Part 3

The last diagram, as has been stated, exhibits the plan of the wire and ground, as used for telegraphic purposes, from its first operation, until the adjournment of Congress in 1844, being prevented from completing the arrangement of the third mode from the throng of visitors, that pressed to see its operation. After the close of the session, the following arrangement of the wires was made, as shown in the diagram, figure 14, by means of which, both stations could transmit at the same time, with one battery for both, and the keys were not required to be closed. It is called the two _independent circuits_. Here the west wire is used for transmitting from B to W; and the east wire from W to B. The copper plates at B and W remain as they are described in the second plan. _Bat_, the battery, at B is used in common for both circuits. It is simply necessary here to designate the course which the fluid takes when both lines are in operation, viz. B transmitting to W; and W to B. In the former case, the current is from P of the battery to _k_, then the _west wire_, then to _m′_, at W, then to _C′_, thence through the ground to _C_ at B, and then to the N, or negative pole of the battery, as shown by the arrows. In the latter case, the current is from P of the battery to _m_, then the _east wire_, then to _k′_, at W, thence to _C′_, thence through the ground to C at B, thence to the N, or north pole of the battery, as shown by the arrows. This arrangement, by which one battery is made efficient for both circuits at the same time, where two were formerly used, was devised by Mr. Vail, assistant superintendent, in the spring of 1844, and has contributed much to diminish the care and expense in maintaining that part of the apparatus of the telegraph. One battery being now used instead of two. By the above diagram, it will be perceived that the _ground_ is common to both circuits, as well as the _battery_, and also the wire from the N pole of the battery, to the copper plate, C; and from the copper plate, C′, to the junction of the two wires near the two arrows. For the purposes of telegraphic communication they answer as well as though there were four wires and two batteries. Instead of using the ground between C and C′, a wire might be substituted, extending from the N pole of the battery to the junction of the wires at the two arrows at W. The arrangement of the wires, battery, keys, magnets or registers at both stations, with the ground, as shown in figure 14, is the plan now used for telegraphic operations between B and W; and has many decided advantages over the arrangements of figures 13 and 14. First. In both of those arrangements, the circuit is obliged to be kept closed, when neither station is at work; and as the battery is only in action when the circuit is closed, it follows that the battery will not keep in action as long as when the circuit is allowed to remain open, as in the use of the third plan, figure 15. Second. There is an advantage in dispensing with the use of the metallic wedge, which is liable to be forgotten by the operator. Third. The attendant may occasionally leave the room, and is not required to be in constant waiting, as the clock work is put in motion and stopped by the operator at the other end, and the message written without his presence. But in the first and second arrangement, the apparatus for putting in motion and stopping the clock work, is entirely useless. The attendant being obliged to put it in motion and stop it himself.

We will now proceed to describe the modus operandi of transmitting intelligence from one station to another; the arrangement being as in figure 14; _k_ is the key of the operator at Baltimore, and _m′_ represents his register, or writing desk, at Washington; _k′_ is the key of the operator at Washington, and _m_ his register, or writing desk, at Baltimore. Each has the entire control of his respective register, excepting, only, that each operator winds up the other’s instrument, and keeps it supplied with paper. It will also be borne in mind, that each circuit is complete, and everywhere continuous, except at the keys, which are open. If, then, the hammer is brought in sudden contact with the anvil, and permitted as quickly as possible to break its contact by the action of the spring, and resume its former position, the galvanic fluid, generated at the battery, flies its round upon the circuit, no matter how quick that contact has been made and broken. It has made the iron of the electro magnet a magnet; which has attracted to it the armature of the pen lever; the pen lever, by its steel pen points, has indented the paper, and the pen lever has, also, by the connecting wire with the break; taken it from the friction wheel; this has released the clock work, which, through the agency of the weight, has commenced running, and the two rollers have supplied the pen with paper. But, as only one touch of the key has been made, the clock work soon stops again, if no other touches are made, by the action of the break upon the friction wheel.

This shows the whole operation of the Telegraph, in making a single dot by a single touch of the key. In order now to explain more fully the operation of the steel pen points upon the paper, which is in contact with the grooved roller, let there be made four touches at the key; this will be sufficient to start the clock work, and allow the paper to have attained a uniform rate; then let six touches be made at the key. The contact has been made six times and broken six times. Each time it is closed, the electro magnet, as heretofore explained, attracts to it, with considerable force, the armature of the pen lever, carrying up the steel pen points against the paper, 2, under the steel roller, S. The three points of the pen, falling into the three corresponding grooves of the roller, carry the paper with them and indent it,[7] at each contact. There then appear upon the paper, as it passes out from under the rollers, six indentations, as if it had been pressed upon by a blunted point, such as the end of a knitting needle would be supposed to make, when pressed upon paper, placed over a shallow hole, but in such a manner as not to pass through the paper, but raising the surface, as in the printing for the blind. These indentations of the paper are the marking of the pen, but varied in the manner now to be described.

