heroes of the telegraph-第10节

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！


to　insure　success　to　the　common　enterprise。　　I　am　crushed　for　want　of　means；　and　means　of　so　trifling　a　character　too；　that　they　who　know　how　to　ask　（which　I　do　not）　could　obtain　in　a　few　hours。。。。　As　it　is；　although　everything　is　favourable；　although　I　have　no　competition　and　no　oppositionon　the　contrary；　although　every　member　of　Congress；　so　far　as　I　can　learn；　is　favourableyet　I　fear　all　will　fail　because　I　am　too　poor　to　risk　the　trifling　expense　which　my　journey　and　residence　in　Washington　will　occasion　me。　　I　WILL　NOT　RUN　INTO　DEBT；　if　I　lose　the　whole　matter。　　So　unless　I　have　the　means　from　some　source；　I　shall　he　compelled；　however　reluctantly；　to　leave　it。　　No　one　call　tell　the　days　and　months　of　anxiety　and　labour　I　have　had　in　perfecting　my　telegraphic　apparatus。　　For　want　of　means　I　have　been　compelled　to　make　with　my　own　hands　（and　to　labour　for　weeks）　a　piece　of　mechanism　which　could　be　made　much　better；　and　in　a　tenth　part　of　the　time；　by　a　good　mechanician；　thus　wasting　timetime　which　I　cannot　recall；　and　which　seems　double…winged　to　me。

'〃Hope　deferred　maketh　the　heart　sick。〃　It　is　true；　and　I　have　known　the　full　meaning　of　it。　　Nothing　but　the　consciousness　that　I　have　an

invention　which　is　to　mark　an　era　in　human　civilisation；　and　which　is　to　contribute　to　the　happiness　of　millions；　would　have　sustained　me　through　so　many　and　such　lengthened　trials　of　patience　in　perfecting　it。'　Morse　did　not　invent　for　money　or　scientific　reputation；　he　believed　himself　the　instrument　of　a　great　purpose。

During　the　summer　of　1842　he　insulated　a　wire　two　miles　long　with　hempen　threads　saturated　with　pitch…tar　and　surrounded　with　india…　rubber。　　On　October　18；　during　bright　moonlight；　he　submerged　this　wire　in　New　York　Harbour；　between　Castle　Garden　and　Governor's　Island；　by　unreeling　it　from　a　small　boat　rowed　by　a　man。　　After　signals　had　been　sent　through　it；　the　wire　was　cut　by　an　anchor；　and　a　portion　of　it　carried　off　by　sailors。　　This　appears　to　be　the　first　experiment　in　signalling　on　a　subaqueous　wire。　　It　was　repeated　on　a　canal　at　Washington　the　following　December；　and　both　are　described　in　a　letter　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　December　23；　1844；　in　which　Morse　states　his　belief　that　'telegraphic　communication　on　the　electro…magnetic　plan　may　with　certainty　be　established　across　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　　Startling　as　this　may　now　seem；　I　am　confident　the　time　will　come　when　the　project　will　be　realised。'

In　December；　1842；　the　inventor　made　another　effort　to　obtain　the　help　of　Congress；　and　the　Committee　on　Commerce　again　recommended　an　appropriation　of　30；000　dollars　in　aid　of　the　telegraph。　　Morse　had　come　to　be　regarded　as　a　tiresome　'crank'　by　some　of　the　Congressmen；　and　they　objected　that　if　the　magnetic　telegraph　were　endowed；　mesmerism　or　any　other　'ism'　might　have　a　claim　on　the　Treasury。　　The　Bill　passed　the　House　by　a　slender　majority　of　six　votes；　given　orally；　some　of　the　representatives　fearing　that　their　support　of　the　measure　would　alienate　their　constituents。　　Its　fate　in　the　Senate　was　even　more　dubious；　and　when　it　came　up　for　consideration　late　one　night　before　the　adjournment；　a　senator；　the　Hon。　Fernando　Wood；　went　to　Morse；　who　watched　in　the　gallery；　and　said；'There　is　no　use　in　your　staying　here。　　The　Senate　is　not　in　sympathy　with　your　project。　　I　advise　you　to　give　it　up；　return　home；　and　think　no　more　about　it。'

