 with the laws governing the    
distribution of the lines of the motion 
of heat in certain special cases4 ,the  
paper was followed by others on the     
mathematical theory of electricity2 and 
in #ahde he gave the first mathematical 

development of ,faraday's notion1 that  
electric induction takes place through  
an intervening medium1 or 'dielectric1' 
and not by some incomprehensible 'action
 at a distance4' ,he also devised an    
hypothesis of electrical images1 which  
became a powerful agent in solving      
problems of electrostatics1 or the      
science which deals with the forces of  
electricity at rest4  ,on gaining a     
fellowship at his college1 he spent some
 time in the laboratory of the          
celebrated ,regnault1 at ,paris2 but in 
#ahdf he was appointed to the chair of  
natural philosophy in the ,university of
 ,glasgow4 ,it was due to the brilliant 
promise he displayed1 as much as to the 
influence of his father1 that at the age
 of twenty-two he found himself wearing 
the gown of a learned professor in one  
of the oldest ,universities in the      
country1 and lecturing to the class of  
which he was a freshman but a few years 
before4  ,thomson became a man of public
 note in connection with the laying of  

the first ,atlantic cable4 ,after ,cooke
 and ,wheatstone had introduced their   
working telegraph in #ahci2 the idea of 
a submarine line across the ,atlantic   
,ocean began to dawn on the minds of men
 as a possible triumph of the future4   
,morse proclaimed his faith in it as    
early as the year #ahdj1 and in #ahdb he
 submerged a wire1 insulated with tarred
 hemp and india-rubber1 in the water of 
,new ,york harbour1 and telegraphed     
through it4 ,the following autumn       
,wheatstone performed a similar         
experiment in the ,bay of ,swansea4 ,a  
good insulator to cover the wire and    
prevent the electricity from leaking    
into the water was requisite for the    
success of a long submarine line4       
,india-rubber had been tried by ,jacobi1
 the ,russian electrician1 as far back  
as #ahaa4 ,he laid a wire insulated with
 rubber across the ,neva at ,st4        
,petersburg1 and succeeded in firing a  
mine by an electric spark sent through  
it2 but india-rubber1 although it is now

 used to a considerable extent1 was not 
easy to manipulate in those days4       
,luckily another gum which could be     
melted by heat1 and readily applied to  
the wire1 made its appearance4          
,gutta-percha1 the adhesive juice of the
 ,,isonandra ,,gutta tree1 was          
introduced to ,europe in #ahdb by ,dr4  
,montgomerie1 a ,scotch surveyor in the 
service of the ,east ,india ,company4   
,twenty years before he had seen whips  
made of it in ,singapore1 and believed  
that it would be useful in the          
fabrication of surgical apparatus4      
,faraday and ,wheatstone soon discovered
 its merits as an insulator1 and in     
#ahde the latter suggested that it      
should be employed to cover the wire    
which it was proposed to lay from ,dover
 to ,calais4 ,it was tried on a wire    
laid across the ,rhine between ,deutz   
and ,cologne4 ,in #ahdi ,mr4 ,c4 ,v4    
,walker1 electrician to the ,south      
,eastern ,railway ,company1 submerged a 
wire coated with it1 or1 as it is       

technically called1 a gutta-percha core1
 along the coast off ,dover4  ,the      
following year ,mr4 ,john ,watkins      
,brett laid the first line across the   
,channel4 ,it was simply a copper wire  
coated with gutta-percha1 without any   
other protection4 ,the core was payed   
out from a reel mounted behind the      
funnel of a steam tug1 the ,goliath1 and
 sunk by means of lead weights attached 
to it every sixteenth of a mile4 ,she   
left ,dover about ten o'clock on the    
morning of ,august #bh1 #ahej1 with some
 thirty men on board and a day's        
provisions4 ,the route she was to follow
 was marked by a line of buoys and      
flags4 ,by eight o'clock in the evening 
she arrived at ,cape ,grisnez1 and came 
to anchor near the shore4 ,mr4 ,brett   
watched the operations through a glass  
at ,dover4 ',the declining sun1' he     
says1 'enabled me to discern the moving 
shadow of the steamer's smoke on the    
white cliff2 thus indicating her        
progress4 ,at length the shadow ceased  

to move4 ,the vessel had evidently come 
to an anchor4 ,we gave them half an hour
 to convey the end of the wire to shore 
and attach the type-printing instrument1
 and then ,i sent the first electrical  
message across the ,channel4 ,this was  
reserved for ,louis ,napoleon4'         
,according to ,mr4 ,f4 ,c4 ,webb1       
however1 the first of the signals were a
 mere jumble of letters1 which were torn
 up4 ,he saved a specimen of the slip on
 which they were printed1 and it was    
afterwards presented to the ,duke of    
,wellington4  ,next morning this pioneer
 line was broken down at a point about  
#bjj ,yards from ,cape ,grisnez1 and it 
turned out that a ,boulogne fisherman   
had raised it on his trawl and cut a    
piece away1 thinking he had found a rare
 species of tangle with gold in its     
heart4 ,this misfortune suggested the   
propriety of arming the core against    
mechanical injury by sheathing it in a  
cable of hemp and iron wires4 ,the      
experiment served to keep alive the     

concession1 and the next year1 on       
,november #ac1 #ahea1 a protected core  
or true cable was laid from a           
,government hulk1 the ,blazer1 which was
 towed across the ,channel4  ,next year 
,great ,britain and ,ireland were linked
 together4 ,in ,may1 #ahec1 ,england was
 joined to ,holland by a cable across   
the ,north ,sea1 from ,orfordness to the
 ,hague4 ,it was laid by the ,monarch1 a
 paddle steamer which had been fitted   
for the work4 ,during the night she met 
with such heavy weather that the        
engineer was lashed near the brakes2 and
 the electrician1 ,mr4 ,latimer ,clark1 
sent the continuity signals by jerking a
 needle instrument with a string4 ,these
 and other efforts in the ,mediterranean
 and elsewhere were the harbingers of   
the memorable enterprise which bound the
 ,old ,world and the ,new4  ,bishop     
,mullock1 head of the ,roman ,catholic  
,church in ,newfoundland1 was lying     
becalmed in his yacht one day in sight  
of ,cape ,breton ,island1 and began to  

dream of a plan for uniting his savage  
diocese to the mainland by a line of    
telegraph through the forest from ,st4  
,john's to ,cape ,ray1 and cables across
 the mouth of the ,st4 ,lawrence from   
,cape ,ray to ,nova ,scotia4 ,st4       
,john's was an ,atlantic port1 and it   
seemed to him that the passage of news  
between ,america and ,europe could thus 
be shortened by forty-eight hours4 ,on  
returning to ,st4 ,john's he published  
his idea in the ,,courier by a letter   
dated ,november #h1 #ahej4  ,about the  
same time a similar plan occurred to    
,mr4 ,f4 ,n4 ,gisborne1 a telegraph     
engineer in ,nova ,scotia4 ,in the      
spring of #ahea he procured a grant from
 the ,legislature of ,newfoundland1     
resigned his situation in ,nova ,scotia1
 and having formed a company1 began the 
construction of the land line4 ,but in  
#ahec his bills were dishonoured by the 
company1 he was arrested for debt1 and  
stripped of all his fortune4 ,the       
following year1 however1 he was         

introduced to ,mr4 ,cyrus ,field1 of    
,new ,york1 a wealthy merchant1 who had 
just returned from a six months' tour in
 ,south ,america4 ,mr4 ,field invited   
,mr4 ,gisborne to his house in order to 
discuss the project4 ,when his visitor  
was gone1 ,mr4 ,field began to turn over
 a terrestrial globe which stood in his 
library1 and it flashed upon him that   
the telegraph to ,newfoundland might be 
extended across the ,atlantic ,ocean4   
,the idea fired him with enthusiasm4 ,it
 seemed worthy of a man's ambition1 and 
although he had retired from business to
 spend his days in peace1 he resolved to
 dedicate his time1 his energies1 and   
fortune to the accomplishment of this   
grand enterprise4  ,a presentiment of   
success may have inspired him2 but he   
was ignorant alike of submarine cables  
and the deep sea4 ,was it possible to   
submerge the cable in the ,atlantic1 and
 would it be safe at the bottom8 ,again1
 would the messages travel through the  
line fast enough to make it pay6 ,on the

 first question he consulted ,lieutenant
 ,maury1 the great authority on         
mareography4 ,maury told him that       
according to recent soundings by        
,lieutenant ,berryman1 of the ,united   
,states brig ,dolphin1 the bottom       
between ,ireland and ,newfoundland was a
 plateau covered with microscopic shells
 at a depth not over #bjjj fathoms1 and 
seemed to have been made for the very   
purpose of receiving the cable4 ,he left
 the question of finding a time calm    
enough1 the sea smooth enough1 a wire   
long enough1 and a ship big enough1' to 
lay a line some sixteen hundred miles in
 length to other minds4 ,as to the line 
itself1 ,mr4 ,field consulted ,professor
 ,morse1 who assured him that it was    
quite possible to make and lay a cable  
of that length4 ,he at once adopted the 
scheme of ,gisborne as a preliminary    
step to the vaster undertaking1 and     
promoted the ,new ,york1 ,newfoundland1 
and ,london ,telegraph ,company1 to     
establish a line of telegraph between   

,america and ,europe4 ,professor ,morse 
was appointed electrician to the        
company4  ,the first thing to be done   
was to finish the line between ,st4     
,john's and ,nova ,scotia1 and in #ahee 
an attempt was made to lay a cable      
across the ,gulf of the ,st4 ,lawrence1 
,it was payed out from a barque in tow  
of a steamer2 but when half was laid a  
gale rose1 and to keep the barque from  
sinking the line was cut away4 ,next    
summer a steamboat was fitted out for   
the purpose1 and the cable was          
submerged4 ,st4 ,john's was now         
connected with ,new ,york by a thousand 
miles of land and submarine telegraph4  
,mr4 ,field then directed his efforts to
 the completion of the trans-oceanic    
section4 ,he induced the ,american      
,government to despatch ,lieutenant     
,berryman1 in the ,arctic1 and the      
,british ,admiralty to send ,lieutenant3
 ,dayman1 in the ,cyclops1 to make a    
special survey along the proposed route 
of the cable4 ,these soundings revealed 

the existence of a submarine hill       
dividing the 'telegraph plateau' from   
the shoal water on the coast of         
,ireland1 but its slope was gradual and 
easy4  ,till now the enterprise had been
 purely ,american1 and the funds        
provided by ,american capitalists1 with 
the exception of a few shares held by   
,mr4 ,j4 ,w4 ,brett4 ,but seeing that   
the cable was to land on ,british soil1 
it was fitting that the work should be  
international1 and that the ,british    
people should be asked to contribute    
towards the manufacture and submersion  
of the cable4 ,mr4 ,field therefore     
proceeded to ,london1 and with the      
assistance of ,mr4 ,brett the ,atlantic 
,telegraph ,company was floated4 ,mr4   
,field himself supplied a quarter of the
 needed capital2 and we may add that    
,lady ,byron1 and ,mr4 ,thackeray1 the  
novelist1 were among the shareholders4  
,the design of the cable was a subject  
of experiment by ,professor ,morse and  
others4 ,it was known that the conductor

 should be of copper1 possessing a high 
conductivity for the electric current1  
and that its insulating jacket of       
gutta-percha should offer a great       
resistance to the leakage of the        
current4 ,moreover1 experience had shown
 that the protecting sheath or armour of
 the core should be light and flexible  
as well as strong1 in order to resist   
external violence and allow it to be    
lifted for repair4 ,there was another   
consideration1 however1 which at this   
time was rather a puzzle4 ,as early as  
#ahbc ,mr4 7afterwards ,sir7 ,francis   
,ronalds had observed that electric     
signals were retarded in passing through
 an insulated wire or core laid under   
ground1 and the same effect was         
noticeable on cores immersed in water1  
and particularly on the lengthy cable   
between ,england and the ,hague4        
,faraday showed that it was caused by   
induction between the electricity in the
 wire and the earth or water surrounding
 it4 ,a core1 in fact1 is an attenuated 

,leyden jar2 the wire of the core1 its  
insulating jacket1 and the soil or water
 around it stand respectively for the   
inner tinfoil1 the glass1 and the outer 
tinfoil of the jar4 ,when the wire is   
charged from a battery1 the electricity 
induces an opposite charge in the water 
as it travels along1 and as the two     
charges attract each other1 the exciting
 charge is restrained4 ,the speed of a  
signal through the conductor of a       
submarine cable is thus diminished by a 
drag of its own making4 ,the nature of  
the phenomenon was clear1 but the laws  
which governed it were still a mystery4 
,it became a serious question whether1  
on a long cable such as that required   
for the ,atlantic1 the signals might not
 be so sluggish that the work would     
hardly pay4 ,faraday had said to ,mr4   
,field that a signal would take 'about a
 second1' and the ,american was         
satisfied2 but ,professor ,thomson      
enunciated the law of retardation1 and  
cleared up the whole matter4 ,he showed 

that the velocity of a signal through a 
given core was inversely proportional to
 the square of the length of the core4  
,that is to say1 in any particular cable
 the speed of a signal is diminished to 
one-fourth if the length is doubled1 to 
one-ninth if it is trebled1 to          
one-sixteenth if it is quadrupled1 and  
so on4 ,it was now possible to calculate
 the time taken by a signal in          
traversing the proposed ,atlantic line  
to a minute fraction of a second1 and to
 design the proper core for a cable of  
any given length4  ,the accuracy of     
,thomson's law was disputed in #ahef by 
,dr4 ,edward ,o4 ,wildman ,whitehouse1  
the electrician of the ,atlantic        
,telegraph ,company1 who had            
misinterpreted the results of his own   
experiments4 ,thomson disposed of his   
contention in a letter to the           
,,athenaeum1 and the directors of the   
company saw that he was a man to enlist 
in their adventure4 ,it is not enough to
 say the young ,glasgow professor threw 

himself heart and soul into their work4 
,he descended in their midst like the   
very genius of electricity1 and helped  
them out of all their difficulties4 ,in 
#aheg he published in the ,,engineer the
 whole theory of the mechanical forces  
involved in the laying of a submarine   
cable1 and showed that when the line is 
running out of the ship at a constant   
speed in a uniform depth of water1 it   
sinks in a slant or straight incline    
from the point where it enters the water
 to that where it touches the bottom4   
,to these gifts of theory1 electrical   
and mechanical1 ,thomson added a        
practical boon in the shape of the      
reflecting galvanometer1 or mirror      
instrument4 ,this measurer of the       
current was infinitely more sensitive   
than any which preceded it1 and enables 
the electrician to detect the slightest 
flaw in the core of a cable during its  
manufacture and submersion4 ,moreover1  
it proved the best apparatus for        
receiving the messages through a long   

cable4 ,the ,morse and other            
instruments1 however suitable for land  
lines and short cables1 were all but    
useless on the ,atlantic line1 owing to 
the retardation of the signals2 but the 
mirror instrument sprang out of         
,thomson's study of this phenomenon1 and
 was designed to match it4 ,hence this  
instrument1 through being the fittest   
for the purpose1 drove the others from  
the field1 and allowed the first        
,atlantic cables to be worked on a      
profitable basis4  ,the cable consisted 
of a strand of seven copper wires1 one  
weighing #ajg pounds a nautical mile or 
knot1 covered with three coats of       
gutta-percha1 weighing #bfa pounds a    
knot1 and wound with tarred hemp1 over  
which a sheath of eighteen strands1 each
 of seven iron wires1 was laid in a     
close spiral4 ,it weighed nearly a ton  
to the mile1 was flexible as a rope1 and
 able to withstand a pull of several    
tons4 ,it was made conjointly by        
,messrs4 ,glass1 ,elliot  ,co41 of      

,greenwich1 and ,messrs4 ,r4 ,s4 ,newall
  ,co41 of ,liverpool4  ,the ,british   
,government promised ,mr4 ,field a      
subsidy of ,l#a1djj a year1 and the loan
 of ships to lay the cable4 ,he         
solicited an equal help from ,congress1 
but a large number of the senators1     
actuated by a national jealousy of      
,england1 and looking to the fact that  
both ends of the line were to lie in    
,british territory1 opposed the grant4  
,it appeared to these far-sighted       
politicians that ,england1 the          
hereditary foe1 was 'literally crawling 
under the sea to get some advantage over
 the ,united ,states4' ,the ,bill was   
only passed by a majority of a single   
vote4 ,in the ,house of ,representatives
 it encountered a similar hostility1 but
 was ultimately signed by ,president    
,pierce4  ,the ,agamemnon1 a ,british   
man-of-war fitted out for the purpose1  
took in the section made at ,greenwich1 
and the ,niagara1 an ,american warship1 
that made at ,liverpool4 ,the vessels   

and their consorts met in the bay of    
,valentia ,island1 on the south-west    
coast of ,ireland1 where on ,august #e1 
#aheg1 the shore end of the cable was   
landed from the ,niagara4 ,it was a     
memorable scene4 ,the ships in the bay  
were dressed in bunting1 and the ,lord  
,lieutenant of ,ireland stood on the    
beach1 attended by his following1 to    
receive the end from the ,american      
sailors4 ,visitors in holiday attire    
collected in groups to watch the        
operations1 and eagerly joined with his 
excellency in helping to pull the wire  
ashore4 ,when it was landed1 the        
,reverend ,mr4 ,day1 of ,kenmore1       
offered up a prayer1 asking the         
,almighty to prosper the undertaking1   
,next day the expedition sailed2 but ere
 the ,niagara had proceeded five miles  
on her way the shore-end parted1 and the
 repairing of it delayed the start for  
another day4  ,at first the ,niagara    
went slowly ahead to avoid a mishap1 but
 as the cable ran out easily she        

increased her speed4 ,the night fell1   
but hardly a soul slept4 ,the utmost    
vigilance was maintained throughout the 
vessel4 ,apart from the noise of the    
paying-out machinery1 there was an awful
 stillness on board4 ,men walked about  
with a muffled step1 or spoke in        
whispers1 as if they were afraid the    
sound of their voices would break the   
slender line4 ,it seemed as though a    
great and valued friend lay at the point
 of death4  ,the submarine hill1 with   
its dangerous slope1 was passed in      
safety1 and the 'telegraph plateau1'    
nearly two miles deep1 was reached1 when
 suddenly the signals from ,ireland1    
which told that the conductor was       
intact1 stopped altogether4 ,professor  
,morse and ,de ,sauty1 the electricians1
 failed to restore the communication1   
and the engineers were preparing to cut 
the cable1 when quite as suddenly the   
signals returned1 and every face grew   
bright4 ,a weather-beaten old sailor    
said1 ',i have watched nearly every mile

 of it as it came over the side1 and ,i 
would have given fifty dollars1 poor man
 as ,i am1 to have saved it1 although ,i
 don't expect to make anything by it    
when it is laid down4'  ,but the joy was
 short-lived4 ,the line was running out 
at the rate of six miles an hour1 while 
the vessel was only making four4 ,to    
check this waste of cable the engineer  
tightened the brakes2 but as the stern  
of the ship rose on the swell1 the cable
 parted under the heavy strain1 and the 
end was lost in the sea4  ,the bad news 
ran like a flash of lightning through   
all the ships1 and produced a feeling of
 sorrow and dismay4  ,no attempt was    
made to grapple the line in such deep   
water1 and the expedition returned to   
,england4 ,it was too late to try again 
that year1 but the following summer the 
,agamemnon and ,niagara1 after an       
experimental trip to the ,bay of        
,biscay1 sailed from ,plymouth on ,june 
#aj with a full supply of cable1 better 
gear than before1 and a riper experience

 of the work4 ,they were to meet in the 
middle of the ,atlantic1 where the two  
halves of the cable on board of each    
were to be spliced together1 and while  
the ,agamemnon payed out eastwards to   
,valentia ,island the ,niagara was to   
pay out westward to ,newfoundland4 ,on  
her way to the rendezvous the ,agamemnon
 encountered a terrific gale1 which     
lasted for a week1 and nearly proved her
 destruction4  ,on ,saturday1 the #bfth1
 the middle splice was effected and the 
bight dropped into the deep4 ,the two   
ships got under weigh1 but had not      
proceeded three miles when the cable    
broke in the paying-out machinery of the
 ,niagara4 ,another splice1 followed by 
a fresh start1 was made during the same 
afternoon2 but when some fifty miles    
were payed out of each vessel1 the      
current which kept up communication     
between them suddenly failed owing to   
the cable having snapped in the sea4    
,once more the middle splice was made   
and lowered1 and the ships parted       

company a third time4 ,for a day or two 
all went well2 over two hundred miles of
 cable ran smoothly out of each vessel1 
and the anxious chiefs began to indulge 
in hopes of ultimate success1 when the  
cable broke about twenty feet behind the
 stern of the ,agamemnon4  ,the         
expedition returned to ,queenstown1 and 
a consultation took place4 ,mr4 ,field1 
and ,professor ,thomson1 who was on     
board the ,agamemnon1 were in favour of 
another trial1 and it was decided to    
make one without delay4 ,the vessels    
left the ,cove of ,cork on ,july #ag2   
but on this occasion there was no public
 enthusiasm1 and even those on board    
felt as if they were going on another   
wild goose chase4 ,the ,agamemnon was   
now almost becalmed on her way to the   
rendezvous2 but the middle splice was   
finished by #ab4cj p4m4 on ,july #bi1   
#aheh1 and immediately dropped into the 
sea4 ,the ships thereupon started1 and  
increased their distance1 while the     
cable ran easily out of them4 ,some     

alarm was caused by the stoppage of the 
continuity signals1 but after a time    
they reappeared4 ,the ,niagara deviated 
from the great arc of a circle on which 
the cable was to be laid1 and the error 
was traced to the iron of the cable     
influencing her compass4 ,hence the     
,gorgon1 one of her consorts1 was       
ordered to go ahead and lead the way4   
,the ,niagara passed several icebergs1  
but none injured the cable1 and on      
,august #d she arrived in ,trinity ,bay1
 ,newfoundland4 ,at #f4 a4m4 next       
morning the shore end was landed into   
the telegraph-house which had been built
 for its reception4 ,captain ,hudson1 of
 the ,niagara1 then read prayers1 and at
 one p4m4 ,h4,m4,s4 ,gorgon fired a     
salute of twenty-one guns4  ,the        
,agamemnon made an equally successful   
run4 ,about six o'clock on the first    
evening a huge whale was seen           
approaching on the starboard bow1 and as
 he sported in the waves1 rolling and   
lashing them into foam1 the onlookers   

began to fear that he might endanger the
 line4 ,their excitement became intense 
as the monster heaved astern1 nearer and
 nearer to the cable1 until his body    
grazed it where it sank into the water2 
but happily no harm was done4 ,damaged  
portions of the cable had to be removed 
in paying-out1 and the stoppage of the  
continuity signals raised other alarms  
on board4 ,strong head winds kept the   
,agamemnon back1 and two ,american ships
 which got into her course had to be    
warned off by firing guns4 ,the signals 
from the ,niagara became very weak1 but 
on ,professor ,thomson asking the       
electricians on board of her to increase
 their battery power1 they improved at  
once4 ,at length1 on ,thursday1 ,august1
 #e1 the ,agamemnon1 with her consort1  
the ,valorous1 arrived at ,valentia     
,island1 and the shore end was landed   
into the cable-house at ,knightstown by 
#c p4m41 and a royal salute announced   
the completion of the work4  ,the news  
was received at first with some         

incredulity1 but on being confirmed it  
caused a universal joy4 ,on ,august #af 
,queen ,victoria sent a telegram of     
congratulation to ,president ,buchanan  
through the line1 and expressed a hope  
that it would prove 'an additional link 
between the nations whose friendship is 
founded on their common interest and    
reciprocal esteem4' ,the ,president     
responded that1 'it is a triumph more   
glorious1 because far more useful to    
mankind1 than was ever won by conqueror 
on the field of battle4 ,may the        
,atlantic telegraph1 under the blessing 
of heaven1 prove to be a bond of        
perpetual peace and friendship between  
the kindred nations1 and an instrument  
destined by ,divine ,providence to      
diffuse religion1 civilisation1 liberty1
 and law throughout the world4'  ,these 
messages were the signal for a fresh    
outburst of enthusiasm4 ,next morning a 
grand salute of #ajj guns resounded in  
,new ,york1 the streets were decorated  
with flags1 the bells of the churches   

rung1 and at night the city was         
illuminated4  ,the ,atlantic cable was a
 theme of inspiration for innumerable   
sermons and a prodigious quantity of    
doggerel4 ,among the happier lines were 
these3--       '',tis done6 the angry   
sea consents1      ,the nations stand no
 more apart2      ,with clasped hands   
the continents      ,feel throbbings of 
each other's heart4       ,speed6 speed 
the cable6 let it run      ,a loving    
girdle round the earth1      ,till all  
the nations 'neath the sun      ,shall  
be as brothers of one hearth4       ,as 
brothers pledging1 hand in hand1        
,one freedom for the world abroad1      
,one commerce over every land1      ,one
 language1 and one ,god4'  ,the         
rejoicing reached a climax in           
,september1 when a public service was   
held in ,trinity ,church1 and ,mr4      
,field1 the hero of the hour1 as head   
and mainspring of the expedition1       
received an ovation in the ,crystal     
,palace at ,new ,york4 ,the mayor       

presented him with a golden casket as a 
souvenir of 'the grandest enterprise of 
our day and generation4' ,the band      
played ',god save the ,queen1' and the  
whole audience rose to their feet4 ,in  
the evening there was a magnificent     
torchlight procession of the city       
firemen4  ,that very day the cable      
breathed its last4 ,its insulation had  
been failing for some days1 and the only
 signals which could be read were those 
given by the mirror galvanometer4,it is 
said to have broken down while          
,newfoundland was vainly attempting to  
inform ,valentia that it was sending    
with ,,three ,,hundred ,,and ,,twelve   
,,cells6 ,the reaction at this news was 
tremendous4 ,some writers even hinted   
that the line was a mere hoax1 and      
others pronounced it a stock exchange   
speculation4 ,sensible men doubted      
whether the cable had ever 'spoken2' but
 in addition to the royal despatch1     
items of daily news had passed through  
the wire2 for instance1 the announcement

 of a collision between two ships1 the  
,arabia and the ,europa1 off ,cape      
,race1 ,newfoundland1 and an order from 
,london1 countermanding the departure of
 a regiment in ,canada for the seat of  
the ,indian ,mutiny1 which had come to  
an end4  ,mr4 ,field was by no means    
daunted at the failure4 ,he was even    
more eager to renew the work1 since he  
had come so near to success4 ,but the   
public had lost confidence in the       
scheme1 and all his efforts to revive   
the company were futile4 ,it was not    
until #ahfd that with the assistance of 
,mr4 ,thomas 7afterwards ,lord7         
,brassey1 and ,mr4 7now ,sir7 ,john     
,fender1 that he succeeded in raising   
the necessary capital4 ,the ,glass1     
,elliot1 and ,gutta-,percha ,companies  
were united to form the well-known      
,telegraph ,construction and            
,maintenance ,company1 which undertook  
to manufacture and lay the new cable4   
,much experience had been gained in the 
meanwhile4 ,long cables had been        

submerged in the ,mediterranean and the 
,red ,sea4 ,the ,board of ,trade in     
#ahei had appointed a committee of      
experts1 including ,professor           
,wheatstone1 to investigate the whole   
subject1 and the results were published 
in a ,blue-book4 ,profiting by these    
aids1 an improved type of cable was     
designed4 ,the core consisted of a      
strand of seven very pure copper wires  
weighing #cjj lbs4 a knot1 coated with  
,chatterton's compound1 which is        
impervious to water1 then covered with  
four layers of gutta-percha alternating 
with four thin layers of the compound   
cementing the whole1 and bringing the   
weight of the insulator to #djj lbs4 per
 knot4 ,this core was served with hemp  
saturated in a preservative solution1   
and on the hemp as a padding were       
spirally wound eighteen single wires of 
soft steel1 each covered with fine      
strands of ,manilla yam steeped in the  
preservative4 ,the weight of the new    
cable was #ce4ge cwt4 per knot1 or      

nearly twice the weight of the old1 and 
it was stronger in proportion4  ,ten    
years before1 ,mr4 ,marc ,isambard      
,brunel1 the architect of the ,great    
,eastern1 had taken ,mr4 ,field to      
,blackwall1 where the leviathan was     
lying1 and said to him1 ',there is the  
ship to lay the ,atlantic cable4' ,she  
was now purchased to fulfil the mission4
 ,her immense hull was fitted with three
 iron tanks for the reception of #b1cjj 
miles of cable1 and her decks furnished 
with the paying-out gear4 ,captain 7now 
,sir7 ,james ,anderson1 of the ,cunard  
steamer ,china1 a thorough seaman1 was  
appointed to the command1 with ,captain 
,moriarty1 ,r4,n41 as chief navigating  
officer4 ,mr4 7afterwards ,sir7 ,samuel 
,canning was engineer for the           
contractors1 the ,telegraph             
,construction and ,maintenance ,company1
 and ,mr4 de ,sauty their electrician2  
,professor ,thomson and ,mr4 ,cromwell  
,fleetwood ,varley were the electricians
 for the ,atlantic ,telegraph ,company4 

,the ,press was ably represented by ,dr4
 ,w4 ,h4 ,russell1 correspondent of the 
,,times4 ,the ,great ,eastern took on   
board seven or eight thousand tons of   
coal to feed her fires1 a prodigious    
quantity of stores1 and a multitude of  
live stock which turned her decks into a
 farmyard4 ,her crew all told numbered  
#ejj men4  ,at noon on ,saturday1 ,july 
#ae1 #ahfe1 the ,great ,eastern left the
 ,nore for ,foilhommerum ,bay1 ,valentia
 ,island1 where the shore end was laid  
by the ,caroline4  ,at #e4cj p4m4 on    
,sunday1 ,july #bc1 amidst the firing of
 cannon and the cheers of the telegraph 
fleet1 she started on her voyage at a   
speed of about four knots an hour4 ,the 
weather was fine1 and all went well     
until next morning early1 when the boom 
of a gun signalled that a fault had     
broken out in the cable4 ,it turned out 
that a splinter of iron wire had        
penetrated the core4 ,more faults of the
 kind were discovered1 and as they      
always happened in the same watch1 there

 was a suspicion of foul play4 ,in      
repairing one of these on ,july #ca1    
after #a1jfb miles had been payed out1  
the cable snapped near the stern of the 
ship1 and the end was lost4 ',all is    
over1' quietly observed ,mr4 ,canning2  
and though spirited attempts were made  
to grapple the sunken line in two miles 
of water1 they failed to recover it4    
,the ,great ,eastern steamed back to    
,england1 where the indomitable ,mr4    
,field issued another prospectus1 and   
formed the ,anglo-,american ,telegraph  
,company1 with a capital of ,l#fjj1jjj1 
to lay a new cable and complete the     
broken one4 ,on ,july #g1 #ahff1 the    
,william ,cory laid the shore end at    
,valentia1 and on ,friday1 ,july #ac1   
about #c p4m41 the ,great ,eastern      
started paying-out once more4 ,friday is
 regarded as an unlucky1 and ,sunday as 
a lucky day by sailors4 ,the ,great     
,eastern started on ,sunday before and  
failed2 she succeeded now4 ,columbus    
sailed on a ,friday1 and discovered     

,america on a ,friday4 ,a private       
service of prayer was held at ,valentia 
by invitation of two directors of the   
company1 but otherwise there was no     
celebration of the event4 ,professor    
,thomson was on board2 but ,dr4 ,w4 ,h4 
,russell had gone to the seat of the    
,austro-,prussian war1 from which       
telegrams were received through the     
cable4  ,the 'big ship' was attended by 
three consorts1 the ,terrible1 to act as
 a spy on the starboard how1 and warn   
other vessels off the course1 the       
,medway on the port1 and the ,albany on 
the starboard quarter1 to drop or pick  
up buoys1 and make themselves generally 
useful4 ,despite the fickleness of the  
weather1 and a 'foul flake1' or clogging
 of the line as it ran out of the tank1 
there was no interruption of the work4  
,the 'old coffee mill1' as the sailors  
dubbed the paying-out gear1 kept        
grinding away4 ',i believe we shall do  
it this time1 ,jack1' said one of the   
crew to his mate4  ,on the evening of   

,friday1 ,july #bg1 the expedition made 
the entrance of ,trinity ,bay1          
,newfoundland1 in a thick fog1 and next 
morning the ,great ,eastern cast her    
anchor at ,heart's ,content4 ,flags were
 flying from the little church and the  
telegraph station on shore4 ,the ,great 
,eastern was dressed1 three cheers were 
given1 and a salute was fired4 ,at #i   
a4m4 a message from ,england cited these
 words from a leading article in the    
current ,,times3 ',it is a great work1 a
 glory to our age and nation1 and the   
men who have achieved it deserve to be  
honoured among the benefactors of their 
race4' ',treaty of peace signed between 
,prussia and ,austria4' ,the shore end  
was landed during the day by the        
,medway2 and ,captain ,anderson1 with   
the officers of the telegraph fleet1    
went in a body to the church to return  
thanks for the success of the           
expedition4 ,congratulations poured in1 
and friendly telegrams were again       
exchanged between ,her ,majesty and the 

,united ,states4 ,the great work had    
been finally accomplished1 and the two  
worlds were lastingly united4  ,on      
,august #i the ,great ,eastern put to   
sea again in order to grapple the lost  
cable of #ahfe1 and complete it to      
,newfoundland4 ,arriving in mid-ocean   
she proceeded to fish for the submerged 
line in two thousand fathoms of water1  
and after repeated failures1 involving  
thirty casts of the grapnel1 she hooked 
and raised it to surface1 then spliced  
it to the fresh cable in her hold1 and  
payed out to ,heart's ,content1 where   
she arrived on ,saturday1 ,september #g4
 ,there were now two fibres of          
intelligence between the two            
hemispheres4  ,on his return home1      
,professor ,thomson was among those who 
received the honour of knighthood for   
their services in connection with the   
enterprise4 ,he deserved it4 ,by his    
theory and apparatus he probably did    
more than any other man1 with the       
exception of ,mr4 ,field1 to further the

 ,atlantic telegraph4 ,we owe it to his 
admirable inventions1 the mirror        
instrument of #aheg and the siphon      
recorder of #ahfi1 that messages through
 long cables are so cheap and fast1 and1
 as a consequence1 that ocean telegraphy
 is now so common4 ,hence some account  
of these two instruments will not be out
 of place4  ,sir ,william ,thomson's    
siphon recorder1 in all its present     
completeness1 must take rank as a       
masterpiece of invention4 ,as used in   
the recording or writing in permanent   
characters of the messages sent through 
long submarine cables1 it is the        
acknowledged chief of 'receiving        
instruments1' as those apparatus are    
called which interpret the electrical   
condition of the telegraph wire into    
intelligible signals4 ,like other       
mechanical creations1 no doubt its      
growth in idea and translation into     
material fact was a step-by-step process
 of evolution1 culminating at last in   
its great fitness and beauty4  ,the     

marvellous development of telegraphy    
within the last generation has called   
into existence a great variety of       
receiving instruments1 each admirable in
 its way4 ,the ,hughes1 or the ,stock   
,exchange instruments1 for instance1    
print the message in ,roman characters2 
the sounders strike it out on stops or  
bells of different tone2 the needle     
instruments indicate it by oscillations 
of their needles2 the ,morse daubs it in
 ink on paper1 or embosses it by a hard 
style2 while ,bain's electro-chemical   
receiver stains it on chemically        
prepared paper4 ,the ,meyer-,baudot and 
the ,quadruple receive four messages at 
once and record them separately2 while  
the harmonic telegraph of ,elisha ,gray 
can receive as many as eight            
simultaneously1 by means of notes       
excited by the current in eight separate
 tuning forks4  ,but all these          
instruments have one great drawback for 
delicate work1 and1 however suitable    
they may be for land lines1 they are    

next to useless for long cables4 ,they  
require a certain definite strength of  
current to work them1 whatever it may   
be1 and in general it is very           
considerable4 ,most of the moving parts 
of the mechanism are comparatively      
heavy1 and unless the current is of the 
proper strength to move them1 the       
instrument is dumb1 while in ,bain's the
 solution requires a certain power of   
current to decompose it and leave the   
stain4  ,in overland lines the current  
traverses the wire suddenly1 like a     
bullet1 and at its full strength1 so    
that if the current be sufficiently     
strong these instruments will be worked 
at once1 and no time will be lost4 ,but 
it is quite different on submarine      
cables4 ,there the current is slow and  
varying4 ,it travels along the copper   
wire in the form of a wave or           
undulation1 and is received feebly at   
first1 then gradually rising to its     
maximum strength1 and finally dying away
 again as slowly as it rose4 ,in the    

,french ,atlantic cable no current can  
be detected by the most delicate        
galvanoscope at ,america for the first  
tenth of a second after it has been put 
on at ,brest2 and it takes about half a 
second for the received current to reach
 its maximum value4 ,this is owing to   
the phenomenon of induction1 very       
important in submarine cables1 but      
almost entirely absent in land lines4   
,in submarine cables1 as is well known1 
the copper wire which conveys the       
current is insulated from the sea-water 
by an envelope1 usually of gutta-percha4
 ,now the electricity sent into this    
wire ,,induces electricity of an        
opposite kind to itself in the sea-water
 outside1 and the attraction set up     
between these two kinds 'holds back' the
 current in the wire1 and retards its   
passage to the receiving station4  ,it  
follows1 that with a receiving          
instrument set to indicate a particular 
strength of current1 the rate of        
signalling would be very slow on long   

cables compared to land lines2 and that 
a different form of instrument is       
required for cable work4 ,this fact     
stood greatly in the way of early cable 
enterprise4 ,sir ,william 7then         
,professor7 ,thomson first solved the   
difficulty by his invention of the      
'mirror galvanometer1' and rendered at  
the same time the first ,atlantic cable 
company a commercial success4 ,the merit
 of this receiving instrument is1 that  
it indicates with extreme sensibility   
all the variations of the current in the
 cable1 so that1 instead of having to   
wait until each signal wave sent into   
the cable has travelled to the receiving
 end before sending another1 a series of
 waves may be sent after each other in  
rapid succession4 ,these waves1         
encroaching upon each other1 will       
coalesce at their bases2 but if the     
crests remain separate1 the delicate    
decipherer at the other end will take   
cognisance of them and make them known  
to the eye as the distinct signals of   

the message4  ,the mirror galvanometer  
is at once beautifully simple and       
exquisitely scientific4 ,it consists of 
a very long fine coil of silk-covered   
copper wire1 and in the heart of the    
coil1 within a little air-chamber1 a    
small round mirror1 having four tiny    
magnets cemented to its back1 is hung1  
by a single fibre of floss silk no      
thicker than a spider's line4 ,the      
mirror is of film glass silvered1 the   
magnets of hair-spring1 and both        
together sometimes weigh only one-tenth 
of a grain4 ,a beam of light is thrown  
from a lamp upon the mirror1 and        
reflected by it upon a white screen or  
scale a few feet distant1 where it forms
 a bright spot of light4  ,when there is
 no current on the instrument1 the spot 
of light remains stationary at the zero 
position on the screen2 but the instant 
a current traverses the long wire of the
 coil1 the suspended magnets twist      
themselves horizontally out of their    
former position1 the mirror is of course

 inclined with them1 and the beam of    
light is deflected along the screen to  
one side or the other1 according to the 
nature of the current4 ,if a ,,positive 
current--that is to say1 a current from 
the copper pole of the battery--gives a 
deflection to the ,,right of zero1 a    
,,negative current1 or a current from   
the zinc pole of the battery1 will give 
a deflection to the left of zero1 and   
,,vice ,,versa4  ,the air in the little 
chamber surrounding the mirror is       
compressed at will1 so as to act like a 
cushion1 and 'deaden' the movements of  
the mirror4 ,the needle is thus         
prevented from idly swinging about at   
each deflection1 and the separate       
signals are rendered abrupt and 'dead   
beat1' as it is called4  ,at a receiving
 station the current coming in from the 
cable has simply to be passed through   
the coil of the 'speaker' before it is  
sent into the ground1 and the wandering 
light spot on the screen faithfully     
represents all its variations to the    

clerk1 who1 looking on1 interprets      
these1 and cries out the message word by
 word4  ,the small weight of the mirror 
and magnets which form the moving part  
of this instrument1 and the range to    
which the minute motions of the mirror  
can be magnified on the screen by the   
reflected beam of light1 which acts as a
 long impalpable hand or pointer1 render
 the mirror galvanometer marvellously   
sensitive to the current1 especially    
when compared with other forms of       
receiving instruments4 ,messages have   
been sent from ,england to ,america     
through one ,atlantic cable and back    
again to ,england through another1 and  
there received on the mirror            
galvanometer1 the electric current used 
being that from a toy battery made out  
of a lady's silver thimble1 a grain of  
zinc1 and a drop of acidulated water4   
,the practical advantage of this extreme
 delicacy is1 that the signal waves of  
the current may follow each other so    
closely as almost entirely to coalesce1 

leaving only a very slight rise and fall
 of their crests1 like ripples on the   
surface of a flowing stream1 and yet the
 light spot will respond to each4 ,the  
main flow of the current will of course 
shift the zero of the spot1 but over and
 above this change of place the spot    
will follow the momentary fluctuations  
of the current which form the individual
 signals of the message4 ,what with this
 shifting of the zero and the very      
slight rise and fall in the current     
produced by rapid signalling1 the       
ordinary land line instruments are quite
 unserviceable for work upon long       
cables4  ,the mirror instrument has this
 drawback1 however--it does not 'record'
 the message4 ,there is a great         
practical advantage in a receiving      
instrument which records its messages2  
errors are avoided and time saved4 ,it  
was to supply such a desideratum for    
cable work that ,sir ,william ,thomson  
invented the siphon recorder1 his second
 important contribution to the province 

of practical telegraphy4 ,he aimed at   
giving a ,,graphic representation of the
 varying strength of the current1 just  
as the mirror galvanometer gives a      
visual one4 ,the difficulty of producing
 such a recorder was1 as he himself     
says1 due to a difficulty in obtaining  
marks from a very light body in rapid   
motion1 without impeding that motion4   
,the moving body must be quite free to  
follow the undulations of the current1  
and at the same time must record its    
motions by some indelible mark4 ,as     
early as #ahei1 ,sir ,william sent out  
to the ,red ,sea cable a piece of       
apparatus with this intent4 ,the marker 
consisted of a light platinum wire1     
constantly emitting sparks from a       
,rhumkorff coil1 so as to perforate a   
line on a strip of moving paper2 and it 
was so connected to the movable needle  
of a species of galvanometer as to      
imitate the motions of the needle4 ,but 
before it reached the ,red ,sea the     
cable had broken down1 and the          

instrument was returned dismantled1 to  
be superseded at length by the siphon   
recorder1 in which the marking point is 
a fine glass siphon emitting ink1 and   
the moving body a light coil of wire    
hung between the poles of a magnet4     
,the principle of the siphon recorder is
 exactly the inverse of the mirror      
galvanometer4 ,in the latter we have a  
small magnet suspended in the centre of 
a large coil of wire--the wire enclosing
 the magnet1 which is free to rotate    
round its own axis4 ,in the former we   
have a small coil suspended between the 
poles of a large magnet--the magnet     
enclosing the coil1 which is also free  
to rotate round its own axis4 ,when a   
current passes through this coil1 so    
suspended in the highly magnetic space  
between the poles of the magnet1 the    
coil itself experiences a mechanical    
force1 causing it to take up a          
particular position1 which varies with  
the nature of the current1 and the      
siphon which is attached to it          

faithfully figures its motion on the    
running paper4  ,the point of the siphon
 does not touch the paper1 although it  
is very close4 ,it would impede the     
motion of the coil if it did4 ,but the  
'capillary attraction' of so fine a tube
 will not permit the ink to flow freely 
of itself1 so the inventor1 true to his 
instincts1 again called in the aid of   
electricity1 and electrified the ink4   
,the siphon and reservoir are together  
supported by an ,,ebonite bracket1      
separate from the rest of the           
instrument1 and ,,insulated from it2    
that is to say1 electricity cannot      
escape from them to the instrument4 ,the
 ink may1 therefore1 be electrified to  
an exalted state1 or high ,,potential as
 it is called1 while the body of the    
instrument1 including the paper and     
metal writing-tablet1 are in connection 
with the earth1 and at low potential1 or
 none at all1 for the potential of the  
earth is in general taken as zero4  ,the
 ink1 for example1 is like a            

highly-charged thunder-cloud supported  
over the earth's surface4 ,now the      
tendency of a charged body is to move   
from a place of higher to a place of    
lower potential1 and consequently the   
ink tends to flow downwards to the      
writing-tablet4 ,the only avenue of     
escape for it is by the fine glass      
siphon1 and through this it rushes      
accordingly and discharges itself in a  
rain upon the paper4 ,the natural       
repulsion between its like electrified  
particles causes the shower to issue in 
spray4 ,as the paper moves over the     
pulleys a delicate hair line is marked1 
straight when the siphon is stationary1 
but curved when the siphon is pulled    
from side to side by the oscillations of
 the signal coil4  ,it is to the        
mouse-mill that me must look both for   
the electricity which is used to        
electrify the ink and for the motive    
power which drives the paper4 ,this     
unique and interesting little motor owes
 its somewhat epigrammatic title to the 

