ELECTRO-TELEGRAPHY 241 



' In this instrument the slip of paper, on which the message is received, is made 

 to travel by clockwork in the ordinary way. It passes directly over a metallic disc, 

 placed transversely to the course of the slip, revolving on an axis, and dipping into an 

 ink well ; over the paper is a lever, terminating in a broad style, placed vertically 

 above the disc, so that the descent of the lever compresses the slip of paper between 

 the disc and the stylo. This lever is double, in the sense that its central portion, 

 carrying the central portion of the style, can be acted upon either independently of the 

 lateral portions, or together with them. In the former case, only the narrow central 

 portion of the style descends, and the slip of paper is pressed upon the inking disc at 

 only a single point of contact, which produces a dot. In the latter case, the style 

 descends as a whole, and, having a concave edge, it presses the paper into contact with 

 the disc, by more or less of this edge, thus producing a vertical dash. There is an 

 adjusting screw, by which the paper may be raised or lowered at pleasure, and by 

 which means the contact-surface, and hence the boldness of the mark, may bo increased 

 or lessened at the pleasure of the operator. The pressure of the style stops for the 

 moment the revolution of the inking disc, upon the immediate recommencement 

 of which the ink supply depends. The inventor has, therefore, placed upon the 

 axle of the disc a box containing a spiral spring, so arranged that, when the disc 

 itself is checked, the power of the clockwork coils the spring. The moment the disc 

 is released the coiled spring gives the necessary impulse to produce immediate revolu- 

 tion. 



1 The operator is furnished with two keys, one of which commands the central or dot 

 portion of the lever, the other the lever as a whole. One, therefore produces the dot 

 and the other the dash, and no mistake can occur between the two, except by the use 

 of the wrong key. The printing is remarkably clear, distinct, and compact, and gives 

 a legibility to the messages which no other modification of the Morse system has at 

 present attained. The instrument is worked with a double current, like that used for 

 the double bell, with the great advantage over the latter that the signals are printed 

 and permanently recorded, instead of being fleeting impressions upon the ear of the 

 recipient.' 



The adoption of Mr. Herring's printing instrument would at once admit of the 

 registration of telegrams, an advantage which is so much needed, but at present 

 denied. By simply starting the instrument at the sending station, a perfect fac-simile 

 might be retained of the message as recorded at the distant receiving station ; and as 

 the width of the telegraph paper slip is just half the diameter of the ordinary post- 

 office letter-stamp, the two ends of the message slip laid side by side might be im- 

 pressed with the town and date in the usual way, and thus the slip itself would become 

 of legal importance. Not only would the address be registered, as in the case of a 

 letter, but also the actual communication itself. A solicitor or a broker, sending a 

 registered telegram, would virtually receive from the Department a certified copy of 

 his letter ; and this being handed to him in an envelope on which the key to the code 

 was printed, which is extremely simple, he would at once be enabled to satisfy himself 

 of its correctness, and to put it away as usual with his letters. 



Another, and a very great advantage would be gained in adopting a similar course 

 in case of pressure at any terminal station. The Telegraph Department only under- 

 takes to transmit messages upon the understanding that it is not liable for losses 

 incurred through the incorrect transmission, delay, or non-delivery of telegrams.' It 

 is nevertheless urged by postal facilities to avoid delay in delivery, and, probably, 

 nothing tends more to delay than doubts and errors in transmission, which, at, present 

 necessitate repeating the message back again, thus consuming the time twice over, not 

 only of the wire, but of the clerks at both stations ; and delay once arising, especially 

 if aggravated by a little extra business, causes hurry, confusion, and liability to an 

 increase of error. At such a time, relief might be instantly afforded by delivering a 

 few of the message slips with the printed key, and the business of the office would 

 then proceed in the usual way, and with accustomed quietness, without any excuse for 

 either error or delay. 



In case of_ need, as, for instance, when required to telegraph in cipher for the 

 Government, it would be possible, by Mr. Herring's invention, to make an addition to 

 the ordinary signs ' dot and dash.' Two other signs, which might be sent by the same 

 single wire, could be introduced by means of two extra levers and styles working over 

 the same inking disc, and operated by a second battery, stronger than that used for 

 the dot and dash. Thus, with four signs, any requisite number of combinations might 

 be devised capable of insuring secrecy, certainty, and speed. 



The^ following table has been drawn out as an illustration of the codes of some of 



the chief instruments that have been the subject of this article. It shows the number 



and nature of the signals (deflections, dots, dashes) for producing the name of the 



great discoverer of electro-magnetism, which is the foundation of electro-telegraphy, 



VOL. II. R 



