heroes of the telegraph-第43部分

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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　interesting；　instructive；　and　suggestive。　　Weber　thought　that；　in　order　to　thoroughly　　understand　physics　and　apply　it　to　daily　life；　mere　lectures；　though　illustrated　by　experiments；　were　insufficient；　and　he　encouraged　his　students　to　experiment　themselves；　free　of　charge；　in　the　college　laboratory。　As　a　student　of　twenty　years　he；　with　his　brother；　Ernest　Henry　Weber；　Professor　of　Anatomy　at　Leipsic；　had　written　a　book　on　the　'Wave　Theory　and　Fluidity；'　which　brought　its　authors　a　considerable　reputation。　　Acoustics　was　a　favourite　science　of　his；　and　he　published　numerous　papers　upon　it　in　Poggendorff's　ANNALEN；　Schweigger's　JAHRBUCHER　FUR　CHEMIE　UND　PHYSIC；　and　the　musical　journal　CAECILIA。　　The　'mechanism　of　walking　in　mankind'　was　another　study；　undertaken　in　conjunction　with　his　younger　brother；　Edward　Weber。　　These　important　investigations　were　published　between　the　years　1825　and　1838。

Displaced　by　the　Hanoverian　Government　for　his　liberal　opinions　in　politics　Weber　travelled　for　a　time；　visiting　England；　among　other　countries；　and　became　professor　of　physics　in　Leipsic　from　1843　to　1849；　when　he　was　reinstalled　at　Gottingen。　　One　of　his　most　important　works　was　the　ATLAS　DES　ERDMAGNETISMUS；　a　series　of　magnetic　maps；　and　it　was　chiefly　through　his　efforts　that　magnetic　observatories　were　instituted。　He　studied　magnetism　with　Gauss；　and　in　1864　published　his　'Electrodynamic　Proportional　Measures'　containing　a　system　of　absolute　measurements　for　electric　currents；　which　forms　the　basis　of　those　in　use。　　Weber　died　at　Gottingen　on　June　23；　1891。



III。　SIR　WILLIAM　FOTHERGILL　COOKE。

WILLIAM　Fothergill　Cooke　was　born　near　Ealing　on　May　4；　1806；　and　was　a　son　of　Dr。　William　Cooke；　a　doctor　of　medicine；　and　professor　of　anatomy　at　the　University　of　Durham。　　The　boy　was　educated　at　a　school　in　Durham；　and　at　the　University　of　Edinburgh。　　In　1826　he　joined　the　East　India　Army；　and　held　several　staff　appointments。　　While　in　the　Madras　Native　Infantry；　he　returned　home　on　furlough；　owing　to　ill…health；　and　afterwards　relinquished　this　connection。　　In　1833…4　he　studied　anatomy　and　physiology　in　Paris；　acquiring　great　skill　at　modelling　dissections　in　coloured　wax。

In　the　summer　of　1835；　while　touring　in　Switzerland　with　his　parents；　he　visited　Heidelberg；　and　was　induced　by　Professor　Tiedeman；　director　of　the　Anatomical　Institute；　to　return　there　and　continue　his　wax　modelling。　　He　lodged　at　97；　Stockstrasse；　　in　the　house　of　a　brewer；　and　modelled　in　a　room　nearly　opposite。　　Some　of　his　models　have　been　preserved　in　the　Anatomical　Museum　at　Heidelberg。　　In　March　1836；　hearing　accidentally　from　Mr。　J。　W。　R。　Hoppner；　a　son　of　Lord　Byron's　friend；　that　the　Professor　of　Natural　Philosophy　in　the　University；　Geheime　Hofrath　Moncke。　　had　a　model　of　Baron　Schilling's　telegraph；　Cooke　went　to　see　it　on　March　6；　in　the　Professor's　lecture　room；　an　upper　storey　of　an　old　convent　of　Dominicans；　where　he　also　lived。　Struck　by　what　he　witnessed；　he　abandoned　his　medical　studies；　and　resolved　to　apply　all　his　energies　to　the　introduction　of　the　telegraph。　Within　three　weeks　he　had　made；　partly　at　Heidelberg；　and　partly　at　Frankfort；　his　first　galvanometer；　or　needle　telegraph。　　It　consisted　of　three　magnetic　needles　surrounded　by　multiplying　　coils；　and　actuated　by　three　separate　circuits　of　six　wires。　　The　movements　of　the　needles　under　the　action　of　the　currents　produced　twenty…six　different　signals　corresponding　to　the　letters　of　the　alphabet。

