heroes of the telegraph-第49部分

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Next　year；　on　December　31st；　1844；　he　projected　a　mode　of　measuring　the　speed　of　ships　by　vanes　revolving　in　the　water　and　indicating　their　speed　on　deck　by　means　of　the　current。　　In　the　same　specification　he　described　a　way　of　sounding　the　sea　by　an　electric　circuit　of　wires；　and　of　giving　an　alarm　when　the　temperature　of　a　ship's　hold　reached　a　certain　degree。　　The　last　device　is　the　well…known　fire…alarm　in　which　the　mercury　of　a　thermometer　completes　an　electric　circuit；　when　it　rises　to　a　particular　point　of　the　tube；　and　thus　actuates　an　electric　bell　or　other　alarm。

On　December　12；　1846；　Bain；　who　was　staying　in　Edinburgh　at　that　time；　patented　his　greatest　invention；　the　chemical　telegraph；　which　bears　his　name。　He　recognised　that　the　Morse　and　other　telegraph　instruments　in　use　were　comparatively　slow　in　speed；　owing　to　the　mechanical　inertia　of　the　parts；　and　he　saw　that　if　the　signal　currents　were　made　to　pass　through　a　band　of　travelling　paper　soaked　in　a　solution　which　would　decompose　under　their　action；　and　leave　a　legible　mark；　a　very　high　speed　could　be　obtained。　　The　chemical　he　employed　to　saturate　the　paper　was　a　solution　of　nitrate　of　ammonia　and　prussiate　of　potash；　which　left　a　blue　stain　on　being　decomposed　by　the　current　from　an　iron　contact　or　stylus。　　The　signals　were　the　short　and　long；　or　'dots'　and　'dashes'　of　the　Morse　code。　　The　speed　of　marking　was　so　great　that　hand　signalling　could　not　keep　up　with　it；　and　Bain　devised　a　plan　of　automatic　signalling　by　means　of　a　running　band　of　paper　on　which　the　signals　of　the　message　were　represented　by　holes　punched　through　it。　Obviously　if　this　tape　were　passed　between　the　contact　of　a　signalling　key　the　current　would　merely　flow　when　the　perforations　　allowed　the　contacts　of　the　key　to　touch。　　This　principle　was　afterwards　applied　by　Wheatstone　in　the　construction　of　his　automatic　sender。

The　chemical　telegraph　was　tried　between　Paris　and　Lille　before　a　committee　of　the　Institute　and　the　Legislative　Assembly。　　The　speed　of　signalling　attained　was　282　words　in　fifty…two　seconds；　a　marvellous　advance　on　the　Morse　electro…magnetic　instrument；　which　only　gave　about　forty　words　a　minute。　　In　the　hands　of　Edison　the　neglected　method　of　Bain　was　seen　by　Sir　William　Thomson　in　the　Centennial　Exhibition；　Philadelphia；　recording　at　the　rate　of　1057　words　in　fifty…seven　seconds。　　In　England　the　telegraph　of　Bain　was　used　on　the　lines　of　the　old　Electric　Telegraph　Company　to　a　limited　extent；　and　in　America　about　the　year　1850　it　was　taken　up　by　the　energetic　Mr。　Henry　O'Reilly；　and　widely　introduced。　　But　it　incurred　the　hostility　of　Morse；　who　obtained　an　injunction　against　it　on　the　slender　ground　that　the　running　paper　and　alphabet　used　were　covered　by　his　patent。　　By　1859；　as　Mr。　Shaffner　tells　us；　there　was　only　one　line　in　America　on　which　the　Bain　system　was　in　use；　namely；　that　from　Boston　to　Montreal。　　Since　those　days　of　rivalry　the　apparatus　has　never　become　general；　and　it　is　not　easy　to　understand　why；　considering　its　very　high　speed；　the　chemical　telegraph　has　not　become　a　greater　favourite。

In　1847　Bain　devised　an　automatic　method　of　playing　on　wind　instruments　by　moving　a　band　of　perforated　paper　which　controlled　the　supply　of　air　to　the　pipes；　and　likewise　　proposed　to　play　a　number　of　keyed　instruments　at　a　distance　by　means　of　the　electric　current。　　Both　of　these　plans　are　still　in　operation。

These　and　other　inventions　in　the　space　of　six　years　are　a　striking　testimony　to　the　fertility　of　Bain's　imagination　at　this　period。　　But　after　this　extraordinary　outburst　he　seems　to　have　relapsed　into　sloth　and　the　dissipation　of　his　powers。　　We　have　been　told；　and　indeed　it　is　plain　that　he　received　a　considerable　sum　for　one　or　other　of　his　inventions；　probably　the　chemical　telegraph。　　But　while　he　could　rise　from　the　ranks；　and　brave　adversity　by　dint　of　ingenuity　and　labour；　it　would　seem　that　his　sanguine　temperament　was　ill…fitted　for　prosperity。　He　went　to　America；　and　what　with　litigation；　unfortunate　investment；　and　perhaps　extravagance；　the　fortune　he　had　made　was　rapidly　diminished。

Whether　his　inventive　genius　was　exhausted；　or　he　became　disheartened；　it　would　be　difficult　to　say；　but　he　never　flourished　again。　　The　rise　in　his　condition　may　be　inferred　from　the　preamble　to　his　patent　for　electric　telegraphs　and　clocks；　dated　May　29；　1852；　wherein　he　describes　himself　as　'Gentleman；'　and　living　at　Beevor　Lodge；　Hammersmith。　　After　an　ephemeral　appearance　in　this　character　he　sank　once　more　into　poverty；　if　not　even　wretchedness。　　Moved　by　his　unhappy　circumstances；　Sir　William　Thomson；　the　late　Sir　William　Siemens；　Mr。　Latimer　Clark　and　others；　obtained　from　Mr。　Gladstone；　in　the　early　part　of　1873；　a　pension　for　him　under　the　Civil　List　of　L80　a　year；　but　the　beneficiary　lived　in　such　obscurity　that　it　was　a　considerable　time　before　his　lodging　could　be　discovered；　and　his　better　fortune　take　effect。　　The　Royal　Society　had　previously　made　him　a　gift　of　L150。