resemblance of the drum to one of those 
sparred wheels turned by white mice1 and
 to the amusing fact of its capacity for
 performing work having been originally 
computed in terms of a 'mouse-power4'   
,the mill is turned by a stream of      
electricity flowing from the battery    
above described1 and is1 in fact1 an    
electro-magnetic engine worked by the   
current4  ,the alphabet of signals      
employed is the ',morse code1' so       
generally in vogue throughout the world4
 ,in the ,morse code the letters of the 
alphabet are represented by combinations
 of two distinct elementary signals1    
technically called 'dots' and 'dashes1' 
from the fact that the ,morse recorder  
actually marks the message in long and  
short lines1 or dots and dashes4 ,in the
 siphon recorder script dots and dashes 
are represented by curves of opposite   
flexure4 ,the condensers are merely used
 to sharpen the action of the current1  
and render the signals more concise and 
distinct on long cables4 ,on short      

cables1 say under three hundred miles   
long1 they are rarely1 if ever1 used4   
,the speed of signalling by the siphon  
recorder is of course regulated by the  
length of cable through which it is     
worked4 ,the instrument itself is       
capable of a wide range of speed4 ,the  
best operators cannot send over         
thirty-five words per minute by hand1   
but a hundred and twenty words or more  
per minute can be transmitted by an     
automatic sender1 and the recorder has  
been found on land lines and short      
cables to write off the message at this 
incredible speed4 ,when we consider that
 every word is1 on the average1 composed
 of fifteen separate waves1 we may      
better appreciate the rapidity with     
which the siphon can move4 ,on an       
ordinary cable of about a thousand miles
 long1 the working speed is about twenty
 words per minute4 ,on the ,french      
,atlantic it is usually about thirteen1 
although as many as seventeen have      
sometimes been sent4  ,the 'duplex'     

system1 or method of telegraphing in    
opposite directions at once through the 
same wire1 has of late years been       
applied1 in connection with the         
recorder1 to all the long cables of that
 most enterprising of telegraph         
companies--the ,eastern--so that both   
stations may 'speak' to each other      
simultaneously4 ,thus the carrying      
capacity of the wire is in practice     
nearly doubled1 and recorders are busy  
writing at both ends of the cable at    
once1 as if the messages came up out of 
the sea itself4  ,we have thus far      
followed out the recorder in its        
practical application to submarine      
telegraphy4 ,let us now regard it for a 
moment in its more philosophic aspect4  
,we are at once struck with its         
self-dependence as a machine1 and even  
its resemblance in some respects to a   
living creature4 ,all its activity      
depends on the galvanic current4 ,from  
three separate sources invisible        
currents are led to its principal parts1

 and are at once physically changed4    
,that entering the mouse-mill becomes   
transmuted in part into the mechanical  
motion of the revolving drum1 and part  
into electricity of a more intense      
nature--into mimic lightning1 in fact1  
with its accompaniments of heat and     
sound4 ,that entering the signal magnet 
expends part of its force in the        
magnetism of the core4 ,that entering   
the signal coil1 which may be taken as  
the brain of the instrument1 appears to 
us as ,,intelligence4  ,the recorder is 
now in use in all four quarters of the  
globe1 from ,northern ,europe to        
,southern ,brazil1 from ,china to ,new  
,england4 ,many and complete are the    
adjustments for rendering it serviceable
 under a wide range of electrical       
conditions and climatic changes4 ,the   
siphon is1 of course1 in a mechanical   
sense1 the most delicate part1 but1 in  
an electrical sense1 the mouse-mill     
proves the most susceptible4 ,it is     
essential for the fine marking of the   

siphon that the ink should neither be   
too strongly nor too feebly electrified4
 ,when the atmosphere is moderately     
humid1 a proper supply of electricity is
 generated by the mouse-mill1 the paper 
is sufficiently moist1 and the ink flows
 freely4 ,but an excess of moisture in  
the air diminishes the available supply 
of ,,exalted electricity4 ,in fact1 the 
damp depositing on the parts leads the  
electricity away1 and the ink tends to  
clog in the siphon4 ,on the other hand1 
drought not only supercharges the ink1  
but dries the paper so much that it     
,,insulates the siphon point from the   
metal tablet and the earth4 ,there is   
then an insufficient escape for the     
electricity of the ink to earth2 the ink
 ceases to flow down the siphon2 the    
siphon itself becomes highly electrified
 and agitated with vibrations of its    
own2 the line becomes spluttered and    
uncertain4  ,various devices are        
employed at different stations to cure  
these local complaints4 ,the electrician

 soon learns to diagnose and prescribe  
for this1 his most valuable charge4 ,at 
,aden1 where they suffer much from      
humidity1 the mouse-mill is or has been 
surrounded with burning carbon4 ,at     
,malta a gas flame was used for the same
 purpose4 ,at ,suez1 where they suffer  
from drought1 a cloud of steam was kept 
rising round the instrument1 saturating 
the air and paper4 ,at more temperate   
places the ordinary means of drying the 
air by taking advantage of the absorbing
 power of sulphuric acid for moisture   
prevailed4 ,at ,marseilles the recorder 
acted in some respects like a barometer4
 ,marseilles is subject to sudden       
incursions of dry northerly winds1      
termed the ,,mistral4 ,the recorder     
never failed to indicate the mistral    
when it blew1 and sometimes even to     
predict it by many hours4 ,before the   
storm was itself felt1 the delicate     
glass pen became agitated and disturbed1
 the frail blue line broken and         
irregular4 ,the electrician knew that   

the mistral would blow before long1 and1
 as it rarely blows for less than three 
days at a time1 that rather rude wind1  
so dreaded by the ,marseillaise1 was    
doubly dreaded by him4  ,the recorder   
was first used experimentally at ,st4   
,pierre1 on the ,french ,atlantic cable1
 in #ahfi4 ,this was numbered #j1 as we 
were told by ,mr4 ,white of ,glasgow1   
the maker1 whose skill has contributed  
not a little to the success of the      
recorder4 ,no4 #a was first used        
practically on the ,falmouth and        
,gibraltar cable of the ,eastern        
,telegraph ,company in ,july1 #ahgj4    
,no4 #a was also exhibited at ,mr4 7now 
,sir ,john7 ,pender's telegraph soiree  
in #ahgj4 ,on that occasion1 memorable  
even beyond telegraphic circles1 'three 
hundred of the notabilities of rank and 
fashion gathered together at ,mr4       
,pender's house in ,arlington ,street1  
,piccadilly1 to celebrate the completion
 of submarine communication between     
,london and ,bombay by the successful   

laying of the ,falmouth1 ,gibraltar and 
,malta and the ,british ,indian cable   
lines4' ,mr4 ,pender's house was        
literally turned outside in2 the front  
door was removed1 the courtyard         
temporarily covered with an iron roof   
and the whole decorated in the grandest 
style4 ,over the gateway was a gallery  
filled with the band of the ,scots      
,fusilier ,guards2 and over the portico 
of the house door hung the grapnel which
 brought up the #ahfe cable1 made       
resplendent to the eye by a coating of  
gold leaf4 ,a handsome staircase1 newly 
erected1 permitted the guests to pass   
from the reception-room to the          
drawing-room4 ,in the grounds at the    
back of the house stood the royal tent1 
where the ,prince of ,wales and a select
 party1 including the ,duke of          
,cambridge and ,lady ,mayo1 wife of the 
,viceroy of ,india at that time1 were   
entertained at supper4 ,into this tent  
were brought wires from ,india1         
,america1 ,egypt1 and other places1 and 

,lady ,mayo sent off a message to ,india
 about half-past eleven1 and had        
received a reply before twelve1 telling 
her that her husband and sons were quite
 well at five o'clock the next morning4 
,the recorder1 which was shown in       
operation1 naturally stood in the place 
of honour1 and attracted great          
attention4  ,the minor features of the  
recorder have been simplified by other  
inventors of late2 for example1 magnets 
of steel have been substituted for the  
electro-magnets which influence the     
swinging coil2 and the ink1 instead of  
being electrified by the mouse-mill1 is 
shed on the paper by a rapid vibration  
of the siphon point4  ,to introduce his 
apparatus for signalling on long        
submarine cables1 ,sir ,william ,thomson
 entered into a partnership with ,mr4   
,c4 ,f4 ,varley1 who first applied      
condensers to sharpen the signals1 and  
,professor ,fleeming ,jenkin1 of        
,edinburgh ,university4 ,in conjunction 
with the latter1 he also devised an     

'automatic curb sender1' or key1 for    
sending messages on a cable1 as the     
well-known ,wheatstone transmitter sends
 them on a land line4  ,in both         
instruments the signals are sent by     
means of a perforated ribbon of paper2  
but the cable sender was the more       
complicated1 because the cable signals  
are formed by both positive and negative
 currents1 and not merely by a single   
current1 whether positive or negative4  
,moreover1 to curb the prolongation of  
the signals due to induction1 each      
signal was made by two opposite currents
 in succession--a positive followed by a
 negative1 or a negative followed by a  
positive1 as the case might be4 ,the    
after-current had the effect of curbing 
its precursor4 ,this self-acting cable  
key was brought out in #ahgf1 and tried 
on the lines of the ,eastern ,telegraph 
,company4  ,sir ,william ,thomson took  
part in the laying of the ,french       
,atlantic cable of #ahfi1 and with      
,professor ,jenkin was engineer of the  

,western and ,brazilian and             
,platino-,brazilian cables4 ,he was     
present at the laying of the ,para to   
,pernambuco section of the ,brazilian   
coast cables in #ahgc1 and introduced   
his method of deep-sea sounding1 in     
which a steel pianoforte wire replaces  
the ordinary land line4 ,the wire glides
 so easily to the bottom that 'flying   
soundings' can be taken while the ship  
is going at full speed4 ,a              
pressure-gauge to register the depth of 
the sinker has been added by ,sir       
,william4  ,about the same time he      
revived the ,sumner method of finding a 
ship's place at sea1 and calculated a   
set of tables for its ready application4
 ,his most important aid to the mariner 
is1 however1 the adjustable compass1    
which he brought out soon afterwards4   
,it is a great improvement on the older 
instrument1 being steadier1 less        
hampered by friction1 and the deviation 
due to the ship's own magnetism can be  
corrected by movable masses of iron at  

the binnacle4  ,sir ,william is himself 
a skilful navigator1 and delights to    
cruise in his fine yacht1 the ,lalla    
,rookh1 among the ,western ,islands1 or 
up the ,mediterranean1 or across the    
,atlantic to ,madeira and ,america4 ,his
 interest in all things relating to the 
sea perhaps arose1 or at any rate was   
fostered1 by his experiences on the     
,agamemnon and the ,great ,eastern4     
,babbage was among the first to suggest 
that a lighthouse might be made to      
signal a distinctive number by          
occultations of its light2 but ,sir     
,william pointed out the merits of the  
,morse telegraphic code for the purpose1
 and urged that the signals should      
consist of short and long flashes of the
 light to represent the dots and dashes4
  ,sir ,william has done more than any  
other electrician to introduce accurate 
methods and apparatus for measuring     
electricity4 ,as early as #ahde his mind
 was attracted to this subject4 ,he     
pointed out that the experimental       

results of ,william ,snow ,harris were  
in accordance with the laws of ,coulomb4
  ,in the ,memoirs of the ,roman        
,academy of ,sciences for #aheg he      
published a description of his new      
divided ring electrometer1 which is     
based on the old electroscope of        
,bohnenberger and since then he has     
introduced a chain or series of         
beautiful and effective instruments1    
including the quadrant electrometer1    
which cover the entire field of         
electrostatic measurement4 ,his delicate
 mirror galvanometer has also been the  
forerunner of a later circle of equally 
precise apparatus for the measurement of
 current or dynamic electricity4  ,to   
give even a brief account of all his    
physical researches would require a     
separate volume2 and many of them are   
too abstruse or mathematical for the    
general reader4 ,his varied services    
have been acknowledged by numerous      
distinctions1 including the highest     
honour a ,british man of science can    

obtain--the ,presidency of the ,royal   
,society of ,london1 to which he was    
elected at the end of last year4  ,sir  
,william ,thomson has been all his life 
a firm believer in the truth of         
,christianity1 and his great scientific 
attainments add weight to the following 
words1 spoken by him when in the chair  
at the annual meeting of the ,christian 
,evidence ,society1 ,may #bc1           
#ahhi3--';,i have long felt that there  
was a general impression in the         
non-scientific world1 that the          
scientific world believes ,science has  
discovered ways of explaining all the   
facts of ,nature without adopting any   
definite belief in a ,creator4 ,i have  
never doubted that that impression was  
utterly groundless4 ,it seems to me that
 when a scientific man says--as it has  
been said from time to time--that there 
is no ,god1 he does not express his own 
ideas clearly4 ,he is1 perhaps1         
struggling with difficulties2 but when  
he says he does not believe in a        

creative power1 ,i am convinced he does 
not faithfully express what is in his   
own mind1 ,he does not fully express his
 own ideas4 ,he is out of his depth4    
',we are all out of our depth when we   
approach the subject of life4 ,the      
scientific man1 in looking at a piece of
 dead matter1 thinking over the results 
of certain combinations which he can    
impose upon it1 is himself a living     
miracle1 proving that there is something
 beyond that mass of dead matter of     
which he is thinking4 ,his very thought 
is in itself a contradiction to the idea
 that there is nothing in existence but 
dead matter4 ,science can do little     
positively towards the objects of this  
society4 ,but it can do something1 and  
that something is vital and fundamental4
 ,it is to show that what we see in the 
world of dead matter and of life around 
us is not a result of the fortuitous    
concourse of atoms4  ',i may refer to   
that old1 but never uninteresting       
subject of the miracles of geology4     

,physical science does something for us 
here4 ,st4 ,peter speaks of scoffers who
 said that all things continue as they  
were from the beginning of the creation2
 but the apostle affirms himself that   
all these things shall be dissolved4 ,it
 seems to me that even physical science 
absolutely demonstrates the scientific  
truth of these words4 ,we feel that     
there is no possibility of things going 
on for ever as they have done for the   
last six thousand years4 ,in science1 as
 in morals and politics1 there is       
absolutely no periodicity4 ,one thing we
 may prophesy of the future for         
certain--it will be unlike the past4    
,everything is in a state of evolution  
and progress4 ,the science of dead      
matter1 which has been the principal    
subject of my thoughts during my life1  
is1 ,i may say1 strenuous on this point1
 that ,,the ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,earth    
,,is ,,definite4 ,we do not say whether 
it is twenty million years or more1 or  
less1 but me say it is ,,not            

,,indefinite4 ,and we can say very      
definitely that it is not an            
inconceivably great number of millions  
of years4 ,here1 then1 we are brought   
face to face with the most wonderful of 
all miracles1 the commencement of life  
on this earth4 ,this earth1 certainly a 
moderate number of millions of years    
ago1 was a red-hot globe2 all scientific
 men of the present day agree that life 
came upon this earth somehow4 ,if some  
form or some part of the life at present
 existing came to this earth1 carried on
 some moss-grown stone perhaps broken   
away from mountains in other worlds2    
even if some part of the life had come  
in that way--for there is nothing too   
far-fetched in the idea1 and probably   
some such action as that did take place1
 since meteors do come every day to the 
earth from other parts of the           
universe2--still1 that does not in the  
slightest degree diminish the wonder1   
the tremendous miracle1 we have in the  
commencement of life in this world4'    

,,chapter ,v4 ,,charles ,,william       
,,siemens4  ,charles ,william ,siemens  
was born on ,april #d1 #ahbc1 at the    
little village of ,lenthe1 about eight  
miles from ,hanover1 where his father1  
,mr4 ,christian ,ferdinand ,siemens1 was
 ',domanen-pachter1' and farmed an      
estate belonging to the ,crown4 ,his    
mother was ,eleonore ,deichmann1 a lady 
of noble disposition1 and ,william1 or  
,carl ,wilhelm1 was the fourth son of a 
family of fourteen children1 several of 
whom have distinguished themselves in   
scientific pursuits4 ,of these1 ,ernst  
,werner ,siemens1 the fourth child1 and 
now the famous electrician of ,berlin1  
was associated with ,william in many of 
his inventions2 ,fritz1 the ninth child1
 is the head of the well-known ,dresden 
glass works2 and ,carl1 the tenth child1
 is chief of the equally well-known     
electrical works at ,st4 ,petersburg4   
,several of the family died young2      
others remained in ,germany2 but the    
enterprising spirit1 natural to them1   

led most of the sons abroad--,walter1   
the twelfth child1 dying at ,tiflis as  
the ,german ,consul there1 and ,otto1   
the fourteenth child1 also dying at the 
same place4 ,it would be difficult to   
find a more remarkable family in any age
 or country4 ,soon after the birth of   
,william1 ,mr4 ,siemens removed to a    
larger estate which he had leased at    
,menzendorf1 near ,lubeck4  ,as a child 
,william was sensitive and affectionate1
 the baby of the family1 liking to roam 
the woods and fields by himself1 and    
curious to observe1 but not otherwise   
giving any signs of the engineer4 ,he   
received his education at a commercial  
academy in ,lubeck1 the ,industrial     
,school at ,magdeburg 7city of the      
memorable burgomaster1 ,otto von        
,guericke71 and at the ,university of   
,gottingen1 which he entered in #ahda1  
while in his eighteenth year4 ,were he  
attended the chemical lectures of       
,woehler1 the discoverer of organic     
synthesis1 and of ,professor ,himly1 the

 well-known physicist1 who was married  
to ,siemens's eldest sister1 ,mathilde4 
,with a year at ,gottingen1 during which
 he laid the basis of his theoretical   
knowledge1 the academical training of   
,siemens came to an end1 and he entered 
practical life in the engineering works 
of ,count ,stolberg1 at ,magdeburg4 ,at 
the ,university he had been instructed  
in mechanical laws and designs2 here he 
learned the nature and use of tools and 
the construction of machines4 ,but as   
his ,university career at ,gottingen    
lasted only about a year1 so did his    
apprenticeship at the ,stolberg ,works4 
,in this short time1 however1 he        
probably reaped as much advantage as a  
duller pupil during a far longer term4  
,young ,siemens appears to have been    
determined to push his way forward4 ,in 
#ahda his brother ,werner obtained a    
patent in ,prussia for electro-silvering
 and gilding2 and in #ahdc ,charles     
,william came to ,england to try and    
introduce the process here4 ,in his     

address on ',science and ,industry1'    
delivered before the ,birmingham and    
,midland ,institute in #ahha1 while the 
,paris ,electrical ,exhibition was      
running1 ,sir ,william gave a most      
interesting account of his experiences  
during that first visit to the country  
of his adoption4  ',when1' said he1 'the
 electrotype process first became known1
 it excited a very general interest2 and
 although ,i was only a young student at
 ,gottingen1 under twenty years of age1 
who had just entered upon his practical 
career with a mechanical engineer1 ,i   
joined my brother1 ,werner ,siemens1    
then a young lieutenant of artillery in 
the ,prussian service1 in his endeavours
 to accomplish electro-gilding2 the     
first impulse in this direction having  
been given by ,professor ,c4 ,himly1    
then of ,gottingen4 ,after attaining    
some promising results1 a spirit of     
enterprise came over me1 so strong that 
,i tore myself away from the narrow     
circumstances surrounding me1 and landed

 at the east end of ,london with only a 
few pounds in my pocket and without     
friends1 but with an ardent confidence  
of ultimate success within my breast4   
',i expected to find some office in     
which inventions were examined into1 and
 rewarded if found meritorious1 but no  
one could direct me to such a place4 ,in
 walking along ,finsbury ,pavement1 ,i  
saw written up in large letters1        
,so-and-so 7,i forget the name71        
,undertaker1 and the thought struck me  
that this must be the place ,i was in   
quest of2 at any rate1 ,i thought that a
 person advertising himself as an       
undertaker would not refuse to look into
 my invention with a view of obtaining  
for me the sought-for recognition or    
reward4 ,on entering the place ,i soon  
convinced myself1 however1 that ,i came 
decidedly too soon for the kind of      
enterprise here contemplated1 and1      
finding myself confronted with the      
proprietor of the establishment1 ,i     
covered my retreat by what he must have 

thought a very lame excuse4 ,by dint of 
perseverance ,i found my way to the     
patent office of ,messrs4 ,poole and    
,carpmael1 who received me kindly1 and  
provided me with a letter of            
introduction to ,mr4 ,elkington4 ,armed 
with this letter1 ,i proceeded to       
,birmingham1 to plead my cause before   
your townsman4  ',in looking back to    
that time1 ,i wonder at the patience    
with which ,mr4 ,elkington listened to  
what ,i had to say1 being very young1   
and scarcely able to find ,english words
 to convey my meaning4 ,after showing me
 what he was doing already in the way of
 electro-plating1 ,mr4 ,elkington sent  
me back to ,london in order to read some
 patents of his own1 asking me to return
 if1 after perusal1 ,i still thought ,i 
could teach him anything4 ,to my great  
disappointment1 ,i found that the       
chemical solutions ,i had been using    
were actually mentioned in one of his   
patents1 although in a manner that would
 hardly have sufficed to enable a third 

person to obtain practical results4  ,on
 my return to ,birmingham ,i frankly    
stated what ,i had found1 and with this 
frankness ,i evidently gained the favour
 of another townsman of yours1 ,mr4     
,josiah ,mason1 who had just joined ,mr4
 ,elkington in business1 and whose name1
 as ,sir ,josiah ,mason1 will ever be   
remembered for his munificent endowment 
of education4 ,it was agreed that ,i    
should not be judged by the novelty of  
my invention1 but by the results which  
,i promised1 namely1 of being able to   
deposit with a smooth surface #cj dwt4  
of silver upon a dish-cover1 the        
crystalline structure of the deposit    
having theretofore been a source of     
difficulty4 ,in this ,i succeeded1 and  
,i was able to return to my native      
country and my mechanical engineering a 
comparative ,croesus4  ',but it was not 
for long1 as in the following year      
7#ahdd7 ,i again landed in the ,thames  
with another invention1 worked out also 
with my brother1 namely1 the            

chronometric governor1 which1 though    
less successful1 commercially speaking1 
than the first1 obtained for me the     
advantage of bringing me into contact   
with the engineering world1 and of      
fixing me permanently in this country4  
,this invention was in course of time   
applied by ,sir ,george ,airy1 the then 
,astronomer-,royal1 for regulating the  
motion of his great transit and         
touch-recording instrument at the ,royal
 ,observatory1 where it still continues 
to be employed4  ',another early subject
 of mine1 the anastatic printing        
process1 found favour with ,faraday1 the
 great and the good1 who made it the    
subject of a ,friday evening lecture at 
the ,royal ,institution4 ,these two     
circumstances1 combined1 obtained for me
 an entry into scientific circles1 and  
helped to sustain me in difficulty1     
until1 by dint of a certain             
determination to win1 ,i was able to    
advance step by step up to this place of
 honour1 situated within a gunshot of   

the scene of my earliest success in     
life1 but separated from it by the time 
of a generation4 ,but notwithstanding   
the lapse of time1 my heart still beats 
quick each time ,i come back to the     
scene of this1 the determining incident 
of my life4'  ,the 'anastatic' process1 
described by ,faraday in #ahde1 and     
partly due to ,werner ,siemens1 was a   
method of reproducing printed matter by 
transferring the print from paper to    
plates of zinc4 ,caustic baryta was     
applied to the printed sheet to convert 
the resinous ingredients of the ink into
 an insoluble soap1 the stearine being  
precipitated with sulphuric acid4 ,the  
letters were then transferred to the    
zinc by pressure1 so as to be printed   
from4 ,the process1 though ingenious and
 of much interest at the time1 has long 
ago been superseded by photographic     
methods4  ,even at this time ,siemens   
had several irons in the fire4 ,besides 
the printing process and the            
chronometric governor1 which operated by

 the differential movement between the  
engine and a chronometer1 he was        
occupied with some minor improvements at
 ,hoyle's ,calico ,printing ,works4 ,he 
also engaged in railway works from time 
to time2 and in #ahdf he brought out a  
double cylinder air-pump1 in which the  
two cylinders are so combined1 that the 
compressing side of the first and larger
 cylinder communicated with the suction 
side of the second and smaller cylinder1
 and the limit of exhaustion was thereby
 much extended4 ,the invention was well 
received at the time1 but is now almost 
forgotten4  ,siemens had been trained as
 a mechanical engineer1 and1 although he
 became an eminent electrician in later 
life1 his most important work at this   
early stage was non-electrical2 indeed1 
the greatest achievement of his life was
 non-electrical1 for we must regard the 
regenerative furnace as his ,,magnum    
,,opus4 ,though in #ahdg he published a 
paper in ,liebig's ,,annalen ,,der      
,,chemie on the ',mercaptan of          

,selenium1' his mind was busy with the  
new ideas upon the nature of heat which 
were promulgated by ,carnot1 ,clayperon1
 ,joule1 ,clausius1 ,mayer1 ,thomson1   
and ,rankine4 ,he discarded the older   
notions of heat as a substance1 and     
accepted it as a form of energy4        
,working on this new line of thought1   
which gave him an advantage over other  
inventors of his time1 he made his first
 attempt to economise heat1 by          
constructing1 in #ahdg1 at the factory  
of ,mr4 ,john ,hick1 of ,bolton1 an     
engine of four horse-power1 having a    
condenser provided with regenerators1   
and utilising superheated steam4 ,two   
years later he continued his experiments
 at the works of ,messrs4 ,fox1         
,henderson1 and ,co41 of ,smethwick1    
near ,birmingham1 who had taken the     
matter in hand4 ,the use of superheated 
steam was1 however1 attended with many  
practical difficulties1 and the         
invention was not entirely successful1  
but it embraced the elements of success2

 and the ,society of ,arts1 in #ahej1   
acknowledged the value of the principle1
 by awarding ,mr4 ,siemens a gold medal 
for his regenerative condenser4 ,various
 papers read before the ,institution of 
,mechanical ,engineers1 the ,institution
 of ,civil ,engineers1 or appearing in  
,,dingler',s ,,journal and the ,,journal
 ,,of ,,the ,,franklin ,,institute about
 this time1 illustrate the workings of  
his mind upon the subject4 ,that read in
 #ahec1 before the ,institution of      
,civil ,engineers1 ',on the ,conversion 
of ,heat into ,mechanical ,effect1' was 
the first of a long series of           
communications to that learned body1 and
 gained for its author the ,telford     
premium and medal4 ,in it he contended  
that a perfect engine would be one in   
which all the heat applied to the steam 
was used up in its expansion behind a   
working piston1 leaving none to be sent 
into a condenser or the atmosphere1 and 
that the best results in any actual     
engine would be attained by carrying    

expansion to the furthest possible      
limit1 or1 in practice1 by the          
application of a regenerator4 ,anxious  
to realise his theories further1 he     
constructed a twenty horse-power engine 
on the regenerative plan1 and exhibited 
it at the ,paris ,universal ,exhibition 
of #ahee2 but1 not realising his        
expectations1 he substituted for it     
another of seven-horse power1 made by   
,m4 ,farcot1 of ,paris1 which was found 
to work with considerable economy4 ,the 
use of superheated steam1 however1 still
 proved a drawback1 and the ,siemens    
engine has not been extensively used4   
,on the other hand1 the ,siemens        
water-meter1 which he introduced in     
#ahea1 has been very widely used1 not   
only in this country1 but abroad4 ,it   
acts equally well under all variations  
of pressure1 and with a constant or an  
intermittent supply4  ,meanwhile his    
brother ,werner had been turning his    
attention to telegraphy1 and the        
correspondence which never ceased       

between the brothers kept ,william      
acquainted with his doings4 ,in #ahdd1  
,werner1 then an officer in the         
,prussian army1 was appointed to a berth
 in the artillery workshops of ,berlin1 
where he began to take an interest in   
the new art of telegraphy4 ,in #ahde    
,werner patented his dial and printing  
telegraph instruments1 which came into  
use all over ,germany1 and introduced an
 automatic alarm on the same principle4 
,these inventions led to his being made1
 in #ahdf1 a member of a commission in  
,berlin for the introduction of electric
 telegraphs instead of semaphores4 ,he  
advocated the use of gutta-percha1 then 
a new material1 for the insulation of   
underground wires1 and in #ahdg designed
 a screw-press for coating the wires    
with the gum rendered plastic by heat4  
,the following year he laid the first   
great underground telegraph line from   
,berlin to ,frankfort-on-the-,main1 and 
soon afterwards left the army to engage 
with ,mr4 ,halske in the management of a

 telegraph factory which they had       
conjointly established in #ahdg4 ,in    
#aheb ,william took an office in ,john  
,street1 ,adelphi1 with a view to       
practise as a civil engineer4 ,eleven   
years later1 ,mr4 ,halske and ,william  
,siemens founded in ,london the house of
 ,siemens1 ,halske  ,co41 which began   
with a small factory at ,millbank1 and  
developed in course of time into the    
well-known firm of ,messrs4 ,siemens    
,brothers1 and was recently transformed 
into a limited liability company4  ,in  
#ahei ,william ,siemens became a        
naturalised ,englishman1 and from this  
time forward took an active part in the 
progress of ,english engineering and    
telegraphy4 ,he devoted a great part of 
his time to electrical invention and    
research2 and the number of telegraph   
apparatus of all sorts--telegraph       
cables1 land lines1 and their           
accessories--which have emanated from   
the ,siemens ,telegraph ,works has been 
remarkable4 ,the engineers of this firm 

have been pioneers of the electric      
telegraph in every quarter of the globe1
 both by land and sea4 ,the most        
important aerial line erected by the    
firm was the ,indo-,european telegraph  
line1 through ,prussia1 ,russia1 and    
,persia1 to ,india4 ,the ,north ,china  
cable1 the ,platino-,brazileira1 and the
 ,direct ,united ,states cable1 were    
laid by the firm1 the latter in #ahgd-e 
,so also was the ,french ,atlantic      
cable1 and the two ,jay ,could ,atlantic
 cables4 ,at the time of his death the  
manufacture and laying of the           
,bennett-,mackay ,atlantic cables was in
 progress at the company's works1       
,charlton4 ,some idea of the extent of  
this manufactory may be gathered from   
the fact that it gives employment to    
some #b1jjj men4 ,all branches of       
electrical work are followed out in its 
various departments1 including the      
construction of dynamos and electric    
lamps4  ,on ,july #bc1 #ahei1 ,siemens  
was married at ,st4 ,james's1           

,paddington1 to ,anne1 the youngest     
daughter of ,mr4 ,joseph ,gordon1       
,writer to the ,signet1 ,edinburgh1 and 
brother to ,mr4 ,lewis ,gordon1         
,professor of ,engineering in the       
,university of ,glasgow1 ,he used to say
 that on ,march #ai of that year he took
 oath and allegiance to two ladies in   
one day--to the ,queen and his          
betrothed4 ,the marriage was a          
thoroughly happy one4  ,although much   
engaged in the advancement of           
telegraphy1 he was also occupied with   
his favourite idea of regeneration4 ,the
 regenerative gas furnace1 originally   
invented in #ahdh by his brother        
,friedrich1 was perfected and introduced
 by him during many succeeding years4   
,the difficulties overcome in the       
development of this invention were      
enormous1 but the final triumph was     
complete4  ,the principle of this       
furnace consists in utilising the heat  
of the products of combustion to warm up
 the gaseous fuel and air which enters  

the furnace4 ,this is done by making    
these products pass through brickwork   
chambers which absorb their heat and    
communicate it to the gas and air       
currents going to the flame4 ,an        
extremely high temperature is thus      
obtained1 and the furnace has1 in       
consequence1 been largely used in the   
manufacture of glass and steel4  ,before
 the introduction of this furnace1      
attempts had been made to produce       
cast-steel without the use of a         
crucible--that is to say1 on the 'open  
hearth' of the furnace4 ,reaumur was    
probably the first to show that steel   
could be made by fusing malleable iron  
with cast-iron4 ,heath patented the     
process in #ahde2 and a quantity of     
cast-steel was actually prepared in this
 way1 on the bed of a reverberatory     
furnace1 by ,sudre1 in ,france1 during  
the year #ahfj4 ,but the furnace was    
destroyed in the act2 and it remained   
for ,siemens1 with his regenerative     
furnace1 to realise the object4 ,in     

#ahfb ,mr4 ,charles ,atwood1 of ,tow    
,law1 agreed to erect such a furnace1   
and give the process a fair trial2 but  
although successful in producing the    
steel1 he was afraid its temper was not 
satisfactory1 and discontinued the      
experiment4 ,next year1 however1        
,siemens1 who was not to be             
disheartened1 made another attempt with 
a large furnace erected at the          
,montlucon ,works1 in ,france1 where he 
was assisted by the late ,m4 le         
,chatellier1 ,inspecteur-,general des   
,mines4 ,some charges of steel were     
produced2 but here again the roof of the
 furnace melted down1 and the company   
which had undertaken the trials gave    
them up4 ,the temperature required for  
the manufacture of the steel was higher 
than the melting point of most          
fire-bricks4 ,further endeavours also   
led to disappointments2 but in the end  
the inventor was successful4 ,he erected
 experimental works at ,birmingham1 and 
gradually matured his process until it  

was so far advanced that it could be    
trusted to the hands of others4 ,siemens
 used a mixture of cast-steel and iron  
ore to make the steel2 but another      
manufacturer1 ,m4 ,martin1 of ,sireuil1 
in ,france1 developed the older plan of 
mixing the cast-iron with wrought-iron  
scrap4 ,while ,siemens was improving his
 means at ,birmingham1 ,martin was      
obtaining satisfactory results with a   
regenerative furnace of his own design2 
and at the ,paris ,exhibition of #ahfg  
samples of good open-hearth steel were  
shown by both manufacturers4 ,in        
,england the process is now generally   
known as the ',siemens-,martin1' and on 
the ,continent as the ',martin-,siemens'
 process4  ,the regenerative furnace is 
the greatest single invention of        
,charles ,william ,siemens4 ,owing to   
the large demand for steel for          
engineering operations1 both at home and
 abroad1 it proved exceedingly          
remunerative4 ,extensive works for the  
application of the process were erected 

at ,landore1 where ,siemens prosecuted  
his experiments on the subject with     
unfailing ardour1 and1 among other      
things1 succeeded in making a basic     
brick for the lining of his furnaces    
which withstood the intense heat fairly 
well4  ,the process in detail consists  
in freeing the bath of melted pig-iron  
from excess of carbon by adding broken  
lumps of pure hematite or magnetite iron
 ore4 ,this causes a violent boiling1   
which is kept up until the metal becomes
 soft enough1 when it is allowed to     
stand to let the metal clear from the   
slag which floats in scum upon the top4 
,the separation of the slag and iron is 
facilitated by throwing in some lime    
from time to time4 ,spiegel1 or specular
 iron1 is then added2 about #a per cent4
 more than in the scrap process4 ,from  
#bj to #bd cwt4 of ore are used in a    
#e-ton charge1 and about half the metal 
is reduced and turned into steel1 so    
that the yield in ingots is from #a to  
#b per cent4 more than the weight of pig

 and spiegel iron in the charge4 ,the   
consumption of coal is rather larger    
than in the scrap process1 and is from  
#ad to #ae cwt4 per ton of steel4 ,the  
two processes of ,siemens and ,martin   
are often combined1 both scrap and ore  
being used in the same charge1 the      
latter being valuable as a tempering    
material4  ,at present there are several
 large works engaged in manufacturing   
the ,siemens-,martin steel in ,england1 
namely1 the ,landore1 the ,parkhead     
,forge1 those of the ,steel ,company of 
,scotland1 of ,messrs4 ,vickers  ,co41  
,sheffield1 and others4 ,these produced 
no less than #cdj1jjj tons of steel     
during the year #ahha1 and two years    
later the total output had risen to half
 a million tons4 ,in #ahgf the ,british 
,admiralty built two iron-clads1 the    
,mercury and ,iris1 of ,siemens-,martin 
steel1 and the experiment proved so     
satisfactory1 that this material only is
 now used in the ,royal dockyards for   
the construction of hulls and boilers4  

,moreover1 the use of it is gradually   
extending in the mercantile marine4     
,contemporaneous with his development of
 the open-hearth process1 ,william      
,siemens introduced the rotary furnace  
for producing wrought-iron direct from  
the ore without the need of puddling4   
,the fervent heat of the ,siemens       
furnace led the inventor to devise a    
novel means of measuring high           
temperatures1 which illustrates the     
value of a broad scientific training to 
the inventor1 and the happy manner in   
which ,william ,siemens1 above all      
others1 turned his varied knowledge to  
account1 and brought the facts and      
resources of one science to bear upon   
another4 ,as early as #ahfj1 while      
engaged in testing the conductor of the 
,malta to ,alexandria telegraph cable1  
then in course of manufacture1 he was   
struck by the increase of resistance in 
metallic wires occasioned by a rise of  
temperature1 and the following year he  
devised a thermometer based on the fact 

which he exhibited before the ,british  
,association at ,manchester4 ,mathiessen
 and others have since enunciated the   
law according to which this rise of     
resistance varies with rise of          
temperature2 and ,siemens has further   
perfected his apparatus1 and applied it 
as a pyrometer to the measurement of    
furnace fires4 ,it forms in reality an  
electric thermometer1 which will        
indicate the temperature of an          
inaccessible spot4 ,a coil of platinum  
or platinum-alloy wire is enclosed in a 
suitable fire-proof case and put into   
the furnace of which the temperature is 
wanted4 ,connecting wires1 properly     
protected1 lend from the coil to a      
differential voltameter1 so that1 by    
means of the current from a battery     
circulating in the system1 the electric 
resistance of the coil in the furnace   
can be determined at any moment4 ,since 
this resistance depends on the          
temperature of the furnace1 the         
temperature call be found from the      

resistance observed4 ,the instrument    
formed the subject of the ,bakerian     
lecture for the year #ahga4  ,siemens's 
researches on this subject1 as published
 in the ,,journal ,,of ,,the ,,society  
,,of ,,telegraph ,,engineers 7,vol4 ,i41
 p4 #abc1 and ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #big71   
included a set of curves graphically    
representing the relation between       
temperature and electrical resistance in
 the case of various metals4  ,the      
electric pyrometer1 which is perhaps the
 most elegant and original of all       
,william ,siemens's inventions1 is also 
the link which connects his electrical  
with his metallurgical researches4 ,his 
invention ran in two great grooves1 one 
based upon the science of heat1 the     
other based upon the science of         
electricity2 and the electric           
thermometer was1 as it were1 a delicate 
cross-coupling which connected both4    
,siemens might have been two men1 if we 
are to judge by the work he did2 and    
either half of the twin-career he led   

would of itself suffice to make an      
eminent reputation4  ,the success of his
 metallurgical enterprise no doubt      
reacted on his telegraphic business4    
,the making and laying of the ,malta to 
,alexandria cable gave rise to          
researches on the resistance and        
electrification of insulating materials 
under pressure1 which formed the subject
 of a paper read before the ,british    
,association in #ahfc4 ,the effect of   
pressure up to #cjj atmospheres was     
observed1 and the fact elicited that the
 inductive capacity of gutta-percha is  
not affected by increased pressure1     
whereas that of india-rubber is         
diminished4 ,the electrical tests       
employed during the construction of the 
,malta and ,alexandria cable1 and the   
insulation and protection of submarine  
cables1 also formed the subject of a    
paper which was read before the         
,institution of ,civil ,engineers in    
#ahfb4  ,it is always interesting to    
trace the necessity which directly or   

indirectly was the parent of a          
particular invention2 and in the great  
importance of an accurate record of the 
sea-depth in which a cable is being     
laid1 together with the tedious and     
troublesome character of ordinary       
sounding by the lead-line1 especially   
when a ship is actually paying out      
cable1 we may find the requirements     
which led to the invention of the       
'bathometer1' an instrument designed to 
indicate the depth of water over which a
 vessel is passing without submerging a 
line4 ,the instrument was based on the  
ingenious idea that the attractive power
 of the earth on a body in the ship must
 depend on the depth of water interposed
 between it and the sea bottom2 being   
less as the layer of water was thicker1 
owing to the lighter character of water 
as compared with the denser land4       
,siemens endeavoured to render this     
difference visible by means of mercury  
contained in a chamber having a bottom  
extremely sensitive to the pressure of  

the mercury upon it1 and resembling in  
some respects the vacuous chamber of an 
aneroid barometer4 ,just as the latter  
instrument indicates the pressure of the
 atmosphere above it1 so the bathometer 
was intended to show the pull of the    
earth below it2 and experiment proved1  
we believe1 that for every #a1jjj       
fathoms of sea-water below the ship1 the
 total gravity of the mercury was       
reduced by #a_/cbjj part4 ,the          
bathometer1 or attraction-meter1 was    
brought out in #ahgf1 and exhibited at  
the ,loan ,exhibition in ,south         
,kensington4 ,the elastic bottom of the 
mercury chamber was supported by volute 
springs which1 always having the same   
tension1 caused a portion of the mercury
 to rise or fall in a spiral tube of    
glass1 according to the variations of   
the earth's attraction4 ,the whole was  
kept at an even temperature1 and        
correction was made for barometric      
influence4 ,though of high scientific   
interest1 the apparatus appears to have 

failed at the time from its very        
sensitiveness2 the waves on the surface 
of the sea having a greater disturbing  
action on its readings than the change  
of depth4 ,siemens took a great interest
 in this very original machine1 and also
 devised a form applicable to the       
measurement of heights4 ,although he    
laid the subject aside for some years1  
he ultimately took it up again1 in hopes
 of producing a practical apparatus     
which would be of immediate service in  
the cable expeditions of the s4s4       
,faraday4  ,this admirable cable steamer
 of #e1jjj tons register was built for  
,messrs4 ,siemens ,brothers by ,messrs4 
,mitchell  ,co41 at ,newcastle4 ,the    
designs were mainly inspired by ,siemens
 himself2 and after the ,hooper1 now the
 ,silvertown1 she was the second ship   
expressly built for cable purposes4 ,all
 the latest improvements that electric  
science and naval engineering could     
suggest were in her united4 ,with a     
length of #cfj feet1 a width of #eb     

feet1 and a depth of #cf feet in the    
hold1 she was fitted with a rudder at   
each end1 either of which could be      
locked when desired1 and the other      
brought into play4 ,two screw           
propellers1 actuated by a pair of       
compound engines1 were the means of     
driving the vessel1 and they were placed
 at a slight angle to each other1 so    
that when the engines were worked in    
opposite directions the ,faraday could  
turn completely round in her own length4
 ,moreover1 as the ship could steam     
forwards or backwards with equal ease1  
it became unnecessary to pass the cable 
forward before hauling it in1 if a fault
 were discovered in the part submerged3 
the motion of the ship had only to be   
reversed1 the stern rudder fixed1 and   
the bow rudder turned1 while a small    
engine was employed to haul the cable   
back over the stern drum1 which had been
 used a few minutes before to pay it    
out4  ,the first expedition of the      
,faraday was the laying of the ,direct  