'Whilst　completing　the　model　of　my　original　plan；'　he　wrote　to　his　mother　on　April　5；　'others　on　entirely　fresh　systems　suggested　themselves；　and　I　have　at　length　succeeded　in　combining　the　UTILE　of　each；　but　the　mechanism　requires　a　more　delicate　hand　than　mine　to　execute；　or　rather　instruments　which　I　do　not　possess。　　These　I　can　readily　have　made　for　me　in　London；　and　by　the　aid　of　a　lathe　I　shall　he　able　to　adapt　the　several　parts；　which　I　shall　have　made　by　different　mechanicians　for　secrecy's　sake。　　Should　I　succeed；　it　may　be　the　means　of　putting　some　hundreds　of　pounds　in　my　pocket。　　As　it　is　a　subject　on　which　I　was　profoundly　ignorant；　until　my　attention　was　casually　attracted　to　it　the　other　day；　I　do　not　know　what　others　may　have　done　in　the　same　way；　this　can　best　be　learned　in　London。'

The　'fresh　systems'　referred　to　was　his　'mechanical'　telegraph；　consisting　of　two　letter　dials；　working　synchronously；　and　on　which　particular　letters　of　the　message　were　indicated　by　means　of　an　electro…　magnet　and　detent。　　Before　the　end　of　March　he　invented　the　clock…work　alarm；　in　which　an　electro…magnet　attracted　an　armature　of　soft　iron；　and　thus　withdrew　a　detent；　allowing　the　works　to　strike　the　alarm。　This　idea　was　suggested　to　him　on　March　17；　1836；　while　reading　Mrs。　Mary　Somerville's　'Connexion　of　the　Physical　Sciences；'　in　travelling　from　Heidelberg　to　Frankfort。

Cooke　arrived　in　London　on　April　22；　and　wrote　a　pamphlet　setting　forth　his　plans　for　the　establishment　of　an　electric　telegraph；　but　it　was　never　published。　　According　to　his　own　account　he　also　gave　considerable　attention　to　the　escapement　principle；　or　step　by　step　movement；　afterwards　perfected　by　Wheatstone。　　While　busy　in　preparing　his　apparatus　for　exhibition；　part　of　which　was　made　by　a　clock…maker　in　Clerkenwell；　he　consulted　Faraday　about　the　construction　of　electro…　magnets；　The　philosopher　saw　his　apparatus　and　expressed　his　opinion　that　the　'principle　was　perfectly　correct；'　and　that　the　'instrument　appears　perfectly　adapted　to　its　intended　uses。'　Nevertheless　he　was　not　very　sanguine　of　making　it　a　commercial　success。　　'The　electro…magnetic　telegraph　shall　not　ruin　me；'　he　wrote　to　his　mother；　'but　will　hardly　make　my　fortune。'　He　was　desirous　of　taking　a　partner　in　the　work；　and　went　to　Liverpool　in　order　to　meet　some　gentleman　likely　to　forward　his　views；　and　endeavoured　to　get　his　instrument　adopted　on　the　incline　of　the　tunnel　at　Liverpool；　but　it　gave　sixty　signals；　and　was　deemed　too　complicated　by　the　directors。　　Soon　after　his　return　to　London；　by　the　end　of　April；　he　had　two　simpler　instruments　in　working　order。　　All　these　preparations　had　already　cost　him　nearly　four　hundred　pounds。

On　February　27；　Cooke；　being　dissatisfied　with　an　experiment　on　a　mile　of　wire；　consulted　Faraday　and　Dr。　Roget　as　to　the　action　of　a　current　on　an　electro…magnet　in　circuit　with　a　long　wire。　　Dr。　Roget　sent　him　to　Wheatstone；　where　to　his　dismay　he　learned　that　Wheatstone　had　been　employed　for　months　on　the　construction　of　a　telegraph　for　practical　purposes。　　The　end　of　their　conferences　was　that　a　partnership　in　the　undertaking　was　proposed　by　Cooke；　and　ultimately　accepted　by　Wheatstone。　　The　latter　had　given　Cooke　fresh　hopes　of　success　when　he　was　worn　and　　discouraged。　　'In　truth；'　he　wrote　in　a　letter；　after　his　first　interview　with　the　Professor；　'I　had　given　the　telegraph　up　since　Thursday　evening；　and　only　sought　proofs　of　my　being　right　to　do　so　ere　announcing　it　to　you。　　This　day's　enquiries　partly　revives　my　hopes；　but　I　am　far　from　sanguine。　　The　scientific　men　know　little　or　nothing　absolute　on　the　subject：　　Wheatstone　is　the　only　man　near　the　mark。'