In　his　latter　years；　while　he　resided　in　Glasgow；　his　health　failed；　and　he　was　struck　with　paralysis　in　the　legs。　　The　massive　forehead　once　pregnant　with　the　fire　of　genius；　grew　dull　and　slow　of　thought；　while　the　sturdy　frame　of　iron　hardihood　became　a　tottering　wreck。　　He　was　removed　to　the　Home　for　Incurables　at　Broomhill；　Kirkintilloch；　where　he　died　on　January　2；　1877；　and　was　interred　in　the　Old　Aisle　Cemetery。　　He　was　a　widower；　and　had　two　children；　but　they　were　said　to　be　abroad　at　the　time；　the　son　in　America　and　the　daughter　on　the　Continent。

Several　of　Bain's　earlier　patents　are　taken　out　in　two　names；　but　this　was　perhaps　owing　to　his　poverty　compelling　him　to　take　a　partner。　If　these　and　other　inventions　were　substantially　his　own；　and　we　have　no　reason　to　suppose　that　he　received　more　help　from　others　than　is　usual　with　inventors；　we　must　allow　that　Bain　was　a　mechanical　genius　of　the　first　order　a　born　inventor。　　Considering　the　early　date　of　his　achievements；　　and　his　lack　of　education　or　pecuniary　resource；　we　cannot　but　wonder　at　the　strength；　fecundity；　and　prescience　of　his　creative　faculty。　　It　has　been　said　that　he　came　before　his　time；　but　had　he　been　more　fortunate　in　other　respects；　there　is　little；doubt　that　he　would　have　worked　out　and　introduced　all　or　nearly　all　his　inventions；　and　probably　some　others。　　His　misfortunes　and　sorrows　are　so　typical　of　the　'disappointed　inventor'　that　we　would　fain　learn　more　about　his　life；　but　beyond　a　few　facts　in　a　little　pamphlet　（published　by　himself；　we　believe）；　there　is　little　to　be　gathered；　a　veil　of　silence　has　fallen　alike　upon　his　triumphs；　his　errors　and　his　miseries。



V。　　　DR。　WERNER　SIEMENS。

THE　leading　electrician　of　Germany　is　Dr。　Ernst　Werner　Siemens；　eldest　brother　of　the　same　distinguished　family　of　which　our　own　Sir　William　Siemens　was　a　member。　　Ernst；　like　his　brother　William；　was　born　at　Lenthe；　near　Hanover；　on　December　13；　1816。　　He　was　educated　at　the　College　of　Lubeck　in　Maine；　and　entered　the　Prussian　Artillery　service　as　a　volunteer。　　He　pursued　his　scientific　studies　at　the　Artillery　and　Engineers'　School　in　Berlin；　and　in　1838　obtained　an　officer's　commission。

Physics　and　chemistry　were　his　favourite　studies；　and　his　original　researches　in　electro…gilding　resulted　in　a　Prussian　patent　in　1841。　The　following　year　he；　in　conjunction　with　his　brother　William；　took　out

another　patent　for　a　differential　regulator。　　In　1844　he　was　appointed　to　a　post　in　the　artillery　workshops　in　Berlin；　where　he　learned　telegraphy；　and　in　1845　patented　a　dial　and　printing　telegraph；　which　is　still　in　use　in　Germany。

In　1846；　he　was　made　a　member　of　a　commission　organised　in　Berlin　to　introduce　electric　telegraphs　in　place　of　the　optical　ones　hitherto　employed　in　Prussia；　and　he　succeeded　in　getting　the　commission　to　adopt　underground　telegraph　lines。　　For　the　insulation　of　the　wires　he　recommended　gutta…percha；　which　was　then　becoming　known　as　an　insulator。　In　the　following　year　he　constructed　a　machine　for　covering　copper　wire　with　the　melted　gum　by　means　of　pressure；　and　this　machine　is　substantially　the　same　as　that　now　used　for　the　purpose　in　cable　factories。

In　1848；　when　the　war　broke　out　with　Denmark；　he　was　sent　to　Kiel　where；　together　with　his　brother…in…law；　Professor　C。　Himly；　he　laid　the　first　submarine　mines；　fired　by　electricity　and　thus　protected　the　town　of　Kiel　from　the　advance　of　the　enemies'　fleet。

Of　late　years　the　German　Government　has　laid　a　great　network　of　underground　lines　between　the　various　towns　and　fortresses　of　the　empire；　preferring　them　to　overhead　lines　as　being　less　liable　to　interruption　from　mischief；　accident；　hostile　soldiers；　or　stress　of　weather。　　The　first　of　such　lines　was；　however；　laid　as　long　ago　as　1848；　by　Werner　Siemens；　who；　in　the　autumn　of　that　year；　deposited　a　subterranean　cable　between　Berlin　and　Frankfort…on…the…Main。　　Next　year　a　second　cable　was　laid　from　the　Capital　to　Cologne；　Aix…la…Chapelle；　and　Verviers。

In　1847　the；　subject　of　our　memoir　had；　along　with　Mr。　Halske；　founded　a　telegraph　factory；　and　he　now　left　the　army　to　give　himself　up　to　scientific　work　and　the　development　of　his　business。　　This　factory　prospered