,united ,states cable in the winter of  
#ahgd a work which1 though interrupted  
by stormy weather1 was resumed and      
completed in the summer of #ahge4 ,she  
has been engaged in laying several      
,atlantic cables since1 and has been    
fitted with the electric light1 a       
resource which has proved of the utmost 
service1 not only in facilitating the   
night operations of paying-out1 but in  
guarding the ship from collision with   
icebergs in foggy weather off the ,north
 ,american coast4  ,mention of the      
electric light brings us to an important
 act of the inventor1 which1 though done
 on behalf of his brother ,werner1 was  
pregnant with great consequences4 ,this 
was his announcement before a meeting of
 the ,royal ,society1 held on ,february 
#ad1 #ahfg1 of the discovery of the     
principle of reinforcing the field      
magnetism of magneto-electric generators
 by part or the whole of the current    
generated in the revolving armature--a  
principle which has been applied in the 

dynamo-electric machines1 now so much   
used for producing electric light and   
effecting the transmission of power to a
 distance by means of the electric      
current4 ,by a curious coincidence the  
same principle was enunciated by ,sir   
,charles ,wheatstone at the very same   
meeting2 while a few months previously  
,mr4 ,s4 ,a4 ,varley had lodged an      
application for a ,british patent1 in   
which the same idea was set forth4 ,the 
claims of these three inventors to      
priority in the discovery were1 however1
 anticipated by at least one other      
investigator1 ,herr ,soren ,hjorth1     
believed to be a ,dane by birth1 and    
still remembered by a few living        
electricians1 though forgotten by the   
scientific world at large1 until his    
neglected specification was unexpectedly
 dug out of the musty archives of the   
,british ,patent ,office and brought    
into the light4  ,the announcement of   
,siemens and ,wheatstone came at an     
apter time than ,hjorth's1 and was more 

conspicuously made4 ,above all1 in the  
affluent and enterprising hands of the  
brothers ,siemens1 it was not suffered  
to lie sterile1 and the ,siemens        
dynamo-electric machine was its         
offspring4 ,this dynamo1 as is well     
known1 differs from those of ,gramme and
 ,paccinotti chiefly in the longitudinal
 winding of the armature1 and it is     
unnecessary to describe it here4 ,it has
 been adapted by its inventors to all   
kinds of electrical work1 electrotyping1
 telegraphy1 electric lighting1 and the 
propulsion of vehicles4  ,the first     
electric tramway run at ,berlin in #ahgi
 was followed by another at ,dusseldorf 
in #ahhj1 and a third at ,paris in      
#ahha4 ,with all of these the name of   
,werner ,siemens was chiefly associated2
 but ,william ,siemens had also taken up
 the matter1 and established at his     
country house of ,sherwood1 near        
,tunbridge ,wells1 an arrangement of    
dynamos and water-wheel1 by which the   
power of a neighbouring stream was made 

to light the house1 cut chaff turn      
washing-machines1 and perform other     
household duties4 ,more recently the    
construction of the electric railway    
from ,portrush to ,bushmills1 at the    
,giant's ,causeway1 engaged his         
attention2 and this1 the first work of  
its kind in the ,united ,kingdom1 and to
 all appearance the pioneer of many     
similar lines1 was one of his very last 
undertakings4  ,in the recent           
development of electric lighting1       
,william ,siemens1 whose fame had been  
steadily growing1 was a recognised      
leader1 although he himself made no     
great discoveries therein4 ,as a public 
man and a manufacturer of great         
resources his influence in assisting the
 introduction of the light has been     
immense4 ,the number of ,siemens        
machines and ,siemens electric lamps1   
together with measuring instruments such
 as the ,siemens electro-dynamometer1   
which has been supplied to different    
parts of the world by the firm of which 

he was the head1 is very considerable1  
and probably exceeds that of any other  
manufacturer1 at least in this country4 
,employing a staff of skilful assistants
 to develop many of his ideas1 ,dr4     
,siemens was able to produce a great    
variety of electrical instruments for   
measuring and other auxiliary purposes1 
all of which bear the name of his firm1 
and have proved exceedingly useful in a 
practical sense4  ,among the most       
interesting of ,siemens's investigations
 were his experiments on the influence  
of the electric light in promoting the  
growth of plants1 carried out during the
 winter of #ahhj in the greenhouses of  
,sherwood4 ,these experiments showed    
that plants do not require a period of  
rest1 but continue to grow if light and 
other necessaries are supplied to them4 
,siemens enhanced the daylight1 and1 as 
it were1 prolonged it through the night 
by means of arc lamps1 with the result  
of forcing excellent fruit and flowers  
to their maturity before the natural    

time in this climate4  ,while ,siemens  
was testing the chemical and            
life-promoting influence of the electric
 arc light1 he was also occupied in     
trying its temperature and heating power
 with an 'electric furnace1' consisting 
of a plumbago crucible having two carbon
 electrodes entering it in such a manner
 that the voltaic arc could be produced 
within it4 ,he succeeded in fusing a    
variety of refractory metals in a       
comparatively short time3 thus1 a pound 
of broken files was melted in a cold    
crucible in thirteen minutes1 a result  
which is not surprising when we consider
 that the temperature of the voltaic    
arc1 as measured by ,siemens and        
,rosetti1 is between #b1jjj and #c1jjj  
,deg4 ,centigrade1 or about one-third   
that of the probable temperature of the 
sun4 ,sir ,humphry ,davy was the first  
to observe the extraordinary fusing     
power of the voltaic arc1 but ,siemens  
first applied it to a practical purpose 
in his electric furnace4  ,always ready 

to turn his inventive genius in any     
direction1 the introduction of the      
electric light1 which had given an      
impetus to improvement in the methods of
 utilising gas1 led him to design a     
regenerative gas lamp1 which is now     
employed on a small scale in this       
country1 either for street lighting or  
in class-rooms and public halls4 ,in    
this burner1 as in the regenerative     
furnace1 the products of combustion are 
made to warm up the air and gas which go
 to feed the flame1 and the effect is a 
full and brilliant light with some      
economy of fuel4 ,the use of coal-gas   
for heating purposes was another subject
 which he took up with characteristic   
earnestness1 and he advocated for a time
 the use of gas stoves and fires in     
preference to those which burn coal1 not
 only on account of their cleanliness   
and convenience1 but on the score of    
preventing fogs in great cities1 by     
checking the discharge of smoke into the
 atmosphere4 ,he designed a regenerative

 gas and coke fireplace1 in which the   
ingoing air was warmed by heat conducted
 from the back part of the grate2 and by
 practical trials in his own office1    
calculated the economy of the system4   
,the interest in this question1 however1
 died away after the close of the ,smoke
 ,abatement ,exhibition2 and the        
experiments of ,mr4 ,aiken1 of          
,edinburgh1 showed how futile was the   
hope that gas fires would prevent fogs  
altogether4 ,they might indeed          
ameliorate the noxious character of a   
fog by checking the discharge of soot   
into the atmosphere2 but ,mr4 ,aiken's  
experiments showed that particles of gas
 were in themselves capable of          
condensing the moisture of the air upon 
them4 ,the great scheme of ,siemens for 
making ,london a smokeless city1 by     
manufacturing gas at the coal-pit and   
leading it in pipes from street to      
street1 would not have rendered it      
altogether a fogless one1 though the    
coke and gas fires would certainly have 

reduced the quantity of soot launched   
into the air4 ,siemens's scheme was     
rejected by a ,committee of the ,house  
of ,lords on the somewhat mistaken      
ground that if the plan were as         
profitable as ,siemens supposed1 it     
would have been put in practice long ago
 by private enterprise4  ,from the      
problem of heating a room1 the mind of  
,siemens also passed to the maintenance 
of solar fires1 and occupied itself with
 the supply of fuel to the sun4 ,some   
physicists have attributed the          
continuance of solar heat to the        
contraction of the solar mass1 and      
others to the impact of cometary matter4
 ,imbued with the idea of regeneration1 
and seeking in nature for that thrift of
 power which he1 as an inventor1 had    
always aimed at1 ,siemens suggested a   
hypothesis on which the sun conserves   
its heat by a circulation of its fuel in
 space4 ,the elements dissociated in the
 intense heat of the glowing orb rush   
into the cooler regions of space1 and   

recombine to stream again towards the   
sun1 where the self-same process is     
renewed4 ,the hypothesis was a daring   
one1 and evoked a great deal of         
discussion1 to which the author replied 
with interest1 afterwards reprinting the
 controversy in a volume1 ,,on ,,the    
,,conservation ,,of ,,solar ,,energy4   
,whether true or not--and time will     
probably decide--the solar hypothesis of
 ,siemens revealed its author in a new  
light4 ,hitherto he had been the        
ingenious inventor1 the enterprising man
 of business1 the successful engineer2  
but now he took a prominent place in the
 ranks of pure science and speculative  
philosophy4 ,the remarkable breadth of  
his mind and the abundance of his       
energies were also illustrated by the   
active part he played in public matters 
connected with the progress of science4 
,his munificent gifts in the cause of   
education1 as much as his achievements  
in science1 had brought him a popular   
reputation of the best kind2 and his    

public utterances in connection with    
smoke abatement1 the electric light4    
,electric railways1 and other topics of 
current interest1 had rapidly brought   
him into a foremost place among ,english
 scientific men4 ,during the last years 
of his life1 ,siemens advanced from the 
shade of mere professional celebrity    
into the strong light of public fame4   
,president of the ,british ,association 
in #ahhb1 and knighted in #ahhc1        
,siemens was a member of numerous       
learned societies both at home and      
abroad4 ,in #ahed he became a ,member of
 the ,institution of ,civil ,engineers2 
and in #ahfb he was elected a ,fellow of
 the ,royal ,society4 ,he was twice     
,president of the ,society of ,telegraph
 ,engineers and the ,institution of     
,mechanical ,engineers1 besides being a 
,member of ,council of the ,institution 
of ,civil ,engineers1 and a             
,vice-,president of the ,royal          
,institution4 ,the ,society of ,arts1 as
 we have already seen1 was the first to 

honour him in the country of his        
adoption1 by awarding him a gold medal  
for his regenerative condenser in #ahej2
 and in #ahhc he became its chairman4   
,many honours were conferred upon him in
 the course of his career--the ,telford 
prize in #ahec1 gold medals at the      
various great ,exhibitions1 including   
that of ,paris in #ahha1 and a ,,grand  
,,prix at the earlier ,paris ,exhibition
 of #ahfg for his regenerative furnace4 
,in #ahgd he received the ,royal ,albert
 ,medal for his researches on heat1 and 
in #ahge the ,bessemer medal of the     
,iron and ,steel ,institute4 ,moreover1 
a few days before his death1 the        
,council of the ,institution of ,civil  
,engineers awarded him the ,howard      
,quinquennial prize for his improvements
 in the manufacture of iron and steel4  
,at the request of his widow1 it took   
the form of a bronze copy of the        
',mourners1' a piece of statuary by ,j4 
,g4 ,lough1 originally exhibited at the 
,great ,exhibition of #ahea1 in the     

,crystal ,palace4 ,in #ahfi the         
,university of ,oxford conferred upon   
him the high distinction of ,d4,c4,l4   
7,doctor of ,civil ,law72 and besides   
being a member of several foreign       
societies1 he was a ,dignitario of the  
,brazilian ,order of the ,rose1 and     
,chevalier of the ,legion of ,honour4   
,rich in honours and the appreciation of
 his contemporaries1 in the prime of his
 working power and influence for good1  
and at the very climax of his career1   
,sir ,william ,siemens was called away4 
,the news of his death came with a shock
 of surprise1 for hardly any one knew he
 had been ill4 ,he died on the evening  
of ,monday1 ,november #ai1 #ahhc1 at    
nine o'clock4 ,a fortnight before1 while
 returning from a managers' meeting of  
the ,royal ,institution1 in company with
 his friend ,sir ,frederick ,bramwell1  
he tripped upon the kerbstone of the    
pavement1 after crossing ,hamilton      
,place1 ,piccadilly1 and fell heavily to
 the ground1 with his left arm under    

him4 ,though a good deal shaken by the  
fall1 he attended at his office in      
,queen ,anne's ,gate1 ,westminster1 the 
next and for several following days2 but
 the exertion proved too much for him1  
and almost for the first time in his    
busy life he was compelled to lay up4   
,on his last visit to the office he was 
engaged most of the time in dictating to
 his private secretary a large portion  
of the address which he intended to     
deliver as ,chairman of the ,council of 
the ,society of ,arts4 ,this was on     
,thursday1 ,november #h1 and the        
following ,saturday he awoke early in   
the morning with an acute pain about the
 heart and a sense of coldness in the   
lower limbs4 ,hot baths and friction    
removed the pain1 from which he did not 
suffer much afterwards4 ,a slight       
congestion of the left lung was also    
relieved2 and ,sir ,william had so far  
recovered that he could leave his room4 
,on ,saturday1 the #agth1 he was to have
 gone for a change of air to his country

 seat at ,sherwood2 but on ,wednesday1  
the #adth1 he appears to have caught a  
chill which affected his lungs1 for that
 night he was seized with a shortness of
 breath and a difficulty in breathing4  
,though not actually confined to bed1 he
 never left his room again4 ,on the last
 day1 and within four hours of his      
death1 we are told1 his two medical     
attendants1 after consultation1 spoke so
 hopefully of the future1 that no one   
was prepared for the sudden end which   
was then so near4 ,in the evening1 while
 he was sitting in an arm-chair1 very   
quiet and calm1 a change suddenly came  
over his face1 and he died like one who 
falls asleep4 ,heart disease of long    
standing1 aggravated by the fall1 was   
the immediate cause2 but the opinion has
 been expressed by one who knew him     
well1 that ,siemens 'literally immolated
 himself on the shrine of labour4' ,at  
any rate he did not spare himself1 and  
his intense devotion to his work proved 
fatal4  ,every day was a busy one with  

,siemens4 ,his secretary was with him in
 his residence by nine o'clock nearly   
every morning1 except on ,sundays1      
assisting him in work for one society or
 another1 the correction of proofs1 or  
the dictation of letters giving official
 or scientific advice1 and the          
preparation of lectures or patent       
specifications4 ,later on1 he hurried   
across the ,park 'almost at racing      
speed1' to his offices at ,westminster1 
where the business of the               
,landore-,siemens ,steel ,company and   
the ,electrical ,works of ,messrs4      
,siemens ,brothers and ,company was     
transacted4 ,as chairman of these large 
undertakings1 and principal inventor of 
the processes and systems carried out by
 them1 he had a hundred things to attend
 to in connection with them1 visitors to
 see1 and inquiries to answer4 ,in the  
afternoon and evenings he was generally 
engaged at council meetings of the      
learned societies1 or directory meetings
 of the companies in which he was       

interested4 ,he was a man who took      
little or no leisure1 and though he     
never appeared to over-exert himself1   
few men could have withstood the strain 
so long4  ,siemens was buried on        
,monday1 ,november #bf1 in ,kensal      
,green ,cemetery4 ,the interment was    
preceded by a funeral service held in   
,westminster ,abbey1 and attended by    
representatives of the numerous learned 
societies of which he had been a        
conspicuous member1 by many leading men 
in all branches of science1 and also by 
a large body of other friends and       
admirers1 who thus united in doing      
honour to his memory1 and showing their 
sense of the loss which all classes had 
sustained by his death4  ,siemens was   
above all things a 'labourer4'          
,unhasting1 unresting labour was the    
rule of his life2 and the only          
relaxation1 not to say recreation1 which
 he seems to have allowed himself was a 
change of task or the calls of sleep4   
,this natural activity was partly due to

 the spur of his genius1 and partly to  
his energetic spirit4 ,for a man of his 
temperament science is always holding   
out new problems to solve and fresh     
promises of triumph4 ,all he did only   
revealed more work to be done2 and many 
a scheme lies buried in his grave4      
,though ,siemens was a man of varied    
powers1 and occasionally gave himself to
 pure speculation in matters of science1
 his mind was essentially practical2 and
 it was rather as an engineer than a    
discoverer that he was great4           
,inventions are associated with his     
name1 not laws or new phenomena4        
,standing on the borderland between pure
 and applied science1 his sympathies    
were yet with the latter2 and as the    
outgoing ,president of the ,british     
,association at ,southport1 in #ahhb1 he
 expressed the opinion that 'in the     
great workshop of nature there are no   
lines of demarcation to be drawn between
 the most exalted speculation and       
common-place practice4' ,the truth of   

this is not to be gain-said1 but it is  
the utterance of an engineer who judges 
the merit of a thing by its utility4 ,he
 objected to the pursuit of science     
apart from its application1 and held    
that the man of science does most for   
his kind who shows the world how to make
 use of scientific results4 ,such a view
 was natural on the part of ,siemens1   
who was himself a living representative 
of the type in question2 but it was not 
the view of such a man as ,faraday or   
,newton1 whose pure aim was to discover 
truth1 well knowing that it would be    
turned to use thereafter4 ,in ,faraday's
 eyes the new principle was a higher    
boon than the appliance which was       
founded upon it4  ,tried by his own     
standard1 however1 ,siemens was a       
conspicuous benefactor of his           
fellow-men2 and at the time of his      
decease he had become our leading       
authority upon applied science4 ,in     
electricity he was a pioneer of the new 
advances1 and happily lived to obtain at

 least a ,pisgah view of the great      
future which evidently lies before that 
pregnant force4  ,if we look for the    
secret of ,siemens's remarkable success1
 we shall assuredly find it in an       
inventive mind1 coupled with a strong   
commercial instinct1 and supported by a 
physical energy which enabled him to    
labour long and incessantly4 ,it is told
 that when a mechanical problem was     
brought to him for solution1 he would   
suggest six ways of overcoming the      
difficulty1 three of which would be     
impracticable1 the others feasible1 and 
one at least successful4 ,from this we  
gather that his mind was fertile in     
expedients4 ,the large works which he   
established are also a proof that1      
unlike most inventors1 he did not lose  
his interest in an invention1 or forsake
 it for another before it had been      
brought into the market4 ,on the        
contrary1 he was never satisfied with an
 invention until it was put into        
practical operation4  ,to the ordinary  

observer1 ,siemens did not betray any   
signs of the untiring energy that       
possessed him4 ,his countenance was     
usually serene and tranquil1 as that of 
a thinker rather than a man of action2  
his demeanour was cool and collected2   
his words few and well-chosen4 ,in his  
manner1 as well as in his works1 there  
was no useless waste of power4  ,to the 
young he was kind and sympathetic1      
hearing1 encouraging1 advising2 a good  
master1 a firm friend4 ,his very        
presence had a calm and orderly         
influence on those about him1 which when
 he presided at a ,public meeting       
insensibly introduced a gracious tone4  
,the diffident took heart before him1   
and the presumptuous were checked4 ,the 
virtues which accompanied him into      
public life did not desert him in       
private4 ,in losing him1 we have lost   
not only a powerful intellect1 but a    
bright example1 and an amiable man4     
,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,fleeming ,,jenkin4    
,the late ,fleeming ,jenkin1 ,professor 

of ,engineering in ,edinburgh           
,university1 was remarkable for the     
versatility of his talent4 ,known to the
 world as the inventor of ,telpherage1  
he was an electrician and cable engineer
 of the first rank1 a lucid lecturer1   
and a good linguist1 a skilful critic1 a
 writer and actor of plays1 and a clever
 sketcher4 ,in popular parlance1 ,jenkin
 was a dab at everything4  ,his father1 
,captain ,charles ,jenkin1 ,r4,n41 was  
the second son of ,mr4 ,charles ,jenkin1
 of ,stowting ,court1 himself a naval   
officer1 who had taken part in the      
actions with ,de ,grasse4 ,stowting     
,court1 a small estate some six miles   
north of ,hythe1 had been in the family 
since the year #afcc1 and was held of   
the ,crown by the feudal service of six 
men and a constable to defend the       
sea-way at ,sandgate4 ,certain ,jenkins 
had settled in ,kent during the reign of
 ,henry ,,viii41 and claimed to have    
come from ,yorkshire4 ,they bore the    
arms of ,jenkin ap ,phillip of ,st4     

,melans1 who traced his descent from    
',guaith ,voeth1' ,lord of ,cardigan4   
,while cruising in the ,west ,indies1   
carrying specie1 or chasing buccaneers  
and slavers1 ,charles ,jenkin1 junior1  
was introduced to the family of a fellow
 midshipman1 son of ,mr4 ,jackson1      
,custos ,rotulorum of ,kingston1        
,jamaica1 and fell in love with         
,henrietta ,camilla1 the youngest       
daughter4 ,mr4 ,jackson came of a       
,yorkshire stock1 said to be of         
,scottish origin1 and ,susan1 his wife1 
was a daughter of ,sir ,colin ,campbell1
 a ,greenock merchant1 who inherited but
 never assumed the baronetcy of         
,auchinbreck4 ,according to ,,burke',s  
,,peerage 7#ahhi71 the title went to    
another branch4  ,charles ,jenkin1      
senior1 died in #ahca1 leaving his      
estate so heavily encumbered1 through   
extravagance and high living1 that only 
the mill-farm was saved for ,john1 the  
heir1 an easy-going1 unpractical man1   
with a turn for abortive devices4 ,his  

brother ,charles married soon           
afterwards1 and with the help of his    
wife's money bought in most of ,stowting
 ,court1 which1 however1 yielded him no 
income until late in life4 ,charles was 
a useful officer and an amiable         
gentleman2 but lacking energy and       
talent1 he never rose above the grade of
 ,commander1 and was superseded after   
forty-five years of service4 ,he is     
represented as a brave1 single-minded1  
and affectionate sailor1 who on one     
occasion saved several men from         
suffocation by a burning cargo at the   
risk of his own life4 ,henrietta        
,camilla ,jackson1 his wife1 was a woman
 of a strong and energetic character4   
,without beauty of countenance1 she     
possessed the art of pleasing1 and in   
default of genius she was endowed with a
 variety of gifts4 ,she played the harp1
 sang1 and sketched with native art4 ,at
 seventeen1 on hearing ,pasta sing in   
,paris1 she sought out the artist and   
solicited lessons4 ,pasta1 on hearing   

her sing1 encouraged her1 and           
recommended a teacher4 ,she wrote       
novels1 which1 however1 failed to make  
their mark4 ,at forty1 on losing her    
voice1 she took to playing the piano1   
practising eight hours a day2 and when  
she was over sixty she began the study  
of ,hebrew4  ,the only child of this    
union was ,henry ,charles ,fleeming     
,jenkin1 generally called ,fleeming     
,jenkin1 after ,admiral ,fleeming1 one  
of his father's patrons4 ,he was born on
 ,march #be1 #ahcc1 in a building of the
 ,government near ,dungeness1 his father
 at that time being on the coast-guard  
service4 ,his versatility was evidently 
derived from his mother1 who1 owing to  
her husband's frequent absence at sea   
and his weaker character1 had the       
principal share in the boy's earlier    
training4  ,jenkin was fortunate in     
having an excellent education4 ,his     
mother took him to the south of         
,scotland1 where1 chiefly at ,barjarg1  
she taught him drawing among other      

things1 and allowed him to ride his pony
 on the moors4 ,he went to school at    
,jedburgh1 and afterwards to the        
,edinburgh ,academy1 where he carried   
off many prizes4 ,among his             
schoolfellows were ,clerk ,maxwell and  
,peter ,guthrie ,tait1 the friends of   
his maturer life4  ,on the retirement of
 his father the family removed to       
,frankfort in #ahdg1 partly from motives
 of economy and partly for the boy's    
instruction4 ,here ,fleeming and his    
father spent a pleasant time together1  
sketching old castles1 and observing the
 customs of the peasantry4 ,fleeming was
 precocious1 and at thirteen had        
finished a romance of three hundred     
lines in heroic measure1 a ,scotch      
novel1 and innumerable poetical         
fragments1 none of which are now extant4
 ,he learned ,german in ,frankfort2 and 
on the family migrating to ,paris the   
following year1 he studied ,french and  
mathematics under a certain ,m4 ,deluc4 
,while here1 ,fleeming witnessed the    

outbreak of the ,revolution of #ahdh1   
and heard the first shot4 ,in a letter  
written to an old schoolfellow while the
 sound still rang in his ears1 and his  
hand trembled with excitement1 he gives 
a boyish account of the circumstances4  
,the family were living in the ,rue     
,caumartin1 and on the evening of       
,february #bc he and his father were    
taking a walk along the boulevards1     
which were illuminated for joy at the   
resignation of ,m4 ,guizot4 ,they passed
 the residence of the ,foreign          
,minister1 which was guarded with       
troops1 and further on encountered a    
band of rioters marching along the      
street with torches1 and singing the    
,marseillaise4 ,after them came a rabble
 of men and women of all sorts1 rich and
 poor1 some of them armed with sticks   
and sabres4 ,they turned back with      
these1 the boy delighted with the       
spectacle1 ',i remarked to papa' 7he    
writes71',i would not have missed the   
scene for anything4 ,i might never see  

such a splendid one2 when ,,pong went   
one shot4 ,every face went pale3        
,r--,r--,r--,r--,r went the whole       
detachment of troops1 and the whole     
crowd of gentlemen and ladies turned and
 cut4 ,such a scene6---ladies1          
gentlemen1 and vagabonds went sprawling 
in the mud1 not shot but tripped up1 and
 those that went down could not         
rise--they were trampled over4444 ,i ran
 a short time straight on and did not   
fall1 then turned down a side street1   
ran fifty yards1 and felt tolerably     
safe2 looked for papa2 did not see him2 
so walked on quickly1 giving the news as
 ,i went4'  ,next day1 while with his   
father in the ,place de la ,concorde1   
which was filled with troops1 the gates 
of the ,tuileries ,garden were suddenly 
flung open1 and out galloped a troop of 
cuirassiers1 in the midst of whom was an
 open carriage containing the king and  
queen1 who had abdicated4 ,then came the
 sacking of the ,tuileries1 the people  
mounting a cannon on the roof1 and      

firing blank cartridges to testify their
 joy4 ',it was a sight to see a palace  
sacked' 7wrote the boy71 'and armed     
vagabonds firing out of the windows1 and
 throwing shirts1 papers1 and dresses of
 all kinds out4444 ,they are not rogues1
 the ,french2 they are not stealing1    
burning1 or doing much harm4' ,,memoir  
,,of ,,fleeming ,,jenkin1 by ,r4 ,l4    
,stevenson4  ,the ,revolution obliged   
the ,jenkins to leave ,paris1 and they  
proceeded to ,genoa1 where they         
experienced another1 and ,mrs4 ,jenkin1 
with her son and sister-in-law1 had to  
seek the protection of a ,british vessel
 in the harbour1 leaving their house    
stored with the property of their       
friends1 and guarded by the ,union ,jack
 and ,captain ,jenkin4  ,at ,genoa1     
,fleeming attended the ,university1 and 
was its first ,protestant student4      
,professor ,bancalari was the professor 
of natural philosophy1 and lectured on  
electro-magnetism1 his physical         
laboratory being the best in ,italy4    

,jenkin took the degree of ,m4,a4 with  
first-class honours1 his special subject
 having been electro-magnetism4 ,the    
questions in the examinations were put  
in ,latin1 and answered in ,italian4    
,fleeming also attended an ,art school  
in the city1 and gained a silver medal  
for a drawing from one of ,raphael's    
cartoons4 ,his holidays were spent in   
sketching1 and his evenings in learning 
to play the piano2 or1 when permissible1
 at the theatre or opera-house2 for ever
 since hearing ,rachel recite the       
,marseillaise at the ,theatre           
,francaise1 he had conceived a taste for
 acting4  ,in #ahej ,fleeming spent some
 time in a ,genoese locomotive shop     
under ,mr4 ,philip ,taylor1 of          
,marseilles2 but on the death of his    
,aunt ,anna1 who lived with them1       
,captain ,jenkin took his family to     
,england1 and settled in ,manchester1   
where the lad1 in #ahea1 was apprenticed
 to mechanical engineering at the works 
of ,messrs4 ,fairbairn1 and from        

half-past eight in the morning till six 
at night had1 as he says1 'to file and  
chip vigorously1 in a moleskin suit1 and
 infernally dirty4' ,at home he pursued 
his studies1 and was for a time engaged 
with ,dr4 ,bell in working out a        
geometrical method of arriving at the   
proportions of ,greek architecture4 ,his
 stay amidst the smoke and bustle of    
,manchester1 though in striking contrast
 to his life in ,genoa1 was on the whole
 agreeable4 ,he liked his work1 had the 
good spirits of youth1 and made some    
pleasant friends1 one of them the       
authoress1 ,mrs4 ,gaskell4 ,even as a   
boy he was disputatious1 and his mother 
tells of his having overcome a ,consul  
at ,genoa in a political discussion when
 he was only sixteen1 'simply from being
 well-informed on the subject1 and      
honest4 ,he is as true as steel1' she   
writes1 'and for no one will he bend    
right or left444 ,do not fancy him a    
,bobadil2 he is only a very true1 candid
 boy4 ,i am so glad he remains in all   

respects but information a great child4'
  ,on leaving ,fairbairn's he was       
engaged for a time on a survey for the  
proposed ,lukmanier ,railway1 in        
,switzerland1 and in #ahef he entered   
the engineering works of ,mr4 ,penn1 at 
,greenwich1 as a draughtsman1 and was   
occupied on the plans of a vessel       
designed for the ,crimean war4 ,he did  
not care for his berth1 and complained  
of its late hours1 his rough comrades1  
with whom he had to be 'as little like  
himself as possible1' and his humble    
lodgings1 'across a dirty green and     
through some half-built streets of      
two-storied houses4444 ,luckily1' he    
adds1 ',i am fond of my profession1 or  
,i could not stand this life4' ,there   
was probably no real hardship in his    
present situation1 and thousands of     
young engineers go through the like     
experience at the outset of their career
 without a murmur1' and even with       
enjoyment2 but ,jenkin had been his     
mother's pet until then1 with a girl's  

delicate training1 and probably felt the
 change from home more keenly on that   
account4 ,at night he read engineering  
and mathematics1 or ,carlyle and the    
poets1 and cheered his drooping spirits 
with frequent trips to ,london to see   
his mother4  ,another social pleasure   
was his visits to the house of ,mr4     
,alfred ,austin1 a barrister1 who became
 permanent secretary to ,her ,majesty's 
,office of ,works and ,public           
,buildings1 and retired in #ahfh with   
the title of ,c4,b4 ,his wife1 ,eliza   
,barron1 was the youngest daughter of   
,mr4 ,e4 ,barron1 a gentleman of        
,norwich1 the son of a rich saddler1 or 
leather-seller1 in the ,borough1 who1   
when a child1 had been patted on the    
head1 in his father's shop1 by ,dr4     
,johnson1 while canvassing for ,mr4     
,thrale4 ,jenkin had been introduced to 
the ,austins by a letter from ,mrs4     
,gaskell1 and was charmed with the      
atmosphere of their choice home1 where  
intellectual conversation was happily   

united with kind and courteous manners1 
without any pretence or affectation4    
',each of the ,austins1' says ,mr4      
,stevenson1 in his memoir of ,jenkin1 to
 which we are much indebted1 'was full  
of high spirits2 each practised         
something of the same repression2 no    
sharp word was uttered in the house4    
,the same point of honour ruled them3 a 
guest was sacred1 and stood within the  
pale from criticism4' ,in short1 the    
,austins were truly hospitable and      
cultured1 not merely so in form and     
appearance4 ,it was a rare privilege and
 preservative for a solitary young man  
in ,jenkin's position to have the entry 
into such elevating society1 and he     
appreciated his good fortune4  ,annie   
,austin1 their only child1 had been     
highly educated1 and knew ,greek among  
other things4 ,though ,jenkin loved and 
admired her parents1 he did not at first
 care for ,annie1 who1 on her part1     
thought him vain1 and by no means       
good-looking4 ,mr4 ,stevenson hints that

 she vanquished his stubborn heart by   
correcting a 'false quantity' of his one
 day1 for he was the man to reflect over
 a correction1 and 'admire the          
castigator4' ,be this as it may1 ,jenkin
 by degrees fell deeply in love with    
her4  ,he was poor and nameless1 and    
this made him diffident2 but the liking 
of her parents for him gave him hope4   
,moreover1 he had entered the service of
 ,messrs4 ,liddell and ,gordon1 who were
 engaged in the new work of submarine   
telegraphy1 which satisfied his         
aspirations1 and promised him a         
successful career4 ,with this new-born  
confidence in his future1 he solicited  
the ,austins for leave to court their   
daughter1 and it was not withheld4 ,mrs4
 ,austin consented freely1 and ,mr4     
,austin only reserved the right to      
inquire into his character4 ,neither of 
them mentioned his income or prospects1 
and ,jenkin1 overcome by their          
disinterestedness1 exclaimed in one of  
his letters1 ',are these people the same

 as other people8' ,thus permitted1 he  
addressed himself to ,annie1 and was    
nearly rejected for his pains4 ,miss    
,austin seems to have resented his      
courtship of her parents first2 but the 
mother's favour1 and his own spirited   
behaviour1 saved him1 and won her       
consent4  ,then followed one of the     
happiest epochs in ,jenkin's life4      
,after leaving ,penn's he worked at     
railway engineering for a time under    
,messrs4 ,liddell and ,gordon2 and1 in  
#aheg1 became engineer to ,messrs4 ,r4  
,s4 ,newall  ,co41 of ,gateshead1 who   
shared the work of making the first     
,atlantic cable with ,messrs4 ,glass1   
,elliott  ,co41 of ,greenwich4 ,jenkin  
was busy designing and fitting up       
machinery for cableships1 and making    
electrical experiments4 ',i am half     
crazy with work1' he wrote to his       
betrothed2 ',i like it though3 it's like
 a good ball1 the excitement carries you
 through4' ,again he wrote1 ',my        
profession gives me all the excitement  

and interest ,i ever hope for4'444 ',i  
am at the works till ten1 and sometimes 
till eleven4 ,but ,i have a nice office 
to sit in1 with a fire to myself1 and   
bright brass scientific instruments all 
round me1 and books to read1 and        
experiments to make1 and enjoy myself   
amazingly4 ,i find the study of         
electricity so entertaining that ,i am  
apt to neglect my other work4'444 ',what
 shall ,i compare them to1' he writes of
 some electrical experiments1 'a new    
song8 or a ,greek play8' ,in the spring 
of #ahee he was fitting out the s4s4    
,elba1 at ,birkenhead1 for his first    
telegraph cruise4 ,it appears that in   
#ahee ,mr4 ,henry ,brett attempted to   
lay a cable across the ,mediterranean   
between ,cape ,spartivento1 in the south
 of ,sardinia1 and a point near ,bona1  
on the coast of ,algeria4 ,it was a     
gutta-percha cable of six wires or      
conductors1 and manufactured by ,messrs4
 ,glass  ,elliott1 of ,greenwich--a firm
 which afterwards combined with the     

,gutta-,percha ,company1 and became the 
existing ,telegraph ,construction and   
,maintenance ,company4 ,mr4 ,brett laid 
the cable from the ,result1 a sailing   
ship in tow1 instead of a more          
manageable steamer2 and1 meeting with   
#fjj fathoms of water when twenty-five  
miles from land1 the cable ran out so   
fast that a tangled skein came up out of
 the hold1 and the line had to be       
severed4 ,having only #aej miles on     
board to span the whole distance of #adj
 miles1 he grappled the lost cable near 
the shore1 raised it1 and 'under-run' or
 passed it over the ship1 for some      
twenty miles1 then cut it1 leaving the  
seaward end on the bottom4 ,he then     
spliced the ship's cable to the         
shoreward end and resumed his           
paying-out2 but after seventy miles in  
all were laid1 another rapid rush of    
cable took place1 and ,mr4 ,brett was   
obliged to cut and abandon the line4    
,another attempt was made the following 
year1 but with no better success4 ,mr4  

,brett then tried to lay a three-wire   
cable from the steamer ,dutchman1 but   
owing to the deep water--in some places 
#aejj fathoms--its egress was so rapid1 
that when he came to a few miles from   
,galita1 his destination on the         
,algerian coast1 he had not enough cable
 to reach the land4 ,he therefore       
telegraphed to ,london for more cable to
 be made and sent out1 while the ship   
remained there holding to the end4 ,for 
five days he succeeded in doing so1     
sending and receiving messages2 but     
heavy weather came on1 and the cable    
parted1 having1 it is said1 been chafed 
through by rubbing on the bottom4 ,after
 that ,mr4 ,brett went home4  ,it was to
 recover the lost cable of these        
expeditions that the ,elba was got ready
 for sea4 ,jenkin had fitted her out the
 year before for laying the ,cagliari to
 ,malta and ,corfu cables2 but on this  
occasion she was better equipped4 ,she  
had a new machine for picking up the    
cable1 and a sheave or pulley at the    

bows for it to run over1 both designed  
by ,jenkin1 together with a variety of  
wooden buoys1 ropes1 and chains4 ,mr4   
,liddell1 assisted by ,mr4 ,f4 ,c4 ,webb
 and ,fleeming ,jenkin1 were in charge  
of the expedition4 ,the latter had      
nothing to do with the electrical work1 
his care being the deck machinery for   
raising the cable2 but it entailed a    
good deal of responsibility1 which was  
flattering and agreeable to a young man 
of his parts4  ',i own ,i like          
responsibility1' he wrote to ,miss      
,austin1 while fitting up the vessel2   
'it flatters one2 and then1 your father 
might say1 ,i have more to gain than    
lose4 ,moreover1 ,i do like this        
bloodless1 painless combat with wood and
 iron1 forcing the stubborn rascals to  
do my will1 licking the clumsy cubs into
 an active shape1 seeing the child of   
to-day's thought working to-morrow in   
full vigour at his appointed task4'     
,another letter1 dated ,may #ag1 gives a
 picture of the start4 ',not a sailor   

will join us till the last moment2 and  
then1 just as the ship forges ahead     
through the narrow pass1 beds and       
baggage fly on board1 the men1 half     
tipsy1 clutch at the rigging1 the       
captain swears1 the women scream and    
sob1 the crowd cheer and laugh1 while   
one or two pretty little girls stand    
still and cry outright1 regardless of   
all eyes4'  ,the ,elba arrived at ,bona 
on ,june #c1 and ,jenkin landed at ,fort
 ,genova1 on ,cape ,hamrah1 where some  
,arabs were building a land line4 ',it  
was a strange scene1' he writes1 'far   
more novel than ,i had imagined2 the    
high1 steep bank covered with rich1     
spicy vegetation1 of which ,i hardly    
knew one plant4 ,the dwarf palm1 with   
fan-like leaves1 growing about two feet 
high1 forms the staple verdure4' ,after 
dining in ,fort ,genova1 he had nothing 
to do but watch the sailors ordering the
 ,arabs about under the 'generic term   
,johnny4' ,he began to tire of the      
scene1 although1 as he confesses1 he had

 willingly paid more money for less     
strange and lovely sights4 ,jenkin was  
not a dreamer2 he disliked being idle1  
and if he had had a pencil he would have
 amused himself in sketching what he    
saw4 ,that his eyes were busy is evident
 from the particulars given in his      
letter1 where he notes the yellow       
thistles and ',scotch-looking gowans'   
which grow there1 along with the cistus 
and the fig-tree4  ,they left ,bona on  
,june #e1 and1 after calling at         
,cagliari and ,chia1 arrived at ,cape   
,spartivento on the morning of ,june #h4
 ,the coast here is a low range of      
heathy hills1 with brilliant green      
bushes and marshy pools4 ,mr4 ,webb     
remarks that its reputation for fever   
was so bad as to cause ,italian         
men-of-war to sheer off in passing by4  
,jenkin suffered a little from malaria1 
but of a different origin4 ',a number of
 the ,,saturday ,,review here1' he      
writes2 'it reads so hot and feverish1  
so tomb-like and unhealthy1 in the midst

 of dear ,nature's hills and sea1 with  
good wholesome work to do4'  ,there were
 several pieces of submerged cable to   
lift1 two with their ends on shore1 and 
one or two lying out at sea4 ,next day  
operations were begun on the shore end1 
which had become buried under the sand1 
and could not be raised without         
grappling4 ,after attempts to free the  
cable from the sand in small boats1 the 
,elba came up to help1 and anchored in  
shallow water about sunset4 ,curiously  
enough1 the anchor happened to hook1 and
 so discover the cable1 which was       
thereupon grappled1 cut1 and the sea end
 brought on board over the bow sheave4  
,after being passed six times round the 
picking-up drum it was led into the     
hold1 and the ,elba slowly forged ahead1
 hauling in the cable from the bottom as
 she proceeded4 ,at half-past nine she  
anchored for the night some distance    
from the shore1 and at three next       
morning resumed her picking up4 ',with a
 small delay for one or two improvements

 ,i had seen to be necessary last       
night1' writes ,jenkin1 'the engine     
started1 and since that time ,i do not  
think there has been half an hour's     
stoppage4 ,a rope to splice1 a block to 
change1 a wheel to oil1 an old rusted   
anchor to disengage from the cable1     
which brought it up--these have been our
 only obstructions4 ,sixty1 seventy1    
eighty1 a hundred1 a hundred and twenty 
revolutions at last my little engine    
tears away4 ,the even black rope comes  
straight out of the blue1 heaving water1
 passes slowly round an open-hearted1   
good-tempered-looking pulley1 five feet 
in diameter1 aft past a vicious nipper1 
to bring all up should anything go      
wrong1 through a gentle guide on to a   
huge bluff drum1 who wraps him round his
 body1 and says1 ,come you must1 as     
plain as drum can speak2 the chattering 
pauls say1 ,i've got him1 ,i've got him2
 he can't come back1 whilst black cable1
 much slacker and easier in mind and    
body1 is taken by a slim ,v-pulley and  

passed down into the huge hold1 where   
half a dozen men put him comfortably to 
bed after his exertion in rising from   
his long bath4  ',i am very glad ,i am  
here1 for my machines are my own        
children1 and ,i look on their little   
failings with a parent's eye1 and lead  
them into the path of duty with         
gentleness and firmness4 ,i am naturally
 in good spirits1 but keep very quiet1  
for misfortunes may arise at any        
instant2 moreover1 to-morrow my         
paying-out apparatus will be wanted     
should all go well1 and that will be    
another nervous operation4 ,fifteen     
miles are safely in1 but no one knows   
better than ,i do that nothing is done  
till all is done4'  ,,june #aa4--';,it  
would amuse you to see how cool 7in     
head7 and jolly everybody is4 ,a testy  
word now and then shows the nerves are  
strained a little1 but every one laughs 
and makes his little jokes as if it were
 all in fun4444,i enjoy it very much4'  
,,june #ac1 ,,sunday4--',it now 7at     

#aj4cj7 blows a pretty stiff gale1 and  
the sea has also risen1 and the ,elba's 
bows rise and fall about nine feet4 ,we 
make twelve pitches to the minute1 and  
the poor cable must feel very sea-sick  
by this time4 ,we are quite unable to do
 anything1 and continue riding at anchor
 in one thousand fathoms1 the engines   
going constantly1 so as to keep the     
ship's bows close up to the cable1 which
 by this means hangs nearly vertical1   
and sustains no strain but that caused  
by its own weight and the pitching of   
the vessel4 ,we were all up at four1 but
 the weather entirely forbade work for  
to-day2 so some went to bed1 and most   
lay down1 making up our lee-way1 as we  
nautically term our loss of sleep4 ,i   
must say ,liddell is a fine fellow1 and 
keeps his patience and his temper       
wonderfully2 and yet how he does fret   
and fume about trifles at home6'  ,,june
 #af4--';,by some odd chance a ,,times  
of ,june #g has found its way on board  
through the agency of a wretched old    

peasant who watches the end of the line 
here4 ,a long account of breakages in   
the ,atlantic trial trip4 ,to-night we  
grapple for the heavy cable1 eight tons 
to the mile4 ,i long to have a tug at   
him2 he may puzzle me2 and though       
misfortunes1 or rather difficulties1 are
 a bore at the time1 life1 when working 
with cables1 is tame without them4--#b  
p4m4 ,hurrah6 he is hooked--the big     
fellow--almost at the first cast4 ,he   
hangs under our bows1 looking so huge   
and imposing that ,i could find it in my
 heart to be afraid of him4'  ,,june    
#ag4--',we went to a little bay called  
,chia1 where a fresh-water stream falls 
into the sea1 and took in water4 ,this  
is rather a long operation1 so ,i went  
up the valley with ,mr4 ,liddell4 ,the  
coast here consists of rocky mountains  
#hjj to #ajjj feet high1 covered with   
shrubs of a brilliant green4 ,on        
landing1 our first amusement was        
watching the hundreds of large fish who 
lazily swam in shoals about the river4  

,the big canes on the further side hold 
numberless tortoises1 we are told1 but  
see none1 for just now they prefer      
taking a siesta4 ,a little further on1  
and what is this with large pink flowers
 in such abundance8--the oleander in    
full flower6 ,at first ,i fear to pluck 
them1 thinking they must be cultivated  
and valuable2 but soon the banks show a 
long line of thick tall shrubs1 one mass
 of glorious pink and green1 set there  
in a little valley1 whose rocks gleam   
out blue and purple colours1 such as    
pre-,raphaelites only dare attempt1     
shining out hard and weird-like amongst 
the clumps of castor-oil plants1 cistus1
 arbor-vitae1 and many other evergreens1
 whose names1 alas6 ,i know not2 the    
cistus is brown now1 the rest all deep  
and brilliant green4 ,large herds of    
cattle browse on the baked deposit at   
the foot of these large crags4 ,one or  
two half-savage herdsmen in sheepskin   
kilts1 etc41 ask for cigars2 partridges 
whirr up on either side of us2 pigeons  

coo and nightingales sing amongst the   
blooming oleander4 ,we get six sheep1   
and many fowls too1 from the priest of  
the small village1 and then run back to 
,spartivento and make preparations for  
the morning4'  ,,june #ah4--',the short 
length 7of the big-cable7 we have picked
 up was covered at places with beautiful
 sprays of coral1 twisted and twined    
with shells of those small fairy animals
 we saw in the aquarium at home4 ,poor  
little things6 they died at once1 with  
their little bells and delicate bright  
tints4'  ,,june #ai4--';,hour after hour
 ,i stand on the fore-castle-head       
picking off little specimens of polypi  
and coral1 or lie on the saloon deck    
reading back numbers of the ,,times1    
till something hitches1 and then all is 
hurly-burly once more4 ,there are       
awnings all along the ship1 and a most  
ancient and fish-like smell 7from the   
decaying polypi7 beneath4'  ,,june      
#bb4--',yesterday the cable was often a 
lovely sight1 coming out of the water   

one large incrustation of delicate      
net-like corals and long white curling  
shells4 ,no portion of the dirty black  
wire was visible2 instead we had a      
garland of soft pink1 with little       
scarlet sprays and white enamel         
intermixed4 ,all was fragile1 however1  
and could hardly be secured in safety2  
and inexorable iron crushed the tender  
leaves to atoms4'  ,,june #bd4--',the   
whole day spent in dredging1 without    
success4 ,this operation consists in    
allowing the ship to drift slowly across
 the line where you expect the cable to 
be1 while at the end of a long rope1    
fast either to the bow or stern1 a      
grapnel drags along the ground4 ,the    
grapnel is a small anchor1 made like    
four pot-hooks tied back to back4 ,when 
the rope gets taut the ship is stopped  
and the grapnel hauled up to the surface
 in the hopes of finding the cable on   
its prongs4 ,i am much discontented with
 myself for idly lounging about and     
reading ,,westward ,,ho6 for the second 

time instead of taking to electricity or
 picking up nautical information4'      
,during the latter part of the work much
 of the cable was found to be looped and
 twisted into 'kinks' from having been  
so slackly laid1 and two immense tangled
 skeins were raised on board1 one by    
means of the mast-head and fore-yard    
tackle4 ,photographs of this ravelled   
cable were for a long time exhibited as 
a curiosity in the windows of ,messrs4  
,newall  ,co's4 shop in the ,strand1    
where we remember to have seen them4    
,by ,july #e the whole of the six-wire  
cable had been recovered1 and a portion 
of the three-wire cable1 the rest being 
abandoned as unfit for use1 owing to its
 twisted condition4 ,their work was     
over1 but an unfortunate accident marred
 its conclusion4 ,on the evening of the 
#bnd the first mate1 while on the water 
unshackling a buoy1 was struck in the   
back by a fluke of the ship's anchor as 
she drifted1 and so severely injured    
that he lay for many weeks at ,cagliari4

