646 THE IXVENTORS OF THE TELEGEAPH AND TELEPHONE. 



ualiii^ (Lie inline (»!' Morse, beiiiji" that Avliieli perix-luates the name 

 '' Morse System/' was not invented ]>y Morse but by Yail. who was 

 assoeiated witb him in the <h'veloi)meiit of the teh\iiraph.* The die- 

 tionary of nnmbered words pioposed by Morse Avas proposed by 

 Edjieworth in 171>4:, in eonneetion Avith liis sema])hore telegraph. The 

 model made in 1835 shows little meehanieal iugennity. The method 

 of transmitting' the signals, which was by means of type moved 

 thiongli a contact-making device, was somewhat crn(b^ and mnch less 

 convenient than the simi)le make-and-break circnit devices of several 

 previous workers; and the eleetro-magnet used to deflect the pendu- 

 lum showed aluiost ccmiplete ignorance of the juinciples then known 

 of electro-magnetism. Tiu^ chief points of interest in connection with 

 the early history of the Morse telegra])h lie in the jnoposal to use 

 electro-magnetism as the motive force to move the recording i)eiuhilum 

 and the idea of nmking the telegraph self-recording. Morse made 

 positive claims to have l)een the tirst to <lo both of these, and it seems 

 proper that his claim should be examined. 



After the discovery of Sturgeon in electro-magnetism became kuown 

 among scientific men the subject was taken uj) by Prof. Henry, who 

 Avas then teaching physics in Albany Academy. An account of ])art 

 of Henry's experiments was published in Silliman's Anwricati JonruHl 

 of Science, for January, April, and -Tuly, 1S31. 



The following, among other things, were subjects of investigation in 

 these experiments: The laws which govern the magnetizing effect of a 

 helix under varying conditions as to number of turns in the helix, na- 

 ture or arrangement of the battery, and length of the external circuit; 

 the carrying power of magnets having different kinds of winding and 

 different lengths of wire in the coils; the construction of an electro- 

 magnetic engine. The transmission of power to a distance by means 

 of his electro-magnetic engine. Among the a])])lications Avere the clos- 

 ing of a distant electric circuit by means of the armature of an electric 

 magnet, the coils of Avhich were included in another circuit passing 

 through an operating or transmitting station, and the transmission of 

 signals to a distance by causing the armature of an electro-magnet to 

 strike a bell each time a current Avas sent through the coils of the mag- 

 net from the transmitting station. Tlie latter of these a])i)lications Avas 

 illustrated by nutans of a model ap]>aratus included in a long circuit of 

 wire taken several times round one of the rooms in Albany Academy. 

 The following claims made in this connection by Professor Henry are 

 Avell founded, and dcser\-c ({notation : 



*'(1) Previous to my investigations the means of developing magnet- 

 ism in soft iron Avere imj^erfectly understood, and the electric magnet 

 which then existed was inapplic^able to the transmission of power to a 

 distance. 



"(2) 1 Avas the tirst to prove, by actual experiment, that in order to 

 * See Smilhsonian Report for 1878, p. 341-344. 