[7] The first working model of the Telegraph was furnished with a lead pencil, for writing its characters upon paper. This was found to require too much attention, as it needed frequent sharpening, and in other respects was found inferior to a pen of peculiar construction, which was afterwards substituted. This pen was supplied with ink from a reservoir attached to it. It answered well, so long as care was taken to keep up a proper supply of ink, which, from the character of the letters, and sometimes the rapid, and at others the slow rate of writing, was found to be difficult and troublesome. And then again, if the pen ceased writing for a little time, the ink evaporated and left a sediment in the pen, requiring it to be cleaned, before it was again in writing order. These difficulties turned the attention of the inventor to other modes of writing, differing from the two previous modes. A variety of experiments were made, and among them, one upon the principle of the manifold letter writers; and which answered the purpose very well, for a short time. This plan was also found objectionable, and after much time and expense expended upon it, it was thrown aside for the present mode of marking the telegraphic letter. This mode has been found to answer in every respect all that could be desired. It produces an impression upon the paper, not to be mistaken. It is clean, and the points making the impression being of the very hardest steel, do not wear, and renders the writing apparatus always ready for use.

By examining the telegraphic alphabet, the characters will be found to be made up of dots: short and long lines—and short and long spaces. A single touch of the key, answers to a single dot on the paper of the register; which represents the letter, E. One touch of the key prolonged, that is, the contact at the key continued for about the time required to make two dots, produces a short line, and represents T. A single touch for about the time required to make four dots, is a long line, and represents L. A single touch for about the time required to make six dots, is a still longer line and represents the 0 of the numerals. If the use of the key be suspended for about the time required to make three dots, it is a short space, used between letters. If suspended for the time required to make six dots, it is a long space, used between words, and a longer space is that used between sentences. These are the elements which enter into the construction of the telegraphic characters, as used in transmitting intelligence. The alphabet is represented by the following combination of these elements.

ALPHABET.

·- -··· ·· · -·· · ·-· --· ···· ·· -·-· -·- A B C D E F G H I J K

—— -- -· · · ····· ··-· · ·· ··· - ··- ···- L M N O P Q R S T U V

·-- ·-·· ·· ·· ··· · · ··· ·--· ··-·· ···-· ····- W X Y Z & 1 2 3 4

--- ······ --·· -···· -··- ——— 5 6 7 8 9 0

Suppose the following sentence is to be transmitted from Washington to Baltimore:

- ···· · ·- -- · · ·· ·· ·· · ·- -· · —— · ·· · T h e A m e r i c a n E l e c

- · ·· · · -- ·- --· -· · - ·· ·· · - · —— · --· t r o M a g n e t i c T e l e g

· ·· ·- ····· ···· ·· -· ···- · -· - · -·· -··· ·· ·· r a p h i n v e n t e d b y

····· · ·· · · ·-· · ··· ··· · · · ·· ··· ·-· -··· -- · · P r o f e s s o r S F B M o

· ·· ··· · · · ·-· -· · ·-- ·· ·· · · · ·· -·- r s e o f N e w Y o r k

· · -· -··· · · ·- · ·· -·· · · ·-· - ···· · o n b o a r d o f t h e

····· ·- ·· · -·- · - ··· ···· ·· ····· ··· ··- —— p a c k e t s h i p S u l

—— ·· ·· ·· · ·- ····· - ····· · —— —— · · -· l y C a p t P e l l o n

···· · · ·· ····· ·- ··· ··· ·- --· · ·-· · ·· · · -- h e r p a s s a g e f r o m

···· ·- ···- · ·· · - · · -· · ·-- ·· ·· · · · ·· H a v r e t o N e w Y o r

-·- · · ·· · - · · -··· · · ·· ·--· -···· ···-· ··-·· k O c t o b e r 1 8 3 2

It is evident, as the attendant at Baltimore has no agency in the transmission of this message from Washington, his presence, even, is not absolutely required in the telegraph room at Baltimore, nor is it necessary, previously, to ask the question, _are you there_? The operator at Washington transmits it to Baltimore, whether the attendant is there or not, and the telegraphic characters are distinctly recorded upon the paper of the Baltimore-register. If he omits a letter at the key, in Washington, it is omitted on the paper in Baltimore. If he has added at the key in Washington, it is also upon the paper in Baltimore, nothing more or less is marked upon it.

