heroes of the telegraph-第42部分

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Soon　after　his　discovery　of　the　microphone　he　was　invited　to　become　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society；　and　a　few　years　later；　in　1885　he　received　the　Royal　Medal　of　the　Society　for　his　experiments；　and　especially　those　of　the　microphone。　　In　1881　he　represented　the　United　Kingdom　as　a　Commissioner　at　the　Paris　International　Exhibition　of　Electricity；　and　was　elected　President　of　one　of　the　sections　of　the　International　Congress　of　Electricians。　　In　1886　he　filled　the　office　of　President　of　the　Society　of　Telegraph　Engineers　and　of　Electricians。

The　Hughes　type…printer　was　a　great　mechanical　invention；　one　of　the　greatest　in　telegraphic　science；　for　every　organ　of　it　was　new；　and　had　to　be　fashioned　out　of　chaos；　an　invention　which　stamped　its　author's　name　indelibly　into　the　history　of　telegraphy；　and　procured　for　him　a　special　fame；　while　the　　microphone　is　a　discovery　which　places　it　on　the　roll　of　investigators；　and　at　the　same　time　brings　it　to　the　knowledge　of　the　people。　　Two　such　achievements　might　well　satisfy　any　scientific　ambition。　　Professor　Hughes　has　enjoyed　a　most　successful　career。　　Probably　no　inventor　ever　before　received　so　many　honours；　or　bore　them　with　greater　modesty。



APPENDIX。　…


I。　CHARLES　FERDINAND　GAUSS。

CHARLES　FERDINAND　GAUSS　was　born　at　Braunschweig　on　April　30；　1777。　His　father；　George　Dietrich；　was　a　mason；　who　employed　himself　otherwise　in　the　hard　winter　months；　and　finally　became　cashier　to　a　TODTENCASSE；　or　burial　fund。　　His　mother　Dorothy　was　the　daughter　of　Christian　Benze　of　the　village　of　Velpke；　near　Braunschweig；　and　a　woman　of　talent；　industry；　and　wit；　which　her　son　appears　to　have　inherited。　　The　father　died　in　1808　after　his　son　had　become　distinguished。　　The　mother　lived　to　the　age　of　ninety…seven；　but　became　totally　blind。　　She　preserved　her　low　Saxon　dialect；　her　blue　linen　dress　and　simple　country　manners；　to　the　last；　while　living　beside　her　son　at　the　Observatory　of　Gottingen。　Frederic；　her　younger　brother；　was　a　damask　weaver；　but　a　man　with　a　natural　turn　for　mathematics　and　mechanics。

When　Gauss　was　a　boy；　his　parents　lived　in　a　small　house　in　the　Wendengrahen；　on　a　canal　which　joined　the　Ocker；　a　stream　flowing　through　Braunschweig。　　The　canal　is　now　covered；　and　is　the　site　of　the　Wilhelmstrasse；　but　a　tablet　marks　the　house。　　When　a　child；　Gauss　used　to　play　on　the　bank　of　the　canal；　and　falling　in　one　day　he　was　nearly　drowned。　　He　learned　to　read　by　asking　the　letters　from　his　friends；　and　also　by　studying　an　old　calendar　which　hung　on　a　wall　of　his　father's　house；　and　when　four　years　old　he　knew　all　the　numbers　on　it；　in　spite　of　a　shortness　of　sight　which　afflicted　him　to　the　end。　　On　Saturday　nights　his　father　paid　his　workmen　their　wages；　and　once　the　boy；　who　had　been　listening　to　his　calculations；　jumped　up　and　told　him　that　he　was　wrong。　　Revision　showed　that　his　son　was　right。