 ,jenkin's knowledge of languages made  
him useful as an interpreter2 but in    
mentioning this incident to ,miss       
,austin1 he writes1 ',for no fortune    
would ,i be a doctor to witness these   
scenes continually4 ,pain is a terrible 
thing4'  ,in the beginning of #ahei he  
made the acquaintance of ,sir ,william  
,thomson1 his future friend and partner4
 ,mr4 ,lewis ,gordon1 of ,messrs4 ,r4   
,s4 ,newall  ,co41 afterwards the       
earliest professor of engineering in a  
,british ,university1 was then in       
,glasgow seeing ,sir ,william's         
instruments for testing and signalling  
on the first ,atlantic cable during the 
six weeks of its working4 ,mr4 ,gordon  
said he should like to show them to 'a  
young man of remarkable ability1'       
engaged at their ,birkenhead ,works1 and
 ,jenkin1 being telegraphed for1 arrived
 next morning1 and spent a week in      
,glasgow1 mostly in ,sir ,william's     
class-room and laboratory at the old    
college4 ,sir ,william tells us that he 

was struck not only with ,jenkin's      
brightness and ability1 but with his    
resolution to understand everything     
spoken of2 to see1 if possible1         
thoroughly into every difficult         
question1 and to slur over nothing4 ',i 
soon found1' he remarks1 'that          
thoroughness of honesty was as strongly 
engrained in the scientific as in the   
moral side of his character4' ,their    
talk was chiefly on the electric        
telegraph2 but ,jenkin was eager1 too1  
on the subject of physics4 ,after       
staying a week he returned to the       
factory2 but he began experiments1 and  
corresponded briskly with ,sir ,william 
about cable work4 ,that great           
electrician1 indeed1 seems to have      
infected his visitor during their brief 
contact with the magnetic force of his  
personality and enthusiasm4  ,the year  
was propitious1 and1 in addition to this
 friend1 ,fortune about the same time   
bestowed a still better gift on ,jenkin4
 ,on ,saturday1 ,february #bf1 during a 

four days' leave1 he was married to     
,miss ,austin at ,northiam1 returning to
 his work the following ,tuesday4 ,this 
was the great event of his life2 he was 
strongly attached to his wife1 and his  
letters reveal a warmth of affection1 a 
chivalry of sentiment1 and even a       
romance of expression1 which a casual   
observer would never have suspected in  
him4 ,jenkin seemed to the outside world
 a man without a heart1 and yet we find 
him saying in the year #ahfi1 ',people  
may write novels1 and other people may  
write poems1 but not a man or woman     
among them can say how happy a man can  
be who is desperately in love with his  
wife after ten years of marriage4' ,five
 weeks before his death he wrote to her1
 ',your first letter from ,bournemouth  
gives me heavenly pleasure--for which ,i
 thank ,heaven and you1 too1 who are my 
heaven on earth4'  ,during the summer he
 enjoyed another telegraph cruise in the
 ,mediterranean1 a sea which for its    
classical memories1 its lovely climate1 

and diversified scenes1 is by far the   
most interesting in the world4 ,this    
time the ,elba was to lay a cable from  
the ,greek islands of ,syra and ,candia 
to ,egypt4 ,cable-laying is a pleasant  
mode of travel4 ,many of those on board 
the ship are friends and comrades in    
former expeditions1 and all are engaged 
in the same venture4 ,some have seen a  
good deal of the world1 both in and out 
of the beaten track2 they have curious  
'yarns to spin1' and useful hints or    
scraps of worldly wisdom to bestow4 ,the
 voyage out is like a holiday excursion1
 for it is only the laying that is      
arduous1 and even that is lightened by  
excitement4 ,glimpses are got of        
hide-away spots1 where the cable is     
landed1 perhaps4 on the verge of the    
primeval forest or near the port of a   
modern city1 or by the site of some     
ruined monument of the past4 ,the very  
magic of the craft and its benefit to   
the world are a source of pleasure to   
the engineer1 who is generally made much

 of in the distant parts he has come to 
join4 ,no doubt there are hardships to  
be borne1 sea-sickness1 broken rest1 and
 anxiety about the work--for cables are 
apt suddenly to fail1 and the ocean is  
treacherous2 but with all its drawbacks 
this happy mixture of changing travel   
and profitable labour is very           
attractive1 especially to a young man4  
,the following extracts from letters to 
his wife will illustrate the nature of  
the work1 and also give an idea of      
,jenkin's clear and graphic style of    
correspondence3--,may #ad4--',syra is   
semi-eastern4 ,the pavement1 huge       
shapeless blocks sloping to a central   
gutter2 from this base two-storeyed     
houses1 sometimes plaster1              
many-coloured1 sometimes rough-hewn     
marble1 rise1 dirty and ill-finished1 to
 straight1 plain1 flat roofs2 shops     
guiltless of windows1 with signs in     
,greek letters2 dogs1 ,greeks in blue1  
baggy1 ,zouave breeches and a fez1 a few
 narghilehs1 and a sprinkling of the    

ordinary continental shop-boys4 ,in the 
evening ,i tried one more walk in ,syra 
with ,a----1 but in vain endeavoured to 
amuse myself or to spend money1 the     
first effort resulting in singing       
,,doodah to a passing ,greek or two1 the
 second in spending--no1 in making      
,a---- spend--threepence on coffee for  
three4'  ,canea ,bay1 in ,candia 7or    
,crete71 which they reached on ,may #af1
 appeared to ,jenkin one of the         
loveliest sights that man could witness4
  ,may #bc4--';,i spent the day at the  
little station where the cable was      
landed1 which has apparently been first 
a ,venetian monastery and then a        
,turkish mosque4 ,at any rate the big   
dome is very cool1 and the little ones  
hold batteries capitally4 ,a handsome   
young ,bashi-,bazouk guards it1 and a   
still handsomer mountaineer is the      
servant2 so ,i draw them and the        
monastery and the hill till ,i'm black  
in the face with heat1 and come on board
 to hear the ,canea cable is still bad4'

  ,may #bc4--',we arrived in the morning
 at the east end of ,candia1 and had a  
glorious scramble over the mountains1   
which seem built of adamant4 ,time has  
worn away the softer portions of the    
rock1 only leaving sharp1 jagged edges  
of steel2 sea eagles soaring above our  
heads--old tanks1 ruins1 and desolation 
at our feet4 ,the ancient ,arsinoe stood
 here3 a few blocks of marble with the  
cross attest the presence of ,venetian  
,christians2 but now--the desolation of 
desolations4 ,mr4 ,liddell and ,i       
separated from the rest1 and when we had
 found a sure bay for the cable1 had a  
tremendous lively scramble back to the  
boat4 ,these are the bits of our life   
which ,i enjoy2 which have some poetry1 
some grandeur in them4  ,may            
#bi4-',yesterday we ran round to the new
 harbour 7of ,alexandria71 landed the   
shore end of the cable close to         
,cleopatra's ,bath1 and made a very     
satisfactory start about one in the     
afternoon4 ,we had scarcely gone #bjj   

yards when ,i noticed that the cable    
ceased to run out1 and ,i wondered why  
the ship had stopped4'  ,the ,elba had  
run her nose on a sandbank4 ,after      
trying to force her over it1 an anchor  
was put out astern and the rope wound by
 a steam winch1 while the engines were  
backed2 but all in vain4 ,at length a   
small ,turkish steamer1 the consort of  
the ,elba1 came to her assistance1 and  
by means of a hawser helped to tug her  
off3 ,the pilot again ran her aground   
soon after1 but she was delivered by the
 same means without much damage4 ,when  
two-thirds of this cable was laid the   
line snapped in deep water1 and had to  
be recovered4 ,on ,saturday1 ,june #d1  
they arrived at ,syra1 where they had to
 perform four days' quarantine1 during  
which1 however1 they started repairing  
the ,canea cable4  ,bad weather coming  
on1 they took shelter in ,siphano1 of   
which ,jenkin writes3 ',these isles of  
,greece are sad1 interesting places4    
,they are not really barren all over1   

but they are quite destitute of verdure2
 and tufts of thyme1 wild mastic1 or    
mint1 though they sound well1 are not   
nearly so pretty as grass4 ,many little 
churches1 glittering white1 dot the     
islands2 most of them1 ,i believe1      
abandoned during the whole year with the
 exception of one day sacred to their   
patron saint4 ,the villages are mean2   
but the inhabitants do not look         
wretched1 and the men are capital       
sailors4 ,there is something in this    
,greek race yet2 they will become a     
powerful ,levantine nation in the course
 of time4'  ,in #ahfa ,jenkin left the  
service of ,newall  ,co41 and entered   
into partnership with ,mr4 ,h4 ,c4      
,forde1 who had acted as engineer under 
the ,british ,government for the        
,malta-,alexandria cable1 and was now   
practising as a civil engineer4 ,for    
several years after this business was   
bad1 and with a young family coming1 it 
was an anxious time for him2 but he     
seems to have borne his troubles        

lightly4 ,mr4 ,stevenson says it was his
 principle 'to enjoy each day's         
happiness as it arises1 like birds and  
children4'  ,in #ahfc his first son was 
born1 and the family removed to a       
cottage at ,claygate1 near ,esher4      
,though ill and poor at this period1 he 
kept up his self-confidence4 ',the      
country1' he wrote to his wife1 'will   
give us1 please ,god1 health and        
strength4 ,i will love and cherish you  
more than ever4 ,you shall go where you 
wish1 you shall receive whom you wish1  
and as for money1 you shall have that   
too4 ,i cannot be mistaken4 ,i have now 
measured myself with many men4 ,i do not
 feel weak4 ,i do not feel that ,i shall
 fail4 ,in many things ,i have          
succeeded1 and ,i will in this4444 ,and 
meanwhile1 the time of waiting1 which1  
please ,heaven1 shall not be so long1   
shall also not be so bitter4 ,well1     
well1 ,i promise much1 and do not know  
at this moment how you and the dear     
child are4 ,if he is but better1        

courage1 my girl1 for ,i see light4'    
,he took to gardening1 without a natural
 liking for it1 and soon became an      
ardent expert4 ,he wrote reviews1 and   
lectured1 or amused himself in playing  
charades1 and reading poetry4 ,clerk    
,maxwell1 and ,mr4 ,ricketts1 who was   
lost in the ,la ,plata1 were among his  
visitors4 ,during ,october1 #ahfj1 he   
superintended the repairs of the        
,bona-,spartivento cable1 revisiting    
,chia and ,cagliari1 then full of       
,garibaldi's troops4 ,the cable1 which  
had been broken by the anchors of coral 
fishers1 was grapnelled with difficulty4
 ',what rocks we did hook6' writes      
,jenkin4 ',no sooner was the grapnel    
down than the ship was anchored2 and    
then came such a business3 ship's       
engines going1 deck engine thundering1  
belt slipping1 tear of breaking ropes2  
actually breaking grapnels4 ,it was     
always an hour or more before we could  
get the grapnels down again4'  ,in      
#ahfe1 on the birth of his second son1  

,mrs4 ,jenkin was very ill1 and ,jenkin1
 after running two miles for a doctor1  
knelt by her bedside during the night in
 a draught1 not wishing to withdraw his 
hand from hers4 ,never robust1 he       
suffered much from flying rheumatism and
 sciatica ever afterwards4 ,it nearly   
disabled him while laying the ,lowestoft
 to ,norderney cable for ,mr4 ,reuter1  
in #ahff4 ,this line was designed by    
,messrs4 ,forde  ,jenkin1 manufactured  
by ,messrs4 ,w4 ,t4 ,henley  ,co41 and  
laid by the ,caroline and ,william      
,cory4 ,miss ,clara ,volkman1 a niece of
 ,mr4 ,reuter1 sent the first message1  
,mr4 ,c4 ,f1 ,varley holding her hand4  
,in #ahff ,jenkin was appointed to the  
professorship of ,engineering in        
,university ,college1 ,london4 ,two     
years later his prospects suddenly      
improved2 the partnership began to pay1 
and he was selected to fill the ,chair  
of ,engineering1 which had been newly   
established1 in ,edinburgh ,university4 
,what he thought of the change may be   

gathered from a letter to his wife3     
',with you in the garden 7at ,claygate71
 with ,austin in the coach-house1 with  
pretty songs in the little low white    
room1 with the moonlight in the dear    
room upstairs--ah6 it was perfect2 but  
the long walk1 wondering1 pondering1    
fearing1 scheming1 and the dusty jolting
 railway1 and the horrid fusty office1  
with its endless disappointments1 they  
are well gone4 ,it is well enough to    
fight1 and scheme1 and bustle about in  
the eager crowd here 7in ,london7 for   
awhile now and then2 but not for a      
lifetime4 ,what ,i have now is just     
perfect4 ,study for winter1 action for  
summer1 lovely country for recreation1 a
 pleasant town for talk4'  ,the         
liberality of the ,scotch universities  
allowed him to continue his private     
enterprises1 and the summer holiday was 
long enough to make a trip round the    
globe4  ,the following ,june he was on  
board the ,great ,eastern while she laid
 the ,french ,atlantic cable from ,brest

 to ,st4 ,pierre4 ,among his shipmates  
were ,sir ,william ,thomson1 ,sir ,james
 ,anderson1 ,c4 ,f4 ,varley1 ,mr4       
,latimer ,clark1 and ,willoughby ,smith4
 ,jenkin's sketches of ,clark and       
,varley are particularly happy4 ,at ,st4
 ,pierre1 where they arrived in a fog1  
which lifted to show their consort1 the 
,william ,cory1 straight ahead1 and the 
,gulnare signalling a welcome1 ,jenkin  
made the curious observation that the   
whole island was electrified by the     
battery at the telegraph station4       
,jenkin's position at ,edinburgh led to 
a partnership in cable work with ,sir   
,william ,thomson1 for whom he always   
had a love and admiration4 ,jenkin's    
clear1 practical1 and business-like     
abilities were doubtless an advantage to
 ,sir ,william1 relieving him of        
routine1 and sparing his great abilities
 for higher work4 ,in #ahgj the siphon  
recorder1 for tracing a cablegram in    
ink1 instead of merely flashing it by   
the moving ray of the mirror            

galvanometer1 was introduced on long    
cables1 and became a source of profit to
 ,jenkin and ,varley as well as to ,sir 
,william1 its inventor4  ,in #ahgc      
,thomson and ,jenkin were engineers for 
the ,western and ,brazilian cable4 ,it  
was manufactured by ,messrs4 ,hooper    
,co41 of ,millwall1 and the wire was    
coated with india-rubber1 then a new    
insulator4 ,the ,hooper left ,plymouth  
in ,june1 and after touching at         
,madeira1 where ,sir ,william was up    
'sounding with his special toy' 7the    
pianoforte wire7 'at half-past three in 
the morning1' they reached ,pernambuco  
by the beginning of ,august1 and laid a 
cable to ,para4  ,during the next two   
years the ,brazilian system was         
connected to the ,west ,indies and the  
,river ,plate2 but ,jenkin was not      
present on the expeditions4 ,while      
engaged in this work1 the ill-fated ,la 
,plata1 bound with cable from ,messrs4  
,siemens ,brothers to ,monte ,video1    
perished in a cyclone off ,cape ,ushant1

 with the loss of nearly all her crew4  
,the ,mackay-,bennett ,atlantic cables  
were also laid under their charge4  ,as 
a professor ,jenkin's appearance was    
against him2 but he was a clear1 fluent 
speaker1 and a successful teacher4 ,of  
medium height1 and very plain1 his      
manner was youthful1 and alert1 but     
unimposing4 ,nevertheless1 his class was
 always in good order1 for his eye      
instantly lighted on any unruly member1 
and his reproof was keen4  ,his         
experimental work was not strikingly    
original4 ,at ,birkenhead he made some  
accurate measurements of the electrical 
properties of materials used in         
submarine cables4 ,sir ,william ,thomson
 says he was the first to apply the     
absolute methods of measurement         
introduced by ,gauss and ,weber4 ,he    
also investigated there the laws of     
electric signals in submarine cables4   
,as ,secretary to the ,british          
,association ,committee on ,electrical  
,standards he played a leading part in  

providing electricians with practical   
standards of measurement4 ,his ,cantor  
lectures on submarine cables1 and his   
treatise on ,,electricity ,,and         
,,magnetism1 published in #ahgc1 were   
notable works at the time1 and contained
 the latest development of their        
subjects4 ,he was associated with ,sir  
,william ,thomson in an ingenious       
'curb-key' for sending signals          
automatically through a long cable2 but 
although tried1 it was not adopted4 ,his
 most important invention was           
,telpherage1 a means of transporting    
goods and passengers to a distance by   
electric panniers supported on a wire or
 conductor1 which supplied them with    
electricity4 ,it was first patented in  
#ahhb1 and ,jenkin spent his last years 
on this work1 expecting great results   
from it2 but ere the first public line  
was opened for traffic at ,glynde1 in   
,sussex1 he was dead4  ,in mechanical   
engineering his graphical methods of    
calculating strains in bridges1 and     

determining the efficiency of mechanism1
 are of much value4 ,the latter1 which  
is based on ,reulaux's prior work1      
procured him the honour of the ,keith   
,gold ,medal from the ,royal ,society of
 ,edinburgh4 ,another successful work of
 his was the founding of the ,sanitary  
,protection ,association1 for the       
supervision of houses with regard to    
health4  ,in his leisure hours ,jenkin  
wrote papers on a wide variety of       
subjects4 ,to the question1 ',is one    
man's gain another man's loss8' he      
answered ',not in every case4' ,he      
attacked ,darwin's theory of            
development1 and showed its inadequacy1 
especially in demanding more time than  
the physicist could grant for the age of
 the habitable world4 ,darwin himself   
confessed that some of his arguments    
were convincing2 and ,munro1 the        
scholar1 complimented him for his paper 
on ,lucretius and the ,atomic ,theory4' 
,in #ahgh he constructed a phonograph   
from the newspaper reports of this new  

invention1 and lectured on it at a      
bazaar in ,edinburgh1 then employed it  
to study the nature of vowel and        
consonantal sounds4 ,an interesting     
paper on ,rhythm in ,english ,verse1'   
was also published by him in the        
,,saturday ,,review for #ahhc4  ,he was 
clever with his pencil1 and could seize 
a likeness with astonishing rapidity4   
,he has been known while on a cable     
expedition to stop a peasant woman in a 
shop for a few minutes and sketch her on
 the spot4 ,his artistic side also shows
 itself in a paper on ',artist and      
,critic1' in which he defines the       
difference between the mechanical and   
fine arts4 ',in mechanical arts1' he    
says1 'the craftsman uses his skill to  
produce something useful1 but 7except in
 the rare case when he is at liberty to 
choose what he shall produce7 his sole  
merit lies in skill4 ,in the fine arts  
the student uses skill to produce       
something beautiful4 ,he is free to     
choose what that something shall be1 and

 the layman claims that he may and must 
judge the artist chiefly by the value in
 beauty of the thing done4 ,artistic    
skill contributes to beauty1 or it would
 not be skill2 but beauty is the result 
of many elements1 and the nobler the art
 the lower is the rank which skill takes
 among them4'  ,a clear and             
matter-of-fact thinker1 ,jenkin was an  
equally clear and graphic writer4 ,he   
read the best literature1 preferring1   
among other things1 the story of ,david1
 the ,,odyssey1 the ,,arcadia1 the saga 
of ,burnt ,njal1 and the ,,grand        
,,cyrus4 ,aeschylus1 ,sophocles1        
,shakespeare1 ,ariosto1 ,boccaccio1     
,scott1 ,dumas1 ,dickens1 ,thackeray1   
and ,george ,eliot1 were some of his    
favourite authors4 ,he once began a     
review of ,george ,eliot's biography1   
but left it unfinished4 ,latterly he had
 ceased to admire her work as much as   
before4 ,he was a rapid1 fluent talker1 
with excited utterance at times4 ,some  
of his sayings were shrewd and sharp2   

but he was sometimes aggressive4        
',people admire what is pretty in an    
ugly thing1' he used to say 'not the    
ugly thing4' ,a lady once said to him   
she would never be happy again4 ',what  
does that signify8' cried ,jenkin2 'we  
are not here to be happy1 but to be     
good4' ,on a friend remarking that      
,salvini's acting in ,,othello made him 
want to pray1 ,jenkin answered1 ',that  
is prayer4'  ,though admired and liked  
by his intimates1 ,jenkin was never     
popular with associates4 ,his manner was
 hard1 rasping1 and unsympathetic4      
',whatever virtues he possessed1' says  
,mr4 ,stevenson1 'he could never count  
on being civil4' ,he showed so much     
courtesy to his wife1 however1 that a   
,styrian peasant who observed it spread 
a report in the village that ,mrs4      
,jenkin1 a great lady1 had married      
beneath her4 ,at the ,saville ,club1 in 
,london1 he was known as the 'man who   
dines here and goes up to ,scotland4'   
,jenkin was conscious of this           

churlishness1 and latterly improved4    
',all my life1' he wrote1',i have talked
 a good deal1 with the almost unfailing 
result of making people sick of the     
sound of my tongue4 ,it appeared to me  
that ,i had various things to say1 and  
,i had no malevolent feelings2 but1     
nevertheless1 the result was that       
expressed above4 ,well1 lately some     
change has happened4 ,if ,i talk to a   
person one day they must have me the    
next4 ,faces light up when they see me4 
,ah6 ,i say1 come here4 ,come and dine  
with me4 ,it's the most preposterous    
thing ,i ever experienced4 ,it is       
curiously pleasant4'  ,jenkin was a good
 father1 joining in his children's play 
as well as directing their studies4 ,the
 boys used to wait outside his office   
for him at the close of business hours2 
and a story is told of little ,frewen1  
the second son1 entering in to him one  
day1 while he was at work1 and holding  
out a toy crane he was making1 with the 
request1 ',papa you might finiss windin'

 this for me1 ,i'm so very busy to-day4'
 ,he was fond of animals too1 and his   
dog ,plate regularly accompanied him to 
the ,university4 ,but1 as he used to    
say1 ',it's a cold home where a dog is  
the only representative of a child4'    
,in summer his holidays were usually    
spent in the ,highlands1 where ,jenkin  
learned to love the ,highland character 
and ways of life4 ,he was a good shot1  
rode and swam well1 and taught his boys 
athletic exercises1 boating1 salmon     
fishing1 and such like4 ,he learned to  
dance a ,highland reel1 and began the   
study of ,gaelic2 but that speech proved
 too stubborn1 craggy1 and impregnable  
even for ,jenkin4 ,once he took his     
family to ,alt ,aussee1 in the          
,stiermark1 ,styria1 where he hunted    
chamois1 won a prize for shooting at the
 ,schutzen-fest1 learned the dialect of 
the country1 sketched the neighbourhood1
 and danced the ,,steierisch and        
,,landler with the peasants4 ,he never  
seemed to be happy unless he was doing1 

and what he did was well done4  ,above  
all1 he was clear-headed and practical1 
mastering many things2 no dreamer1 but  
an active1 business man4 ,had he        
confined himself to engineering he might
 have adorned his profession more1 for  
he liked and fitted it2 but with his    
impulses on other lines repressed1 he   
might have been less happy4 ,moreover1  
he was one who believed1 with the sage1 
that all good work is profitable1 having
 its value1 if only in exercise and     
skill4  ,his own parents and those of   
his wife had come to live in ,edinburgh2
 but he lost them all within ten months 
of each other4 ,jenkin had showed great 
devotion to them in their illnesses1 and
 was worn out with grief and watching4  
,his telpherage1 too1 had given him     
considerable anxiety to perfect2 and his
 mother's illness1 which affected her   
mind1 had caused himself to fear4  ,he  
was meditating a holiday to ,italy with 
his wife in order to recuperate1 and had
 a trifling operation performed on his  

foot1 which resulted1 it is believed1 in
 blood poisoning4 ,there seemed to be no
 danger1 and his wife was reading aloud 
to him as he lay in bed1 when his       
intellect began to wander4 ,it is       
doubtful whether he regained his senses 
before he died1 on ,june #ab1 #ahhe4    
,at one period of his life ,jenkin was a
 ,freethinker1 holding1 as ,mr4         
,stevenson says1 all dogmas as 'mere    
blind struggles to express the          
inexpressible4' ,nevertheless1 as time  
went on he came back to a belief in     
,christianity4 ',the longer ,i live1' he
 wrote1 'the more convinced ,i become of
 a direct care by ,god--which is        
reasonably impossible--but there it is4'
 ,in his last year he took the          
,communion4    ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,johann
 ,,philipp ,,reis4  ,johann ,philipp    
,reis1 the first inventor of an electric
 telephone1 was born on ,january #g1    
#ahcd1 at the little town of            
,gelnhausen1 in ,cassel1 where his      
father was a master baker and petty     

farmer4 ,the boy lost his mother during 
his infancy1 and was brought up by his  
paternal grandmother1 a well-read1      
intelligent woman1 of a religious turn4 
,while his father taught him to observe 
the material world1 his grandmother     
opened his mind to the ,unseen4  ,at the
 age of six he was sent to the common   
school of the town1 where his talents   
attracted the notice of his instructors1
 who advised his father to extend his   
education at a higher college4 ,mr4     
,reis died before his son was ten years 
old2 but his grandmother and guardians  
afterwards placed him at ,garnier's     
,institute1 in ,friedrichsdorf1 where he
 showed a taste for languages1 and      
acquired both ,french and ,english1 as  
well as a stock of miscellaneous        
information from the library4 ,at the   
end of his fourteenth year he passed to 
,hassel's ,institute1 at                
,frankfort-on-the-,main1 where he picked
 up ,latin and ,italian4 ,a love of     
science now began to show itself1 and   

his guardians were recommended to send  
him to the ,polytechnic ,school of      
,carlsruhe2 but one of them1 his uncle1 
wished him to become a merchant1 and on 
,march #a1 #ahej1 ,reis was apprenticed 
to the colour trade in the establishment
 of ,mr4 ,j4 ,f ,beyerbach1 of          
,frankfort1 against his own will4 ,he   
told his uncle that he would learn the  
business chosen for him1 but should     
continue his proper studies by-and-by4  
,by diligent service he won the esteem  
of ,mr4 ,beyerbach1 and devoted his     
leisure to self-improvement1 taking     
private lessons in mathematics and      
physics1 and attending the lectures of  
,professor ,r4 ,bottger on mechanics at 
the ,trade ,school4 ,when his           
apprenticeship ended he attended the    
,institute of ,dr4 ,poppe1 in           
,frankfort1 and as neither history nor  
geography was taught there1 several of  
the students agreed to instruct each    
other in these subjects4 ,reis undertook
 geography1 and believed he had found   

his true vocation in the art of         
teaching4 ,he also became a member of   
the ,physical ,society of ,frankfort4   
,in #ahee he completed his year of      
military service at ,cassel1 then       
returned to ,frankfort to qualify       
himself as a teacher of mathematics and 
science in the schools by means of      
private study and public lectures4 ,his 
intention was to finish his training at 
the ,university of ,heidelberg1 but in  
the spring of #aheh he visited his old  
friend and master1 ,hofrath ,garnier1   
who offered him a post in ,garnier's    
,institute4 ,in the autumn of #ahee he  
removed to ,friedrichsdorf1 to begin his
 new career1 and in ,september following
 he took a wife and settled down4  ,reis
 imagined that electricity could be     
propagated through space1 as light can1 
without the aid of a material conductor1
 and he made some experiments on the    
subject4 ,the results were described in 
a paper ',on the ,radiation of          
,electricity1' which1 in #ahei1 he      

posted to ,professor ,poggendorff2 for  
insertion in the well-known periodical1 
the ,,annalen ,,der ,,physik4 ,the      
memoir was declined1 to the great       
disappointment of the sensitive young   
teacher4  ,reis had studied the organs  
of hearing1 and the idea of an apparatus
 for transmitting sound by means of     
electricity had been floating in his    
mind for years4 ,incited by his lessons 
on physics1 in the year #ahfj he        
attacked the problem1 and was rewarded  
with success4 ,in #ahfb he again tried  
,poggendorff1 with an account of his    
',telephon1' as he called it2,the word  
'telephone' occurs in ,timbs'           
,,repository ,,of ,,science ,,and ,,art 
for #ahde1 in connection ,with a signal 
trumpet operated by compressed air4 but 
his second offering was rejected like   
the first4 ,the learned professor1 it   
seems1 regarded the transmission of     
speech by electricity as a chimera2 but 
,reis1 in the bitterness of wounded     
feeling1 attributed the failure to his  

being 'only a poor schoolmaster4'       
,since the invention of the telephone1  
attention has been called to the fact   
that1 in #ahed1 ,m4 ,charles ,bourseul1 
a ,french telegraphist1 ,happily still  
alive 7#ahia74 had conceived a plan for 
conveying sounds and even speech by     
electricity4 ',suppose1' he explained1  
'that a man speaks near a movable disc  
sufficiently flexible to lose none of   
the vibrations of the voice2 that this  
disc alternately makes and breaks the   
currents from a battery3 you may have at
 a distance another disc which will     
simultaneously execute the same         
vibrations4444 ,it is certain that1 in a
 more or less distant future1 speech    
will be transmitted by electricity4 ,i  
have made experiments in this direction2
 they are delicate and demand time and  
patience1 but the approximations        
obtained promise a favourable           
result4',see ,du ,moncel's ,,expose     
,,des ,,applications1 etc4  ,bourseul   
deserves the credit of being perhaps the

 first to devise an electric telephone  
and try to make it2 but to ,reis belongs
 the honour of first realising the idea4
 ,a writer may plot a story1 or a       
painter invent a theme for a picture2   
but unless he execute the work1 of what 
benefit is it to the world8 ,true1 a    
suggestion in mechanics may stimulate   
another to apply it in practice1 and in 
that case the suggester is entitled to  
some share of the credit1 as well as the
 distinction of being the first to think
 of the matter4 ,but it is best when the
 original deviser also carries out the  
work2 and if another should             
independently hit upon the same idea and
 bring it into practice1 we are bound to
 honour him in full1 though we may also 
recognise the merit of his predecessor4 
,bourseul's idea seems to have attracted
 little notice at the time1 and was soon
 forgotten4 ,even the ,count du ,moncel1
 who was ever ready to welcome a        
promising invention1 evidently regarded 
it as a fantastic notion4 ,it is very   

doubtful if ,reis had ever heard of it4 
,he was led to conceive a similar       
apparatus by a study of the mechanism of
 the human ear1 which he knew to contain
 a membrane1 or 'drum1' vibrating under 
the waves of sound1 and communicating   
its vibrations through the hammer-bone  
behind it to the auditory nerve4 ,it    
therefore occurred to him1 that if he   
made a diaphragm in imitation of the    
drum1 and caused it by vibrating to make
 and break the circuit of an electric   
current1 he would be able through the   
magnetic power of the interrupted       
current to reproduce the original sounds
 at a distance4  ,in #ahcg-h ,professor 
,page1 of ,massachusetts1 had discovered
 that' a needle or thin bar of iron1    
placed in the hollow of a coil or bobbin
 of insulated wire1 would emit an       
audible 'tick' at each interruption of a
 current1 flowing in the coil1 and that 
if these separate ticks followed each   
other fast enough1 by a rapid           
interruption of the current1 they would 

run together into a continuous hum1 to  
which he gave the name of 'galvanic     
music4' ,the pitch of this note would   
correspond to the rate of interruption  
of the current4 ,from these and other   
discoveries which had been made by      
,noad1 ,wertheim1 ,marrian1 and others1 
,reis knew that if the current which had
 been interrupted by his vibrating      
diaphragm were conveyed to a distance by
 a metallic circuit1 and there passed   
through a coil like that of ,page1 the  
iron needle would emit a note like that 
which had caused the oscillation of the 
transmitting diaphragm4 ,acting on this 
knowledge1 he constructed a rude        
telephone4  ,dr4 ,messel informs us that
 his first transmitter consisted of the 
bung of a beer barrel hollowed out in   
imitation of the external ear4 ,the cup 
or mouth-piece thus formed was closed by
 the skin of a ,german sausage to serve 
as a drum or diaphragm4 ,to the back of 
this he fixed1 with a drop of           
sealing-wax1 a little strip of platinum1

 representing the hammer-bone1 which    
made and broke the metallic circuit of  
the current as the membrane oscillated  
under the sounds which impinged against 
it4 ,the current thus interrupted was   
conveyed by wires to the receiver1 which
 consisted of a knitting-needle loosely 
surrounded by a coil of wire fastened to
 the breast of a violin as a            
sounding-board4 ,when a musical note was
 struck near the bung1 the drum vibrated
 in harmony with the pitch of the note1 
the platinum lever interrupted the      
metallic circuit of the current1 which1 
after traversing the conducting wire1   
passed through the coil of the receiver1
 and made the needle hum the original   
tone4 ,this primitive arrangement1 we   
are told1 astonished all who heard it4  
,it is now in the museum of the ,reichs 
,post-,amt1 ,berlin4  ,another of his   
early transmitters was a rough model of 
the human ear1 carved in oak1 and       
provided with a drum which actuated a   
bent and pivoted lever of platinum1     

making it open and close a springy      
contact of platinum foil in the metallic
 circuit of the current4 ,he devised    
some ten or twelve different forms1 each
 an improvement on its predecessors1    
which transmitted music fairly well1 and
 even a word or two of speech with more 
or less perfection4 ,but the apparatus  
failed as a practical means of talking  
to a distance4  ,the discovery of the   
microphone by ,professor ,hughes has    
enabled us to understand the reason of  
this failure4 ,the transmitter of ,reis 
was based on the plan of interrupting   
the current1 and the spring was intended
 to close the contact after it had been 
opened by the shock of a vibration4 ,so 
long as the sound was a musical tone it 
proved efficient1 for a musical tone is 
a regular succession of vibrations4 ,but
 the vibrations of speech are irregular 
and complicated1 and in order to        
transmit them the current has to be     
varied in strength without being        
altogether broken4 ,the waves excited in

 the air by the voice should merely     
produce corresponding waves in the      
current4 ,in short1 the current ought to
 ,,undulate in sympathy with the        
oscillations of the air4 ,it appears    
from the report of ,herr ,von ,legat1   
inspector of the ,royal ,prussian       
,telegraphs1 on the ,reis telephone1    
published in #ahfb1 that the inventor   
was quite aware of this principle1 but  
his instrument was not well adapted to  
apply it4 ,no doubt the platinum        
contacts he employed in the transmitter 
behaved to some extent as a crude metal 
microphone1 and hence a few words1      
especially familiar or expected ones1   
could be transmitted and distinguished  
at the other end of the line4 ,but ,reis
 does not seem to have realised the     
importance of not entirely breaking the 
circuit of the current2 at all events1  
his metal spring is not in practice an  
effective provision against this1 for it
 allows the metal contacts to jolt too  
far apart1 and thus interrupt the       

current4 ,had he lived to modify the    
spring and the form or material of his  
contacts so as to keep the current      
continuous--as he might have done1 for  
example1 by using carbon for            
platinum--he would have forestalled     
alike ,bell1 ,edison1 and ,hughes in the
 production of a good speaking          
telephone4 ,reis in fact was trembling  
on the verge of a great discovery1 which
 was1 however1 reserved for others4     
,his experiments were made in a little  
workshop behind his home at             
,friedrichsdorff2 and wires were run    
from it to an upper chamber4 ,another   
line was erected between the physical   
cabinet at ,garnier's ,institute across 
the playground to one of the            
class-rooms1 and there was a tradition  
in the school that the boys were afraid 
of creating an uproar in the room for   
fear ,herr ,reis should hear them with  
his 'telephon4'  ,the new invention was 
published to the world in a lecture     
before the ,physical ,society of        

,frankfort on ,october #bf1 #ahfa1 and a
 description1 written by himself for the
 ,,jahresbericht1 a month or two later4 
,it excited a good deal of scientific   
notice in ,germany2 models of it were   
sent abroad1 to ,london1 ,dublin1       
,tiflis1 and other places4 ,it became a 
subject for popular lectures1 and an    
article for scientific cabinets4 ,reis  
obtained a brief renown1 but the        
reaction soon set in4 ,the ,physical    
,society of ,frankfort turned its back  
on the apparatus which had given it     
lustre4 ,reis resigned his membership in
 #ahfg2 but the ,free ,german ,institute
 of ,frankfort1 which elected him an    
honorary member1 also slighted the      
instrument as a mere 'philosophical     
toy4' ,at first it was a dream1 and now 
it is a plaything4 ,have we not had     
enough of that superior wisdom which is 
another name for stupidity8 ,the dreams 
of the imagination are apt to become    
realities1 and the toy of to-day has a  
knack of growing into the mighty engine 

of to-morrow4  ,reis believed in his    
invention1 if no one else did2 and had  
he been encouraged by his fellows from  
the beginning1 he might have brought it 
into a practical shape4 ,but rebuffs had
 preyed upon his sensitive heart1 and he
 was already stricken with consumption4 
,it is related that1 after his lecture  
on the telephone at ,geissen1 in #ahed1 
,professor ,poggendorff1 who was        
present1 invited him to send a          
description of his instrument to the    
,,annalen4 ,reis answered him1',ich     
danke ,ihnen recht ,sehr1 ,herr         
,professor2 es ist zu spaty4 ,jetzt will
 ,,ich nicht ihn schickeny4 ,mein       
,apparat wird ohne ,beschreibung in den 
,,annalen bekannt werden4' 7',thank you 
very much1 ,professor1 but it is too    
late4 ,i shall not send it now4 ,my     
apparatus will become known without any 
writing in the ,,annalen4'7  ,latterly  
,reis had confined his teaching and     
study to matters of science2 but his bad
 health was a serious impediment4 ,for  

several years it was only by the        
exercise of a strong will that he was   
able to carry on his duties4 ,his voice 
began to fail as the disease gained upon
 his lungs1 and in the summer of #ahgc  
he was obliged to forsake tuition during
 several weeks4 ,the autumn vacation    
strengthened his hopes of recovery1 and 
he resumed his teaching with his wonted 
energy4 ,but this was the last flicker  
of the expiring flame4 ,it was announced
 that he would show his new             
gravity-machine at a meeting of the     
,deutscher ,naturforscher of ,wiesbaden 
in ,september1 but he was too ill to    
appear4 ,in ,december he lay down1 and1 
after a long and painful illness1       
breathed his last at five o'clock in the
 afternoon of ,january #ad1 #ahgd4  ,in 
his ,,curriculum ,,vitae he wrote these 
words3 ',as ,i look back upon my life ,i
 call indeed say with the ,holy         
,scriptures that it has been labour and 
sorrow4 ,but ,i have also to thank the  
,lord that ,he has given me ,his        

blessing in my calling and in my family1
 and has bestowed more good upon me than
 ,i have known how to ask of ,him4 ,the 
,lord has helped hitherto2 ,he will help
 yet further4'  ,reis was buried in the 
cemetery of ,friedrichsdorff1 and in    
#ahgh1 after the introduction of the    
speaking telephone1 the members of the  
,physical ,society of ,frankfort erected
 over his grave an obelisk of red       
sandstone bearing a medallion portrait4 
,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,graham ,,bell4  ,the
 first to produce a practicable speaking
 telephone was ,alexander ,graham ,bell4
 ,he was born at ,edinburgh on ,march   
#a1 #ahdg1 and comes of a family        
associated with the teaching of         
elocution4 ,his grandfather in ,london1 
his uncle in ,dublin1 and his father1   
,mr4 ,andrew ,melville ,bell1 in        
,edinburgh1 were all professed          
elocutionists4 ,the latter has published
 a variety of works on the subject1     
several of which are well known1        
especially his treatise on ,visible     

