heroes of the telegraph-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



During　the　two　and　a　half　years　from　November；　1832；　to　the　summer　of　1835　he　was　obliged　to　change　his　residence　three　times；　and　want　of　money　prevented　him　from　combining　the　several　parts　of　his　invention　into　a　working　whole。　　In　1835；　however；　his　reputation　as　an　historical　painter；　and　the　esteem　in　which　he　was　held　as　a　man　of　culture　and　refinement；　led　to　his　appointment　as　the　first　Professor　of　the　Literature　of　the　Arts　of　Design　in　the　newly　founded　University　of　the　city　of　New　York。　　In　the　month　of　July　he　took　up　his　quarters　in　the　new　buildings　of　the　University　at　Washington　Square；　and　was　henceforth　able　to　devote　more　time　to　his　apparatus。　　The　same　year　Professor　Daniell；　of　King's　College；　London；　brought　out　his　constant…current　battery；　which　befriended　Morse　in　his　experiments；　as　it　afterwards　did　Cooke　and　Wheatstone；　Hitherto　the　voltaic　battery　had　been　a　source　of　trouble；　owing　to　the　current　becoming　weak　as　the　battery　was　kept　in　action。

The　length　of　line　through　which　Morse　could　work　his　apparatus　was　an　important　point　to　be　determined；　for　it　was　known　that　the　current　grows　feebler　in　proportion　to　the　resistance　of　the　wire　it　traverses。　Morse　saw　a　way　out　of　the　difficulty；　as　Davy；　Cooke；　and　Wheatstone　did；　by　the　device　known　as　the　relay。　　Were　the　current　too　weak　to　effect　the　marking　of　a　message；　it　might　nevertheless　be　sufficiently　strong　to　open　and　close　the　circuit　of　a　local　battery　which　would　print　the　signals。　　Such　relays　and　local　batteries；　fixed　at　intervals　along　the　line；　as　post…horses　on　a　turnpike；　would　convey　the　message　to　an　immense　distance。　　'If　I　can　succeed　in　working　a　magnet　ten　miles；'　said　Morse；'I　can　go　round　the　globe。　　It　matters　not　how　delicate　the　movement　may　be。'

According　to　his　own　statement；　he　devised　the　relay　in　1836　or　earlier；　but　it　was　not　until　the　beginning　of　1837　that　he　explained　the　device；　and　showed　the　working　of　his　apparatus　to　his　friend；　Mr。　Leonard　D。　Gale；　Professor　of　Chemistry　in　the　University。　　This　gentleman　took　a　lively　interest　in　the　apparatus；　and　proved　a　generous　ally　of　the　inventor。　　Until　then　Morse　had　only　tried　his　recorder　on　a　few　yards　of　wire；　the　battery　was　a　single　pair　of　plates；　and　the　electro…magnet　was　of　the　elementary　sort　employed　by　Moll；　and　illustrated　in　the　older　books。　　The　artist；　indeed；　was　very　ignorant　of　what　had　been　done　by　other　electricians；　and　Professor　Gale　was　able　to　enlighten　him。　　When　Gale　acquainted　him　with　some　results　in　telegraphing　obtained　by　Mr。　Barlow；　he　said　he　was　not　aware　that　anyone　had　even　conceived　the　notion　of　using　the　magnet　for　such　a　purpose。　　The　researches　of　Professor　Joseph　Henry　on　the　electro…magnet；　in　1830；　were　equally　unknown　to　Morse；　until　Professor　Gale　drew　his　attention　to　them；　and　in　accordance　with　the　results；　suggested　that　the　simple　electro…magnet；　with　a　few　turns　of　thick　wire　which　he　employed；　should　be　replaced　by　one　having　a　coil　of　long　thin　wire。　　By　this　change　a　much　feebler　current　would　be　able　to　excite　the　magnet；　and　the　recorder　would　mark　through　a　greater　length　of　line。　　Henry　himself；　in　1832；　had　devised　a　telegraph　similar　to　that　of　Morse；　and　signalled　through　a　mile　of　wire；　by　causing　the　armature　of　his　electro…magnet　to　strike　a　bell。　　This　was　virtually　the　first　electro…　magnetic　acoustic　telegraph。＇AMERICAN　JOURNAL　OF　SCIENCE。＇

The　year　of　the　telegraph1837was　an　important　one　for　Morse；　as　it　was　for　Cooke　and　Wheatstone。　　In　the　privacy　of　his　rooms　he　had　constructed；　with　his　own　hands；　a　model　of　his　apparatus；　and　fortune　began　to　favour　him。　　Thanks　to　Professor　Gale；　he　improved　the　electro…　magnet；　employed　a　more　powerful　battery；　and　was　thus　able　to　work　through　a　much　longer　line。　　In　February；　1837；　the　American　House　of　Representatives　passed　a　resolution　asking　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　to　report　on　the　propriety　of　establishing　a　system　of　telegraphs　for　the　United　States；　and　on　March　10　issued　a　circular　of　inquiry；　which　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　inventor；　and　probably　urged　him　to　complete　his　apparatus；　and　bring　it　under　the　notice　of　the　Government。　　Lack　of　mechanical　skill；　ignorance　of　electrical　science；　as　well　as　want　of　money；　had　so　far　kept　it　back。

