Magnetic Telegraph

“Morse magnetic telegraph will be understood by reference to the accompanying diagram, which represents the construction and arrangement of this form of telegraph. F and E are pieces of soft iron surrounded by coils of wire, which are connected at a and b with wires proceeding from a galvanic battery. When a current is transmitted from a battery located one, two, or three hundred miles, as the case may be, it passes along the wires and into the coils surrounding the pieces of soft iron F and E, thereby converting them into magnets. Above these pieces of soft iron is a metallic bar or lever, A, supported on its center, and haing at one end the arm D, and at the other a small steel point, o. A ribbon of paper, p h, rolled on the cylinder B, is drawn slowly and steadily off by a train of clock-work, K, moved by the action of the weight P on the cord C. This clock-work gives motion to two metal rollers, G and H, between which the ribbon of paper passes, and which, turnin in opposite directions, draw the paper from the cylinder B. The roller H has a groove arond its circumference (not represented in the engraving) above which the paper passes. The steel point, r, or the lever, A, is also directly opposite this groove. The spring r prevents the point from resting upon the paper when the telegraph is not in operation.” —Wells, 1857

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