,speech1 which appeared in ,edinburgh in
 #ahfh4 ,in this he explains his        
ingenious method of instructing deaf    
mutes1 by means of their eyesight1 how  
to articulate words1 and also how to    
read what other persons are saying by   
the motions of their lips4 ,graham      
,bell1 his distinguished son1 was       
educated at the high school of          
,edinburgh1 and subsequently at         
,warzburg1 in ,germany1 where he        
obtained the degree of ,ph4,d4 7,doctor 
of ,philosophy74 ,while still in        
,scotland he is said to have turned his 
attention to the science of acoustics1  
with a view to ameliorate the deafness  
of his mother4  ,in #ahgc he accompanied
 his father to ,montreal1 in ,canada1   
where he was employed in teaching the   
system of visible speech4 ,the elder    
,bell was invited to introduce it into a
 large day-school for mutes at ,boston1 
but he declined the post in favour of   
his son1 who soon became famous in the  
,united ,states for his success in this 

important work4 ,he published more than 
one treatise on the subject at          
,washington1 and it is1 we believe1     
mainly through his efforts that         
thousands of deaf mutes in ,america are 
now able to speak almost1 if not quite1 
as well as those who are able to hear4  
,before he left ,scotland ,mr4 ,graham  
,bell had turned his attention to       
telephony1 and in ,canada he designed a 
piano which could transmit its music to 
a distance by means of electricity4 ,at 
,boston he continued his researches in  
the same field1 and endeavoured to      
produce a telephone which would not only
 send musical notes1 but articulate     
speech4  ,if it be interesting to trace 
the evolution of an animal from its     
rudimentary germ through the lower      
phases to the perfect organism1 it is   
almost as interesting to follow an      
invention from the original model       
through the faultier types to the       
finished apparatus4  ,in #ahfj ,philipp 
,reis1 as we have seen1 produced a      

telephone which could transmit musical  
notes1 and even a lisping word or two2  
and some ten years later ,mr4 ,cromwell 
,fleetwood ,varley1 ,f4,r4,s41 a        
well-known ,english electrician1        
patented a number of ingenious devices  
for applying the musical telephone to   
transmit messages by dividing the notes 
into short or long signals1 after the   
,morse code1 which could be interpreted 
by the ear or by the eye in causing them
 to mark a moving paper4 ,these         
inventions were not put in practice2 but
 four years afterwards ,herr ,paul la   
,cour1 a ,danish inventor1 experimented 
with a similar appliance on a line of   
telegraph between ,copenhagen and       
,fredericia in ,jutland4 ,in this a     
vibrating tuning-fork interrupted the   
current1 which1 after traversing the    
line1 passed through an electro-magnet1 
and attracted the limbs of another fork1
 making it strike a note like the       
transmitting fork4 ,by breaking up the  
note at the sending station with a      

signalling key1 the message was heard as
 a series of long and short hums4       
,moreover1 the hums were made to record 
themselves on paper by turning the      
electro-magnetic receiver into a relay1 
which actuated a ,morse printer by means
 of a local battery4  ,mr4 ,elisha      
,gray1 of ,chicago1 also devised a tone 
telegraph of this kind about the same   
time as ,herr ,la ,cour4 ,in this       
apparatus a vibrating steel tongue      
interrupted the current1 which at the   
other end of the line passed through the
 electro-magnet and vibrated a band or  
tongue of iron near its poles4 ,gray's  
'harmonic telegraph1' with the vibrating
 tongues or reeds1 was afterwards       
introduced on the lines of the ,western 
,union ,telegraph ,company in ,america4 
,as more than one set of                
vibrations--that is to say1 more than   
one note--can be sent over the same wire
 simultaneously1 it is utilised as a    
'multiplex' or many-ply telegraph1      
conveying several messages through the  

same wire at once2 and these can either 
be interpreted by the sound1 or the     
marks drawn on a ribbon of travelling   
paper by a ,morse recorder4  ,gray also 
invented a 'physiological receiver1'    
which has a curious history4 ,early in  
#ahgd his nephew was playing with a     
small induction coil1 and1 having       
connected one end of the secondary      
circuit to the zinc lining of a bath1   
which was dry1 he was holding the other 
end in his left hand4 ,while he rubbed  
the zinc with his right hand ,gray      
noticed that a sound proceeded from it1 
which had the pitch and quality of the  
note emitted by the vibrating contact or
 electrotome of the coil4 ',i           
immediately took the electrode in my    
hand1' he writes1 'and1 repeating the   
operation1 found to my astonishment that
 by rubbing hard and rapidly ,i could   
make a much louder sound than the       
electrotome4 ,i then changed the pitch  
of the vibration1 and found that the    
pitch of the sound under my hand was    

also changed1 agreeing with that of the 
vibration4' ,gray lost no time in       
applying this chance discovery by       
designing the physiological receiver1   
which consists of a sounding-box having 
a zinc face and mounted on an axle1 so  
that it can be revolved by a handle4    
,one wire of the circuit is connected to
 the revolving zinc1 and the other wire 
is connected to the finger which rubs on
 the zinc4 ,the sounds are quite        
distinct1 and would seem to be produced 
by a microphonic action between the skin
 and the metal4  ,all these apparatus   
follow in the track of ,reis and        
,bourseul--that is to say1 the          
interruption of the current by a        
vibrating contact4 ,it was fortunate for
 ,bell that in working with his musical 
telephone an accident drove him into a  
new path1 which ultimately brought him  
to the invention of a speaking          
telephone4 ,he began his researches in  
#ahgd with a musical telephone1 in which
 he employed the interrupted current to 

vibrate the receiver1 which consisted of
 an electro-magnet causing an iron reed 
or tongue to vibrate2 but1 while trying 
it one day with his assistant1 ,mr4     
,thomas ,a4 ,watson1 it was found that a
 reed failed to respond to the          
intermittent current4 ,mr4 ,bell desired
 his assistant1 who was at the other end
 of the line1 to pluck the reed1        
thinking it had stuck to the pole of the
 magnet4 ,mr4 ,watson complied1 and to  
his astonishment ,bell observed that the
 corresponding reed at his end of the   
line thereupon began to vibrate and emit
 the same note1 although there was no   
interrupted current to make it4 ,a few  
experiments soon showed that his reed   
had been set in vibration by the        
magneto-electric currents induced in the
 line by the mere motion of the distant 
reed in the neighbourhood of its magnet4
 ,this discovery led him to discard the 
battery current altogether and rely upon
 the magneto-induction currents of the  
reeds themselves4 ,moreover1 it occurred

 to him that1 since the circuit was     
never broken1 all the complex vibrations
 of speech might be converted into      
sympathetic currents1 which in turn     
would reproduce the speech at a         
distance4  ,reis had seen that an       
undulatory current was needed to        
transmit sounds in perfection1          
especially vocal sounds2 but his mode of
 producing the undulations was defective
 from a mechanical and electrical point 
of view4 ,by forming 'waves' of magnetic
 disturbance near a coil of wire1       
,professor ,bell could generate         
corresponding waves of electricity in   
the line so delicate and continuous that
 all the modulations of sound could be  
reproduced at a distance4  ,as          
,professor of ,vocal ,physiology in the 
,university of ,boston1 he was engaged  
in training teachers in the art of      
instructing deaf mutes how to speak1 and
 experimented with the ,leon ,scott     
phonautograph in recording the          
vibrations of speech4 ,this apparatus   

consists essentially of a thin membrane 
vibrated by the voice and carrying a    
light stylus1 which traces an undulatory
 line on a plate of smoked glass4 ,the  
line is a graphic representation of the 
vibrations of the membrane and the waves
 of sound in the air4  ,on the          
suggestion of ,dr4 ,clarence ,j4 ,blake1
 an eminent ,boston aurist1 ,professor  
,bell abandoned the phonautograph for   
the human ear1 which it resembled2 and1 
having removed the stapes bone1         
moistened the drum with glycerine and   
water1 attached a stylus of hay to the  
nicus or anvil1 and obtained a beautiful
 series of curves in imitation of the   
vocal sounds4 ,the disproportion between
 the slight mass of the drum and the    
bones it actuated1 is said to have      
suggested to him the employment of      
goldbeater's skin as membrane in his    
speaking telephone4 ,be this as it may1 
he devised a receiver1 consisting of a  
stretched diaphragm or drum of this     
material having an armature of          

magnetised iron attached to its middle1 
and free to vibrate in front of the pole
 of an electro-magnet in circuit with   
the line4  ,this apparatus was completed
 on ,june #b1 #ahge1 and the same day he
 succeeded in transmitting ,,sounds and 
audible signals by magneto-electric     
currents and without the aid of a       
battery4 ,on ,july #a1 #ahge1 he        
instructed his assistant to make a      
second membrane-receiver which could be 
used with the first1 and a few days     
later they were tried together1 one at  
each end of the line1 which ran from a  
room in the inventor's house at ,boston 
to the cellar underneath4 ,bell1 in the 
room1 held one instrument in his hands1 
while ,watson in the cellar listened at 
the other4 ,the inventor spoke into his 
instrument1 ',do you understand what ,i 
say8' and we can imagine his delight    
when ,mr4 ,watson rushed into the room1 
under the influence of his excitement1  
and answered1',yes4'  ,a finished       
instrument was then made1 having a      

transmitter formed of a double          
electro-magnet1 in front of which a     
membrane1 stretched on a ring1 carried  
an oblong piece of soft iron cemented to
 its middle4 ,a mouthpiece before the   
diaphragm directed the sounds upon it1  
and as it vibrated with them1 the soft  
iron 'armature' induced corresponding   
currents in the cells of the            
electro-magnet4 ,these currents after   
traversing the line were passed through 
the receiver1 which consisted of a      
tubular electro-magnet1 having one end  
partially closed by a thin circular disc
 of soft iron fixed at one point to the 
end of the tube4 ,this receiver bore a  
resemblance to a cylindrical metal box  
with thick sides1 having a thin iron lid
 fastened to its mouth by a single      
screw4 ,when the undulatory current     
passed through the coil of this magnet1 
the disc1 or armature-lid1 was put into 
vibration and the sounds evolved from   
it4  ,the apparatus was exhibited at the
 ,centennial ,exhibition1 ,philadelphia1

 in #ahgf1 and at the meeting of the    
,british ,association in ,glasgow1      
during the autumn of that year1 ,sir    
,william ,thomson revealed its existence
 to the ,european public4 ,in describing
 his visit to the ,exhibition1 he went  
on to say3 ',in the ,canadian department
 ,i heard1 ,to be or not to be444       
there's the rub1 through an electric    
wire2 but1 scorning monosyllables1 the  
electric articulation rose to higher    
flights1 and gave me passages taken at  
random from the ,new ,york newspapers3  
s4s4 ,cox has arrived 7,i failed to make
 out the s4s4 ,cox72 ,the ,city of ,new 
,york1 ,senator ,morton1 ,the ,senate   
has resolved to print a thousand extra  
copies1 ,the ,americans in ,london have 
resolved to celebrate the coming ,fourth
 of ,july6 ,all this my own ears heard  
spoken to me with unmistakable          
distinctness by the then circular disc  
armature of just such another little    
electro-magnet as this ,i hold in my    
hand4'  ,to hear the immortal words of  

,shakespeare uttered by the small       
inanimate voice which had been given to 
the world must indeed have been a rare  
delight to the ardent soul of the great 
electrician4  ,the surprise created     
among the public at large by this       
unexpected communication will be readily
 remembered4 ,except one or two         
inventors1 nobody had ever dreamed of a 
telegraph that could actually speak1 any
 more than they had ever fancied one    
that could see or feel2 and imagination 
grew busy in picturing the outcome of   
it4 ,since it was practically equivalent
 to a limitless extension of the vocal  
powers1 the ingenious journalist soon   
conjured up an infinity of uses for the 
telephone1 and hailed the approaching   
time when ocean-parted friends would be 
able to whisper to one another under the
 roaring billows of the ,atlantic4      
,curiosity1 however1 was not fully      
satisfied until ,professor ,bell1 the   
inventor of the instrument1 himself     
showed it to ,british audiences1 and    

received the enthusiastic applause of   
his admiring countrymen4  ,the primitive
 telephone has been greatly improved1   
the double electro-magnet being replaced
 by a single bar magnet having a small  
coil or bobbin of fine wire surrounding 
one pole1 in front of which a thin disc 
of ferrotype is fixed in a circular     
mouthpiece1 and serves as a combined    
membrane and armature4 ,on speaking into
 the mouthpiece1 the iron diaphragm     
vibrates with the voice in the magnetic 
field of the pole1 and thereby excites  
the undulatory currents in the coil1    
which1 after travelling through the wire
 to the distant place1 are received in  
an identical apparatus4 ,this form was  
patented ,january #cj1 #ahgg4 ,in       
traversing the coil of the latter they  
reinforce or weaken the magnetism of the
 pole1 and thus make the disc armature  
vibrate so as to give out a mimesis of  
the original voice4 ,the sounds are     
small and elfin1 a minim of speech1 and 
only to be heard when the ear is close  

to the mouthpiece1 but they are         
remarkably distinct1 and1 in spite of a 
disguising twang1 due to the fundamental
 note of the disc itself1 it is easy to 
recognise the speaker4  ,this later form
 was publicly exhibited on ,may #d1     
#ahgg at a lecture given by ,professor  
,bell in the ,boston ,music ,hall4      
',going to the small telephone box with 
its slender wire attachments1' says a   
report1 ',mr4 ,bell coolly asked1 as    
though addressing some one in an        
adjoining room1 ,mr4 ,watson1 are you   
ready6 ,mr4 ,watson1 five miles away in 
,somerville1 promptly answered in the   
affirmative1 and soon was heard a voice 
singing ,america44444,going to another  
instrument1 connected by wire with      
,providence1 forty-three miles distant1 
,mr4 ,bell listened a moment1 and said1 
,signor ,brignolli1 who is assisting at 
a concert in ,providence ,music ,hall1  
will now sing for us4 ,in a moment the  
cadence of the tenor's voice rose and   
fell1 the sound being faint1 sometimes  

lost1 and then again audible4 ,later1 a 
cornet solo played in ,somerville was   
very distinctly heard4 ,still later1 a  
three-part song floated over the wire   
from the ,somerville terminus1 and ,mr4 
,bell amused his audience exceedingly by
 exclaiming1 ,i will switch off the song
 from one part of the room to another1  
so that all can hear4 ,at a subsequent  
lecture in ,salem1 ,massachusetts1      
communication was established with      
,boston1 eighteen miles distant1 and    
,mr4 ,watson at the latter place sang   
,auld ,lang ,syne1 the ,national        
,anthem1 and ,hail ,columbia1 while the 
audience at ,salem joined in the        
chorus4'  ,bell had overcome the        
difficulty which baffled ,reis1 and     
succeeded in making the undulations of  
the current fit the vibrations of the   
voice as a glove will fit the hand4 ,but
 the articulation1 though distinct1 was 
feeble1 and it remained for ,edison1 by 
inventing the carbon transmitter1 and   
,hughes1 by discovering the microphone1 

to render the telephone the useful and  
widespread apparatus which we see it    
now4  ,bell patented his speaking       
telephone in the ,united ,states at the 
beginning of #ahgf1 and by a strange    
coincidence1 ,mr4 ,elisha ,gray applied 
on the same day for another patent of a 
similar kind4 ,gray's transmitter is    
supposed to have been suggested by the  
very old device known as the 'lovers'   
telephone1' in which two diaphragms are 
joined by a taut string1 and in speaking
 against one the voice is conveyed      
through the string1 solely by mechanical
 vibration1 to the other4 ,gray employed
 electricity1 and varied the strength of
 the current in conformity with the     
voice by causing the diaphragm in       
vibrating to dip a metal probe attached 
to its centre more or less deep into a  
well of conducting liquid in circuit    
with the line4 ,as the current passed   
from the probe through the liquid to the
 line a greater or less thickness of    
liquid intervened as the probe vibrated 

up and down1 and thus the strength of   
the current was regulated by the        
resistance offered to the passage of the
 current4 ,his receiver was an          
electro-magnet having an iron plate as  
an armature capable of vibrating under  
the attractions of the varying current4 
,but ,gray allowed his idea to slumber1 
whereas ,bell continued to perfect his  
apparatus4 ,however1 when ,bell achieved
 an unmistakable success1 ,gray brought 
a suit against him1 which resulted in a 
compromise1 one public company acquiring
 both patents4  ,bell's invention has   
been contested over and over again1 and 
more than one claimant for the honour   
and reward of being the original        
inventor of the telephone have appeared4
 ,the most interesting case was that of 
,signor ,antonio ,meucci1 an ,italian   
emigrant1 who produced a mass of        
evidence to show that in #ahdi1 while in
 ,havanna1 ,cuba1 he experimented with  
the view of transmitting speech by the  
electric current4 ,he continued his     

researches in #aheb-c1 and subsequently 
at ,staten ,island1 ,u4,s42 and in #ahfj
 deputed a friend visiting ,europe to   
interest people in his invention4 ,in   
#ahga he filed a caveat in the ,united  
,states ,patent ,office1 and tried to   
get ,mr4 ,grant1 ,president of the ,new 
,york ,district ,telegraph ,company1 to 
give the apparatus a trial4 ,ill-health 
and poverty1 consequent on an injury due
 to an explosion on board the ,staten   
,island ferry boat ,westfield1 retarded 
his experiments1 and prevented him from 
completing his patent4 ,meucci's        
experimental apparatus was exhibited at 
the ,philadelphia ,exhibition of #ahhd1 
and attracted much attention4 ,but the  
evidence he adduces in support of ,his  
early claims is that of persons ignorant
 of electrical science1 and the model   
shown was not complete4 ,the caveat of  
#ahga is indeed a reliable document2 but
 unfortunately for him it is not quite  
clear from it whether he employed a     
'lovers' telephone1' with a wire instead

 of a string1 and joined a battery to it
 in the hope of enhancing the effect4   
',i employ1' he says1 'the well known   
conducting effect of continuous metallic
 conductors as a medium for sound1 and  
increase the effect by electrically     
insulating both the conductor and the   
parties who are communicating4 ,it forms
 a speaking telegraph without the       
necessity of any hollow tube4' ,in      
connection with the telephone he used an
 electric alarm4 ,it is by no means     
evident from this description that      
,meucci had devised a practicable       
speaking telephone2 but he may have been
 the first to employ electricity in     
connection with the transmission of     
speech4 ,meucci is dead4  ',this        
crowning marvel of the electric         
telegraph1' as ,sir ,william ,thomson   
happily expressed it1 was followed by   
another invention in some respects even 
more remarkable4 ,during the winter of  
#ahgh ,professor ,bell was in ,england1 
and while lecturing at the ,royal       

,institution1 ,london1 he conceived the 
idea of the photophone4 ,it was known   
that crystalline selenium is a substance
 peculiarly sensitive to light1 for when
 a ray strikes it an electric current   
passes far more easily through it than  
if it were kept in the dark4 ,it        
therefore occurred to ,professor ,bell  
that if a telephone were connected in   
circuit with the current1 and the ray of
 light falling on the selenium was      
eclipsed by means of the vibrations of  
sound1 the current would undulate in    
keeping with the light1 and the         
telephone would emit a corresponding    
note4 ,in this way it might be literally
 possible 'to hear a shadow fall athwart
 the stillness4'  ,he was not the first 
to entertain the idea1 for in the summer
 of #ahgh1 one ',l4 ,f4 ,w41' writing   
from ,kew on ,june #c to the scientific 
journal ,,nature describes an           
arrangement of the kind4 ,to ,professor 
,bell1 in conjunction with ,mr4 ,summer 
,tainter1 belongs the honour of having1 

by dint of patient thought and labour1  
brought the photophone into material    
existence4 ,by constructing sensitive   
selenium cells through which the current
 passed1 then directing a powerful beam 
of light upon them1 and occulting it by 
a rotary screen1 he was able to vary the
 strength of the current in such a      
manner as to elicit musical tones from  
the telephone in circuit with the cells4
 ,moreover1 by reflecting the beam from 
a mirror upon the cells1 and vibrating  
the mirror by the action of the voice1  
he was able to reproduce the spoken     
words in the telephone4 ,in both cases  
the only connecting line between the    
transmitting screen or mirror and the   
receiving cells and telephone was the   
ray of light4 ,with this apparatus1     
which reminds us of the invocation to   
,apollo in the ,,martyr ,,of ,,antioch--
     ',lord of the speaking lyre1       
,that with a touch of fire    ,strik'st 
music which delays the charmed spheres4'
  ,professor ,bell has accomplished the 

curious feat of speaking along a beam of
 sunshine #hcj feet long4 ,the apparatus
 consisted of a transmitter with a      
mouthpiece1 conveying the sound of the  
voice to a silvered diaphragm or mirror1
 which reflected the vibratory beam     
through a lens towards the selenium     
receiver1 which was simply a parabolic  
reflector1 in the focus of which was    
placed the selenium cells connected in  
circuit with a battery and a pair of    
telephones1 one for each ear4 ,the      
transmitter was placed in the top of the
 ,franklin schoolhouse1 at ,washington1 
and the receiver in the window of       
,professor ,bell's laboratory in ,l     
,street4 ',it was impossible1' says the 
inventor1 'to converse by word of mouth 
across that distance2 and while ,i was  
observing ,mr4 ,tainter1 on the top of  
the schoolhouse1 almost blinded by the  
light which was coming in at the window 
of my laboratory1 and vainly trying to  
understand the gestures he was making to
 me at that great distance1 the thought 

occurred to me to listen to the         
telephones connected with the selenium  
receiver4 ,mr4 ,tainter saw me disappear
 from the window1 and at once spoke to  
the transmitter4 ,i heard him distinctly
 say1 ,mr4 ,bell1 if you hear what ,i   
say1 come to the window and wave your   
hat6 ,it is needless to say with what   
gusto ,i obeyed4'  ,the spectroscope has
 demonstrated the truth of the poet1 who
 said that 'light is the voice of the   
stars1' and we have it on the authority 
of ,professor ,bell and ,m4 ,janssen1   
the celebrated astronomer1 that the     
changing brightness of the photosphere1 
as produced by solar hurricanes1 has    
produced a feeble echo in the           
photophone4  ,pursuing these researches1
 ,professor ,bell discovered that not   
only the selenium cell1 but simple discs
 of wood1 glass1 metal1 ivory1          
india-rubber1 and so on1 yielded a      
distinct note when the intermittent ray 
of light fell upon them4 ,crystals of   
sulphate of copper1 chips of pine1 and  

even tobacco-smoke1 in a test-tube held 
before the beam1 emitted a musical tone4
 ,with a thin disc of vulcanite as      
receiver1 the dark heat rays which pass 
through an opaque screen were found to  
yield a note4 ,even the outer ear is    
itself a receiver1 for when the         
intermittent beam is focussed in the    
cavity a faint musical tone is heard4   
,another research of ,professor ,bell   
was that in which he undertook to       
localise the assassin's bullet in the   
body of the lamented ,president         
,garfield4 ,in #ahgi ,professor ,hughes 
brought out his beautiful induction     
balance1 and the following year         
,professor ,bell1 who had already worked
 in the same field1 consulted him by    
telegraph as to the best mode of        
applying the balance to determining the 
place of the bullet1 which had hitherto 
escaped the probes of the ,president's  
physicians4 ,professor ,hughes advised  
him by telegraph1 and with this and     
other assistance an apparatus was       

devised which indicated the locality of 
the ball4 ,a full account of his        
experiments was given in a paper read   
before the ,american ,association for   
the ,advancement of ,science in ,august1
 #ahhb4  ,professor ,bell continues to  
reside in the ,united ,states1 of which 
he is a naturalised citizen4 ,he is     
married to a daughter of ,mr4 ,gardiner 
,g4 ,hubbard1 who in #ahfj1 when she was
 four years of age1 lost her hearing by 
an illness1 but has learned to converse 
by the ,horace-,mann system of watching 
the lips4 ,both he and his father-in-law
 7who had a pecuniary interest in his   
patents7 have made princely fortunes by 
the introduction of the telephone4      
,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,thomas ,,alva         
,,edison4  ,thomas ,alva ,edison1 the   
most famous inventor of his time and    
country1 was born at ,milan1 ,erie      
,county1 ,ohio1 in the ,united ,states1 
on ,february #aa1 #ahdg4 ,his pedigree  
has been traced for two centuries to a  
family of prosperous millers in         

,holland1 some of whom emigrated to     
,america in #agcj4 ,thomas1 his         
great-grandfather1 was an officer of a  
bank in ,manhattan ,island during the   
,revolution1 and his signature is extant
 on the old notes of the ,american      
currency4 ,longevity seems a            
characteristic of the strain1 for       
,thomas lived to the patriarchal term of
 #ajb1 his son to #ajc1 and ,samuel1 the
 father of the inventor1 is1 we         
understand1 a brisk and hale old man of 
eighty-six4  ,born at ,digby1 in the    
county of ,annapolis1 ,nova ,scotia1 on 
,august #af1 #ahjd1 ,samuel was         
apprenticed to a tailor1 but in his     
manhood he forsook the needle to engage 
in the lumber trade1 and afterwards in  
grain4 ,he resided for a time in        
,canada1 where1 at ,vienna1 he was      
married to ,miss ,nancy ,elliott1 a     
popular teacher in the high school4 ,she
 was of ,scotch descent1 and born in    
,chenango ,county1 ,new ,york1 on       
,january #aj1 #ahaj4 ,after his marriage

 he removed1 in #ahcg1 to ,detroit1     
,michigan1 and the following year       
settled in ,milan4  ,in his younger days
 ,samuel ,edison was a man of fine      
appearance4 ,he stood #f feet #b inches 
in his stockings1 and even at the age of
 sixty-four he was known to outjump #bfj
 soldiers of a regiment quartered at    
,fort ,gratiot1 in ,michigan4 ,his wife 
was a fine-looking woman1 intelligent1  
well-educated1 and a social favourite4  
,the inventor probably draws his        
physical endurance from his father1 and 
his intellect from his mother4  ,milan  
is situated on the ,huron ,river1 about 
ten miles from the lake1 and was then a 
rising town of #c1jjj inhabitants1      
mostly occupied with the grain and      
timber trade4 ,mr4 ,edison dwelt in a   
plain cottage with a low fence in front1
 which stood beside the roadway under   
the shade of one or two trees4  ,the    
child was neither pale nor prematurely  
thoughtful2 he was rosy-cheeked1        
laughing1 and chubby4 ,he liked to      

ramble in the woods1 or play on the     
banks of the river1 and could repeat the
 songs of the boatmen ere he was five   
years old4 ,still he was fond of        
building little roads with planks1 and  
scooping out canals or caverns in the   
sand4  ,an amusing anecdote is imputed  
to his sister1 ,mrs4 ,homer ,page1 of   
,milan4 ,having been told one day that a
 goose hatches her goslings by the      
warmth of her body1 the child was       
missed1 and subsequently found in the   
barn curled up in a nest beside a       
quantity of eggs6  ,the ,lake ,shore    
,railway having injured the trade of    
,milan1 the family removed to ,port     
,huron1 in ,michigan1 when ,edison was  
about seven years old4 ,here they lived 
in an old-fashioned white frame-house1  
surrounded by a grove1 and commanding a 
fine view of the broad river1 with the  
,canadian hills beyond4 ,his mother     
undertook his education1 and with the   
exception of two months he never went to
 school4 ,she directed his opening mind 

to the acquisition of knowledge1 and    
often read aloud to the family in the   
evening4 ,she and her son were a loving 
pair1 and it is pleasant to know that   
although she died on ,april #i1 #ahga1  
before he finally emerged from his      
difficulties1 her end was brightened by 
the first rays of his coming glory4     
,mr4 ,edison tells us that his son never
 had any boyhood in the ordinary sense1 
his early playthings being steam-engines
 and the mechanical powers4 ,but it is  
like enough that he trapped a wood-chuck
 now and then1 or caught a white-fish   
with the rest4  ,he was greedy of       
knowledge1 and by the age of ten had    
read the ,,penny ,,encyclopaedia2       
,hume's ,,history ,,of ,,england2       
,dubigne's ,,history ,,of ,,the         
,,reformation2 ,gibbon's ,,decline ,,and
 ,,fall ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,empire1 and
 ,sears' ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,world4  
,his father1 we are told1 encouraged his
 love of study by making him a small    
present for every book he read4  ,at the

 age of twelve he became a train-boy1 or
 vendor of candy1 fruit1 and journals to
 the passengers on the ,grand ,trunk    
,railway1 between ,port ,huron and      
,detroit4 ,the post enabled him to sleep
 at home1 and to extend his reading by  
the public library at ,detroit4 ,like   
the boy ,ampere1 he proposed1 it is     
said1 to master the whole collection1   
shelf by shelf1 and worked his way      
through fifteen feet of the bottom one  
before he began to select his fare4     
,even the ,,principia of ,newton never  
daunted him2 and if he did not          
understand the problems which have      
puzzled some of the greatest minds1 he  
read them religiously1 and pressed on4  
,burton's ,,anatomy ,,of ,,melancholy1  
,ure's ,,dictionary ,,of ,,chemistry1   
did not come amiss2 but in ,victor      
,hugo's ,,les ,,miserables and ,,the    
,,toilers ,,of ,,the ,,sea he found a   
treasure after his own heart4 ,like     
,ampere1 too1 he was noted for a memory 
which retained many of the facts thus   

impressed upon it1 as the sounds are    
printed on a phonogram4  ,the boy       
student was also a keen man of business1
 and his pursuit of knowledge in the    
evening did not sap his enterprises of  
the day4 ,he soon acquired a virtual    
monopoly for the sale of newspapers on  
the line1 and employed four boy         
assistants4 ,his annual profits amounted
 to about #ejj dollars1 which were a    
substantial aid to his parents4 ,to     
increase the sale of his papers1 he     
telegraphed the headings of the war news
 to the stations in advance of the      
trains1 and placarded them to tempt the 
passengers4 ,ere long he conceived the  
plan of publishing a newspaper of his   
own4 ,having bought a quantity of old   
type at the office of the ,,detroit     
,,free ,,press1 he installed it in a    
spingless car1 or 'caboose' of the train
 meant for a smoking-room1 but too      
uninviting to be much used by the       
passengers4 ,here he set the type1 and  
printed a smallsheet about a foot square

 by pressing it with his hand4 ,the     
,,grand ,,trunk ,,herald1 as he called  
it1 was a weekly organ1 price three     
cents1 containing a variety of local    
news1 and gossip of the line4 ,it was   
probably the only journal ever published
 on a railway train2 at all events with 
a boy for editor and staff1 printer and 
'devil1' publisher and hawker4 ,mr4     
,robert ,stephenson1 then building the  
tubular bridge at ,montreal1 was taken  
with the venture1 and ordered an extra  
edition for his own use4 ,the ,london   
,,times correspondent also noticed the  
paper as a curiosity of journalism4     
,this was a foretaste of notoriety4     
,unluckily1 however1 the boy did not    
keep his scientific and literary work   
apart1 and the smoking-car was          
transformed into a laboratory as well as
 a printing house4  ,having procured a  
copy of ,fresenius' ,,qualitive         
,,analysis and some old chemical gear2  
he proceeded to improve his leisure by  
making experiments4 ,one day1 through an

 extra jolt of the car1 a bottle of     
phosphorus broke on the floor1 and the  
car took fire4 ,the incensed conductor  
of the train1 after boxing his ears1    
evicted him with all his chattels4      
,finding an asylum in the basement of   
his father's house 7where he took the   
precaution to label all his bottles     
'poison'71 he began the publication of a
 new and better journal1 entitled the   
,,paul ,,pry4 ,it boasted of several    
contributors and a list of regular      
subscribers4 ,one of these 7,mr4        
,j4,h4,b471 while smarting under what he
 considered a malicious libel1 met the  
editor one day on the brink of the ,st4 
,clair1 and taking the law into his own 
hands1 soused him in the river4 ,the    
editor avenged his insulted dignity by  
excluding the subscriber's name from the
 pages of the ,,paul ,,pry4  ,youthful  
genius is apt to prove unlucky1 and     
another story 7we hope they are all     
true1 though we cannot vouch for them71 
is told of his partiality for riding    

with the engine-driver on the           
locomotive4 ,after he had gained an     
insight into the working of the         
locomotive he would run the train       
himself2 but on one occasion he pumped  
so much water into the boiler that it   
was shot from the funnel1 and deluged   
the engine with soot4 ,by using his eyes
 and haunting the machine shops he was  
able to construct a model of a          
locomotive4  ,but his employment of the 
telegraph seems to have diverted his    
thoughts in that direction1 and with the
 help of a book on the telegraph he     
erected a makeshift line between his new
 laboratory and the house of ,james     
,ward1 one of his boy helpers4 ,the     
conductor was run on trees1 and         
insulated with bottles1 and the         
apparatus was home-made1 but it seems to
 have been of some use4 ,mr4 ,james ,d4 
,reid1 author of ,,the ,,telegraph ,,in 
,,america1 would have us believe that an
 attempt was made to utilise the        
electricity obtained by rubbing a cat   

connected up in lieu of a battery2 but  
the spirit of ,artemus ,ward is by no   
means dead in the ,united ,states1 and  
the anecdote may be taken with a grain  
of salt4 ,such an experiment was at all 
events predestined to an ignominious    
failure4  ,an act of heroism was the    
turning-point in his career4 ,one day1  
at the risk of his life1 he saved the   
child of the station-master at ,mount   
,clemens1 near ,port ,huron1 from being 
run over by an approaching train1 and   
the grateful father1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4       
,mackenzie1 learning of his interest in 
the telegraph1 offered to teach him the 
art of sending and receiving messages4  
,after his daily service was over1      
,edison returned to ,mount ,clemens on a
 luggage train and received his lesson4 
,at the end of five months1 while only  
sixteen years of age1 he forsook the    
trains1 and accepted an offer of        
twenty-five dollars a month1 with extra 
pay for overtime1 as operator in the    
telegraph office at ,port ,huron1 a     

small installation in a jewelry store4  
,he worked hard to acquire more skill2  
and after six months1 finding his extra 
pay withheld1 he obtained an engagement 
as night operator at ,stratford1 in     
,canada4 ,to keep him awake the operator
 was required to report the word 'six1' 
an office call1 every half-hour to the  
manager of the circuit4 ,edison         
fulfilled the regulation by inventing a 
simple device which transmitted the     
required signals4 ,it consisted of a    
wheel with the characters cut on the    
rim1 and connected with the circuit in  
such a way that the night watchman1 by  
turning the wheel1 could transmit the   
signals while ,edison slept or studied4 
,his employment at ,stratford came to a 
grievous end4 ,one night he received a  
service message ordering a certain train
 to stop1 and before showing it to the  
conductor he1 perhaps for greater       
certainty1 repeated it back again4 ,when
 he rushed out of the office to deliver 
it the train was gone1 and a collision  

seemed inevitable2 but1 fortunately1 the
 opposing trains met on a straight      
portion of the track1 and the accident  
was avoided4 ,the superintendent of the 
railway threatened to prosecute ,edison1
 who was thoroughly frightened1 and     
returned home without his baggage4      
,during this vacation at ,port ,huron   
his ingenuity showed itself in a more   
creditable guise4 ,an 'ice-jam' occurred
 on the ,st4 ,clair1 and broke the      
telegraph cable between ,port ,huron and
 ,sarnia1 on the opposite shore4        
,communication was therefore interrupted
 until ,edison mounted a locomotive and 
sounded the whistle in short and long   
calls according to the well-known       
',morse1' or telegraphic code4 ,after a 
time the reporter at ,sarnia caught the 
idea1 and messages were exchanged by the
 new system4  ,his next situation was at
 ,adrian1 in ,michigan1 where he fitted 
up a small shop1 and employed his spare 
time in repairing telegraph apparatus   
and making crude experiments4 ,one day  

he violated the rules of the office by  
monopolising the use of the line on the 
strength of having a message from the   
superintendent1 and was discharged4  ,he
 was next engaged at ,fort ,wayne1 and  
behaved so well that he was promoted to 
a station at ,indianapolis4 ,while there
 he invented an 'automatic repeater1' by
 which a message is received on one line
 and simultaneously transmitted on      
another without the assistance of an    
operator4 ,like other young operators1  
he was ambitious to send or receive the 
night reports for the press1 which      
demand the highest speed and accuracy of
 sending4 ,but although he tried to     
overcome his faults by the device of    
employing an auxiliary receiver working 
at a slower rate than the direct one1 he
 was found incompetent1 and transferred 
to a day wire at ,cincinnati4           
,determined to excel1 however1 he took  
shift for the night men as often as he  
could1 and after several months1 when a 
delegation of ,cleveland operators came 

to organise a branch of the             
,telegraphers' ,union1 and the night men
 were out on 'strike1' he received the  
press reports as well as he was able1   
working all the night4 ,for this feat   
his salary was raised next day from     
sixty-five to one hundred and five      
dollars1 and he was appointed to the    
,louisville circuit1 one of the most    
desirable in the office4 ,the clerk at  
,louisville was ,bob ,martin1 one of the
 most expert telegraphists in ,america1 
and ,edison soon became a first-class   
operator4  ,in #ahfd1 tempted by a      
better salary1 he removed to ,memphis1  
where he found an opportunity of        
introducing his automatic repeater1 thus
 enabling ,louisville to communicate    
with ,new ,orleans without an           
intermediary clerk4 ,for this innovation
 he was complimented2 but nothing more4 
,he embraced the subject of duplex      
telegraphy1 or the simultaneous         
transmission of two messages on the same
 wire1 one from each end2 but his       

efforts met with no encouragement4 ,men 
of routine are apt to look with         
disfavour on men of originality2 they do
 not wish to be disturbed from the      
official groove2 and if they are not    
jealous of improvement1 they have often 
a narrow-minded contempt or suspicion of
 the servant who is given to invention1 
thinking him an oddity who is wasting   
time which might be better employed in  
the usual way4 ,a telegraph operator1 in
 their eyes1 has no business to invent4 
,his place is to sit at his instrument  
and send or receive the messages as fast
 as he can1 without troubling his mind  
with inventions or anything else4 ,when 
his shift is over he can amuse himself  
as he likes1 provided he is always fit  
for work4 ,genius is not wanted4  ,the  
clerks themselves1 reckless of a culture
 which is not required1 and having a    
good string to their bow in the matter  
of livelihood1 namely1 the mechanical   
art of signalling1 are prone to lead a  
careless1 gay1 and superficial life1    

roving from town to town throughout3 the
 length and breadth of the ,states4 ,but
 for his genius and aspirations1 ,edison
 might have yielded to the seductions of
 this happy-go-lucky1 free1 and         
frivolous existence4 ,dissolute comrades
 at ,memphis won upon his good nature2  
but though he lent them money1 he       
remained abstemious1 working hard1 and  
spending his leisure upon books and     
experiments4 ,to them he appeared an    
extraordinary fellow2 and so far from   
sympathising with his inventions1 they  
dubbed him ',luny1' and regarded him as 
daft4  ,what with the money he had lent1
 or spent on books or apparatus1 when   
the ,memphis lines were transferred from
 the ,government to a private company   
and ,edison was discharged1 he found    
himself without a dollar4 ,transported  
to ,decatur1 he walked to ,nashville1   
where he found another operator1        
,william ,foley1 in the like straits1   
and they went in company to ,louisville4
 ,foley's reputation as an operator was 

none of the best2 but on his            
recommendation ,edison obtained a       
situation1 and supported ,foley until he
 too got employment4  ,the squalid      
office was infested with rats1 and its  
discipline was lax1 in all save speed   
and quality of work1 and some of his    
companions were of a dissipated stamp4  
,to add to his discomforts1 the line he 
worked was old and defective2 but he    
improved the signals by adjusting three 
sets of instruments1 and utilising them 
for three different states of the line4 
,during nearly two years of drudgery    
under these depressing circumstances1   
,edison's prospects of becoming an      
inventor seemed further off than ever4  
,perhaps he began to fear that stern    
necessity would grind him down1 and keep
 him struggling for a livelihood4 ,none 
of his improvements had brought him any 
advantage4 ,his efforts to invent had   
been ridiculed and discountenanced4     
,nobody had recognised his talent1 at   
least as a thing of value and worthy of 

encouragement1 let alone support4 ,all  
his promotion had come from trying to   
excel in his routine work4 ,perhaps he  
lost faith in himself1 or it may be that
 the glowing accounts he received of    
,south ,america induced him to seek his 
fortune there4 ,at all events he caught 
the 'craze' for emigration that swept   
the ,southern ,states on the conclusion 
of the ,civil ,war1 and resolved to     
emigrate with two companions1 ,keen and 
,warren4  ,but on their arriving at ,new
 ,orleans the vessel had sailed4 ,in    
this predicament ,edison fell in with a 
travelled ,spaniard1 who depicted the   
inferiority of other countries1 and     
especially of ,south ,america1 in such  
vivid colours1 that he changed his      
intention and returned home to          
,michigan4 ,after a pleasant holiday    
with his friends he resumed his         
occupation in the ,louisville office4   
,contact with home seems to have charged
 him with fresh courage4 ,he wrote a    
work on electricity1 which for lack of  

means was never published1 and improved 
his penmanship until he could write a   
fair round backhand at the rate of      
forty-five words a minute--that is to   
say1 the utmost that an operator can    
send by the ,morse code4 ,the style was 
chosen for its clearness1 each letter   
being distinctly formed1 with little or 
no shading4  ,his comrades were no      
better than before4 ,on returning from  
his work in the small hours1 ,edison    
would sometimes find two or three of    
them asleep in his bed with their boots 
on1 and have to shift them to the floor 
in order that he might 'turn in4'  ,a   
new office was opened1 but strict orders
 were issued that nobody was to         
interfere with the instruments and their
 connections4 ,he could not resist the  
infringement of this rule1 however1 and 
continued his experiments4  ,in drawing 
some vitriol one night1 he upset the    
carboy1 and the acid eating its way     
through the floor1 played havoc with the
 furniture of a luxurious bank in the   

flat below4 ,he was discharged for this1
 but soon obtained another engagement as
 a press operator in ,cincinnati4 ,he   
spent his leisure in the ,mechanics'    
,library1 studying works on electricity 
and general science4 ,he also developed 
his ideas on the duplex system2 and if  
they were not carried out1 they at least
 directed him to the quadruplex system  
with which his name was afterwards      
associated4  ,these attempts to improve 
his time seem to have made him          
unpopular1 for after a short term in    
,cincinnati1 he returned to ,port       
,huron4 ,a friend1 ,mr4 ,f4 ,adams1     
operator in the ,boston office of the   
,western ,union ,telegraph ,company1    
recommended ,edison to his manager1 ,mr4
 ,g4 ,f4 ,milliken1 as a good man to    
work the ,new ,york wire1 and the berth 
was offered to ,edison by telegraph4 ,he
 accepted1 and left at once for ,boston 
by the ,grand ,trunk ,railway1 but the  
train was snowed up for two days near   
the bluffs of the ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,the  

consequence might have been serious had 
provisions not been found by a party of 
foragers4  ,mr4 ,milliken was the first 
of ,edison's masters1 and perhaps his   
fellows1 who appreciated him4           
,mediocrity had only seen the gawky     
stripling1 with his moonstruck air1 and 
pestilent habit of trying some new      
crotchet4 ,himself an inventor1         
,milliken recognised in his deep-set eye
 and musing brow the fire of a          
suppressed genius4 ,he was then just    
twenty-one4 ,the friendship of ,mr4     
,milliken1 and the opportunity for      
experiment1 rendered the ,boston office 
a congenial one4  ,his by-hours were    
spent in a little workshop he had       
opened4 ,among his inventions at this   
period were a dial telegraph1 and a     
'printer' for use on private lines1 and 
an electro-chemical vote recorder1 which
 the ,legislature of ,massachusetts     
declined to adopt4 ,with the assistance 
of ,mr4 ,f4 ,l4 ,pope1 patent adviser to
 the ,western ,union ,telegraph         

,company1 his duplex system was tried1  
with encouraging results4  ,the ready   
ingenuity of ,edison is shown by his    
device for killing the cockroaches which
 overran the ,boston office4 ,he        
arranged some strips of tinfoil on the  
wall1 and connected these to the poles  
of a battery in such a way that when the
 insects ran towards the bait which he  
had provided1 they stepped from one foil
 to the other1 and completed the circuit
 of the current1 thus receiving a smart 
shock1 which dislodged them into a pail 
of water1 standing below4  ,in #ahgj1   
after two years in ,boston1 where he had
 spent all his earnings1 chiefly on his 
books and workshop1 he found himself in 
,new ,york1 tramping the streets on the 
outlook for a job1 and all but          
destitute4 ,after repeated failures he  
chanced to enter the office of the ,laws
 ,gold ,reporting ,telegraph ,company   
while the instrument which ,mr4 ,laws   
had invented to report the fluctuations 
of the money market had broken down4 ,no

 one could set it right2 there was a    
fever in the market1 and ,mr4 ,laws1 we 
are told1 was in despair4 ,edison       
volunteered to set it right1 and though 
his appearance was unpromising1 he was  
allowed to try4  ,the insight of the    
born mechanic1 the sleight of hand which
 marks the true experimenter1 have in   
them something magical to the ignorant4 
,in ,edison's hands the instrument      
seemed to rectify itself4 ,this was his 
golden opportunity4 ,he was engaged by  
the company1 and henceforth his career  
as an inventor was secure4 ,the ,gold   
,indicator ,company afterwards gave him 
a responsible position4 ,he improved    
their indicator1 and invented the ,gold 
and ,stock ,quotation ,printer1 an      
apparatus for a similar purpose4 ,he    
entered into partnership with ,mr4 ,pope
 and ,mr4 ,ashley1 and introduced the   
,pope and ,edison ,printer4 ,a private  
line which he established was taken over
 by the ,gold and ,stock ,telegraph     
,company1 and soon their system was     

worked almost exclusively with ,edison's
 invention4  ,he was retained in their  
service1 and that of the ,western ,union
 ,telegraph ,company1 as a salaried     
inventor1 they having the option of     
buying all his telegraphic inventions at
 a price to be agreed upon4  ,at their  
expense a large electrical factory was  
established under his direction at      
,newark1 ,new ,jersey1 where he was free
 to work out his ideas and manufacture  
his apparatus4 ,now that he was         
emancipated from drudgery1 and fairly   
started on the walk which ,nature had   
intended for him1 he rejoiced in the    
prolific freedom of his mind1 which     
literally teemed with projects4 ,his    
brain was no longer a prey to itself    
from the 'local action1' or waste energy
 of restrained ideas and revolving      
thoughts4 ,the term 'local action' is   
applied by electricians to the waste    
which goes on in a voltaic battery1     
although its current is not flowing in  
the outer circuit and doing useful work4

 ,if anything1 he attempted too much4   
,patents were taken out by the score1   
and at one time there were no less than 
forty-five distinct inventions in       
progress4 ,the ,commissioner of ,patents
 described him as 'the young man who    
kept the path to the ,patent ,office hot
 with his footsteps4'  ,his capacity for
 labouring without rest is very         
remarkable4 ,on one occasion1 after     
improving his ,gold and ,stock          
,quotation ,printer1 an order for the   
new instruments1 to the extent of       
#cj1jjj dollars1 arrived at the factory4
 ,the model had acted well1 but the     
first instruments made after it proved a
 failure4 ,edison thereupon retired to  
the upper floor of the factory with some
 of his best workmen1 and intimated that
 they must all remain there until the   
defect was put right4 ,after sixty hours
 of continuous toil1 the fault was      
remedied1 and ,edison went to bed1 where
 he slept for thirty-six hours4  ,mr4   
,johnson1 one of his assistants1 informs

 us that for ten years he worked on an  
average eighteen hours a day1 and that  
he has been known to continue an        
experiment for three months day and     
night1 with the exception of a nap from 
six o'clock to nine of the morning4 ,in 
the throes of invention1 and under the  
inspiration of his ideas1 he is apt to  
make no distinction between day and     
night1 until he arrives at a result     
which he considers to be satisfactory   
one way or the other4 ,his meals are    
brought to him in the laboratory1 and   
hastily eaten1 although his dwelling is 
quite near4 ,long watchfulness and      
labour seem to heighten the activity of 
his mind1 which under its 'second wind1'
 so to speak1 becomes preternaturally   
keen and suggestive4 ,he likes best to  
work at night in the silence and        
solitude of his laboratory when the     
noise of the benches or the rumble of   
the engines is stilled1 and all the     
world about him is asleep4              
,fortunately1 he can work without       

stimulants1 and1 when the strain is     
over1 rest without narcotics2 otherwise 
his exhausted constitution1 sound as it 
is1 would probably break down4 ,still1  
he appears to be ageing before his time1
 and some of his assistants1 not so well
 endowed with vitality1 have1 we        
believe1 overtaxed their strength in    
trying to keep up with him4  ,at this   
period he devised his electric pen1 an  
ingenious device for making copies of a 
document4 ,it consists essentially of a 
needle1 rapidly jogged up and down by   
means of an electro-magnet actuated by  
an intermittent current of electricity4 
,the writing is traced with the needle1 
which perforates another sheet of paper 
underneath1 thus forming a              
stencil-plate1 which when placed on a   
clean paper1 and evenly inked with a    
rolling brush1 reproduces the original  
writing4  ,in #ahgc ,edison was married 
to ,miss ,mary ,stillwell1 of ,newark1  
one of his employees4 ,his eldest child1
 ,mary ,estelle1 was playfully surnamed 