But　the　friend　in　need　whom　he　required　was　nearer　than　he　anticipated。　On　Saturday；　September　2；　1837；　while　Morse　was　exhibiting　the　model　to　Professor　Daubeny；　of　Oxford；　then　visiting　the　States；　and　others；　a　young　man　named　Alfred　Vail　became　one　of　the　spectators；　and　was　deeply　impressed　with　the　results。　　Vail　was　born　in　1807；　a　son　of　Judge　Stephen　Vail；　master　of　the　Speedwell　ironworks　at　Morristown；　New　Jersey。　　After　leaving　the　village　school　his　father　took　him　and　his　brother　George　into　the　works；　but　though　Alfred　inherited　a　mechanical　turn　of　mind；　he　longed　for　a　higher　sphere；　and　on　attaining　to　his　majority　he　resolved　to　enter　the　Presbyterian　Church。　　In　1832　he　went　to　the　University　of　the　city　of　New　York；　where　he　graduated　in　October；　1836。　　Near　the　close　of　the　term；　however；　his　health　failed；　and　he　was　constrained　to　relinquish　his　clerical　aims。　　While　in　doubts　as　to　his　future　he　chanced　to　see　the　telegraph；　and　that　decided　him。　He　says：　　'I　accidentally　and　without　invitation　called　upon　Professor　Morse　at　the　University；　and　found　him　with　Professors　Torrey　and　Daubeny　in　the　mineralogical　cabinet　and　lecture…room　of　Professor　Gale；　where　Professor　Morse　was　exhibiting　to　these　gentlemen　an　apparatus　which　he　called　his　Electro…Magnetic　Telegraph。　　There　were　wires　suspended　in　the　room　running　from　one　end　of　it　to　the　other；　and　returning　many　times；　making　a　length　of　seventeen　hundred　feet。　　The　two　ends　of　the　wire　were　connected　with　an　electro…magnet　fastened　to　a　vertical　wooden　frame。　　In　front　of　the　magnet　was　its　armature；　and　also　a　wooden　lever　or　arm　fitted　at　its　extremity　to　hold　a　lead…　pencil。。。。　I　saw　this　instrument　work；　and　became　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the　principle　of　its　operation；　and；　I　may　say；　struck　with　the　rude　machine；　containing；　as　I　believed；　the　germ　of　what　was　destined　to　produce　great　changes　in　the　conditions　and　relations　of　mankind。　　I　well　recollect　the　impression　which　was　then　made　upon　my　mind。　　I　rejoiced　to　think　that　I　lived　in　such　a　day；　and　my　mind　contemplated　the　future　in　which　so　grand　and　mighty　an　agent　was　about　to　be　introduced　for　the　benefit　of　the　world。　　Before　leaving　the　room　in　which　I　beheld　for　the　first　time　this　magnificent　invention；　I　asked　Professor　Morse　if　he　intended　to　make　an　experiment　on　a　more　extended　line　of　conductors。　　He　replied　that　he　did；　but　that　he　desired　pecuniary　assistance　to　carry　out　his　plans。　　I　promised　him　assistance　provided　he　would　admit　me　into　a　share　of　the　invention；　to　which　proposition　he　assented。　　I　then　returned　to　my　boarding…house；　locked　the　door　of　my　room；　threw　myself　upon　the　bed；　and　gave　myself　up　to　reflection　upon　the　mighty　results　which　were　certain　to　follow　the　introduction　of　this　new　agent　in　meeting　and　serving　the　wants　of　the　world。　　With　the　atlas　in　my　hand　I　traced　the　most　important　lines　which　would　most　certainly　be　erected　in　the　United　States；　and　calculated　their　length。　　The　question　then　rose　in　my　mind；　whether　the　electro…magnet　could　be　made　to　work　through　the　necessary　lengths　of　line；　and　after　much　reflection　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that；　provided　the　magnet　would　work　even　at　a　distance　of　eight　or　ten　miles；　there　could　be　no　risk　in　embarking　in　the　enterprise。　　And　upon　this　I　decided　in　my　own　mind　to　SINK　OR　SWIM　WITH　IT。'

Young　Vail　applied　to　his　father；　who　was　a　man　of　enterprise　and　intelligence。　　He　it　was　who　forged　the　shaft　of　the　Savannah；　the　first　steamship　which　crossed　the　Atlantic。　　Morse　was　invited　to　Speedwell　with　his　apparatus；　that　the　judge　might　see　it　for　himself；　and　the　question　of　a　partnership　was　mooted。　　Two　thousand　dollars　were　required　to　procure　the　patents　and　construct　an　instrument　to　bring　before　the　Congress。　　In　spite　of　a　financial　depression；　the　judge　was　brave　enough　to　lend　his　assistance；　and　on　September　23；　1837；　an　agreement　was