Morse's patent : Full exposure of Dr. Chas. T. Jackson's pretensions to the invention of the American electro-magnetic telegraph / by Hon. Amos Kendall.

  • Kendall, Amos, 1789-1869.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Morse's patent : Full exposure of Dr. Chas. T. Jackson's pretensions to the invention of the American electro-magnetic telegraph / by Hon. Amos Kendall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    12/72 (page 8)
    3d. Saline compounds might be decom- Third, by saturating the paper with s posed, 60 as to produce colors on paper. solution of acetate of lead or carbonate of the 2d and id projects were finally lead, the paper being moistened while the adopted fur future trial, since they could electric current was passed through it, or over be made to furnish permanent records. The its surface, between points of platinum wire. saline substances mentioned, were certain Fo nth, I proposed to moke use of the salts of lead, such as the ascctate and carbo- electro magnet, which is formed by coiling nate, which an interrupted electro galvanic copper wire insulated by being wound with current would decompose and leave a black silk around soft iron, bent in the form of mark on the prepared paper. Next, tume- the letter U; the iron being rendered tem- rie paper was to be dipped in a neutral salt, pornrily magnetic, by the passage o} « say sulphate of soda, and then acted upon galvanic current though the copper wire; by the galvanic current. This would pro- « k™Pr °r armature of soft iron being duce brown marks from the presence of V^ed cross the poles and attracted fi,mly free disengaged alkali. Platina points were S'st .'<» daS \he <e th'galnmc proposed to effect the changes of color. I «•■< Posing I Proposed totomudl then observed, it would be easy to devise a lth lhl° *9~ the. •*' ,/*. °f° ',' _„.i. j r V .u „ i • beam and to fix a point of steel in the long method ot reading the markings. , ,, ,J r ,,, lh ].,.„„ ° ° arm of the lever, so that wtien the Keeper was drawn to the electro magnet, the point would perforate holes in paper. The paper was to be passed from one reel to another by clock work machinery,so that in intervals of space these holesmight be punctured and telrgrophic indications he produced thereby. When I mentioned the subject of electro magnetism in the presence of Mr. Morse, during this conversation, he asked me the meaning of the term, saying 'Electro Mag- netism! How does that differ from other magnetism?' I explained it to him, mak- ing drawings of an electro magnet and a gal- vanic battery for that purpose. During a part of this conversation, Mr. Rives and Mr. Fisher were present, and two Messrs. Palmers, of New York, and Capt. W. Pell. They were present at the beginning of the conversation and heard a * considerable portion of it, and they all seem- ed to consider my project visionary. Mr. Morse at that lime made inquiries and sug- gested difficulties, and seemed to regard the thing as impracticable. My earnestness in- creased in proportion to their incredulity. The ntxt morning Mr. Morse came to f the breakfast table and said, that be had not slept during the night, and had been think- • ing about what I had told him about tele- graphing, and he was satislied it could be done. I said, 'to be sure it can; theie isno difficulty aboutit.' We discussed the subject some time; and during this conversation, / spoke of having an electro magnet on board and twogalranic batteries, which were stow- ed away between decks. Imrtde drawings— rough sketches, as I do not pi of ess to be a draftsman—of the electro magnet,which I gave to Mr. Morse who copied theminto his note-hook in an artistic manner, asking of me explanations as he made the drawings*