THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. 



240. As may be naturally expected, tlie most frequent examples 

 of direct telegraphic communication to great distances are supplied 

 by the United States. 



On the lines of the O'Reilly Company of New York,* messages 

 are daily transmitted without any intermediate repetition to a 

 distance of 1100 miles, that is from New York to Louisville in 

 Kentucky, 



"To do this, it is found necessary to place two batteries in the 

 circuit at a distance of 400 miles apart, for the purpose of renewing 

 the electric current, part of which escapes from defective insula- 

 tion and atmospheric causes. There is no doubt but that, in 

 a more advanced stage of telegraphing which may be but a 

 short time hence New Orleans and New York will be placed in 

 instantaneous communication with each other. To enable this to 

 take place, requires, in the first place, a line substantially built 

 and thoroughly insulated. It may be remarked, that it is but 

 two years since, when to telegraph 300 miles on a single or 

 unbroken circuit, was considered a feat ; now, from improvements 

 made since then in telegraphs, we can send over 1100 miles 

 easier than we could 300 at that time. In our Cincinnati office, 

 two years ago, and until very lately, they used a separate battery 

 for each line. From a series of experiments made, one single 

 battery, of no greater strength than those formerly used, now 

 works eight distinct and separate lines, with no apparent diminu- 

 tion of strength, and at a great saving of expense to the 

 office." t 



A report of the directors of the New York Bain lines states 

 that messages are transmitted by them, without being rewritten, 

 from New York to Buffalo, a distance of 500 miles. This is done 

 without any intermediate relay batteries or magnets. 



The directors of the Morse lines at New York report that their 

 telegraph messages have in some cases been actually transmitted 

 without intermediate repetition to a distance of 1500 miles. 



241 . The promptitude with which dispatches are expedited, and 

 the celerity with which they are transmitted, will be greatly 

 promoted in all cases by an uniform system and organisation 

 being established upon the lines over which they are transmitted. 

 No greater cause of delay can exist than that which arises 

 from diversity of telegraphic instruments and language. Much 



* The American Telegraph Companies are subject to such constant 

 changes, that it may be necessary to state here, once for all, that the 

 names and denominations to which we refer are those which were current 

 in 1853-4, but which may be changed before these sheets come into the 

 hands of the reader. 



t Report of Mr. O'Reilly. Jones's El. Tel., p. 101. 

 74 