',dot1' and his second1 ,thomas ,alva1  
jun41 ',dash1' after the signals of the 
,morse code4 ,mrs4 ,edison died several 
years ago4  ,while seeking to improve   
the method of duplex working introduced 
by ,mr4 ,steams1 ,edison invented the   
quadruplex1 by which four messages are  
simultaneously sent through one wire1   
two from each end4 ,brought out in      
association with ,mr4 ,prescott1 it was 
adopted by the ,western ,union          
,telegraph ,company1 and1 later1 by the 
,british ,post ,office4 ,the ,president 
of the ,western ,union reported that it 
had saved the ,company #ejj1jjj dollars 
a year in the construction of new lines4
 ,edison also improved the ,bain        
chemical telegraph1 until it attained an
 incredible speed4 ,bain had left it    
capable of recording #bjj words a       
minute2 but ,edison1 by dint of         
searching a pile of books ordered from  
,new ,york1 ,paris1 and ,london1 making 
copious notes1 and trying innumerable   
experiments1 while eating at his desk   

and sleeping in his chair1 ultimately   
prepared a solution which enabled it to 
register over #ajjj words a minute4 ,it 
was exhibited at the ,philadelphia      
,centenial ,exhibition in #ahgf1 where  
it astonished ,sir ,william ,thomson4   
,in #ahgf1 ,edison sold his factory at  
,newark1 and retired to ,menlo ,park1 a 
sequestered spot near ,metuchin1 on the 
,pennsylvania ,railroad1 and about      
twenty-four miles from ,new ,york4 ,here
 on some rising ground he built a wooden
 tenement1 two stories high1 and        
furnished it as a workshop and          
laboratory4 ,his own residence and the  
cottages of his servants completed the  
little colony4  ,the basement of the    
main building was occupied by his       
office1 a choice library1 a cabinet     
replete with instruments of precision1  
and a large airy workshop1 provided with
 lathes and steam power1 where his      
workmen shaped his ideas into wood and  
metal4  ,the books lying about1 the     
designs and placards on the walls1 the  

draught-board on the table1 gave it the 
appearance of a mechanics' club-room4   
,the free and lightsome behaviour of the
 men1 the humming at the benches1       
recalled some school of handicraft4     
,there were no rigid hours1 no grinding 
toil under the jealous eye of the       
overseer4 ,the spirit of competition and
 commercial rivalry was absent4 ,it was 
not a question of wringing as much work 
as possible out of the men in the       
shortest time and at the lowest price4  
,moreover1 they were not mere mechanical
 drudges--they were interested in their 
jobs1 which demanded thought as well as 
skill4  ,upstairs was the laboratory    
proper--a long room containing an array 
of chemicals2 for ,edison likes to have 
a sample of every kind1 in case it might
 suddenly be requisite4 ,on the tables  
and in the cupboards were lying all     
manner of telegraphic apparatus1 lenses1
 crucibles1 and pieces of his own       
inventions4 ,a perfect tangle of        
telegraph wires coming from all parts of

 the ,union were focussed at one end of 
the room4 ,an ash-covered forge1 a      
cabinet organ1 a rusty stove with an old
 pivot chair1 a bench well stained with 
oils and acids1 completed the equipment 
of this curious den1 into which the     
sunlight filtered through the chemical  
jars and fell in coloured patches along 
the dusty floor4  ,the moving spirit of 
this haunt by day and night is well     
described as an overgrown school-boy4   
,he is a man of a slim1 but wiry figure1
 about five feet ten inches in height4  
,his face at this period was juvenile   
and beardless4 ,the nose and chin were  
shapely and prominent1 the mouth firm1  
the forehead wide and full above1 but   
not very high4 ,it was shaded by dark   
chestnut hair1 just silvered with grey4 
,his most remarkable features were his  
eyes1 which are blue-grey and deeply    
set1 with an intense and piercing       
expression4 ,when his attention was not 
aroused1 he seemed to retire into       
himself1 as though his mind had drifted 

far away1 and came back slowly to the   
present4 ,he was pale with nightwork1   
and his thoughtful eyes had an old look 
in serious moments4 ,but his smile was  
boyish and pleasant1 and his manner a   
trifle shy4  ,there was nothing of the  
dandy about ,edison1 ,he boasted no     
jewelled fingers or superfine raiment4  
,an easy coat soiled with chemicals1 a  
battered wide-awake1 and boots guiltless
 of polish1 were good enough for this   
inspired workman4 ,an old silver watch1 
sophisticated with magnetism1 and       
keeping an eccentric time peculiar to   
it1 was his only ornament4 ,on social   
occasions1 of course1 he adopted a more 
conventional costume4 ,visitors to the  
laboratory often found him in his       
shirt-sleeves1 with dishevelled hair and
 grimy hands4  ,the writer of ',a ,night
 with ,edison' has described him as     
bending like a wizard over the smoky    
fumes of some lurid lamps arranged on a 
brick furnace1 as if he were summoning  
the powers of darkness4  ',it is much   

after midnight now1' says this author4  
',the machinery below has ceased to     
rumble1 and the tired hands have gone to
 their homes4 ,a hasty lunch has been   
sent up4 ,we are at the thermoscope4    
,suddenly a telegraph instrument begins 
to click4 ,the inventor strikes a       
grotesque attitude1 a herring in one    
hand and a biscuit in the other1 and    
with a voice a little muffled with a    
mouthful of both1 translates aloud1     
slowly1 the sound intelligible to him   
alone3 ,london4--,news of death of ,lord
 ,john ,russell premature4 ,john        
,blanchard1 whose failure was announced 
yesterday1 has suicided 7no1 that was a 
bad one7 ,,succeeded6 in adjusting his  
affairs1 and will continue in business4'
  ,his tastes are simple and his habits 
are plain4 ,on one occasion1 when       
invited to a dinner at ,delmonico's     
restaurant1 he contented himself with a 
slice of pie and a cup of tea4 ,another 
time he is said to have declined a      
public dinner with the remark that      

#ajj1jjj dollars would not tempt him to 
sit through two hours of 'personal      
glorification4' ,he dislikes notoriety1 
thinking that a man is to be 'measured  
by what he does1 not by what is said    
about him4' ,but he likes to talk about 
his inventions and show them to visitors
 at ,menlo ,park4 ,in disposition he is 
sociable1 affectionate1 and generous1   
giving himself no airs1 and treating all
 alike4 ,his humour is native1 and      
peculiar to himself1 so there is some   
excuse for the newspaper reporters who  
take his jokes about the capabilities of
 ,nature ,,au ,,serieux2 and publish    
them for gospel4  ,his assistants are   
selected for their skill and physical   
endurance4 ,the chief at ,menlo ,park   
was ,mr4 ,charles ,batchelor1 a         
,scotchman1 who had a certain interest  
in the inventions1 but the others1      
including mathematicians1 chemists1     
electricians1 secretary1 bookkeeper1 and
 mechanics1 were paid a salary4 ,they   
were devoted to ,edison1 who1 though he 

worked them hard at times1 was an       
indulgent master1 and sometimes joined  
them in a general holiday4 ,all of them 
spoke in the highest terms of the       
inventor and the man4  ,the ,menlo      
establishment was unique in the world4  
,it was founded for the sole purpose of 
applying the properties of matter to the
 production of new inventions4 ,for love
 of science or the hope of gain1 men had
 experimented before1 and worked out    
their inventions in the laboratories of 
colleges and manufactories4 ,but ,edison
 seems to have been the first to        
organise a staff of trained assistants  
to hunt up useful facts in books1 old   
and modern1 and discover fresh ones by  
experiment1 in order to develop his     
ideas or suggest new ones1 together with
 skilled workmen to embody them in the  
fittest manner2 and all with the avowed 
object of taking out patents1 and       
introducing the novel apparatus as a    
commercial speculation4 ,he did not     
manufacture his machines for sale2 he   

simply created the models1 and left     
their multiplication to other people4   
,there are different ways of looking at 
,nature3         ',to some she is the   
goddess great2        ,to some the      
milch-cow of the field2        ,their   
business is to calculate        ,the    
butter she will yield4'  ,the           
institution has proved a remarkable     
success4 ,from it has emanated a series 
of marvellous inventions which have     
carried the name of ,edison throughout  
the whole civilised world4 ,expense was 
disregarded in making the laboratory as 
efficient as possible2 the very best    
equipment was provided1 the ablest      
assistants employed1 and the profit has 
been immense4 ,edison is a millionaire2 
the royalties from his patents alone are
 said to equal the salary of a ,prime   
,minister4  ,although ,edison was the   
master spirit of the band1 it must not  
be forgotten that his assistants were   
sometimes co-inventors with himself4 ,no
 doubt he often supplied the germinal   

ideas1 while his assistants only carried
 them out4 ,but occasionally the        
suggestion was nothing more than this3  
',i want something that will do         
so-and-so4 ,i believe it will be a good 
thing1 and can be done4' ,the assistant 
was on his mettle1 and either failed or 
triumphed4 ,the results of the          
experiments and researches were all     
chronicled in a book1 for the new facts1
 if not then required1 might become     
serviceable at a future time4 ,if a rare
 material was wanted1 it was procured at
 any cost4  ,with such facilities1 an   
invention is rapidly matured4 ,sometimes
 the idea was conceived in the morning1 
and a working model was constructed by  
the evening4 ,one day1 we are told1 a   
discovery was made at #d ,p4,m41 and    
,edison telegraphed it to his patent    
agent1 who immediately drew up the      
specification1 and at nine o'clock next 
morning cabled it to ,london4 ,before   
the inventor was out of bed1 he received
 an intimation that his patent had been 

already deposited in the ,british       
,patent ,office4 ,of course1 the        
difference of time was in his favour4   
,when ,edison arrived at the laboratory 
in the morning1 he read his letters1 and
 then overlooked his employees1         
witnessing their results and offering   
his suggestions2 but it often happened  
that he became totally engrossed with   
one experiment or invention4 ,his work  
was frequently interrupted by curious   
visitors1 who wished to see the         
laboratory and the man4 ,although he had
 chosen that out-of-the-way place to    
avoid disturbance1 they were never      
denied3 and he often took a pleasure in 
showing his models1 or explaining the   
work on which he was engaged4 ,there was
 no affectation of mystery1 no attempt  
at keeping his experiments a secret4    
,even the laboratory notes were open to 
inspection4 ,menlo ,park became a kind  
of ,mecca to the scientific pilgrim2 the
 newspapers and magazines despatched    
reporters to the scene2 excursion       

parties came by rail1 and country       
farmers in their buggies2 till at last  
an enterprising ,yankee even opened a   
refreshment room4  ,the first of        
,edison's greater inventions in ,menlo  
,park was the 'loud-speaking telephone4'
 ,professor ,graham ,bell had introduced
 his magneto-electric telephone1 but its
 effect was feeble4 ,it is1 we believe1 
a maxim in biology that a similarity    
between the extremities of a creature is
 an infallible sign of its inferiority1 
and that in proportion as it rises in   
the scale of being1 its head is found to
 differ from its tail4 ,now1 in the     
,bell apparatus1 the transmitter and the
 receiver were alike1 and hence ,clerk  
,maxwell hinted that it would never be  
good for much until they became         
differentiated from each other4         
,consciously or unconsciously ,edison   
accomplished the feat4 ,with the        
hardihood of genius1 he attempted to    
devise a telephone which would speak out
 loud enough to be heard in any corner  

of a large hall4  ,in the telephone of  
,bell1 the voice of the speaker is the  
motive power which generates the current
 in the line4 ,the vibrations of the    
sound may be said to transform          
themselves into electrical undulations4 
,hence the current is very weak1 and the
 reproduction of the voice is relatively
 faint4 ,edison adopted the principle of
 making the vibrations of the voice     
control the intensity of a current which
 was independently supplied to the line 
by a voltaic battery4 ,the plan of      
,bell1 in short1 may be compared to a   
man who employs his strength to pump a  
quantity of water into a pipe1 and that 
of ,edison to one who uses his to open a
 sluice1 through which a stream of water
 flows from a capacious dam into the    
pipe4 ,edison was acquainted with two   
experimental facts on which to base the 
invention4  ,in #ahgc1 or thereabout1 he
 claimed to have observed1 while        
constructing rheostats1 or electrical   
resistances for making an artificial    

telegraph line1 that powdered plumbago  
and carbon has the property of varying  
in its resistance to the passage of the 
current when under pressure4 ,the       
variation seemed in a manner            
proportional to the pressure4 ,as a     
matter of fact1 powdered carbon and     
plumbago had been used in making small  
adjustable rheostats by ,m4 ,clerac1 in 
,france1 and probably also in ,germany1 
as early as #ahfe or #ahff4 ,clerac's   
device consisted of a small wooden tube 
containing the material1 and fitted with
 contacts for the current1 which appear 
to have adjusted the pressure4          
,moreover1 the ,count ,du ,moncel1 as   
far back as #ahef1 had clearly          
discovered that when powdered carbon was
 subjected to pressure1 its electrical  
resistance altered1 and had made a      
number of experiments on the phenomenon4
 ,edison may have independently observed
 the fact1 but it is certain he was not 
the first1 and his claim to priority has
 fallen to the ground4  ,still he       

deserves the full credit of utilising it
 in ways which were highly ingenious and
 bold4 ,the 'pressure-relay1' produced  
in #ahgg1 was the first relay in which  
the strength of the local current       
working the local telegraph instrument  
was caused to vary in proportion to the 
variation2 of the current in the main   
line4 ,it consisted of an electro-magnet
 with double poles and an armature which
 pressed upon a disc or discs of        
plumbago1 through which the local       
current ,passed4 ,the electro-magnet was
 excited by the main line current and   
the armature attracted to its poles at  
every signal1 thus pressing on the      
plumbago1 and by reducing its resistance
 varying the current in the local       
circuit4 ,according as the main line    
current was strong or weak1 the pressure
 on the plumbago was more or less1 and  
the current in the local circuit strong 
or weak4 ,hence the signals of the local
 receiver were in accordance with the   
currents in the main line4  ,edison     

found that the same property might be   
applied to regulate the strength of a   
current in conformity with the          
vibrations of the voice1 and after a    
great number of experiments produced his
 'carbon transmitter4' ,plumbago in     
powder1 in sticks1 or rubbed on fibres  
and sheets of silk1 were tried as the   
sensitive material1 but finally         
abandoned in favour of a small cake or  
wafer of compressed lamp-black1 obtained
 from the smoke of burning oil1 such as 
benzolene or rigolene4 ,this was the    
celebrated 'carbon button1' which on    
being placed between two platinum discs 
by way of contact1 and traversed by the 
electric current1 was found to vary in  
resistance under the pressure of the    
sound waves4 ,the voice was concentrated
 upon it by means of a mouthpiece and a 
diaphragm4  ,the property on which the  
receiver was based had been observed and
 applied by him some time before4 ,when 
a current is passed from a metal contact
 through certain chemical salts1 a      

lubricating effect was noticeable4 ,thus
 if a metal stylus were rubbed or drawn 
over a prepared surface1 the point of   
the stylus was found to slip or 'skid'  
every time a current passed between     
them1 as though it had been oiled4 ,if  
your pen were the stylus1 and the paper 
on which you write the surface1 each    
wave of electricity passing from the nib
 to the paper would make the pen start1 
and jerk your fingers with it4 ,he      
applied the property to the recording of
 telegraph signals without the help of  
an electro-magnet1 by causing the       
currents to alter the friction between  
the two rubbing surfaces1 and so actuate
 a marker1 which registered the message 
as in the ,morse system4  ,this         
instrument was called the               
'electromotograph1' and it occurred to  
,edison that in a similar way the       
undulatory currents from his carbon     
transmitter might1 by varying the       
friction between a metal stylus and the 
prepared surface1 put a tympanum in     

vibration1 and reproduce the original   
sounds4 ,wonderful as it may appear1 he 
succeeded in doing so by the aid of a   
piece of chalk1 a brass pin1 and a thin 
sheet or disc of mica4 ,he attached the 
pin or stylus to the centre of the mica1
 and brought its point to bear on a     
cylindrical surface of prepared chalk4  
,the undulatory current from the line   
was passed through the stylus and the   
chalk1 while the latter was moved by    
turning a handle2 and at every pulse of 
the electricity the friction between the
 pin and chalk was diminished1 so that  
the stylus slipped upon its surface4    
,the consequence was a vibration of the 
mica diaphragm to which the stylus was  
attached4 ,thus the undulatory current  
was able to establish vibrations of the 
disc1 which communicated themselves to  
the air and reproduced the original     
sounds4 ,the replica was loud enough to 
be heard by a large audience1 and by    
reducing the strength of the current it 
could be lowered to a feeble murmur4    

,the combined transmitter and receiver  
took the form of a small case with a    
mouthpiece to speak into1 an car-piece  
on a hinged bracket for listening to it1
 press-keys for manipulating the        
call-bell and battery1 and a small      
handle by which to revolve the little   
chalk cylinder4 ,this last feature was a
 practical drawback to the system1 which
 was patented in #ahgg4  ,the ,edison   
telephone1 when at its best1 could      
transmit all kinds of noises1 gentle or 
harsh2 it could lift up its voice and   
cry aloud1 or sink it to a confidential 
whisper4 ,there was a slight            
,punchinellian twang about its          
utterances1 which1 if it did not        
altogether disguise the individuality of
 the distant speaker1 gave it the       
comicality of a clever parody1 and to   
hear it singing a song1 and quavering   
jauntily on the high notes1 was         
irresistibly funny4 ,instrumental notes 
were given in all their purity1 and1    
after the phonograph1 there was nothing 

more magical in the whole range of      
science than to hear that fragment of   
common chalk distilling to the air the  
liquid melody of sweet bells jingling in
 tune4 ,it brought to mind that         
wonderful stone of ,memnon1 which       
responded to the rays of sunrise4 ,it   
seemed to the listener that if the age  
of miracles was past that of marvels had
 arrived1 and considering the simplicity
 of the materials1 and the obscurity of 
its action1 the loud-speaking telephone 
was one of the most astonishing of      
recent inventions4  ,after ,professor   
,hughes had published his discovery of  
the microphone1 ,edison1 recognising1   
perhaps1 that it and the carbon         
transmitter were based on the same      
principle1 and having learnt his        
knowledge of the world in the hard      
school of adversity1 hastily claimed the
 microphone as a variety of his         
invention1 but imprudently charged      
,professor ,hughes and his friend1 ,mr4 
,w4 ,h4 ,preece1 who had visited ,edison

 at ,menlo ,park1 with having 'stolen   
his thunder4' ,the imputation was       
indignantly denied1 and it was obvious  
to all impartial electricians that      
,professor ,hughes had arrived at his   
results by a path quite independent of  
the carbon transmitter1 and discovered a
 great deal more than ,edison had done4 
,for one thing1 ,edison believed the    
action of his transmitter as due to a   
property of certain poor or             
'semi-conductors1' whereby their        
electric resistance varied under        
pressure4 ,hughes taught us to          
understand that it was owing to a       
property of loose electrical contact    
between any two conductors4  ,the soft  
and springy button of lamp-black became 
no longer necessary1 since it was not so
 much the resistance of the material    
which varied as the resistance at the   
contacts of its parts and the platinum  
electrodes4 ,two metals1 or two pieces  
of hard carbon1 or a piece of metal and 
a piece of hard carbon1 were found to   

regulate the current in accordance with 
the vibrations of the voice4 ,edison    
therefore discarded the soft and fragile
 button1 replacing it by contacts of    
hard carbon and metal1 in short1 by a   
form of microphone4 ,the carbon1 or     
microphone transmitter1 was found       
superior to the magneto-electric        
transmitter of ,bell2 but the latter was
 preferable as a receiver to the louder 
but less convenient chemical receiver of
 ,edison1 and the most successful       
telephonic system of the day is a       
combination of the microphone1 or new   
carbon transmitter1 with the ,bell      
receiver4  ,the 'micro-tasimeter1' a    
delicate thermoscope1 was constructed in
 #ahgh1 and is the outcome of ,edison's 
experiments with the carbon button4     
,knowing the latter to be extremely     
sensitive to minute changes of pressure1
 for example1 those of sonorous         
vibrations1 he conceived the idea of    
measuring radiant heat by causing it to 
elongate a thin bar or strip of metal or

 vulcanite1 bearing at one end on the   
button4 ,to indicate the effect1 he     
included a galvanometer in the circuit  
of the battery and the button4 ,the     
apparatus consisted of a telephone      
button placed between two discs of      
platinum and connected in circuit with  
the battery and a sensitive             
galvanometer4 ,the strip was supported  
so that one end bore upon the button    
with a pressure which could be regulated
 by an adjustable screw at the other4   
,the strip expanded or contracted when  
exposed to heat or cold1 and thrust     
itself upon the button more or less1    
thereby varying the electric current and
 deflecting the needle of the           
galvanometer to one side or the other4  
,the instrument was said to indicate a  
change of temperature equivalent to     
one-millionth of a degree ,fahrenheit4  
,it was tested by ,edison on the sun's  
corona during the eclipse observations  
of ,july #bi1 #ahge1 at ,rawlings1 in   
the territory of ,wyoming4 ,the trial   

was not satisfactory1 however1 for the  
apparatus was mounted on a hen-house1   
which trembled to the gale1 and before  
he could get it properly adjusted the   
eclipse was over4  ,it is reported that 
on another trial the light from the star
 ,arcturus1 when focussed on the        
vulcanite1 was capable of deflecting the
 needle of the galvanometer4 ,when      
gelatine is substituted for vulcanite1  
the humidity of the atmosphere can also 
be measured in the same way4  ,edison's 
crowning discovery at ,menlo ,park was  
the celebrated 'phonograph1' or talking 
machine4 ,it was first announced by one 
of his assistants in the pages of the   
,,scientific ,,american for #ahgh4 ,the 
startling news created a general feeling
 of astonishment1 mingled with          
incredulity or faith4 ,people had indeed
 heard of the talking heads of          
antiquity1 and seen the articulating    
machines of ,de ,kempelen and ,faber1   
with their artificial vocal organs and  
complicated levers1 manipulated by an   

operator4 ,but the phonograph was       
automatic1 and returned the words which 
had been spoken into it by a purely     
mechanical mimicry4 ,it captured and    
imprisoned the sounds as the photograph 
retained the images of light4 ,the      
colours of ,nature were lost in the     
photograph1 but the phonograph was said 
to preserve the qualities even of the   
human voice4 ,yet this wonderful        
appliance had neither tongue nor teeth1 
larynx nor pharynx4 ,it appeared as     
simple as a coffee-mill4 ,a vibrating   
diaphragm to collect the sounds1 and a  
stylus to impress them on a sheet of    
tinfoil1 were its essential parts4      
,looking on the record of the sound1 one
 could see only the scoring of the      
stylus on the yielding surface of the   
metal1 like the track of an ,alpine     
traveller across the virgin snow4 ,these
 puzzling scratches were the foot-prints
 of the voice4  ,speech is the most     
perfect utterance of man2 but its powers
 are limited both in time and space4    

,the sounds of the voice are fleeting1  
and do not carry far2 hence the         
invention of letters to record them1 and
 of signals to extend their range4      
,these twin lines of invention1         
continued through the ages1 have in our 
own day reached their consummation4 ,the
 smoke of the savage1 the semaphore1 and
 the telegraph have ended in the        
telephone1 by which the actual voice can
 speak to a distance2 and now at length 
the clay tablet of the ,assyrian1 the   
wax of the ancient ,greek1 the papyrus  
of the ,egyptian1 and the modern        
printing-press have culminated in the   
phonograph1 by which the living words   
can be preserved into the future4 ,in   
the light of a new discovery1 we are apt
 to wonder why our fathers were so blind
 as not to see it4 ,when a new invention
 has been made1 we ask ourselves1 ,why  
was it not thought of before8 ,the      
discovery seems obvious1 and the        
invention simple1 after we know them4   
,now that speech itself can be sent a   

thousand miles away1 or heard a thousand
 years after1 we discern in these       
achievements two goals toward which we  
have been making1 and at which we should
 arrive some day4 ,we marvel that we had
 no prescience of these1 and that we did
 not attain to them sooner4 ,why has it 
taken so many generations to reach a    
foregone conclusion8 ,alas6 they neither
 knew the conclusion nor the means of   
attaining to it4 ,man works from        
ignorance towards greater knowledge with
 very limited powers4 ,his little circle
 of light is surrounded by a wall of    
darkness1 which he strives to penetrate 
and lighten1 now groping blindly on its 
verge1 now advancing his taper light and
 peering forward2 yet unable to go far1 
and even afraid to venture1 in case he  
should be lost4  ,to the ,infinite      
,intelligence which knows all that is   
hidden in that darkness1 and all that   
man will discover therein1 how poor a   
thing is the telephone or phonograph1   
how insignificant are all his 'great    

discoveries'6 ,this thought should imbue
 a man of science with humility rather  
than with pride4 ,seen from another     
standpoint than his own1 from without   
the circle of his labours1 not from     
within1 in looking back1 not forward1   
even his most remarkable discovery is   
but the testimony of his own littleness4
 ,the veil of darkness only serves to   
keep these little powers at work4 ,men  
have sometimes a foreshadowing of what  
will come to pass without distinctly    
seeing it4 ,in mechanical affairs1 the  
notion of a telegraph is very old1 and  
probably immemorial4 ,centuries ago the 
poet and philosopher entertained the    
idea of two persons far apart being able
 to correspond through the sympathetic  
property of the lodestone4 ,the string  
or lovers' telephone was known to the   
,chinese1 and even the electric         
telephone was thought about some years  
before it was invented4 ,bourseul1      
,reis1 and others preceded ,graham      
,bell4  ,the phonograph was more of a   

surprise2 but still it was no exception 
to the rule4 ,naturally1 men and women  
had desired to preserve the accents as  
well as the lineaments of some beloved  
friend who had passed away4 ,the        
,chinese have a legend of a mother whose
 voice was so beautiful that her        
children tried to store it in a bamboo  
cane1 which was carefully sealed up4    
,long after she was dead the cane was   
opened1 and her voice came out in all   
its sweetness1 but was never heard      
again4 ,a similar idea 7which reminds us
 of ,munchausen's trumpet7 is found in  
the ,,natural ,,magick of ,john         
,baptista ,porta1 the celebrated        
,neapolitan philosopher1 and published  
at ,london in #afeh4 ,he proposes to    
confine the sound of the voice in leaden
 pipes1 such as are used for speaking   
through2 and he goes on to say that 'if 
any man1 as the words are spoken1 shall 
stop the end of the pipe1 and he that is
 at the other end shall do the like1 the
 voice may be intercepted in the middle1

 and be shut up as in a prison1 and when
 the mouth is opened1 the voice will    
come forth as out of his mouth that     
spake it4444 ,i am now upon trial of it4
 ,if before my book be printed the      
business take effect1 ,i will set it    
down2 if not1 if ,god please1 ,i shall  
write of it elsewhere4' ,porta also     
refers to the speaking head of ,albertus
 ,magnus1 whom1 however1 he discredits4 
,he likewise mentions a colossal        
trumpeter of brass1 stated to have been 
erected in some ancient cities1 and     
describes a plan for making a kind of   
megaphone1 'wherewith we may hear many  
miles4'  ,in the ,,voyage ,a ,,la ,,lune
 of ,de ,cyrano ,bergerac1 published at 
,paris in #afej1 and subsequently       
translated into ,english1 there is a    
long account of a 'mechanical book'     
which spoke its contents to the         
listener4 ',it was a book1 indeed1' says
 ,cyrano1 'but a strange and wonderful  
book1 which had neither leaves nor      
letters1' and which instructed the      

,youth in their walks1 so that they knew
 more than the ,greybeards of ,cyrano's 
country1 and need never lack the company
 of all the great men living or dead to 
entertain them with living voices4 ,sir 
,david ,brewster surmised that a talking
 machine mould be invented before the   
end of the century4 ,mary ,somerville1  
in her ,,connection ,,of ,,the          
,,physical ,,sciences1 wrote some fifty 
years ago3 ',it may be presumed that    
ultimately the utterances or            
pronunciation of modern languages will  
be conveyed1 not only to the eye1 but   
also to the ear of posterity4 ,had the  
ancients possessed the means of         
transmitting such definite sounds1 the  
civilised world must have responded in  
sympathetic notes at the distance of    
many ages4' ,in the ,,memoires ,,du     
,,geant of ,m4 ,nadar1 published in     
#ahfd1 the author says3 ',these last    
fifteen years ,i have amused myself in  
thinking there is nothing to prevent a  
man one of these days from finding a way

 to give us a daguerreotype of          
sound--the phonograph--something like a 
box in which melodies will be fixed and 
kept1 as images are fixed in the dark   
chamber4' ,it is also on record that1   
before ,edison had published his        
discovery to the world1 ,m4 ,charles    
,cros deposited a sealed packet at the  
,academie des ,sciences1 ,paris1 giving 
an account of an invention similar to   
the phonograph4  ,ignorance of the true 
nature of sound had prevented the       
introduction of such an instrument4 ,but
 modern science1 and in particular the  
invention of the telephone with its     
vibrating plate1 had paved the way for  
it4 ,the time was ripe1 and ,edison was 
the first to do it4  ,in spite of the   
unbridled fancies of the poets and the  
hints of ingenious writers1 the         
announcement that a means of hoarding   
speech had been devised burst like a    
thunderclap upon the world4  ,in seeing 
his mother's picture ,byron wished that 
he might hear her voice4 ,tennyson      

exclaims1 ',oh for the touch of a       
vanished hand1 and the sound of a voice 
that is still6' ,shelley1 in the ,,witch
 ,,of ,,atlas1 wrote3        ',the deep 
recesses of her odorous dwelling        
,were stored with magic                 
treasures--sounds of air1       ,which  
had the power all spirits of compelling1
       ,folded in cells of crystal      
silence there2       ,such as we hear in
 youth1 and think the feeling           
,will never die--yet ere we are aware1  
,the feeling and the sound are fled and 
gone1       ,and the regret they leave  
remains alone4'       ,again1 in his    
,,spirit ,,of ,,solitude1 we find3      
',the fire of those soft orbs has ceased
 to burn1       ,and silence too        
enamoured of that voice       ,locks its
 mute music in her rugged cell1'  ,the  
phonograph lay under the very eyes of   
,science1 and yet she did not see it4   
,the logograph had traced all the curves
 of speech with ink on paper2 and it    
only remained to impress them on a solid

 surface in such a manner as to regulate
 the vibrations of an artificial        
tympanum or drum4 ,yet no professor of  
acoustics thought of this1 and it was   
left to ,edison1 a telegraphic inventor1
 to show them what was lying at their   
feet4  ,mere knowledge1 uncombined in   
the imagination1 does not bear fruit in 
new inventions4 ,it is from the union of
 different facts that a new idea        
springs4 ,a scholar is apt to be content
 with the acquisition of knowledge1     
which remains passive in his mind4 ,an  
inventor seizes upon fresh facts1 and   
combines them with the old1 which       
thereby become nascent4 ,through        
accident or premeditation he is able by 
uniting scattered thoughts to add a     
novel instrument to a domain of science 
with which he has little acquaintance4  
,nay1 the lessons of experience and the 
scruples of intimate knowledge sometimes
 deter a master from attempting what the
 tyro1 with the audacity of genius and  
the hardihood of ignorance1 achieves4   

,theorists have been known to pronounce 
against a promising invention which has 
afterwards been carried to success1 and 
it is not improbable that if ,edison had
 been an authority in acoustics he would
 never have invented the phonograph4 ,it
 happened in this wise4 ,during the     
spring of #ahgg1 he was trying a device 
for making a telegraph message1 received
 on one line1 automatically repeat      
itself along another line4 ,this he did 
by embossing the ,morse signals on the  
travelling paper instead of merely      
inking them1 and then causing the paper 
to pass under the point of a stylus1    
which1 by rising and falling in the     
indentations1 opened and closed a       
sending key included in the circuit of  
the second line4 ,in this way the       
received message transmitted itself     
further1 without the aid of a           
telegraphist4 ,edison was running the   
cylinder which carried the embossed     
paper at a high speed one day1 partly1  
as we are told1 for amusement1 and      

partly to test the rate at which a clerk
 could read a message4 ,as the speed was
 raised1 the paper gave out a humming   
rhythmic sound in passing under the     
stylus4 ,the separate signals of the    
message could no longer be distinguished
 by the ear1 and the instrument seemed  
to be speaking in a language of its own1
 resembling 'human talk heard           
indistinctly4' ,immediately it flashed  
on the inventor that if he could emboss 
the waves of speech upon the paper the  
words would be returned to him4 ,to     
conceive was to execute1 and it was but 
the work of an hour to provide a        
vibrating diaphragm or tympanum fitted  
with an indenting stylus1 and adapt it  
to the apparatus4 ,paraffined paper was 
selected to receive the indentations1   
and substituted for the ,morse paper on 
the cylinder of the machine4 ,on        
speaking to the tympanum1 as the        
cylinder was revolved1 a record of the  
vibrations was indented on the paper1   
and by re-passing this under the        

indenting point an imperfect            
reproduction of the sounds was heard4   
,edison 'saw at once that the problem of
 registering human speech1 so that it   
could be repeated by mechanical means as
 often as might he desired1 was solved4'
 ,t4 ,a4 ,edison1 ,,north ,,american    
,,review1 ,june1 #ahhh2 ,new ,york      
,,electrical ,,review1 #ahhh1  ,the     
experiment shows that it was partly by  
accident1 and not by reasoning on       
theoretical knowledge1 that the         
phonograph was discovered4 ,the sound   
resembling 'human talk heard            
indistinctly' seems to have suggested it
 to his mind4 ,this was the germ which  
fell upon the soil prepared for it4     
,edison's thoughts had been dwelling on 
the telephone2 he knew that a metal     
tympanum was capable of vibrating with  
all the delicacies of speech1 and it    
occurred to him that if these vibrations
 could be impressed on a yielding       
material1 as the ,morse signals were    
embossed upon the paper1 the            

indentations would reproduce the speech1
 just as the furrows of the paper       
reproduced the ,morse signals4 ,the     
tympanum vibrating in the curves of     
speech was instantly united in his      
imagination with the embossing stylus   
and the long and short indentations on  
the ,morse paper2 the idea of the       
phonograph flashed upon him4 ,many a one
 versed in acoustics would probably have
 been restrained by the practical       
difficulty of impressing the vibrations 
on a yielding material1 and making them 
react upon the reproducing tympanum4    
,but ,edison1 with that daring mastery  
over matter which is a characteristic of
 his mechanical genius1 put it          
confidently to the test4  ,soon after   
this experiment1 a phonograph was       
constructed1 in which a sheet of tinfoil
 was wrapped round a revolving barrel   
having a spiral groove cut in its       
surface to allow the point of the       
indenting stylus to sink into the       
yielding foil as it was thrust up and   

down by the vibrating tympanum4 ,this   
apparatus--the first phonograph--was    
published to the world in #ahgh1 and    
created a universal sensation4          
,,scientific ,,american1 ,march #cj1    
#ahgh ,it is now in the ,south          
,kensington ,museum1 to which it was    
presented by the inventor4  ,the        
phonograph was first publicly exhibited 
in ,england at a meeting of the ,society
 of ,telegraph ,engineers1 where its    
performances filled the audience with   
astonishment and delight4 ,a greeting   
from ,edison to his electrical brethren 
across the ,atlantic had been impressed 
on the tinfoil1 and was spoken by the   
machine4 ,needless to say1 the voice of 
the inventor1 however imperfectly       
reproduced1 was hailed with great       
enthusiasm1 which those who witnessed   
will long remember4 ,in this machine1   
the barrel was fitted with a crank1 and 
rotated by handle4 ,a heavy flywheel was
 attached to give it uniformity of      
motion4 ,a sheet of tinfoil formed the  

record1 and the delivery could be heard 
by a roomful of people4 ,but            
articulation was sacrificed at the      
expense of loudness4 ,it was as though a
 parrot or a punchinello spoke1 and     
sentences which were unexpected could   
not be understood4 ,clearly1 if the     
phonograph were to become a practical   
instrument1 it required to be much      
improved4 ,nevertheless this apparatus  
sufficiently demonstrated the           
feasibility of storing up and           
reproducing speech1 music1 and other    
sounds4 ,numbers of them were made1 and 
exhibited to admiring audiences1 by     
license1 and never failed to elicit both
 amusement and applause4 ,to show how   
striking were its effects1 and how      
surprising1 even to scientific men1 it  
may be mentioned that a certain learned 
,,savant1 on hearing it at a ,,seance of
 the ,academie des ,sciences1 ,paris1   
protested that it was a fraud1 a piece  
of trickery or ventriloquism1 and would 
not be convinced4  ,after #ahgh ,edison 

became too much engaged with the        
development of the electric light to    
give much attention to the phonograph1  
which1 however1 was not entirely        
overlooked4 ,his laboratory at ,menlo   
,park1 ,new ,jersey1 where the original 
experiments were made1 was turned into a
 factory for making electric light      
machinery1 and ,edison removed to ,new  
,york until his new laboratory at       
,orange1 ,new ,jersey1 was completed4   
,of late he has occupied the latter     
premises1 and improved the phonograph so
 far that it is now a serviceable       
instrument4 ,in one of his #ahgh        
patents1 the use of wax to take the     
records in place of tinfoil is          
indicated1 and it is chiefly to the     
adoption of this material that the      
success of the 'perfected phonograph' is
 due4 ,wax is also employed in the      
'graphophone' of ,mr4 ,tainter and      
,professor ,bell1 which is merely a     
phonograph under another name4 ,numerous
 experiments have been made by ,edison  

to find the bees-wax which is best      
adapted to receive the record1 and he   
has recently discovered a new material  
or mixture which is stated to yield     
better results than white wax4  ,the wax
 is moulded into the form of a tube or  
hollow cylinder1 usually #d #a_/d inches
 long by #b inches in diameter1 and     
#a_/h inch thick4 ,such a size is       
capable of taking a thousand words on   
its surface along a delicate spiral     
trace2 and by paring off one record     
after another can be used fifteen times4
 ,there are a hundred or more lines of  
the trace in the width of an inch1 and  
they are hardly visible to the naked    
eye4 ,only with a magnifying glass can  
the undulations caused by the vibrating 
stylus be distinguished4 ,this tube of  
wax is filed upon a metal barrel like a 
sleeve1 and the barrel1 which forms part
 of a horizontal spindle1 is rotated by 
means of a silent electro-motor1        
controlled by a very sensitive governor4
 ,a motion of translation is also given 

to the barrel as it revolves1 so that   
the marking stylus held over it         
describes a spiral path upon its        
surface4 ,in front of the wax two small 
metal tympanums are supported1 each     
carrying a fine needle point or stylus  
on its under centre4 ,one of these is   
the recording diaphragm1 which prints   
the sounds in the first place2 the other
 is the reproducing diaphragm1 which    
emits the sounds recorded on the wax4   
,they are used1 one at a time1 as the   
machine is required1 to take down or to 
render back a phonographic message4     
,the recording tympanum1 which is about 
the size of a crown-piece1 is fitted    
with a mouthpiece1 and when it is       
desired to record a sentence the spindle
 is started1 and you speak into the     
mouthpiece4 ,the tympanum vibrates under
 your voice1 and the stylus1 partaking  
of its motion1 digs into the yielding   
surface of the wax which moves beneath1 
and leaves a tiny furrow to mark its    
passage4 ,this is the sonorous record   

which1 on being passed under the stylus 
of the reproducing tympanum1 will cause 
it to give out a faithful copy of the   
original speech4 ,a flexible            
india-rubber tube1 branching into two   
ear-pieces1 conveys the sound emitted by
 the reproducing diaphragm to the ears4 
,this trumpet is used for privacy and   
loudness2 but it may be replaced by a   
conical funnel inserted by its small end
 over the diaphragm1 which thereby      
utters its message aloud4 ,it is on this
 plan that ,edison has now constructed a
 phonograph which delivers its          
reproduction to a roomful of people4    
,keys and pedals are provided with which
 to stop the apparatus either in        
recording or receiving1 and in the      
latter case to hark back and repeat a   
word or sentence if required4 ,this is a
 convenient arrangement in using the    
phonograph for correspondence or        
dictation4 ,each instrument1 as we have 
seen1 can be employed for receiving as  
well as recording2 and as all are made  

to one pattern1 a phonogram coming from 
any one1 in any art of the world1 can be
 reproduced in any other instrument4 ,a 
little box with double walls has been   
introduced for transmitting the         
phonograms by post4 ,a knife or cutter  
is attached to the instrument for the   
purpose of paring off an old message1   
and preparing a fresh surface of the wax
 for the reception of a new one4 ,this  
can be done in advance while the new    
record is being made1 so that no time is
 lost in the operation4 ,a small voltaic
 battery1 placed under the machine1     
serves to work the electric motor1 and  
has to be replenished from time to time4
 ,a process has also been devised for   
making copies of the phonograms in metal
 by electro-deposition1 so as to produce
 permanent records4 ,but even the wax   
phonogram may be used over and over     
again1 hundreds of times1 without       
diminishing the fidelity of the         
reproduction4  ,the entire phonograph is
 shown in our figure4 ,the figure is    

omitted from this e-text ,it consists of
 a box1 ,b1 containing the silent       
electro-motor which drives the machine1 
and supporting the works for printing   
and reproducing the sounds4 ,apart from 
the motive power1 which might1 as in the
 graphophone1 be supplied by foot1 the  
apparatus is purely mechanical1 the     
parts acting with smoothness and        
precision4 ,these are1 chiefly1 the     
barrel or cylinder1 ,c1 on which the    
hollow wax is placed2 the spindle1 ,s1  
which revolves the cylinder and wax2 and
 the two tympana1 ,t1 ,t'1 which receive
 the sounds and impress them on the soft
 surface of the wax4 ,a governor1 ,g1   
regulates the movement of the spindle2  
and there are other ingenious devices   
for starting and stopping the apparatus4
 ,the tympanum ,t is that which is used 
for recording the sounds1 and ,m is a   
mouthpiece1 which is fixed to it for    
speaking purposes4 ,the other tympanum1 
,t'1 reproduces the sounds2 and ,e ,e is
 a branched ear-piece1 conveying them to

 the two ears of the listener4 ,the     
separate wax tube1 ,p1 is a phonogram   
with the spiral trace of the sounds     
already printed on its surface1 and     
ready for posting4  ,the box below the  
table contains the voltaic battery which
 actuates the electro-motor4 ,a machine 
which aims at recording and reproducing 
actual speech or music is1 of course1   
capable of infinite refinement1 and     
,edison is still at work improving the  
instrument1 but even now it is          
substantially perfected4  ,phonographs  
have arrived in ,london1 and through the
 kindness of ,mr4 ,edison and his       
,english representative1 ,colonel ,g4   
,e4 ,gouraud1 we have had an opportunity
 of testing one4 ,a number of           
phonograms1 taken in ,edison's          
laboratory1 were sent over with the     
instruments1 and several of them were   
caused to deliver in our hearing the    
sounds which were        'sealed in     
crystal silence there4'  ,the first was 
a piece which had been played on the    

piano1 quick time1 and the fidelity and 
loudness with which it was delivered by 
the hearing tube was fairly astonishing1
 especially when one considered the     
frail and hair-like trace upon the wax  
which had excited it4 ,there seemed to  
be something magical in the effect1     
which issued1 as it were1 from the      
machine itself4 ,then followed a cornet 
solo1 concert piece of cornet1 violin1  
and piano1 and a very beautiful duet of 
cornet and piano4 ,the tones and        
cadences were admirably rendered1 and   
the ear could also faintly distinguish  
the noises of the laboratory4 ,speaking 
was represented by a phonogram          
containing a dialogue between ,mr4      
,edison and ,colonel ,gouraud which had 
been imprinted some three weeks before  
in ,america4 ,with this we could hear   
the inventor addressing his old friend1 
and telling him to correspond entirely  
with the phonograph4 ,colonel ,gouraud  
answers that he will be delighted to do 
so1 and be spared the trouble of        

writing2 while ,edison rejoins that he  
also will be glad to escape the pains of
 reading the gallant colonel's letters4 
,the sally is greeted with a laugh1     
which is also faithfully rendered4  ,one
 day a workman in ,edison's laboratory  
caught up a crying child and held it    
over the phonograph4 ,here is the       
phonogram it made1 and here in ,england 
we can listen to its wailing1 for the   
phonograph reproduces every kind of     
sound1 high or low1 whistling1 coughing1
 sneezing1 or groaning4 ,it gives the   
accent1 the expression1 and the         
modulation1 so that one has to be       
careful how one speaks1 and probably its
 use will help us to improve our        
utterance4  ,by speaking into the       
phonograph and reproducing the words1 we
 are enabled for the first time to hear 
ourselves speak as others hear us2 for  
the vibrations of the head are          
understood to mask the voice a little to
 our own ears4 ,moreover1 by altering   
the speed of the barrel the voice can be

 altered1 music can be executed in slow 
or quick time1 however it is played1    
inaudible notes can be raised or        
lowered1 as the case may be1 to         
audibility4 ,the phonograph will        
register notes as low as ten vibrations 
a second1 whereas it is well known the  
lowest note audible to the human ear is 
sixteen vibrations a second4 ,the       
instrument is equally capable of service
 and entertainment4 ,it can be used as a
 stenograph1 or shorthand-writer4 ,a    
business man1 for instance1 can dictate 
his letters or instructions into it1 and
 they can be copied out by his          
secretary4 ,callers can leave a verbal  
message in the phonograph instead of a  
note4 ,an editor or journalist can      
dictate articles1 which may be written  
out or composed by the printer1 word by 
word1 as they are spoken by the         
reproducer in his ears4  ,correspondence
 can be carried on by phonograms1       
distant friends and lovers being able   
thus to hear each other's accents as    

though they were together1 a result more
 conducive to harmony and good feeling  
than letter-writing4 ,in matters of     
business and diplomacy the phonogram    
will teach its users to be brief1       
accurate1 and honest in their speech2   
for the phonograph is a mechanical      
memory more faithful than the living    
one4 ,its evidence may even be taken in 
a court of law in place of documents1   
and it is conceivable that some         
important action might be settled by the
 voice of this ,,deus ,,ex ,,machina4   
,will it therefore add a new terror to  
modern life8 ,shall a visitor have to be
 careful what he says in a neighbour's  
house1 in case his words are stored up  
in some concealed phonograph1 just as   
his appearance may be registered by a   
detective camera8 ,in ordinary life--no2
 for the phonograph has its limitations1
 like every other machine1 and it is not
 sufficiently sensitive to record a     
conversation unless it is spoken close  
at hand4 ,but there is here a chance for