At　the　age　of　seven；　Gauss　went　to　the　Catherine　Parish　School　at　Braunschweig；　and　remained　at　it　for　several　years。　　The　master's　name　was　Buttner；　and　from　a　raised　seat　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　he　kept　order　by　means　of　a　whip　suspended　at　his　side。　　A　bigger　boy；　Bartels　by　name；　used　to　cut　quill　pens；　and　assist　the　smaller　boys　in　their　lessons。　　He　became　a　friend　of　Gauss；　and　would　procure　mathematical　books；　which　they　read　together。　　Bartels　subsequently　rose　to　be　a　professor　in　the　University　of　Dorpat；　where　he　died。　　At　the　parish　school　the　boys　of　fourteen　to　fifteen　years　were　being　examined　in　arithmetic　one　day；　when　Gauss　stepped　forward　and；　to　the　astonishment　of　Buttner；　requested　to　be　examined　at　the　same　time。　　Buttner；　thinking　to　punish　him　for　his　audacity；　put　a　'poser'　to　him；　and　awaited　the　result。　　Gauss　solved　the　problem　on　his　slate；　and　laid　it　face　downward　on　the　table；　crying　'Here　it　is；'　according　to　the　custom。　　At　the　end　of　an　hour；　during　which　the　master　paced　up　and　down　with　an　air　of　dignity；　the　slates　were　turned　over；　and　the　answer　of　Gauss　was　found　to　be　correct　while　many　of　the　rest　were　erroneous。　Buttner　praised　him；　and　ordered　a　special　book　on　arithmetic　for　him　all　the　way　from　Hamburg。

》From　the　parish　school　Gauss　went　to　the　Catherine　Gymnasium；　although　his　father　doubted　whether　he　could　afford　the　money。　　Bartels　had　gone　there　before　him；　and　they　read　the　higher　mathematics。　　Gauss　also　devoted　much　of　his　time　to　acquiring　the　ancient　and　modern　languages。　》From　there　he　passed　to　the　Carolinean　College　in　the　spring　of　1792。　Shortly　before　this　the　Duke　Charles　William　Ferdinand　of　Braunschweig　among　others　had　noticed　his　talents；　and　promised　to　further　his　career。

In　1793　he　published　his　first　papers；　and　in　the　autumn　of　1795　he　entered　the　University　of　Gottingen。　　At　this　time　he　was　hesitating　between　the　pursuit　of　philology　or　mathematics；　but　his　studies　became　more　and　more　of　the　latter　order。　　He　discovered　the　division　of　the　circle；　a　problem　published　in　his　DISQUISITIONES　ARITHMETICAE；　and　henceforth　elected　for　mathematics。　　The　method　of　least　squares；　was　also　discovered　during　his　first　term。　　On　arriving　home　the　duke　received　him　in　the　friendliest　manner；　and　he　was　promoted　to　Helmstedt；　where　with　the　assistance　of　his　patron　he　published　his　DISQUISITIONES。

On　January　1；　1801；　Piazzi；　the　astronomer　of　Palermo；　discovered　a　small　planet；　which　he　named　CERES　FERDINANDIA；　and　communicated　the　news　by　post　to　Bode　of　Berlin；　and　Oriani　of　Milan。　　The　letter　was　seventy…two　days　in　going；　and　the　planet　by　that　time　was　lost　in　the　glory　of　the　sun；　By　a　method　of　his　own；　published　in　his　THEORIA　MOTUS　CORPORUM　COELESTIUM；　Gauss　calculated　the　orbit　of　this　planet；　and　showed　that　it　moved　between　Mars　and　Jupiter。　　The　planet；　after　eluding　the　search　of　several　astronomers；　was　ultimately　found　again　by　Zach　on　December　7；　1801；　and　on　January　1；　1802。　The　ellipse　of　Gauss　was　found　to　coincide　with　its　orbit。

This　feat　drew　the　attention　of　the　Hanoverian　Government；　and　of　Dr。　Olbers；　the　astronomer；　to　the　young　mathematician。　　But　some　time　elapsed　before　he　was　fitted　with　a　suitable　appointment。　　The　battle　of　Austerlitz　had　brought　the　country　into　danger；　and　the　Duke　of　Braunschweig　was　entrusted　with　a　mission　from　Berlin　to　the　Court　of　St。　Petersburg。　　The　fame　of　Gauss　had　travelled　there；　but　the　duke　resisted　all　attempts　to　bring　or　entice　him　to　the　university　of　that　place。　　On　his　return　home；　however；　he　raised　the　salary　of　Gauss。