It　would　appear　that　the　current；　reduced　in　strength　by　its　passage　through　a　long　wire；　had　failed　to　excite　his　electro…magnet；　and　he　was　ignorant　of　the　reason。　　Wheatstone　by　his　knowledge　of　Ohm's　law　and　the　electro…magnet　was　probably　able　to　enlighten　him。　　It　is　clear　that　Cooke　had　made　considerable　progress　with　his　inventions　before　he　met　Wheatstone；　he　possessed　a　needle　telegraph　like　Wheatstone；　an　alarm；　and　a　chronometric　dial　telegraph；　which　at　all　events　are　a　proof　that　he　himself　was　an　inventor；　and　that　he　doubtless　bore　a　part　in　the　production　of　the　Cooke　and　Wheatstone　apparatus。　　Contrary　to　a　statement　of　Wheatstone；　it　appears　from　a　letter　of　Cooke　dated　March　4；　1837；　that　Wheatstone　'handsomely　acknowledged　the　advantage'　of　Cooke's　apparatus　had　it　worked；'　his　（Wheatstone's）　are　ingenious；　but　not　practicable。'　But　these　conflicting　accounts　are　reconciled　by　the　fact　that　Cooke's　electro…magnetic　telegraph　would　not　work；　and　Wheatstone　told　him　so；　because　he　knew　the　magnet　was　not　strong　enough　when　the　current　had　to　traverse　a　long　circuit。

Wheatstone　subsequently　investigated　the　conditions　necessary　to　obtain　electro…magnetic　effects　at　a　long　distance。　　Had　he　studied　the　paper　of　Professor　Henry　in　SILLIMAN'S　JOURNAL　for　January　1831；　he　would　have　learned　that　in　a　long　circuit　the　electro…magnet　had　to　be　wound　with　a　long　and　fine　wire　in　order　to　be　effective。

As　the　Cooke　and　Wheatstone　apparatus　became　perfected；　Cooke　was　busy　with　schemes　for　its　introduction。　　Their　joint　patent　is　dated　June　12；　1837；　and　before　the　end　of　the　month　Cooke　was　introduced　to　Mr。　Robert　Stephenson；　and　by　his　address　and　energy　got　leave　to　try　the　invention　from　Euston　to　Camden　Town　along　the　line　of　the　London　and　Birmingham　Railway。　　Cooke　suspended　some　thirteen　miles　of　copper；　in　a　shed　at　the　Euston　terminus；　and　exhibited　his　needle　and　his　chronometric　telegraph　in　action　to　the　directors　one　morning。　　But　the　official　trial　took　place　as　we　have　already　described　in　the　life　of　Wheatstone。

The　telegraph　was　soon　adopted　on　the　Great　Western　Railway；　and　also　on　the　Blackwall　Railway　in　1841。　　Three　years　later　it　was　tried　on　a　Government　line　from　London　to　Portsmouth。　　In　1845；　the　Electric　Telegraph　Company；　the　pioneer　association　of　its　kind；　was　started；　and　Mr。　Cooke　became　a　director。　Wheatstone　and　he　obtained　a　considerable　sum　for　the　use　of　their　apparatus。　In　1866；　Her　Majesty　conferred　the　honour　of　knighthood　on　the　co…inventors；　and　in　1871；　Cooke　was　granted　a　Civil　List　pension　of　L100　a　year。　　His　latter　years　were　spent　in　seclusion；　and　he　died　at　Farnham　on　June　25th；　1879。　　Outside　of　telegraphic　circles　his　name　had　become　well…nigh　forgotten。



IV。　　ALEXANDER　BAIN。

Alexander　Bain　was　born　of　humble　parents　in　the　little　town　of　Thurso；　at　the　extreme　north　of　Scotland；　in　the　year　1811。　　At　the　age　of　twelve　he　went