 the sensational novelist to hang a tale
 upon4  ,the 'interviewer' may make use 
of it to supply him with 'copy1' but    
this remains to be seen4 ,there are     
practical difficulties in the way which 
need not be told over4 ,perhaps in      
railway trains1 steamers1 and other     
unsteady vehicles1 it will be-used for  
communications4 ,the telephone may yet  
be adapted to work in conjunction with  
it1 so that a phonogram can be          
telephoned1 or a telephone message      
recorded in the phonograph4 ,such a     
'telephonograph' is1 however1 a thing of
 the future4 ,wills and other private   
deeds may of course be executed by      
phonograph4 ,moreover1 the loud-speaking
 instrument which ,edison is engaged    
upon will probably be applied to        
advertising and communicating purposes4 
,the hours of the day1 for example1 can 
be called out by a clock1 the starting  
of a train announced1 and the merits of 
a particular commodity descanted on4    
,all these uses are possible2 but it is 

in a literary sense that the phonograph 
is more interesting4 ,books can now be  
spoken by their authors1 or a good      
elocutionist1 and published in          
phonograms1 which will appeal to the ear
 of the 'reader' instead of to his eye4 
',on1 four cylinders #h inches long1    
with a diameter of #e1' says ,edison1   
',i can put the whole of ,,nicholas     
,,nickleby4' ,to the invalid1           
especially1 this use would come as a    
boon2 and if the instrument were a loud 
speaker1 a circle of listeners could be 
entertained4 ,how interesting it would  
be to have ,,nicholas ,,nickleby read to
 us in the voice of ,dickens1 or ,,tam  
,o' ,,shanter in that of ,burns6 ,if the
 idea is developed1 we may perhaps have 
circulating libraries which issue       
phonograms1 and there is already some   
talk of a phonographic newspaper which  
will prattle politics and scandal at the
 breakfast-table4 ,addresses1 sermons1  
and political speeches may be delivered 
by the phonograph2 languages taught1 and

 dialects preserved2 while the study of 
words cannot fail to benefit by its     
performance4  ,musicians will now be    
able to record their improvisations by a
 phonograph placed near the instrument  
they are playing4 ,there need in fact be
 no more 'lost chords4' ,lovers of      
music1 like the inventor himself1 will  
be able to purchase songs and pieces1   
sung and played by eminent performers1  
and reproduce them in their own homes4  
,music-sellers will perhaps let them    
out1 like books1 and customers can      
choose their piece in the shop by having
 it rehearsed to them4  ,in preserving  
for us the words of friends who have    
passed away1 the sound of voices which  
are stilled1 the phonograph assumes its 
most beautiful and sacred character4    
,the ,egyptians treasured in their homes
 the mummies of their dead4 ,we are able
 to cherish the very accents of ours1   
and1 as it were1 defeat the course of   
time and break the silence of the grave4
 ,the voices of illustrious persons1    

heroes and statesmen1 orators1 actors1  
and singers1 will go down to posterity  
and visit us in our homes4 ,a new       
pleasure will be added to life4 ,how    
pleasant it would be if we could listen 
to the cheery voice of ,gordon1 the     
playing of ,liszt1 or the singing of    
,jenny ,lind6  ,doubtless the rendering 
of the phonograph will be still further 
improved as time goes on2 but even now  
it is remarkable2 and the inventor must 
be considered to have redeemed his      
promises with regard to it4             
,notwithstanding his deafness1 the      
development of the instrument has been a
 labour of love to him2 and those who   
knew his rare inventive skill believed  
that he would some time achieve success4
 ,it is his favourite1 his most         
original1 and novel work4 ,for many     
triumphs of mind over matter ,edison has
 been called the ',napoleon of          
,invention1' and the aptness of the     
title is enhanced by his personal       
resemblance to the great conqueror4 ,but

 the phonograph is his victory of       
,austerlitz2 and1 like the              
printing-press of ,gutenberg1 it will   
assuredly immortalise his name4  ',the  
phonograph1' said ,edison of his        
favourite1 'is my baby1 and ,i expect it
 to grow up a big fellow and support me 
in my old age4' ,some people are still  
in doubt whether it will prove more than
 a curious plaything2 but even now it   
seems to be coming into practical use in
 ,america1 if not in ,europe4  ,after   
the publication of the phonograph1      
,edison1 owing1 it is stated1 to an     
erroneous description of the instrument 
by a reporter1 received letters from    
deaf people inquiring whether it would  
enable them to hear well4 ,this1 coupled
 with the fact that he is deaf himself1 
turned his thoughts to the invention of 
the 'megaphone1' a combination of one   
large speaking and two ear-trumpets1    
intended for carrying on a conversation 
beyond the ordinary range of the        
voice--in short1 a mile or two4 ,it is  

said to render a whisper audible at a   
distance of #ajjj yards2 but its very   
sensitiveness is a drawback1 since it   
gathers up extraneous sounds4  ,to the  
same category belongs the 'aerophone1'  
which may be described as a gigantic    
tympanum1 vibrated by a piston working  
in a cylinder of compressed air1 which  
is regulated by the vibrations of the   
sound to be magnified4 ,it was designed 
to call out fog or other warnings in a  
loud and penetrating tone1 but it has   
not been successful4  ,the 'magnetic ore
 separator' is an application of        
magnetism to the extraction of iron     
particles from powdered ores and        
unmagnetic matter4 ,the ground material 
is poured through a funnel or 'hopper1' 
and falls in a shower between the poles 
of a powerful electro-magnet1 which     
draws the metal aside1 thus removing it 
from the dress4  ,among ,edison's toys  
and minor inventions may be mentioned a 
'voice mill1' or wheel driven by the    
vibrations of the air set up in         

speaking4 ,it consists of a tympanum or 
drum1 having a stylus attached as in the
 phonograph4 ,when the tympanum vibrates
 under the influence of the voice1 the  
stylus acts as a pawl and turns a       
ratchet-wheel4 ,an ingenious smith might
 apply it to the construction of a lock 
which would operate at the command of   
',open1 ,sesame6' ,another trifle       
perhaps worthy of note is his ink1 which
 rises on the paper and solidifies1 so  
that a blind person can read the writing
 by passing his fingers over the        
letters4  ,edison's next important work 
was the adaptation of the electric light
 for domestic illumination4 ,at the     
beginning of the century the ,cornish   
philosopher1 ,humphrey ,davy1 had       
discovered that the electric current    
produced a brilliant arch or 'arc' of   
light when passed between two charcoal  
points drawn a little apart1 and that it
 heated a fine rod of charcoal or a     
metal wire to incandescence--that is to 
say1 a glowing condition4 ,a great      

variety of arc lamps were afterwards    
introduced2 and ,mr4 ,staite1 on or     
about the year #ahdd-e1 invented an     
incandescent lamp in which the current  
passed through a slender stick of       
carbon1 enclosed in a vacuum bulb of    
glass4 ,faraday discovered that         
electricity could be generated by the   
relative motion of a magnet and a coil  
of wire1 and hence the dynamo-electric  
generator1 or 'dynamo1' was ere long    
invented and improved4  ,in #ahgh the   
boulevards of ,paris were lit by the arc
 lamps of ,jablochkoff during the season
 of the ,exhibition1 and the display    
excited a widespread interest in the new
 mode of illumination4 ,it was too      
brilliant for domestic use1 however1    
and1 as the lamps were connected one    
after another in the same circuit like  
pearls upon a string1 the breakage of   
one would interrupt the current and     
extinguish them all but for special     
precautions4 ,in short1 the electric    
light was not yet 'subdivided4'         

,edison1 in common with others1 turned  
his attention to the subject1 and took  
up the neglected incandescent lamp4 ,he 
improved it by reducing the rod of      
carbon to a mere filament of charcoal1  
having a comparatively high resistance  
and resembling a wire in its elasticity1
 without being so liable to fuse under  
the intense heat of the current4 ,this  
he moulded into a loop1 and mounted     
inside a pear-shaped bulb of glass4 ,the
 bulb was then exhausted of its air to  
prevent the oxidation of the carbon1 and
 the whole hermetically sealed4 ,when a 
sufficient current was passed through   
the filament1 it glowed with a dazzling 
lustre4 ,it was not too bright or       
powerful for a room2 it produced little 
heat1 and absolutely no fumes4          
,moreover1 it could be connected not in 
but across the main circuit of the      
current1 and hence1 if one should break1
 the others would continue glowing4     
,edison1 in short1 had 'subdivided' the 
electric light4  ,in ,october1 #ahgh1 he

 telegraphed the news to ,london and    
,paris1 where1 owing to his great       
reputation1 it caused an immediate panic
 in the gas market4 ,as time passed1 and
 the new illuminant was backward in     
appearing1 the shares recovered their   
old value4 ,edison was severely blamed  
for causing the disturbance2 but1       
nevertheless1 his announcement had been 
verified in all but the question of     
cost4 ,the introduction of a practical  
system of electric lighting employed his
 resources for several years4 ,dynamos1 
types of lamps and conductors1 electric 
meters1 safety fuses1 and other         
appliances had to be invented4 ,in #ahhb
 he returned to ,new ,york1 to          
superintend the installation of his     
system in that city4  ,his researches on
 the dynamo caused him to devise what he
 calls an 'harmonic engine4' ,it        
consists of a tuning-fork1 kept in      
vibration by two small electro-magnets1 
excited with three or four battery      
cells4 ,it is capable of working a small

 pump1 but is little more than a        
scientific curiosity4 ,with the object  
of transforming heat direct from the    
furnace into electricity1 he also       
devised a 'pyro-electric generator1' but
 it never passed beyond the experimental
 stage4  ,the same may be said for his  
pyro-electric motor4 ,his               
dynamo-electric motors and system of    
electric railways are1 however1 a more  
promising invention4 ,his method of     
telegraphing to and from a railway train
 in motion1 by induction through the air
 to a telegraph wire running along the  
line1 is very ingenious1 and has been   
tried with a fair amount of success4    
,at present he is working at the        
',kinetograph1' a combination of the    
phonograph and the instantaneous        
photograph as exhibited in the zoetrope1
 by which he expects to produce an      
animated picture or simulacrum of a     
scene in real life or the drama1 with   
its appropriate words and sounds4       
,edison now resides at ,llewellyn ,park1

 ,orange1 a picturesque suburb of ,new  
,york4 ,his laboratory there is a       
glorified edition of ,menlo ,park1 and  
realises the inventor's dream4 ,the main
 building is of brick1 in three stories2
 but there are several annexes4 ,each   
workshop and testing room is devoted to 
a particular purpose4 ,the machine shops
 and dynamo rooms are equipped with the 
best engines and tools1 the laboratories
 with the finest instruments that money 
can procure4 ,there are drawing1        
photographic1 and photometric chambers1 
physical1 chemical1 and metallurgical   
laboratories4 ,there is a fine          
lecture-hall1 and a splendid library and
 reading-room4 ,he employs several      
hundred workmen and assistants1 all     
chosen for their intelligence and skill4
 ,in this retreat ,edison is surrounded 
with everything that his heart desires4 
,in the words of a reporter1 the place  
is equally capable of turning out a     
'chronometer or a ,cunard steamer4' ,it 
is probably the finest laboratory in the

 world4  ,in #ahhi1 ,edison1 accompanied
 by his second wife1 paid a holiday     
visit to ,europe and the ,paris         
,exhibition4 ,he was received everywhere
 with the greatest enthusiasm1 and the  
,king of ,italy created him a ,grand    
,officer of the ,crown of ,italy1 with  
the title of ,count4 ,but the phonograph
 speaks more for his genius than the    
voice of the multitude1 the electric    
light is a better illustration of his   
energy than the ribbon of an order1 and 
the finest monument to his pluck1       
sagacity1 and perseverance is the       
magnificent laboratory which has been   
built through his own efforts at        
,llewellyn ,park4 ,one of his           
characteristic sayings may be quoted    
here3 ',genius is an exhaustless        
capacity for work in detail1 which1     
combined with grit and gumption and love
 of right1 ensures to every man success 
and happiness in this world and the     
next4'    ,,chapter ,x4 ,,david ,,edwin 
,,hughes4  ,there are some leading      

electricians who enjoy a reputation     
based partly on their own efforts and   
partly on those of their paid           
assistants4 ,edison1 for example1 has a 
large following1 who not only work out  
his ideas1 but suggest1 improve1 and    
invent of themselves4 ,the master in    
such a case is able to avail himself of 
their abilities and magnify his own     
genius1 so to speak4 ,he is not one     
mind1 but the chief of many minds1 and  
absorbs into himself the glory and the  
work of a hundred willing subjects4     
,professor ,hughes is not one of these4 
,his fame is entirely self-earned4 ,all 
that he has accomplished1 and he has    
done great things1 has been the labour  
of his own hand and brain4 ,he is an    
artist in invention2 working out his own
 conceptions in silence and retirement1 
with the artist's love and              
self-absorption4 ,this is but saying    
that he is a true inventor2 for a mere  
manufacturer of inventions1 who employs 
others to assist him in the work1 is not

 an inventor in the old and truest      
sense4  ,genius1 they say1 makes its own
 tools1 and the adage is strikingly     
verified in the case of ,professor      
,hughes1 who actually discovered the    
microphone in his own drawing-room1 and 
constructed it of toy boxes and sealing 
wax4 ,he required neither lathe1        
laboratory1 nor assistant to give the   
world this remarkable and priceless     
instrument4  ,having first become known 
to fame in ,america1 ,professor ,hughes 
is usually claimed by the ,americans as 
a countryman1 and through some error1   
the very date and place of his birth    
there are often given in ,american      
publications2 but we have the best      
authority for the accuracy of the       
following facts1 namely that of the     
inventor himself4  ,david ,edwin ,hughes
 was born in ,london in #ahca4 ,his     
parents came from ,bala1 at the foot of 
,snowdon1 in ,north ,wales1 and in      
#ahch1 when ,david was seven years old1 
his father1 taking with him his family1 

emigrated to the ,united ,states1 and   
became a planter in ,virginia4 ,the     
elder ,mr4 ,hughes and his children seem
 to have inherited the ,welsh musical   
gift1 for they were all accomplished    
musicians4 ,while a mere child1 ,david  
could improvise tunes in a remarkable   
manner1 and when he grew up this talent 
attracted the notice of ,herr ,hast1 an 
eminent ,german pianist in ,america1 who
 procured for him the professorship of  
music in the ,college of ,bardstown1    
,kentucky4 ,mr4 ,hughes entered upon his
 academical career at ,bardstown in     
#ahej1 when he was nineteen years of    
age4 ,although very fond of music and   
endowered by ,nature with exceptional   
powers for its cultivation1 ,professor  
,hughes had1 in addition1 an inborn     
liking and fitness for physical science 
and mechanical invention4 ,this duality 
of taste and genius may seem at first   
sight strange2 but experience shows that
 there are many men of science and      
inventors who are also votaries of music

 and art4 ,the source of this apparent  
anomaly is to be found in the           
imagination1 which is the fountain-head 
of all kinds of creation4  ,professor   
,hughes now taught music by day for his 
livelihood1 and studied science at night
 for his recreation1 thus reversing the 
usual order of things4 ,the college     
authorities1 knowing his proficiency in 
the subject1 also offered him the ,chair
 of ,natural ,philosophy1 which became  
vacant2 and he united the two seemingly 
incongruous professorships of music and 
physics in himself4 ,he had long        
cherished the idea of inventing a new   
telegraph1 and especially one which     
should print the message in ,roman      
characters as it is received4 ,so it    
happened that one evening while he was  
under the excitement of a musical       
improvisation1 a solution of the problem
 flashed into his ken4 ,his music and   
his science had met at this nodal point4
  ,all his spare time was thenceforth   
devoted to the development of his design

 and the construction of a practical    
type-printer4 ,as the work grew on his  
hands1 the pale young student1 beardless
 but careworn1 became more and more     
engrossed with it1 until his nights were
 almost entirely given to experiment4   
,he begrudged the time which had to be  
spent in teaching his classes and the   
fatigue was telling upon his health1 so 
in #ahec he removed to ,bowlingreen1 in 
,warren ,co41 ,kentucky1 where he       
acquired more freedom by taking pupils4 
,the main principle of his type-printer 
was the printing of each letter by a    
single current2 the ,morse instrument1  
then the principal receiver in ,america1
 required1 on the other hand1 an average
 of three currents for each signal4 ,in 
order to carry out this principle it was
 necessary that the sending and         
receiving apparatus should keep in      
strict time with each other1 or be      
synchronous in action2 and to effect    
this was the prime difficulty which     
,professor ,hughes had to overcome in   

his work4 ,in estimating the ,hughes'   
type-printer as an invention we must not
 forget the state of science at that    
early period4 ,he had to devise his own 
governors for the synchronous mechanism1
 and here his knowledge of acoustics    
helped him4 ,centrifugal governors and  
pendulums would not do1 and he tried    
vibrators1 such as piano-strings and    
tuning-forks4 ,he at last found what he 
wanted in two darning needles1 borrowed 
from an old lady in the house where he  
lived4 ,these steel rods fixed at one   
end vibrated with equal periods1 and    
could be utilised in such a way that the
 printing wheel could be corrected into 
absolute synchronism by each signal     
current4  ,in #ahed1 ,professor ,hughes 
went to ,louisville to superintend the  
making of his first instrument2 but it  
was unprotected by a patent in the      
,united ,states until #ahee4 ,in that   
form straight vibrators were used as    
governors1 and a separate train of      
wheel-work was employed in correcting3  

but in later forms the spiral governor  
was adopted1 and the printing and       
correcting is now done by the same      
action4 ,in #ahee1 the invention may be 
said to have become fit for employment1 
and no sooner was this the case1 than   
,professor ,hughes received a telegram  
from the editors of the ,new ,york      
,associated ,press1 summoning him to    
that city4 ,the ,american ,telegraph    
,company1 then a leading one1 was in    
possession of the ,morse instrument1 and
 levied rates for transmission of news  
which the editors found oppressive4     
,they took up the ,hughes' instrument in
 opposition to the ,morse1 and          
introduced it on the lines of several   
companies4 ,after a time1 however1 the  
separate companies amalgamated into one 
large corporation1 the ,western ,union  
,telegraph ,company of to-day4 ,with the
 ,morse1 ,hughes1 and other apparatus in
 its power1 the editors were again left 
in the lurch4  ,in #aheg1 ,professor    
,hughes leaving his instrument in the   

hands of the ,western ,union ,telegraph 
,company1 came to ,england to effect its
 introduction here4 ,he endeavoured to  
get the old ,electric ,telegraph        
,company to adopt it1 but after two     
years of indecision on their part1 he   
went over to ,france in #ahfj1 where he 
met with a more encouraging reception4  
,the ,french ,government ,telegraph     
,administration became at once          
interested in the new receiver1 and a   
commission of eminent electricians1     
consisting of ,du ,moncel1 ,blavier1    
,froment1 ,gaugain1 and other practical 
and theoretical specialists1 was        
appointed to decide on its merits4 ,the 
first trial of the type-printer took    
place on the ,paris to ,lyons circuit1  
and there is a little anecdote connected
 with it which is worthy of being told4 
,the instrument was started1 and for a  
while worked as well as could be        
desired2 but suddenly it came to a stop1
 and to the utter discomfiture of the   
inventor he could neither find out what 

was wrong nor get the printer to go     
again4 ,in the midst of his confusion1  
it seemed like satire to him to hear the
 commissioners say1 as they smiled all  
round1 and bowed themselves gracefully  
off1 ',,tres-,,bien1 ,,monsieur         
,,hughes--,,tres-,,bien1 ,,je ,,vous    
,,felicite4' ,but the matter was        
explained next morning1 when ,professor 
,hughes learned that the transmitting   
clerk at ,lyons had been purposely      
instructed to earth the line at the time
 in question1 to test whether there was 
no deception in the trial1 a proceeding 
which would have seemed strange1 had not
 the occurrence of a sham trial some    
months previous rendered it a prudent   
course4 ,the result of this trial was   
that the ,french ,government agreed to  
give the printer a year of practical    
work on the ,french lines1 and if found 
satisfactory1 it was to be finally      
adopted4 ,daily reports were furnished  
of its behaviour during that time1 and  
at the expiration of the term it was    

adopted1 and ,professor ,hughes was     
constituted by ,napoleon ,,iii4 a       
,chevalier of the ,legion of ,honour4   
,the patronage of ,france paved the way 
of the type-printer into almost all     
other ,european countries2 and the      
,french agreement as to its use became  
the model of those made by the other    
nations4 ,on settling with ,france in   
#ahfb1 ,professor ,hughes went to       
,italy4 ,here a commission was likewise 
appointed1 and a period of              
probation--only six months--was settled1
 before the instrument was taken over4  
,from ,italy1 ,professor ,hughes        
received the ,order of ,st4 ,maurice and
 ,st4 ,lazare4 ,in #ahfc1 the ,united   
,kingdom ,telegraph ,co41 ,england1     
introduced the type-printer in their    
system4 ,in #ahfe1 ,professor ,hughes   
proceeded to ,russia1 and in that       
country his invention was adopted after 
six months' trial on the ,st4           
,petersburg to ,moscow circuit4 ,at ,st4
 ,petersburg he had the honour of being 

a guest of the ,emperor in the summer   
palace1 ,czarskoizelo1 the ,versailles  
of ,russia1 where he was requested to   
explain his invention1 and also to give 
a lecture on electricity to the ,czar   
and his court4 ,he was there created a  
,commander of the ,order of ,st4 ,anne4 
,in #ahfe1 ,professor ,hughes also went 
to ,berlin1 and introduced his apparatus
 on the ,prussian lines4 ,in #ahfg1 he  
went on a similar mission to ,austria1  
where he received the ,order of the     
,iron ,crown2 and to ,turkey1 where the 
reigning ,sultan bestowed on him the    
,grand ,cross of the ,medjidie4 ,in this
 year1 too he was awarded at the ,paris 
,exhibition1 a grand ,,hors ,,ligne gold
 medal1 one out of ten supreme honours  
designed to mark the very highest       
achievements4 ,on the same occasion     
another of these special medals was     
bestowed on ,cyrus ,field and the       
,anglo-,american ,telegraph ,company4   
,in #ahfh1 he introduced it into        
,holland2 and in #ahfi1 into ,bavaria   

and ,wurtemburg1 where he obtained the  
,noble ,order of ,st4 ,michael4 ,in     
#ahgj1 he also installed it in          
,switzerland and ,belgium4  ,coming back
 to ,england1 the ,submarine ,telegraph 
,company adopted the type-printer in    
#ahgb1 when they had only two           
instruments at work4 ,in #ahgh they had 
twenty of them in constant use1 of which
 number nine were working direct between
 ,london and ,paris1 one between ,london
 and ,berlin1 one between ,london and   
,cologne1 one between ,london and       
,antwerp1 and one between ,london and   
,brussels4 ,all the continental news for
 the ,,times and the ,,daily ,,telegraph
 is received by the ,hughes'            
type-printer1 and is set in type by a   
type-setting machine as it arrives4     
,further1 by the ,international         
,telegraph ,congress it was settled that
 for all international telegrams only   
the ,hughes' instrument and the ,morse  
were to be employed4 ,since the ,post   
,office acquired the cables to the      

,continent in #ahhi1 a room in ,st4     
,martin's-le-,grand has been provided   
for the printers working to ,paris1     
,berlin1 and ,rome4  ,in #ahge1         
,professor ,hughes introduced the       
type-printer into ,spain1 where he was  
made a ,commander of the ,royal and     
,distinguished ,order of ,carlos ,,iii4 
,in every country to which it was taken1
 the merits of the instrument were      
recognised1 and ,professor ,hughes has  
none but pleasant souvenirs of his      
visits abroad4  ,during all these years 
the inventor was not idle4 ,he was      
constantly improving his invention2 and 
in addition to that1 he had to act as an
 instructor where-ever he went1 and give
 courses of lectures explaining the     
principles and practice of his apparatus
 to the various employees into whose    
hands it was to be consigned4  ,the     
years #ahgf-h will be distinguished in  
the history of our time for a triad of  
great inventions which1 so to speak1    
were hanging together4 ,we have already 

seen how the telephone and phonograph   
have originated2 and to these two       
marvellous contrivances we have now to  
add a third1 the microphone1 which is   
even more marvellous1 because1 although 
in form it is the simplest of them all1 
in its action it is still a mystery4    
,the telephone enables us to speak to   
distances far beyond the reach of eye or
 ear1 'to waft a sigh from ,indus to the
 ,pole2 'the phonograph enables us to   
seal the living speech on brazen        
tablets1 and store it up for any length 
of time2 while it is the peculiar       
function of the microphone to let us    
hear those minute sounds which are below
 the range of our unassisted powers of  
hearing4 ,by these three instruments we 
have thus received a remarkable         
extension of the capacity of the human  
ear1 and a growth of dominion over the  
sounds of ,nature4 ,we have now a       
command over sound such as we have over 
light4 ,for the telephone is to the ear 
what the telescope is to the eye1 the   

phonograph is for sound what the        
photograph is for light1 and the        
microphone finds its analogue in the    
microscope4 ,as the microscope reveals  
to our wondering sight the rich meshes  
of creation1 so the microphone can      
interpret to our ears the jarr of       
molecular vibrations for ever going on  
around us1 perchance the clash of atoms 
as they shape themselves into crystals1 
the murmurous ripple of the sap in      
trees1 which ,humboldt fancied to make a
 continuous music in the ears of the    
tiniest insects1 the fall of pollen dust
 on flowers and grasses1 the stealthy   
creeping of a spider upon his silken    
web1 and even the piping of a pair of   
love-sick butterflies1 or the trumpeting
 of a bellicose gnat1 like the 'horns of
 elf-land faintly blowing4'  ,the       
success of the ,hughes type-printer may 
be said to have covered its author with 
titles and scientific honours1 and      
placed him above the necessity of       
regular employment4 ,he left ,america1  

and travelled from place to place4 ,for 
many years past1 however1 he has resided
 privately in ,london1 an eminent       
example of that modesty and simplicity  
which is generally said to accompany    
true genius4  ,mechanical invention is  
influenced to a very high degree by     
external circumstances4 ,it may sound   
sensational1 but it is nevertheless     
true1 that we owe the microphone to an  
attack of bronchitis4 ,during the thick 
foggy weather of ,november #ahgg1       
,professor ,hughes was confined to his  
home by a severe cold1 and in order to  
divert his thoughts he began to amuse   
himself with a speaking telephone4 ,then
 it occurred to him that there might be 
some means found of making the wire of  
the telephone circuit speak of itself   
without the need of telephones at all1  
or at least without the need of one     
telephone1 namely1 that used in         
transmitting the sounds4 ,the           
distinguished physicist ,sir ,william   
,thomson1 had lately discovered the     

peculiar fact that when a current of    
electricity is passed through a wire1   
the current augments when the wire is   
extended1 and diminishes when the wire  
is compressed1 because in the former    
case the resistance of the material of  
the wire to the passage of the current  
is lessened1 and in the latter case it  
becomes greater4  ,now it occurred to   
,professor ,hughes that1 if this were   
so1 it might be possible to cause the   
air-vibrations of sound to so act upon a
 wire conveying a current as to stretch 
and contract it in sympathy with        
themselves1 so that the sound-waves     
would create corresponding electric     
waves in the current1 and these electric
 waves1 passed through a telephone      
connected to the wire1 would cause the  
telephone to give forth the original    
sounds4 ,he first set about trying the  
effect of vibrating a wire in which a   
current flowed1 to see if the stretching
 and compressing thereby produced would 
affect the current so as to cause sounds

 in a telephone connected up in circuit 
with the wire--but without effect4 ,he  
could hear no sound whatever in the     
telephone4 ,then he stretched the wire  
till it broke altogether1 and as the    
metal began to rupture he heard a       
distinct grating in the telephone1      
followed by a sharp 'click1' when the   
wire sundered1 which indicated a 'rush' 
of electricity through the telephone4   
,this pointed out to him that the wire  
might be sensitive to sound when in a   
state of fracture4 ,acting on the hint1 
he placed the two broken ends of the    
wire together again1 and kept them so by
 the application of a definite pressure4
 ,to his joy he found that he had       
discovered what he had been in search   
of4 ,the imperfect contact between the  
broken ends of the wire proved itself to
 be a means of transmitting sounds1 and 
in addition it was found to possess a   
faculty which he had not anticipated--it
 proved to be sensitive to very minute  
sounds1 and was in fact a rude          

microphone4 ,continuing his researches1 
he soon found that he had discovered a  
principle of wide application1 and that 
it was not necessary to confine his     
experiments to wires1 since any         
substance which conducted an electric   
current would answer the purpose4 ,all  
that was necessary was that the         
materials employed should be in contact 
with each other under a slight but      
definite pressure1 and1 for the         
continuance of the effects1 that the    
materials should not oxidise in air so  
as to foul the contact4 ,for different  
materials a different degree of pressure
 gives the best results1 and for        
different sounds to be transmitted a    
different degree of pressure is         
required4 ,any loose1 crazy unstable    
structure1 of conducting bodies1        
inserted in a telephone circuit1 will   
act as a microphone4 ,such1 for example1
 as a glass tube filled with lead-shot  
or black oxide of iron1 or 'white       
bronze' powder under pressure2 a metal  

watch-chain piled in a heap4 ,surfaces  
of platinum1 gold1 or even iron1 pressed
 lightly together give excellent        
results4 ,three ,french nails1 two      
parallel beneath and one laid across    
them1 or better still a log-hut of      
,french nails1 make a perfect           
transmitter of audible sounds1 and a    
good microphone4 ,because of its        
cheapness1 its conducting power1 and its
 non-oxidisability1 carbon is the most  
select material4 ,a piece of charcoal no
 bigger than a pin's head is quite      
sufficient to produce articulate speech4
 ,gas-carbon operates admirably1 but the
 best carbon is that known as           
willow-charcoal1 used by artists in     
sketching1 and when this is impregnated 
with minute globules of mercury by      
heating it white-hot and quenching it in
 liquid mercury1 it is in a highly      
sensitive microphonic condition4 ,the   
same kind of charcoal permeated by      
platinum1 tin1 zinc1 or other           
unoxidisable metal is also very         

suitable2 and it is a significant fact  
that the most resonant woods1 such as   
pine1 poplar1 and willow1 yield the     
charcoals best adapted for the          
microphone4 ,professor ,hughes'         
experimental apparatus is of an         
amusingly simple description4 ,he has no
 laboratory at home1 and all his        
experiments were made in the            
drawing-room4 ,his first microphones    
were formed of bits of carbon and scraps
 of metal1 mounted on slips of          
match-boxes by means of sealing-wax2 and
 the resonance pipes on which they were 
placed to reinforce the effect of minute
 sounds1 were nothing more than         
children's toy money boxes1 price one   
halfpenny1 having one of the ends       
knocked out4 ,with such childish and    
worthless materials he has conquered    
,nature in her strongholds1 and shown   
how great discoveries can be made4 ,the 
microphone is a striking illustration of
 the truth that in science any          
phenomenon whatever may be rendered     

useful4 ,the trouble of one generation  
of scientists may be turned to the      
honour and service of the next4         
,electricians have long had sore reasons
 for regarding a 'bad contact' as an    
unmitigated nuisance1 the instrument of 
the evil one1 with no conceivable good  
in it1 and no conceivable purpose except
 to annoy and tempt them into wickedness
 and an expression of hearty but        
ignominious emotion4 ,professor ,hughes1
 however1 has with a wizard's power     
transformed this electrician's bane into
 a professional glory and a public boon4
 ,verily there is a soul of virtue in   
things evil4  ,the commonest and at the 
same time one of the most sensitive     
forms of the instrument is called the   
'pencil microphone1' from the pencil or 
crayon of carbon which forms the        
principal part of it4 ,this pencil may  
be of mercurialised charcoal1 but the   
ordinary gas-carbon1 which incrusts the 
interior of the retorts in gas-works1 is
 usually employed4 ,the crayon is       

supported in an upright position by two 
little brackets of carbon1 hollowed out 
so as to receive the pointed ends in    
shallow cups4 ,the weight of the crayon 
suffices to give the required pressure  
on the contacts1 both upper and lower1  
for the upper end of the ,pencil should 
lean against the inner wall of the cup  
in the upper bracket4 ,the brackets are 
fixed to an upright board of light1 dry1
 resonant pine-wood1 let into a solid   
base of the same timber4 ,the baseboard 
is with advantage borne by four rounded 
india-rubber feet1 which insulate it    
from the table on which it may be       
placed4 ,to connect the microphone up   
for use1 a small voltaic battery1 say   
three cells 7though a single cell will  
give surprising results71 and a ,bell   
speaking telephone are necessary4 ,a    
wire is led from one of the carbon      
brackets to one pole of the battery1 and
 another wire is led from the other     
bracket to one terminal screw of the    
telephone1 and the circuit is completed 

by a wire from the other terminal of the
 telephone to the other pole of the     
battery4 ,if now the slightest          
mechanical jar be given to the wooden   
frame of the microphone1 to the table1  
or even to the walls of the room in     
which the experiment takes place1 a     
corresponding noise will be heard in the
 microphone4 ,by this delicate          
arrangement we can play the eavesdropper
 on those insensible vibrations in the  
midst of which we exist4 ,if a feather  
or a camel-hair pencil be stroked along 
the base-board1 we hear a harsh grating 
sound2 if a pin be laid upon it1 we hear
 a blow like a blacksmith's hammer2 and1
 more astonishing than all1 if a fly    
walk across it we hear it tramping like 
a charger1 and even its peculiar cry1   
which has been likened1 with some       
allowance for imagination1 to the       
snorting of an elephant4 ,moreover it   
should not be forgotten that the wires  
connecting up the telephone may be      
lengthened to any desired extent1 so    

that1 in the words of ,professor        
,hughes1 'the beating of a pulse1 the   
tick of a watch1 the tramp of a fly can 
then be heard at least a hundred miles  
from the source of sound4' ,if we       
whisper or speak distinctly in a        
monotone to the pencil1 our words will  
be heard in the telephone2 but with this
 defect1 that the ,,timbre or quality   
is1 in this particular form of the      
instrument1 apt to be lost1 making it   
difficult to recognise the speaker's    
voice4 ,but although a single pencil    
microphone will under favourable        
circumstances transmit these varied     
sounds1 the best effect for each kind of
 sound is obtained by one specially     
adjusted4 ,there is one pressure best   
adapted for minute sounds1 another for  
speech1 and a third for louder sounds4  
,a simple spring arrangement for        
adjusting the pressure of the contacts  
is therefore an advantage1 and it can   
easily be applied to a microphone formed
 of a small rod of carbon pivoted at its

 middle1 with one end resting on a block
 or anvil of carbon underneath4 ,the    
contact between the rod and the block in
 this 'hammer-and-anvil' form is1 of    
course1 the portion which is sensitive  
to sound4  ,the microphone is a         
discovery as well as an invention1 and  
the true explanation of its action is as
 yet merely an hypothesis4 ,it is       
supposed that the vibrations put the    
carbons in a tremor and cause them to   
approach more or less nearly1 thus      
closing or opening the breach between   
them1 which is1 as it were1 the         
floodgate of the current4  ,the         
applications of the microphone were soon
 of great importance4 ,dr4 ,b4 ,w4      
,richardson succeeded in fitting it for 
auscultation of the heart and lungs2    
while ,sir ,henry ,thompson has         
effectively used it in those surgical   
operations1 such as probing wounds for  
bullets or fragments of bone1 in which  
the surgeon has hitherto relied entirely
 on his delicacy of touch for detecting 

the jar of the probe on the foreign     
body4 ,there can be no doubt that in the
 science of physiology1 in the art of   
surgery1 and in many other walks of     
life1 the microphone has proved a       
valuable aid4  ,professor ,hughes       
communicated his results to the ,royal  
,society in the early part of #ahgh1 and
 generously gave the microphone to the  
world4 ,for his own sake it would       
perhaps have been better had he patented
 and thus protected it1 for ,mr4        
,edison1 recognising it as a rival to   
his carbon-transmitter1 then a valuable 
property1 claimed it as an infringement 
of his patents and charged him with     
plagiarism4 ,a spirited controversy     
arose1 and several bitter lawsuits were 
the consequence1 in none of which1      
however1 ,professor ,hughes took part1  
as they were only commercial trials4 ,it
 was clearly shown that ,clerac1 and not
 ,edison1 had been the first to utilise 
the variable resistance of powdered     
carbon or plumbage under pressure1 a    

property on which the ,edison           
transmitter was founded1 and that       
,hughes had discovered a much wider     
principle1 which embraced not only the  
so-called 'semi-conducting' bodies1 such
 as carbon2 but even the best           
conductors1 such as gold1 silver1 and   
other metals4 ,this principle was not a 
mere variation of electrical            
conductivity in a mass of material      
brought about by compression1 but a     
mysterious variation in some unknown way
 of the strength of an electric current 
in traversing a loose joint or contact  
between two conductors4 ,this discovery 
of ,hughes really shed a light on the   
behaviour of ,edison's own transmitter1 
whose action he had until then          
misunderstood4 ,it was now seen that the
 particles of carbon dust in contact    
which formed the button were a congeries
 of minute micro-phones4 ,again it was  
proved that the diaphragm or tympanum to
 receive the impression of the sound and
 convey it to the carbon button1 on     

which ,edison had laid considerable     
stress1 was non-essential2 for the      
microphone1 pure and simple1 was        
operated by the direct impact of the    
sonorous waves1 and required no         
tympanum4 ,moreover1 the microphone1 as 
its name implies1 could magnify a feeble
 sound1 and render audible the          
vibrations which would otherwise escape 
the ear4 ,the discovery of these        
remarkable and subtle properties of a   
delicate contact had indeed confronted  
,edison2 he had held them in his grasp1 
they had stared him in the face1 but    
not-withstanding all his matchless      
ingenuity and acumen1 he1 blinded       
perhaps by a false hypothesis1 entirely 
failed to discern them4 ,the significant
 proof of it lies in the fact that after
 the researches of ,professor ,hughes   
were published the carbon transmitter   
was promptly modified1 and finally      
abandoned for practical work as a       
telephone1 in favour of a variety of new
 transmitters1 such as the ,blake1 now  

employed in the ,united ,kingdom1 in all
 of which the essential part is a       
microphone of hard carbon and metal4    
,the button of soot has vanished into   
the limbo of superseded inventions4     
,science appears to show that every     
physical process is reciprocal1 and may 
be reversed4 ,with this principle in our
 minds1 we need not be surprised that   
the microphone should not only act as a 
,,transmitter of sounds1 but that it    
should also act as a ,,receiver4 ,mr4   
,james ,blyth1 of ,edinburgh1 was the   
first to announce that he had heard     
sounds and even speech given out by a   
microphone itself when substituted for  
the telephone4 ,his transmitting        
microphone and his receiving one were   
simply jelly-cans filled with cinders   
from the grate4 ,it then transpired that
 ,professor ,hughes had previously      
obtained the same remarkable effects    
from his ordinary 'pencil' microphones4 
,the sounds were extremely feeble1      
however1 but the transmitting           

microphones proved the best articulating
 ones4 ,professor ,hughes at length     
constructed an adjustable               
hammer-and-anvil microphone of          
gas-carbon1 fixed to the top of a       
resonating drum1 which articulated      
fairly well1 although not so perfectly  
as a ,bell telephone4 ,perhaps a means  
of improving both the volume and        
distinctness of the articulation will   
yet be forthcoming and we may be able to
 speak solely by the microphone1 if it  
is found desirable4 ,the marvellous fact
 that a little piece of charcoal can1 as
 it were1 both listen and speak1 that a 
person may talk to it so that his friend
 can hear him at a similar piece a      
hundred miles away1 is a miracle of     
nineteenth century science which far    
transcends the oracles of antiquity4    
,the articulating telephone was the     
forerunner of the phonograph and        
microphone1 and led to their discovery4 
,they in turn will doubtless lead to    
other new inventions1 which it is now   

impossible to foresee4 ,we ask in vain  
for an answer to the question which is  
upon the lips of every one-,what next8  
,the microphone has proved itself highly
 useful in strengthening the sounds     
given out by the telephone1 and it is   
probable that we shall soon see those   
three inventions working unitedly2 for  
the microphone might make the telephone 
sounds so powerful as to enable them to 
be printed by phonograph as they are    
received1 and thus a durable record of  
telephonic messages would be obtained4  
,we can now transmit sound by wire1 but 
it may yet be possible to transmit      
light1 and see by telegraph4 ,we are    
apparently on the eve of other wonderful
 inventions1 and there are symptoms that
 before many years a great fundamental  
discovery will be made1 which will      
elucidate the connection of all the     
physical forces1 and will illumine the  
very frame-work of ,nature4  ,in #ahgi1 
,professor ,hughes endowed the          
scientific world with another beautiful 

apparatus1 his 'induction balance4'     
,briefly described1 it is an arrangement
 of coils whereby the currents inducted 
by a primary circuit in the secondary   
are opposed to each other until they    
balance1 so that a telephone connected  
in the secondary circuit is quite       
silent4 ,any disturbance of this        
delicate balance1 however1 say by the   
movement of a coil or a metallic body in
 the neighbourhood of the apparatus1    
will be at once reported by the         
induction currents in the telephone4    
,being sensitive to the presence of     
minute masses of metal1 the apparatus   
was applied by ,professor ,graham ,bell 
to indicate the whereabouts of the      
missing bullet in the frame of          
,president ,garfield1 as already        
mentioned1 and also by ,captain ,mc,evoy
 to detect the position of submerged    
torpedoes or lost anchors4 ,professor   
,roberts-,austen1 the ,chemist to the   
,mint1 has also employed it with success
 in analysing the purity and temper of  

coins2 for1 strange to say1 the         
induction is affected as well by the    
molecular quality as the quantity of the
 disturbing metal4 ,professor ,hughes   
himself has modified it for the purpose 
of sonometry1 and the measurement of the
 hearing powers4  ,to the same year1    
#ahgi1 belong his laborious             
investigations on current induction1 and
 some ingenious plans for eliminating   
its effects on telegraph and telephone  
circuits4  ,soon after his discovery of 
the microphone he was invited to become 
a ,fellow of the ,royal ,society1 and a 
few years later1 in #ahhe he received   
the ,royal ,medal of the ,society for   
his experiments1 and especially those of
 the microphone4 ,in #ahha he           
represented the ,united ,kingdom as a   
,commissioner at the ,paris             
,international ,exhibition of           
,electricity1 and was elected ,president
 of one of the sections of the          
,international ,congress of             
,electricians4 ,in #ahhf he filled the  

office of ,president of the ,society of 
,telegraph ,engineers and of            
,electricians4  ,the ,hughes            
type-printer was a great mechanical     
invention1 one of the greatest in       
telegraphic science1 for every organ of 
it was new1 and had to be fashioned out 
of chaos2 an invention which stamped its
 author's name indelibly into the       
history of telegraphy1 and procured for 
him a special fame2 while the microphone
 is a discovery which places it on the  
roll of investigators1 and at the same  
time brings it to the knowledge of the  
people4 ,two such achievements might    
well satisfy any scientific ambition4   
,professor ,hughes has enjoyed a most   
successful career4 ,probably no inventor
 ever before received so many honours1  
or bore them with greater modesty4      
9999999999  ,,appendix4     ,i4         
,,charles ,,ferdinand ,,gauss4          
,,charles ,,ferdinand ,,gauss was born  
at ,braunschweig on ,april #cj1 #aggg4  
,his father1 ,george ,dietrich1 was a   

mason1 who employed himself otherwise in
 the hard winter months1 and finally    
became cashier to a ,,todtencasse1 or   
burial fund4 ,his mother ,dorothy was   
the daughter of ,christian ,benze of the
 village of ,velpke1 near ,braunschweig1
 and a woman of talent1 industry1 and   
wit1 which her son appears to have      
inherited4 ,the father died in #ahjh    
after his son had become distinguished4 
,the mother lived to the age of         
ninety-seven1 but became totally blind4 
,she preserved her low ,saxon dialect1  
her blue linen dress and simple country 
manners1 to the last1 while living      
beside her son at the ,observatory of   
,gottingen4 ,frederic1 her younger      
brother1 was a damask weaver1 but a man 
with a natural turn for mathematics and 
mechanics4  ,when ,gauss was a boy1 his 
parents lived in a small house in the   
,wendengrahen1 on a canal which joined  
the ,ocker1 a stream flowing through    
,braunschweig4 ,the canal is now        
covered1 and is the site of the         