_Specimen of the Telegraphic Language._

·· -· - ···· · ·· ·· · ·- · ·· ·--· -···· ···-· ··-·· · · -· -- ·· ·· ···- · · ·· ·· ·- --· · ···· · · -- ·· ·-· · ·· · · -- · ··- · ·· · · ····· · - ···· · · —— · ·· · - · ·· ·· ·· · ·- —— · ·-·· ····· · · ·· ·· -- · -· - · · ·-· ·-· · ·· ·- -· -·- —— ·· -· ··- ····· · · -· ·- ·-- ·· · ·· · ··· · · -- · ····- -- ·· —— · ··· ·· -· —— · -· --· - ···· ·-- ·- ··· ·· · ·- ··· ··- ·- —— —— ·· ·· · ·· · ·· · ·- —— —— · -·· - · · -- ·· ·· -- · -· -·· ·· -· ·- ·· · · · -· ···- · · ·· ··· ·- - ·· · · -· ·-- ·· - ···· ·--· · · ·-· - ···· · ····· ·- ··· ··· · -· --· · · ·· ··· ·· -· ·-- ···· ·· ·· · ···· · ·-·· ····· · · ·· ·· -- · -· - ·· - ·-- ·- ··· ·- ··· ·· · · · ·· - ·- ·· -· · -·· - ···· ·- - - ···· · · —— · ·· · - · ·· ·· ·· · ·· - ·· ·· - · ·· ·- ···- · —— —— · -·· - ···· · ·· · · ··- --· ···· - ···· · ·-- ···· · · —— · ·· · ·· · ·· ·· · ··- ·· - ·· -· ·- - ·· -- · -· · · - ·- ····· ····· · ·· · ·· · ·· ·- -··· —— · -··· ··- - ·- ····· ····· ·- · ·· · -· - —— ·· ·· ·· -· ··· - ·- -· - ·- -· · · · ··- ··· ·· - ·· -- -- · -·· ·· ·- - · —— ·· ·· · · ·· · ·· · ··- · ·· · ·· · -·· - · · -- · - ···· ·- - ·· ·-· - ···· · ····· · ·· · ··· · -· ·· · · · · ·-· · —— · ·· · - · ·· ·· ·· · ·· - ·· ·· ·· · · · ··- —— -·· -··· · -- ·- -·· · ···- ·· ··· ·· -··· —— · ·· -· ·- -· ·· ·· -·· · ··· ·· · ·· · -·· ····· ·- · ·· - · · ·-· - ···· ·· ··· ·· · ·· · ·· ·· · ··- ·· - ·· - ·-- · · ··- —— -·· -· · · - -··· · -·· ·· ·-· ·-· ·· ·· · ··- —— - - · · ·· · · · -· ··· - · ·· ··- ·· · - ·- ··· ·· ·· ··· - · -- · · ·-· ··· ·· --· -· ··· -··· ·· ·· ·-- ···· ·· ·· · ···· ·· -· - · —— —— ·· --· · -· ·· · · ·· · · · ··- —— -·· -··· · ·· -· ··· - ·- -· - ·- -· · · · ··- ··· —— ·· ·· - · ·· ·- -· ··· -- ·· - - · -·· - ···· · - ···· · · ··- --· ···· - - ···· ··- ··· ·· · · · -· ·· · · ·· ···- · -·· - · · · · -·- ··· - · ·· · · -· --· ···· · · —— -·· · · ·-· -- ·· ·· -- ·· -· -·· ·· -· - ···· · —— · ·· ··· ··- · ··· ·-- ···· ·· ·· · ···· - ···· · ···- · · ·· ·· ·- --· · ·- ·-· ·-· · · · ·· -·· · -·· · ··· ·· ····· —— ·- -· -· · -·· ·- ··· ·· ·· ··· - · -- · · ·-· ··· ·· --· -· ··· · ··· ·- -· ·- ····· ····· ·- · ·· ·- - ··- ··· - · · ·· · ·- · ·· · ·· ·· ·· ·· - ·· -· - · · · ·-· ·-· · ·· · - ·· ·· · ·- ··· - ·- ··· ····· · ·· · ·· · ··· · · ·-· - ·· ·· ····· · ·-- ···· ·· ·· · ···· ·· ···· ·- -·· -·· · ···- ·· ··· · -·· ·-· · · · ·· - ···· ·· ··· ····· ··- · ·· ····· · · ··· · - ···· · ·-· ·· · ·· ··· - ·-- · · -·- ·- ·-· - · · ·· -- ·· ·· ·- · ·· · ·· ·· ···- ·- —— ···· · · -- · · ··· ·- —— - ···· · · ··- --· ···· - ···· · · ·· · ··· - · · ·-· - ···· · -- ·- ·· · ···· ·· -· · · ·· ·· ·· ·-- ·- ··· ····· —— ·- -· -· · -·· ·· ·· · - ·-· · ·· · · -- - ···· · ····· · ·· · ··· ··· ··- · ·· · · · ·-· ··- -· ·- ···- · · ·· -·· ·- -··· —— · -·· ··- - ·· · ··· ·· ·-- ·- ··· ·· · · · -- ····· · —— —— · -·· - · · ····· · · ··· - ····· · · -· · -- ·· ·· · ·-·· ····· · · ·· ·· -- · -· - ··· · ··· ·-- ·- ··· -· · · - ·- -··· —— · - · · - · ··· - - ···· · ·-- ···· · · —— · ····· —— ·- -· ··- -· - ·· —— ·-- ·· - ···· ·· -· ·- ·-· · ·-- ·-- · · -·- ···