At　the　beginning　of　October　1806；　the　armies　of　Napoleon　were　moving　towards　the　Saale；　and　ere　the　middle　of　the　month　the　battles　of　Auerstadt　and　Jena　were　fought　and　lost。　　Duke　Charles　Ferdinand　was　mortally　wounded；　and　taken　back　to　Braunschweig。　　A　deputation　waited　on　the　offended　Emperor　at　Halle；　and　begged　him　to　allow　the　aged　duke　to　die　in　his　own　house。　　They　were　brutally　denied　by　the　Emperor；　and　returned　to　Braunschweig　to　try　and　save　the　unhappy　duke　from　imprisonment。　　One　evening　in　the　late　autumn；　Gauss；　who　lived　in　the　Steinweg　（or　Causeway）；　saw　an　invalid　carriage　drive　slowly　out　of　the　castle　garden　towards　the　Wendenthor。　　It　contained　the　wounded　duke　on　his　way　to　Altona；　where　he　died　on　November　10；　1806；　in　a　small　house　at　Ottensen；　'You　will　take　care；'　wrote　Zach　to　Gauss；　in　1803；　'that　his　great　name　shall　also　be　written　on　the　firmament。'

For　a　year　and　a　half　after　the　death　of　the　duke　Gauss　continued　in　Braunschweig；　but　his　small　allowance；　and　the　absence　of　scientific　company　made　a　change　desirable。　　Through　Olbers　and　Heeren　he　received　a　call　to　the　directorate　of　Gottingen　University　in　1807；　and　at　once　accepted　it。　　He　took　a　house　near　the　chemical　laboratory；　to　which　he　brought　his　wife　and　family。　The　building　of　the　observatory；　delayed　for　want　of　funds；　was　finished　in　1816；　and　a　year　or　two　later　it　was　fully　equipped　with　instruments。

In　1819；　Gauss　measured　a　degree　of　latitude　between　Gottingen　and　Altona。　　In　geodesy　he　invented　the　heliotrope；　by　which　the　sunlight　reflected　from　a　mirror　is　used　as　a　〃sight〃　for　the　theodolite　at　a　great　distance。　　Through　Professor　William　Weber　he　was　introduced　to　the　science　of　electro…magnetism；　and　they　devised　an　experimental　telegraph；　chiefly　for　sending　time　signals；　between　the　Observatory　and　the　Physical　Cabinet　of　the　University。　　The　mirror　receiving　instrument　employed　was　the　heavy　prototype　of　the　delicate　reflecting　galvanometer　of　Sir　William　Thomson。　　In　1834　messages　were　transmitted　through　the　line　in　presence　of　H。R。H。　the　Duke　of　Cambridge；　but　it　was　hardly　fitted　for　general　use。　　In　1883　（？）　he　published　an　absolute　system　of　magnetic　measurements。

On　July　16；　1849；　the　jubilee　of　Gauss　was　celebrated　at　the　University；　the　famous　Jacobi；　Miller　of　Cambridge；　and　others；　taking　part　in　it。　After　this　he　completed　several　works　already　begun；　read　a　great　deal　of　German　and　foreign　literature；　and　visited　the　Museum　daily　between　eleven　and　one　o'clock。

In　the　winters　of　1854…5　Gauss　complained　of　his　declining　health；　and　on　the　morning　of　February　23；　1855；　about　five　minutes　past　one　o'clock；　he　breathed　his　last。　　He　was　laid　on　a　bed　of　laurels；　and　buried　by　his　friends。　　A　granite　pillar　marks　his　resting…place　at　Gottingen。



II。　WILLIAM　EDWARD　WEBER。

WILLIAM　EDWARD　WEBER　was　born　on　October　24；　1804；　at　Wittenberg；　where　his　father；　Michael　Weber；　was　professor　of　theology。　　William　was　the　second　of　three　brothers；　all　of　whom　were　distinguished　by　an　aptitude　for　the　study　of　science。　　After　the　dissolution　of　the　University　of　Wittenberg　his　father　was　transferred　to　Halle　in　1815。　William　had　received　his　first　lessons　from　his　father；　but　was　now　sent　to　the　Orphan　Asylum　and　Grammar　School　at　Halle。　After　that　he　entered　the　University；　and　devoted　himself　to　natural　philosophy。　　He　distinguished　himself　so　much　in　his　classes；　and　by　original　work；　that　after　taking　his　degree　of　Doctor　and　becoming　a　Privat…Docent　he　was　appointed　Professor　Extraordinary　of　natural　philosophy　at　Halle。

In　1831；　on　the　recommendation　of　Gauss；　he　was　called　to　Gottingen　as　professor　of　physics；　although　but　twenty…seven　years　of　age。　　His　lectures　were　interesti