,wilhelmstrasse1 but a tablet marks the 
house4 ,when a child1 ,gauss used to    
play on the bank of the canal1 and      
falling in one day he was nearly        
drowned4 ,he learned to read by asking  
the letters from his friends1 and also  
by studying an old calendar which hung  
on a wall of his father's house1 and    
when four years old he knew all the     
numbers on it1 in spite of a shortness  
of sight which afflicted him to the end4
 ,on ,saturday nights his father paid   
his workmen their wages1 and once the   
boy1 who had been listening to his      
calculations1 jumped up and told him    
that he was wrong4 ,revision showed that
 his son was right4  ,at the age of     
seven1 ,gauss went to the ,catherine    
,parish ,school at ,braunschweig1 and   
remained at it for several years4 ,the  
master's name was ,buttner1 and from a  
raised seat in the middle of the room1  
he kept order by means of a whip        
suspended at his side4 ,a bigger boy1   
,bartels by name1 used to cut quill     

pens1 and assist the smaller boys in    
their lessons4 ,he became a friend of   
,gauss1 and would procure mathematical  
books1 which they read together4        
,bartels subsequently rose to be a      
professor in the ,university of ,dorpat1
 where he died4 ,at the parish school   
the boys of fourteen to fifteen years   
were being examined in arithmetic one   
day1 when ,gauss stepped forward and1 to
 the astonishment of ,buttner1 requested
 to be examined at the same time4       
,buttner1 thinking to punish him for his
 audacity1 put a 'poser' to him1 and    
awaited the result4 ,gauss solved the   
problem on his slate1 and laid it face  
downward on the table1 crying ',here it 
is1' according to the custom4 ,at the   
end of an hour1 during which the master 
paced up and down with an air of        
dignity1 the slates were turned over1   
and the answer of ,gauss was found to be
 correct while many of the rest were    
erroneous4 ,buttner praised him1 and    
ordered a special book on arithmetic for

 him all the way from ,hamburg4  ,from  
the parish school ,gauss went to the    
,catherine ,gymnasium1 although his     
father doubted whether he could afford  
the money4 ,bartels had gone there      
before him1 and they read the higher    
mathematics4 ,gauss also devoted much of
 his time to acquiring the ancient and  
modern languages4 ,from there he passed 
to the ,carolinean ,college in the      
spring of #agib4 ,shortly before this   
the ,duke ,charles ,william ,ferdinand  
of ,braunschweig among others had       
noticed his talents1 and promised to    
further his career4  ,in #agic he       
published his first papers2 and in the  
autumn of #agie he entered the          
,university of ,gottingen4 ,at this time
 he was hesitating between the pursuit  
of philology or mathematics2 but his    
studies became more and more of the     
latter order4 ,he discovered the        
division of the circle1 a problem       
published in his ,,disquisitiones       
,,arithmeticae1 and henceforth elected  

for mathematics4 ,the method of least   
squares1 was also discovered during his 
first term4 ,on arriving home the duke  
received him in the friendliest manner1 
and he was promoted to ,helmstedt1 where
 with the assistance of his patron he   
published his ,,disquisitiones4  ,on    
,january #a1 #ahja1 ,piazzi1 the        
astronomer of ,palermo1 discovered a    
small planet1 which he named ,,ceres    
,,ferdinandia1 and communicated the news
 by post to ,bode of ,berlin1 and       
,oriani of ,milan4 ,the letter was      
seventy-two days in going1 and the      
planet by that time was lost in the     
glory of the sun1 ,by a method of his   
own1 published in his ,,theoria ,,motus 
,,corporum ,,coelestium1 ,gauss         
calculated the orbit of this planet1 and
 showed that it moved between ,mars and 
,jupiter4 ,the planet1 after eluding the
 search of several astronomers1 was     
ultimately found again by ,zach on      
,december #g1 #ahja1 and on ,january #a1
 #ahjb4 ,the ellipse of ,gauss was found

 to coincide with its orbit4  ,this feat
 drew the attention of the ,hanoverian  
,government1 and of ,dr4 ,olbers1 the   
astronomer1 to the young mathematician4 
,but some time elapsed before he was    
fitted with a suitable appointment4 ,the
 battle of ,austerlitz had brought the  
country into danger1 and the ,duke of   
,braunschweig was entrusted with a      
mission from ,berlin to the ,court of   
,st4 ,petersburg4 ,the fame of ,gauss   
had travelled there1 but the duke       
resisted all attempts to bring or entice
 him to the university of that place4   
,on his return home1 however1 he raised 
the salary of ,gauss4  ,at the beginning
 of ,october #ahjf1 the armies of       
,napoleon were moving towards the       
,saale1 and ere the middle of the month 
the battles of ,auerstadt and ,jena were
 fought and lost4 ,duke ,charles        
,ferdinand was mortally wounded1 and    
taken back to ,braunschweig4 ,a         
deputation waited on the offended       
,emperor at ,halle1 and begged him to   

allow the aged duke to die in his own   
house4 ,they were brutally denied by the
 ,emperor1 and returned to ,braunschweig
 to try and save the unhappy duke from  
imprisonment4 ,one evening in the late  
autumn1 ,gauss1 who lived in the        
,steinweg 7or ,causeway71 saw an invalid
 carriage drive slowly out of the castle
 garden towards the ,wendenthor4 ,it    
contained the wounded duke on his way to
 ,altona1 where he died on ,november    
#aj1 #ahjf1 in a small house at         
,ottensen1 ',you will take care1' wrote 
,zach to ,gauss1 in #ahjc1 'that his    
great name shall also be written on the 
firmament4'  ,for a year and a half     
after the death of the duke ,gauss      
continued in ,braunschweig1 but his     
small allowance1 and the absence of     
scientific company made a change        
desirable4 ,through ,olbers and ,heeren 
he received a call to the directorate of
 ,gottingen ,university in #ahjg1 and at
 once accepted it4 ,he took a house near
 the chemical laboratory1 to which he   

brought his wife and family4 ,the       
building of the observatory1 delayed for
 want of funds1 was finished in #ahaf1  
and a year or two later it was fully    
equipped with instruments4  ,in #ahai1  
,gauss measured a degree of latitude    
between ,gottingen and ,altona4 ,in     
geodesy he invented the heliotrope1 by  
which the sunlight reflected from a     
mirror is used as a sight for the       
theodolite at a great distance4 ,through
 ,professor ,william ,weber he was      
introduced to the science of            
electro-magnetism1 and they devised an  
experimental telegraph1 chiefly for     
sending time signals1 between the       
,observatory and the ,physical ,cabinet 
of the ,university4 ,the mirror         
receiving instrument employed was the   
heavy prototype of the delicate         
reflecting galvanometer of ,sir ,william
 ,thomson4 ,in #ahcd messages were      
transmitted through the line in presence
 of ,h4,r4,h4 the ,duke of ,cambridge2  
but it was hardly fitted for general    

use4 ,in #ahhc 787 he published an      
absolute system of magnetic             
measurements4  ,on ,july #af1 #ahdi1 the
 jubilee of ,gauss was celebrated at the
 ,university2 the famous ,jacobi1       
,miller of ,cambridge1 and others1      
taking part in it4 ,after this he       
completed several works already begun1  
read a great deal of ,german and foreign
 literature1 and visited the ,museum    
daily between eleven and one o'clock4   
,in the winters of #ahed-e ,gauss       
complained of his declining health1 and 
on the morning of ,february #bc1 #ahee1 
about five minutes past one o'clock1 he 
breathed his last4 ,he was laid on a bed
 of laurels1 and buried by his friends4 
,a granite pillar marks his             
resting-place at ,gottingen4     ,,ii4  
,,william ,,edward ,,weber4  ,,william  
,,edward ,,weber was born on ,october   
#bd1 #ahjd1 at ,wittenberg1 where his   
father1 ,michael ,weber1 was professor  
of theology4 ,william was the second of 
three brothers1 all of whom were        

distinguished by an aptitude for the    
study of science4 ,after the dissolution
 of the ,university of ,wittenberg his  
father was transferred to ,halle in     
#ahae4 ,william had received his first  
lessons from his father1 but was now    
sent to the ,orphan ,asylum and ,grammar
 ,school at ,halle4 ,after that he      
entered the ,university1 and devoted    
himself to natural philosophy4 ,he      
distinguished himself so much in his    
classes1 and by original work1 that     
after taking his degree of ,doctor and  
becoming a ,privat-,docent he was       
appointed ,professor ,extraordinary of  
natural philosophy at ,halle4  ,in      
#ahca1 on the recommendation of ,gauss1 
he was called to ,gottingen as professor
 of physics1 although but twenty-seven  
years of age4 ,his lectures were        
interesting1 instructive1 and           
suggestive4 ,weber thought that1 in     
order to thoroughly understand physics  
and apply it to daily life1 mere        
lectures1 though illustrated by         

experiments1 were insufficient1 and he  
encouraged his students to experiment   
themselves1 free of charge1 in the      
college laboratory4 ,as a student of    
twenty years he1 with his brother1      
,ernest ,henry ,weber1 ,professor of    
,anatomy at ,leipsic1 had written a book
 on the ',wave ,theory and ,fluidity1'  
which brought its authors a considerable
 reputation4 ,acoustics was a favourite 
science of his1 and he published        
numerous papers upon it in              
,poggendorff's ,,annalen1 ,schweigger's 
,,jahrbucher ,,fur ,,chemie ,,und       
,,physic1 and the musical journal       
,,caecilia4 ,the 'mechanism of walking  
in mankind' was another study1          
undertaken in conjunction with his      
younger brother1 ,edward ,weber4 ,these 
important investigations were published 
between the years #ahbe and #ahch4      
,displaced by the ,hanoverian           
,government for his liberal opinions in 
politics ,weber travelled for a time1   
visiting ,england1 among other          

countries1 and became professor of      
physics in ,leipsic from #ahdc to #ahdi1
 when he was reinstalled at ,gottingen4 
,one of his most important works was the
 ,,atlas ,,des ,,erdmagnetismus1 a      
series of magnetic maps1 and it was     
chiefly through his efforts that        
magnetic observatories were instituted4 
,he studied magnetism with ,gauss1 and  
in #ahfd published his ',electrodynamic 
,proportional ,measures' containing a   
system of absolute measurements for     
electric currents1 which forms the basis
 of those in use4 ,weber died at        
,gottingen on ,june #bc1 #ahia4         
,,iii4 ,,sir ,,william ,,fothergill     
,,cooke4  ,,william ,fothergill ,cooke  
was born near ,ealing on ,may #d1 #ahjf1
 and was a son of ,dr4 ,william ,cooke1 
a doctor of medicine1 and professor of  
anatomy at the ,university of ,durham4  
,the boy was educated at a school in    
,durham1 and at the ,university of      
,edinburgh4 ,in #ahbf he joined the     
,east ,india ,army1 and held several    

staff appointments4 ,while in the       
,madras ,native ,infantry1 he returned  
home on furlough1 owing to ill-health1  
and afterwards relinquished this        
connection4 ,in #ahcc-d he studied      
anatomy and physiology in ,paris1       
acquiring great skill at modelling      
dissections in coloured wax4  ,in the   
summer of #ahce1 while touring in       
,switzerland with his parents1 he       
visited ,heidelberg1 and was induced by 
,professor ,tiedeman1 director of the   
,anatomical ,institute1 to return there 
and continue his wax modelling4 ,he     
lodged at #ig1 ,stockstrasse1 in the    
house of a brewer1 and modelled in a    
room nearly opposite4 ,some of his      
models have been preserved in the       
,anatomical ,museum at ,heidelberg4 ,in 
,march #ahcf1 hearing accidentally from 
,mr4 ,j4 ,w4 ,r4 ,hoppner1 a son of     
,lord ,byron's friend1 that the         
,professor of ,natural ,philosophy in   
the ,university1 ,geheime ,hofrath      
,moncke had a model of ,baron           

,schilling's telegraph1 ,cooke went to  
see it on ,march #f1 in the ,professor's
 lecture room1 an upper storey of an old
 convent of ,dominicans1 where he also  
lived4 ,struck by what he witnessed1 he 
abandoned his medical studies1 and      
resolved to apply all his energies to   
the introduction of the telegraph4      
,within three weeks he had made1 partly 
at ,heidelberg1 and partly at           
,frankfort1 his first galvanometer1 or  
needle telegraph4 ,it consisted of three
 magnetic needles surrounded by         
multiplying coils1 and actuated by three
 separate circuits of six wires4 ,the   
movements of the needles under the      
action of the currents produced         
twenty-six different signals            
corresponding to the letters of the     
alphabet4  ',whilst completing the model
 of my original plan1' he wrote to his  
mother on ,april #e1 'others on entirely
 fresh systems suggested themselves1 and
 ,i have at length succeeded in         
combining the ,,utile of each1 but the  

mechanism requires a more delicate hand 
than mine to execute1 or rather         
instruments which ,i do not possess4    
,these ,i can readily have made for me  
in ,london1 and by the aid of a lathe ,i
 shall be able to adapt the several     
parts1 which ,i shall have made by      
different mechanicians for secrecy's    
sake4 ,should ,i succeed1 it may be the 
means of putting some hundreds of pounds
 in my pocket4 ,as it is a subject on   
which ,i was profoundly ignorant1 until 
my attention was casually attracted to  
it the other day1 ,i do not know what   
others may have done in the same way2   
this can best be learned in ,london4'   
,the 'fresh systems' referred to was his
 'mechanical' telegraph1 consisting of  
two letter dials1 working synchronously1
 and on which particular letters of the 
message were indicated by means of an   
electro-magnet and detent4 ,before the  
end of ,march he invented the clock-work
 alarm1 in which an electro-magnet      
attracted an armature of soft iron1 and 

thus withdrew a detent1 allowing the    
works to strike the alarm4 ,this idea   
was suggested to him on ,march #ag1     
#ahcf1 while reading ,mrs4 ,mary        
,somerville's ',connexion of the        
,physical ,sciences1' in travelling from
 ,heidelberg to ,frankfort4  ,cooke     
arrived in ,london on ,april #bb1 and   
wrote a pamphlet setting forth his plans
 for the establishment of an electric   
telegraph2 but it was never published4  
,according to his own account he also   
gave considerable attention to the      
escapement principle1 or step by step   
movement1 afterwards perfected by       
,wheatstone4 ,while busy in preparing   
his apparatus for exhibition1 part of   
which was made by a clock-maker in      
,clerkenwell1 he consulted ,faraday     
about the construction of               
electro-magnets1 ,the philosopher saw   
his apparatus and expressed his opinion 
that the 'principle was perfectly       
correct1' and that the 'instrument      
appears perfectly adapted to its        

intended uses4' ,nevertheless he was not
 very sanguine of making it a commercial
 success4 ',the electro-magnetic        
telegraph shall not ruin me1' he wrote  
to his mother1 'but will hardly make my 
fortune4' ,he was desirous of taking a  
partner in the work1 and went to        
,liverpool in order to meet some        
gentleman likely to forward his views1  
and endeavoured to get his instrument   
adopted on the incline of the tunnel at 
,liverpool2 but it gave sixty signals1  
and was deemed too complicated by the   
directors4 ,soon after his return to    
,london1 by the end of ,april1 he had   
two simpler instruments in working      
order4 ,all these preparations had      
already cost him nearly four hundred    
pounds4  ,on ,february #bg1 ,cooke1     
being dissatisfied with an experiment on
 a mile of wire1 consulted ,faraday and 
,dr4 ,roget as to the action of a       
current on an electro-magnet in circuit 
with a long wire4 ,dr4 ,roget sent him  
to ,wheatstone1 where to his dismay he  

learned that ,wheatstone had been       
employed for months on the construction 
of a telegraph for practical purposes4  
,the end of their conferences was that a
 partnership in the undertaking was     
proposed by ,cooke1 and ultimately      
accepted by ,wheatstone4 ,the latter had
 given ,cooke fresh hopes of success    
when he was worn and discouraged4 ',in  
truth1' he wrote in a letter1 after his 
first interview with the ,professor1 ',i
 had given the telegraph up since       
,thursday evening1 and only sought      
proofs of my being right to do so ere   
announcing it to you4 ,this day's       
enquiries partly revives my hopes1 but  
,i am far from sanguine4 ,the scientific
 men know little or nothing absolute on 
the subject3 ,wheatstone is the only man
 near the mark4'  ,it would appear that 
the current1 reduced in strength by its 
passage through a long wire1 had failed 
to excite his electro-magnet1 and he was
 ignorant of the reason4 ,wheatstone by 
his knowledge of ,ohm's law and the     

electro-magnet was probably able to     
enlighten him4 ,it is clear that ,cooke 
had made considerable progress with his 
inventions before he met ,wheatstone2 he
 possessed a needle telegraph like      
,wheatstone1 an alarm1 and a            
chronometric dial telegraph1 which at   
all events are a proof that he himself  
was an inventor1 and that he doubtless  
bore a part in the production of the    
,cooke and ,wheatstone apparatus4       
,contrary to a statement of ,wheatstone1
 it appears from a letter of ,cooke     
dated ,march #d1 #ahcg1 that ,wheatstone
 'handsomely acknowledged the advantage'
 of ,cooke's apparatus had it worked2'  
his 7,wheatstone's7 are ingenious1 but  
not practicable4' ,but these conflicting
 accounts are reconciled by the fact    
that ,cooke's electro-magnetic telegraph
 would not work1 and ,wheatstone told   
him so1 because he knew the magnet was  
not strong enough when the current had  
to traverse a long circuit4  ,wheatstone
 subsequently investigated the          

conditions necessary to obtain          
electro-magnetic effects at a long      
distance4 ,had he studied the paper of  
,professor ,henry in ,,silliman',s      
,,journal for ,january #ahca1 he would  
have learned that in a long circuit the 
electro-magnet had to be wound with a   
long and fine wire in order to be       
effective4  ,as the ,cooke and          
,wheatstone apparatus became perfected1 
,cooke was busy with schemes for its    
introduction4 ,their joint patent is    
dated ,june #ab1 #ahcg1 and before the  
end of the month ,cooke was introduced  
to ,mr4 ,robert ,stephenson1 and by his 
address and energy got leave to try the 
invention from ,euston to ,camden ,town 
along the line of the ,london and       
,birmingham ,railway4 ,cooke suspended  
some thirteen miles of copper1 in a shed
 at the ,euston terminus1 and exhibited 
his needle and his chronometric         
telegraph in action to the directors one
 morning4 ,but the official trial took  
place as we have already described in   

the life of ,wheatstone4  ,the telegraph
 was soon adopted on the ,great ,western
 ,railway1 and also on the ,blackwall   
,railway in #ahda4 ,three years later it
 was tried on a ,government line from   
,london to ,portsmouth4 ,in #ahde1 the  
,electric ,telegraph ,company1 the      
pioneer association of its kind1 was    
started1 and ,mr4 ,cooke became a       
director4 ,wheatstone and he obtained a 
considerable sum for the use of their   
apparatus4 ,in #ahff1 ,her ,majesty     
conferred the honour of knighthood on   
the co-inventors2 and in #ahga1 ,cooke  
was granted a ,civil ,list pension of   
,l#ajj a year4 ,his latter years were   
spent in seclusion1 and he died at      
,farnham on ,june #beth1 #ahgi4 ,outside
 of telegraphic circles his name had    
become well-nigh forgotten4     ,,iv4   
,,alexander ,,bain4  ,alexander ,bain   
was born of humble parents in the little
 town of ,thurso1 at the extreme north  
of ,scotland1 in the year #ahaa4 ,at the
 age of twelve he went to hear a penny  

lecture on science which1 according to  
his own account1 set him thinking and   
influenced his whole future4 ,learning  
the art of clockmaking1 he went to      
,edinburgh1 and subsequently removed to 
,london1 where he obtained work in      
,clerkenwell1 then famed for its clocks 
and watches4 ,his first patent is dated 
,january #aath1 #ahda1 and is in the    
name of ,john ,barwise1 chronometer     
maker1 and ,alexander ,bain1 mechanist1 
,wigmore ,street4 ,it describes his     
electric clock in which there is an     
electro-magnetic pendulum1 and the      
electric current is employed to keep it 
going instead of springs or weights4 ,he
 improved on this idea in following     
patents1 and also proposed to derive the
 motive electricity from an 'earth      
battery1' by burying plates of zinc and 
copper in the ground4 ,gauss and        
,steinheil had priority in this device  
which1 owing to 'polarisation' of the   
plates and to drought1 is not reliable4 
,long afterwards ,mr4 ,jones of ,chester

 succeeded in regulating timepieces from
 a standard astronomical clock by an    
improvement on the method of ,bain4 ,on 
,december #ba1 #ahda1 ,bain1 in         
conjunction with ,lieut4 ,thomas        
,wright1 ,r4,n41 of ,percival ,street1  
,clerkenwell1 patented means of applying
 electricity to control railway engines 
by turning off the steam1 marking time1 
giving signals1 and printing            
intelligence at different places4 ,he   
also proposed to utilise 'natural bodies
 of water' for a return wire1 but the   
earlier experimenters had done so1      
particularly ,steinheil in #ahch4 ,the  
most important idea in the patent is1   
perhaps1 his plan for inverting the     
needle telegraph of ,ampere1 ,wheatstone
 and others1 and instead of making the  
signals by the movements of a pivoted   
magnetic needle under the influence of  
an electrified coil1 obtaining them by  
suspending a movable coil traversed by  
the current1 between the poles of a     
fixed magnet1 as in the later siphon    

recorder of ,sir ,william ,thomson4     
,bain also proposed to make the coil    
record the message by printing it in    
type2 and he developed the idea in a    
subsequent patent4  ,next year1 on      
,december #cast1 #ahdd1 he projected a  
mode of measuring the speed of ships by 
vanes revolving in the water and        
indicating their speed on deck by means 
of the current4 ,in the same            
specification he described a way of     
sounding the sea by an electric circuit 
of wires1 and of giving an alarm when   
the temperature of a ship's hold reached
 a certain degree4 ,the last device is  
the well-known fire-alarm in which the  
mercury of a thermometer completes an   
electric circuit1 when it rises to a    
particular point of the tube1 and thus  
actuates an electric bell or other      
alarm4  ,on ,december #ab1 #ahdf1 ,bain1
 who was staying in ,edinburgh at that  
time1 patented his greatest invention1  
the chemical telegraph1 which bears his 
name4 ,he recognised that the ,morse and

 other telegraph instruments in use were
 comparatively slow in speed1 owing to  
the mechanical inertia of the parts2 and
 he saw that if the signal currents were
 made to pass through a band of         
travelling paper soaked in a solution   
which would decompose under their       
action1 and leave a legible mark1 a very
 high speed could be obtained4 ,the     
chemical he employed to saturate the    
paper was a solution of nitrate of      
ammonia and prussiate of potash1 which  
left a blue stain on being decomposed by
 the current from an iron contact or    
stylus4 ,the signals were the short and 
long1 or 'dots' and 'dashes' of the     
,morse code4 ,the speed of marking was  
so great that hand signalling could not 
keep up with it1 and ,bain devised a    
plan of automatic signalling by means of
 a running band of paper on which the   
signals of the message were represented 
by holes punched through it4 ,obviously 
if this tape were passed between the    
contact of a signalling key the current 

would merely flow when the perforations 
allowed the contacts of the key to      
touch4 ,this principle was afterwards   
applied by ,wheatstone in the           
construction of his automatic sender4   
,the chemical telegraph was tried       
between ,paris and ,lille before a      
committee of the ,institute and the     
,legislative ,assembly4 ,the speed of   
signalling attained was #bhb words in   
fifty-two seconds1 a marvellous advance 
on the ,morse electro-magnetic          
instrument1 which only gave about forty 
words a minute4 ,in the hands of ,edison
 the neglected method of ,bain was seen 
by ,sir ,william ,thomson in the        
,centennial ,exhibition1 ,philadelphia1 
recording at the rate of #ajeg words in 
fifty-seven seconds4 ,in ,england the   
telegraph of ,bain was used on the lines
 of the old ,electric ,telegraph        
,company to a limited extent1 and in    
,america about the year #ahej it was    
taken up by the energetic ,mr4 ,henry   
,o',reilly1 and widely introduced4 ,but 

it incurred the hostility of ,morse1 who
 obtained an injunction against it on   
the slender ground that the running     
paper and alphabet used were covered by 
his patent4 ,by #ahei1 as ,mr4 ,shaffner
 tells us1 there was only one line in   
,america on which the ,bain system was  
in use1 namely1 that from ,boston to    
,montreal4 ,since those days of rivalry 
the apparatus has never become general1 
and it is not easy to understand why1   
considering its very high speed1 the    
chemical telegraph has not become a     
greater favourite4  ,in #ahdg ,bain     
devised an automatic method of playing  
on wind instruments by moving a band of 
perforated paper which controlled the   
supply of air to the pipes2 and likewise
 proposed to play a number of keyed     
instruments at a distance by means of   
the electric current4 ,both of these    
plans are still in operation4  ,these   
and other inventions in the space of six
 years are a striking testimony to the  
fertility of ,bain's imagination at this

 period4 ,but after this extraordinary  
outburst he seems to have relapsed into 
sloth and the dissipation of his powers4
 ,we have been told1 and indeed it is   
plain that he received a considerable   
sum for one or other of his inventions1 
probably the chemical telegraph4 ,but   
while he could rise from the ranks1 and 
brave adversity by dint of ingenuity and
 labour1 it would seem that his sanguine
 temperament was ill-fitted for         
prosperity4 ,he went to ,america1 and   
what with litigation1 unfortunate       
investment1 and perhaps extravagance1   
the fortune he had made was rapidly     
diminished4  ,whether his inventive     
genius was exhausted1 or he became      
disheartened1 it would be difficult to  
say1 but he never flourished again4 ,the
 rise in his condition may be inferred  
from the preamble to his patent for     
electric telegraphs and clocks1 dated   
,may #bi1 #aheb1 wherein he describes   
himself as ',gentleman1' and living at  
,beevor ,lodge1 ,hammersmith4 ,after an 

ephemeral appearance in this character  
he sank once more into poverty1 if not  
even wretchedness4 ,moved by his unhappy
 circumstances1 ,sir ,william ,thomson1 
the late ,sir ,william ,siemens1 ,mr4   
,latimer ,clark and others1 obtained    
from ,mr4 ,gladstone1 in the early part 
of #ahgc1 a pension for him under the   
,civil ,list of ,l#hj a year2 but the   
beneficiary lived in such obscurity that
 it was a considerable time before his  
lodging could be discovered1 and his    
better fortune take effect4 ,the ,royal 
,society had previously made him a gift 
of ,l#aej4  ,in his latter years1 while 
he resided in ,glasgow1 his health      
failed1 and he was struck with paralysis
 in the legs4 ,the massive forehead once
 pregnant with the fire of genius1 grew 
dull and slow of thought1 while the     
sturdy frame of iron hardihood became a 
tottering wreck4 ,he was removed to the 
,home for ,incurables at ,broomhill1    
,kirkintilloch1 where he died on        
,january #b1 #ahgg1 and was interred in 

the ,old ,aisle ,cemetery4 ,he was a    
widower1 and had two children1 but they 
were said to be abroad at the time1 the 
son in ,america and the daughter on the 
,continent4  ,several of ,bain's earlier
 patents are taken out in two names1 but
 this was perhaps owing to his poverty  
compelling him to take a partner4 ,if   
these and other inventions were         
substantially his own1 and we have no   
reason to suppose that he received more 
help from others than is usual with     
inventors1 we must allow that ,bain was 
a mechanical genius of the first        
order--a born inventor4 ,considering the
 early date of his achievements1 and his
 lack of education or pecuniary         
resource1 we cannot but wonder at the   
strength1 fecundity1 and prescience of  
his creative faculty4 ,it has been said 
that he came before his time2 but had he
 been more fortunate in other respects1 
there is little doubt that he would have
 worked out and introduced all or nearly
 all his inventions1 and probably some  

others4 ,his misfortunes and sorrows are
 so typical of the 'disappointed        
inventor' that we would fain learn more 
about his life2 but beyond a few facts  
in a little pamphlet 7published by      
himself1 we believe71 there is little to
 be gathered2 a veil of silence has     
fallen alike upon his triumphs1 his     
errors and his miseries4     ,v4 ,,dr4  
,,werner ,,siemens4  ,,the leading      
electrician of ,germany is ,dr4 ,ernst  
,werner ,siemens1 eldest brother of the 
same distinguished family of which our  
own ,sir ,william ,siemens was a member4
 ,ernst1 like his brother ,william1 was 
born at ,lenthe1 near ,hanover1 on      
,december #ac1 #ahaf4 ,he was educated  
at the ,college of ,lubeck in ,maine1   
and entered the ,prussian ,artillery    
service as a volunteer4 ,he pursued his 
scientific studies at the ,artillery and
 ,engineers' ,school in ,berlin1 and in 
#ahch obtained an officer's commission4 
,physics and chemistry were his         
favourite studies2 and his original     

researches in electro-gilding resulted  
in a ,prussian patent in #ahda4 ,the    
following year he1 in conjunction with  
his brother ,william1 took out another  
patent for a differential regulator4 ,in
 #ahdd he was appointed to a post in the
 artillery workshops in ,berlin1 where  
he learned telegraphy1 and in #ahde     
patented a dial and printing telegraph1 
which is still in use in ,germany4  ,in 
#ahdf1 he was made a member of a        
commission organised in ,berlin to      
introduce electric telegraphs in place  
of the optical ones hitherto employed in
 ,prussia1 and he succeeded in getting  
the commission to adopt underground     
telegraph lines4 ,for the insulation of 
the wires he recommended gutta-percha1  
which was then becoming known as an     
insulator4 ,in the following year he    
constructed a machine for covering      
copper wire with the melted gum by means
 of pressure2 and this machine is       
substantially the same as that now used 
for the purpose in cable factories4  ,in

 #ahdh1 when the war broke out with     
,denmark1 he was sent to ,kiel where1   
together with his brother-in-law1       
,professor ,c4 ,himly1 he laid the first
 submarine mines1 fired by electricity  
and thus protected the town of ,kiel    
from the advance of the enemies' fleet4 
,of late years the ,german ,government  
has laid a great network of underground 
lines between the various towns and     
fortresses of the empire2 preferring    
them to overhead lines as being less    
liable to interruption from mischief1   
accident1 hostile soldiers1 or stress of
 weather4 ,the first of such lines was1 
however1 laid as long ago as #ahdh1 by  
,werner ,siemens1 who1 in the autumn of 
that year1 deposited a subterranean     
cable between ,berlin and               
,frankfort-on-the-,main4 ,next year a   
second cable was laid from the ,capital 
to ,cologne1 ,aix-la-,chapelle1 and     
,verviers4  ,in #ahdg the subject of our
 memoir had1 along with ,mr4 ,halske1   
founded a telegraph factory1 and he now 

left the army to give himself up to     
scientific work and the development of  
his business4 ,this factory prospered   
well1 and is still the chief continental
 works of the kind4 ,the new departure  
made by ,werner ,siemens was fortunate  
for electrical science2 and from then   
till now a number of remarkable         
inventions have proceeded from his      
laboratory4  ,the following are the more
 notable advances made3--,in ,october   
#ahde1 a machine for the measurement of 
small intervals of time1 and the speed  
of electricity by means of electric     
sparks1 and its application in #ahge for
 measuring the speed of the electric    
current in overland lines4  ,in ,january
 #ahej1 a paper on telegraph lines and  
apparatus1 in which the theory of the   
electro-static charge in insulated      
wires1 as well as methods and formula3  
for the localising of faults in         
underground wires were first            
established4 ,in #ahea1 the firm erected
 the first automatic fire telegraphs in 

,berlin1 and in the same year1 ,werner  
,siemens wrote a treatise on the        
experience gained with the underground  
lines of the ,prussian telegraph system4
 ,the difficulty of communicating       
through long underground lines led him  
to the invention of automatic           
translation1 which was afterwards       
improved upon by ,steinheil1 and1 in    
#aheb1 he furnished the                 
,warsaw-,petersburg line with automatic 
fast-speed writers4 ,the messages were  
punched in a paper band by means of the 
well-known ,siemens' lever punching     
apparatus1 and then automatically       
transmitted in a clockwork instrument4  
,in #ahed the discovery 7contemporaneous
 with that of ,frischen7 of simultaneous
 transmission of messages in opposite   
directions1 and multiplex transmission  
of messages by means of electro-magnetic
 apparatus4 ,the 'duplex' system which  
is now employed both on land lines and  
submarine cables had been suggested     
however1 before this by ,dr4 ,zetsche1  

,gintl1 and others4  ,in #ahef he       
invented the ,siemens' magneto-electric 
dial instrument giving alternate        
currents4 ,from this apparatus          
originated the well-known ,siemens'     
armature1 and from the receiver was     
developed the ,siemens' polarised relay1
 with which the working of submarine and
 other lines could be effected with     
alternate currents2 and in the same     
year1 during the laying of the ,cagliari
 to ,bona cable1 he constructed and     
first applied the dynamometer1 which has
 become of such importance in the       
operations of cable laying4  ,in #aheg1 
he investigated the electro-static      
induction and retardation of currents in
 insulated wires1 a phenomenon which he 
had observed in #ahej1 and communicated 
an account of it to the ,french ,academy
 of ,sciences4  ',in these researches he
 developed mathematically ,faraday's    
theory of molecular induction1 and      
thereby paved the way in great measure  
for its general acceptance4' ,his ozone 

apparatus1 his telegraph instrument     
working with alternate currents1 and his
 instrument for translating on and      
automatically discharging submarine     
cables also belong to the year #aheg4   
,the latter instruments were applied to 
the ,sardinia1 ,malta1 and ,corfu cable4
  ,in #ahei1 he constructed an electric 
log2 he discovered that a dielectric is 
heated by induction2 he introduced the  
well known ,siemens' mercury unit1 and  
many improvements in the manufacture of 
resistance coils4 ,he also investigated 
the law of change of resistance in wires
 by heating2 and published several      
formulae and methods for testing        
resistances and determining 'faults' by 
measuring resistances4 ,these methods   
were adopted by the electricians of the 
,government service in ,prussia1 and by 
,messrs4 ,siemens ,brothers in ,london1 
during the manufacture of the ,malta to 
,alexandria cable1 which1 was1 we       
believe1 the first long cable subjected 
to a system of continuous tests4  ',in  

#ahfa1 he showed that the electrical    
resistance of molten alloys is equal to 
the sum of the resistances of the       
separate metals1 and that latent heat   
increases the specific resistance of    
metals in a greater degree than free    
heat4' ,in #ahfd he made researches on  
the heating of the sides of a ,leyden   
jar by the electrical discharge4 ,in    
#ahff he published the general theory of
 dynamo-electric machines1 and the      
principle of accumulating the magnetic  
effect1 a principle which1 however1 had 
been contemporaneously discovered by    
,mr4 ,s4 ,a4 ,varley1 and described in a
 patent some years before by ,mr4 ,soren
 ,hjorth1 a ,danish inventor4 ,hjorth's 
patent is to be found in the ,british   
,patent ,office ,library1 and until     
lately it was thought that he was the   
first and true inventor of the 'dynamo' 
proper1 but we understand there is a    
prior inventor still1 though we have not
 seen the evidence in support of the    
statement4  ,the reversibility of the   

dynamo was enunciated by ,werner        
,siemens in #ahfg2 but it was not       
experimentally demonstrated on any      
practical scale until #ahgj1 when ,m4   
,hippolite ,fontaine succeeded in       
pumping water at the ,vienna            
international exhibition by the aid of  
two dynamos connected in circuit2 one1  
the generator1 deriving motion from a   
hydraulic engine1 and in turn setting in
 motion the receiving dynamo which      
worked the pump4 ,professor ,clerk      
,maxwell thought this discovery the     
greatest of the century2 and the remark 
has been repeated more than once4 ,but  
it is a remark which derives its chief  
importance from the man who made it1 and
 its credentials from the paradoxical   
surprise it causes4 ,the discovery in   
question is certainly fraught with very 
great consequences to the mechanical    
world2 but in itself it is no discovery 
of importance1 and naturally follows    
from ,faraday's far greater and more    
original discovery of magneto-electric  

generation4  ,in #ahgd1 ,dr4 ,siemens   
published a treatise on the laying and  
testing of submarine cables4 ,in #ahge1 
#ahgf and #ahgg1 he investigated the    
action of light on crystalline selenium1
 and in #ahgh he studied the action of  
the telephone4  ,the recent work of ,dr4
 ,siemens has been to improve the       
pneumatic railway1 railway signalling1  
electric lamps1 dynamos1 electro-plating
 and electric railways4 ,the electric   
railway at ,berlin in #ahhj1 and ,paris 
in #ahha1 was the beginning of electric 
locomotion1 a subject of great          
importance and destined in all          
probability1 to very wide extension in  
the immediate future4 ,dr4 ,siemens has 
received many honours from learned      
societies at home and abroad2 and a     
title equivalent to knighthood from the 
,german ,government4     ,,vi4 ,,latimer
 ,,clark4  ,,mr4 ,clark was born at     
,great ,marlow in #ahbb1 and probably   
acquired his scientific bent while      
engaged at a manufacturing chemist's    

business in ,dublin4 ,on the outbreak of
 the railway mania in #ahde he took to  
surveying1 and through his brother1 ,mr4
 ,edwin ,clark1 became assistant        
engineer to the late ,robert ,stephenson
 on the ,britannia ,bridge4 ,while thus 
employed1 he made the acquaintance of   
,mr4 ,ricardo1 founder of the ,electric 
,telegraph ,company1 and joined that    
,company as an engineer in #ahej4 ,he   
rose to be chief engineer in #ahed1 and 
held the post till #ahfa1 when he       
entered into a partnership with ,mr4    
,charles ,t4 ,bright4 ,prior to this1 he
 had made several original researches2  
in #ahec1 he found that the retardation 
of current on insulated wires was       
independent of the strength of current1 
and his experiments formed the subject  
of a ,friday evening lecture by ,faraday
 at the ,royal ,institution--a          
sufficient mark of their importance4    
,in #ahed he introduced the pneumatic   
dispatch into ,london1 and1 in #ahef1 he
 patented his well-known double-cup     

insulator4 ,in #aheh1 he and ,mr4       
,bright produced the material known as  
',clark's ,compound1' which is so       
valuable for protecting submarine cables
 from rusting in the sea-water4 ,in     
#ahei1 ,mr4 ,clark was appointed        
engineer to the ,atlantic ,telegraph    
,company which tried to lay an          
,anglo-,american cable in #ahfe4 in     
partnership with ,sir ,c4 ,t4 ,bright1  
who had taken part in the first         
,atlantic cable expedition1 ,mr4 ,clark 
laid a cable for the ,indian ,government
 in the ,red ,sea1 in order to establish
 a telegraph to ,india4 ,in #ahhf1 the  
partnership ceased2 but1 in #ahfi1 ,mr  
,clark went out to the ,persian ,gulf to
 lay a second cable there4 ,here he was 
nearly lost in the shipwreck of the     
,carnatic on the ,island of ,shadwan in 
the ,red ,sea4  ,subsequently ,mr4      
,clark became the head of a firm of     
consulting electricians1 well known     
under the title of ,clark1 ,forde and   
,company1 and latterly including the    

late ,mr4 ,c4 ,hockin and ,mr4 ,herbert 
,taylor4  ,the ,mediterranean cable to  
,india1 the ,east ,indian ,archipelago  
cable to ,australia1 the ,brazilian     
,atlantic cables were all laid under the
 supervision of this firm4 ,mr4 ,clark  
is now in partnership with ,mr4         
,stanfield1 and is the joint-inventor of
 ,clark and ,stanfield's circular       
floating dock4 ,he is also head of the  
well-known firm of electrical           
manufacturers1 ,messrs4 ,latimer ,clark1
 ,muirhead and ,co41 of ,regency        
,street1 ,westminster4  ,the foregoing  
sketch is but an imperfect outline of a 
very successful life4 ,but enough has   
been given to show that we have here an 
engineer of various and even brilliant  
gifts4 ,mr4 ,clark has applied himself  
in divers directions1 and never applied 
himself in vain4 ,there is always some  
practical result to show which will be  
useful to others4 ,in technical         
literature he published a description of
 the ,conway and ,britannia ,tubular    

,bridges as long ago as #ahdi4 ,there is
 a valuable communication of his in the 
,board of ,trade ,blue ,rook on         
,submarine ,cables4 ,in #ahfh1 he issued
 a useful work on ,,electrical          
,,measurements1 and in #ahga joined with
 ,mr4 ,robert ,sabine in producing the  
well-known ,,electrical ,,tables ,,and  
,,formulae1 a work which was for a long 
time the electrician's ,,vade-,,mecum4  
,in #ahgc1 he communicated a lengthy    
paper on the ,,new ,,standard ,,of      
,,electromotive ,,power now known as    
,,clark',s ,,standard ,,cell2 and quite 
recently he published a treatise on the 
,,use ,,of ,,the ,,transit ,,instrument4
  ,mr4 ,clark is a ,fellow of the ,royal
 ,society of ,london1 as well as a      
member of the ,institution of ,civil    
,engineers1 the ,royal ,astronomical    
,society1 the ,physical ,society1 etc41 
and was elected fourth ,president of the
 ,society of ,telegraph ,engineers and  
of ,electricians1 now the ,institution  
of ,electrical ,engineers4  ,he is a    

great lover of books and gardening--two 
antithetical hobbies--which are charming
 in themselves1 and healthily           
counteractive4 ,the rich and splendid   
library of electrical works which he is 
forming1 has been munificently presented
 to the ,institution of ,electrical     
,engineers4     ,,vii4 ,,count ,,du     
,,moncel4  ,theodose-,achille-,louis1   
,comte du ,moncel1 was born at ,paris on
 ,march #f1 #ahba4 ,his father was a    
peer of ,france1 one of the old         
nobility1 and a ,general of ,engineers4 
,he possessed a model farm near         
,cherbourg1 and had set his heart on    
training his son to carry on this pet   
project2 but young ,du ,moncel1 under   
the combined influence of a desire for  
travel1 a love of archaeology1 and a    
rare talent for drawing1 went off to    
,greece1 and filled his portfolio with  
views of the ,parthenon and many other  
pictures of that classic region4 ,his   
father avenged himself by declining to  
send him any money2 but the artist sold 

his sketches and relied solely on his   
pencil4 ,on returning to ,paris he      
supported himself by his art1 but at the
 same time gratified his taste for      
science in a discursive manner4 ,a      
beautiful and accomplished lady of the  
,court1 ,mademoiselle ,camille          
,clementine ,adelaide ,bachasson de     
,montalivet1 belonging to a noble and   
distinguished family1 had plighted her  
troth with him1 and1 as we have been    
told1 descended one day from her        
carriage1 and wedded the man of her     
heart1 in the humble room of a flat not 
far from the ,grand ,opera ,house4 ,they
 were a devoted pair1 and ,madame du    
,moncel played the double part of a     
faithful help-meet1 and inspiring       
genius4 ,heart and soul she encouraged  
her husband to distinguish himself by   
his talents and energy1 and even        
assisted him in his labours4  ,about    
#aheb he began to occupy himself almost 
exclusively with electrical science4    
,his most conspicuous discovery is that 

pressure diminishes the resistance of   
contact between two conductors1 a fact  
which ,clerac in #ahff utilised in the  
construction of a variable resistance   
from carbon1 such as plumbage1 by       
compressing it with an adjustable screw4
 ,it is also the foundation of the      
carbon transmitter of ,edison1 and the  
more delicate microphone of ,professor  
,hughes4 ,but ,du ,moncel is best known 
as an author and journalist4 ,his       
',expose des applications de            
l'electricite' published in #ahef ,,et  
,,seq41 and his ',traite pratique de    
,telegraphie1' not to mention his later 
books on recent marvels1 such as the    
telephone1 microphone1 phonograph1 and  
electric light1 are standard works of   
reference4 ,in the compilation of these 
his admirable wife assisted him as a    
literary amanuensis1 for she had        
acquired a considerable knowledge of    
electricity4  ,in #ahff he was created  
an officer of the ,legion of ,honour1   
and he became a member of numerous      

learned societies4 ,for some time he was
 an adviser of the ,french telegraph    
administration1 but resigned the post in
 #ahgc4 ,the following year he was      
elected a ,member of the ,academy of    
,sciences1 ,paris4 ,in #ahgi1 he became 
editor of a new electrical journal      
established at ,paris under the title of
 ',la ,lumiere ,electrique1' and held   
the position until his death1 which     
happened at ,paris after a few days'    
illness on ,february #af1 #ahhd4 ,his   
devoted wife was recovering from a long 
illness which had caused her            
affectionate husband much anxiety1 and  
probably affected his health4 ,she did  
not long survive him1 but died on       
,february #d1 #ahhg1 at ,mentone in her 
fifty-fifth year4 ,count du ,moncel was 
an indefatigable worker1 who1 instead of
 abandoning himself to idleness and     
pleasure like many of his order1        
believed it his duty to be active and   
useful in his own day1 as his ancestors 
had been in the past4     ,,viii4       

,,elisha ,,gray4  ,,this distinguished  
,american electrician was born at       
,barnesville in ,belmont county1 ,ohio1 
on ,august #b1 #ahce4 ,his family were  
,quakers1 and in early life he was      
apprenticed to a carpenter1 but showed a
 taste for chemistry1 and at the age of 
twenty-one he went to ,oberlin ,college1
 where he studied for five years4 ,at   
the age of thirty he turned his         
attention to electricity1 and invented a
 relay which adapted itself to the      
varying insulation of the telegraph     
line4 ,he was then led to devise several
 forms of automatic repeaters1 but they 
are not much employed4 ,in #ahgj-b1 he  
brought out a needle annunciator for    
hotels1 and another for elevators1 which
 had a large sale4 ,his ',private       
,telegraph ,line ,printer' was also a   
success4 ,from #ahgc-e he was engaged in
 perfecting his ',electro-harmonic      
telegraph4' ,his speaking telegraph was 
likewise the outcome of these           
researches4 ,the ',telautograph1' or    

telegraph which writes the messages as a
 fac-simile of the sender's penmanship  
by an ingenious application of          
intermittent currents1 is the latest of 
his more important works4 ,mr4 ,gray is 
a member of the firm of ,messrs4 ,gray  
and ,barton1 and electrician to the     
,western ,electric ,manufacturing       
,company of ,chicago4 ,his home is at   
,highland ,park near that city4