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of the Semaphore, Heliograph, and Flag-Signalling, and is of 
considerable use when electric telegraphic wires have been cut. 
The Heliograph was largely used in the late war in South Africa, 
as you well know. 
In 1684 (Philo. Trans.) Hooke’s system is described as 
having figures which moved in daylight and a screen with a 
light at night. In 1784, Edgeworth introduced posts and a 
cone, which was movable and indicated certain letters by the 
change of position. By combining posts with arms attached to 
a beam moving up and down, Chappe invented a system with a 
very elaborate code. Thus at the end of the Kighteenth Century 
. practical telegraphy was an accomplished fact and remained in 
use until 1849. 
In England, Lord Murray’s system was adopted, which was 
a series of shutters. Macdonald and Pasley extended the use of 
this invention under the name of a Universal Telegraph. 
The result of the Battle of Trafalgar was telegraphed from 
Portsmouth to London in about twenty minutes by means of the 
semaphore. The signal system was perfected to such an extent 
that messages could be sent from Calais to Paris in about three 
minutes. 
Karly in Nineteenth Century the practical results obtained 
by the application of electricity were recognized and utilized. 
The names of Cooke and Wheatsone ought to be always 
associated with electric telegraphy. Although the method was 
an optical one, yet the operators who were skilled in their work 
could interpret the message by the click of the instrument alone. 
Morse’s invention reduced the message to printing by means of 
the dot-and-dash system. But in the natural course of events, 
man ever desirous of reducing labour to the minimum, directed 
his attention to more rapid means which results from sounds, 
and returned to the earlier method of ‘‘ Noises,” and, applying 
the latest discovery of electrical science, produced the telephone. 
Bell and Edison have been the means of bringing this method 
of communication to our homes. 
I need only mention the name of Marconi to illustrate the 
latest development in telegraphy, and it will be in the memory 
of most present that we had a splendid lecture by Professor 
Fleming, who explained wireless telegraphy in such a manner 
that it ceased to be a mystery to those who had the privilege of 
hearing him. 
To enter into the consideration of communication with the 
spirit world would be to discuss a subject more suitable to form 
the matter of an ordinary meeting, in which discussion is invited ; 
but this much may be said, that after the elimination of all 
traces of charlatanism very remarkable coiucidences—for the 
want of a better word—do occur. The correspondence in the 
Daily Telegraph has been very interesting to me as I am a great 
