6s On the Municipal Electric Telegraph, 
Let our conceptions but extend the — 
compose organic stt 
sphere of this intelligence, to the intimate constitution of each 
organic mass, and we shall find a new light thrown on the whole — 
nature of organic structure. It is true that every organism, on — 
this view, is an embodiment of more subtle intelligence than all 
mankind can boast. But he must have studied nature quite in 
vain, who has not seen compulsory evidence that the organic al- 
chitect is indeed great. 
—— 
Art. IX.—On the Municipal Electric Telegraph ; especially inils 
application to Fire Alarms ; by Wuitam F. Cuannine, M.D. 
Tue Electric Telegraph has two distinct offices. The first is — 
to interlink distant communities, and to this its applications have 
been hitherto chiefly confined. The second which is hardly less _ 
important is to bring into codperation the members or parts of sin 
gle communities. Just in proportion as Civilization advances this 
application is to have a larger development. The Electric Tele 
graph is to constitute the nervous system of organized societies. 
For purposes of general intelligence and regulation, of alarm and 
police, the Municipal Telegraph, that is the Telegraph within the 
City or Town, has already numerous applications, which are of 
rapidly increasing importance. A single one of these, the appl 
cation of the ‘Telegraph to signalizing and communicating alarms 
of fire, with its incidental use for purposes of police, will be the 
subject of the present paper. The general conditions on which 
the security and uniform operation of the Telegraph, in all its 
Municipal applications, depend will also be considered. 
At an early period in the history of the Electro-magnetic Tel 
egraph in this country, the writer described its application to Fire 
Alarms, and published in the Boston Daily Advertiser of June 3; 
1845, a general statement of principles which will be here more 
fully developed, and which are the basis of the System now in 
process of construction by the City of Boston. This is believed 
to have been the first publication in which the application of the 
Telegraph, not only to the purpose of simple signalizing, but 
= to that of giving public alarm in case of fire, was annot 
early ten years previous to this date, Professor Joseph Henry 
had fised an experiment, which, however, was not Pxblished 
until within the last two years, in which a distant bell could be 
struck by means of the release of a heavy weight sus 
from his large electro-magnet,—the circuit of which, connected 
with a local battery, was opened by a small intensity receiving 
magnet operated by a long or Telegraphic circuit. i 