··· ·-· -··· -- · · · ·· ··· ·

From the peculiarity of the motion obtained at the pen lever by the action of the battery upon the electro magnet, it is evident that a few elements only are presented upon which to base the telegraphic characters. The motion of the lever, to which is attached the steel pen points, is vibratory; but capable of being so controlled as to cause it to retain either of its positions (that is, up or down) as long, and at such intervals, and in as quick succession as the operator may choose. Therefore, every sort of combination which dots, lines and spaces, in any succession, and of any length can make, are here as much at the pleasure of the telegraphic manipulator, as the English alphabet is with the letter writer. So that if from this countless variety, twenty-six of the most simple, to represent letters, and ten to represent the numerals, shall be taken, we come at once into possession of the means of representing words and sentences, by new, but intelligible characters, and through them, can be conveyed as clearly, and as concisely, as if they were given viva voce, or written in Roman characters. Such is the alphabet given above. This conventional alphabet was originated on board the packet Sully, by Prof. Morse, the very first elements of the invention, and arose from the necessity of the case; the motion produced by the magnet being limited to a single action.

During the period of thirteen years, many plans have been devised by the inventor to bring the telegraphic alphabet to its simplest form. The plan of using the common letters of the alphabet, twenty-six in number, with twenty-six wires, one wire to each letter, has received its due share of his time and thought. Other modes of using the common letters of the alphabet, with a single wire, has also been under his consideration. Plans of using two, three, four, five and six wires to one registering machine, have, in their turn, received proportionate study and deliberation. But these, and many other plans, after much care and many experiments, have been discarded; he being satisfied that they do not possess that essential element, _simplicity_, which belongs to his original first thought, and the one which he has adopted. A detailed account of these various plans with fewer or more wires, might be given here, but it will suffice merely to present the alphabet adapted to a register, using 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 wires, with a separate pen to each wire capable of working together, or in any succession. It is obvious that every additional pen will give an additional element to increase the combination, and were there any real advantage in such an arrangement it would have been adopted long since.

No. 1. _Alphabet for two pens, operating together or in succession._

· · · · ·· ·· · · ·· -- -- · · -- -- · · · · · · ·· ·· ·· -- -- -- -- · · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q

-- ·· --· ·-- --· ·-- · · --· ·-- · · ·· -- --· ·-- · · ·-- --· · · --· ·-- R S T U V W X Y Z & 1 2 3 4

·-- --· --· ·-- -- -- ·-- --· -- -- --· ·-- 5 6 7 8 9 0

No. 2. _Alphabet for three pens, operating together or in succession._

· · · · ·· ·· ·· · · · · · · · ·· · ·· ·· · · ·· ·· · ·· · · · · ·· · · ·· ·· · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S

· ·· ·· ·· ·· · · · · ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· · ·· ·· ·· · · · · · · ·· ·· ·· · ·· ·· · ·· ·· ·· ·· · · ·· ·· · · ·· T U V W X Y Z & 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

· ·· ·· 0

No. 3. _Alphabet for four pens, operating together or in succession._

· · · · · · · · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U

·· · · ·· ·· ·· · ·· · · ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· · · ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· V W X Y Z & 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

No. 4. _Alphabet for five pens, operating together or in succession._

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U

· · · · · · · ·· · · · · · ·· · · · · · ·· · · · · · · ·· · ·· · · · · · · · ·· ·· V W X Y Z & 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

No. 5. _Alphabet for six pens, operating together or in succession._

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · & 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

CORRESPONDENT OR KEY.

The modes of manipulation for sending intelligence, which at various times have been invented by Prof. Morse, are more various than any other part of the machinery of the telegraph. A few of them will now be described. The first method, invented as early as the year 1832, was that of using a type, resembling saw-teeth, set up in long frames, and made to pass under a lever, by means of machinery, at a uniform rate, for the purpose of closing and breaking the circuit, in a manner hereafter to be described. The following figure, 15, represents the saw-teeth type. The top of the narrow tooth corresponds with the _dots_ of the letters, and the long tooth, with the _lines_ of the letters. For instance, A, has one tooth for a dot, and a long tooth for a line, which is the telegraphic letter A; then follows a space at the end of the type, corresponding with the short space between two letters.