Morse　retired　to　his　rooms；　and　after　paying　his　bill　for　board；　including　his　breakfast　the　next　morning；　he　found　himself　with　only　thirty…seven　cents　and　a　half　in　the　world。　　Kneeling　by　his　bed…side　he　opened　his　heart　to　God；　leaving　the　issue　in　His　hands；　and　then；　comforted　in　spirit；　fell　asleep。　　While　eating　his　breakfast　next　morning；　Miss　Annie　G。　Ellsworth；　daughter　of　his　friend　the　Hon。　Henry　L。　Ellsworth；　Commissioner　of　Patents；　came　up　with　a　beaming　countenance；　and　holding　out　her　hand；　said

'Professor；　I　have　come　to　congratulate　you。'

'Congratulate　me！'　replied　Morse；　'on　what　？'

'Why；'　she　exclaimed；'　on　the　passage　of　your　Bill　by　the　Senate！'

It　had　been　voted　without　debate　at　the　very　close　of　the　session。　Years　afterwards　Morse　declared　that　this　was　the　turning…point　in　the　history　of　the　telegraph。　　'My　personal　funds；'　he　wrote；'　were　reduced　to　the　fraction　of　a　dollar；　and　had　the　passage　of　the　Bill　failed　from　any　cause；　there　would　have　been　little　prospect　of　another　attempt　on　my　part　to　introduce　to　the　world　my　new　invention。'

Grateful　to　Miss　Ellsworth　for　bringing　the　good　news；　he　declared　that　when　the　Washington　to　Baltimore　line　was　complete　hers　should　be　the　first　despatch。

The　Government　now　paid　him　a　salary　of　2；500　dollars　a　month　to　superintend　the　laying　of　the　underground　line　which　he　had　decided　upon。　　Professors　Gale　and　Fisher　became　his　assistants。　　Vail　was　put　in　charge；　and　Mr。　Ezra　Cornell；　who　founded　the　Cornell　University　on　the　site　of　the　cotton　mill　where　he　had　worked　as　a　mechanic；　and　who　had　invented　a　machine　for　laying　pipes；　was　chosen　to　supervise　the　running　of　the　line。　　The　conductor　was　a　five…wire　cable　laid　in　pipes；　but　after　several　miles　had　been　run　from　Baltimore　to　the　house　intended　for　the　relay；　the　insulation　broke　down。　　Cornell；　it　is　stated；　injured　his　machine　to　furnish　an　excuse　for　the　stoppage　of　the　work。　The　leaders　consulted　in　secret；　for　failure　was　staring　them　in　the　face。　Some　23；000　dollars　of　the　Government　grant　were　spent；　and　Mr。　Smith；　who　had　lost　his　faith　in　the　undertaking；　claimed　4000　of　the　remaining　7000　dollars　under　his　contract　for　laying　the　line。　　A　bitter　quarrel　arose　between　him　and　Morse；　which　only　ended　in　the　grave。　　He　opposed　an　additional　grant　from　Government；　and　Morse；　in　his　dejection；　proposed　to　let　the　patent　expire；　and　if　the　Government　would　use　his　apparatus　and　remunerate　him；　he　would　reward　Alfred　Vail；　while　Smith　would　be　deprived　of　his　portion。　　Happily；　it　was　decided　to　abandon　the　subterranean　line；　and　erect　the　conductor　on　poles　above　the　ground。　　A　start　was　made　from　the　Capitol；　Washington；　on　April　1；　1844；　and　the　line　was　carried　to　the　Mount　Clare　Depot；　Baltimore；　on　May　23；　1843。　　Next　morning　Miss　Ellsworth　fulfilled　her　promise　by　inditing　the　first　message。　　She　chose　the　words；　'What　hath　God　wrought？'　and　they　were　transmitted　by　Morse　from　the　Capitol　at　8。45　a。m。；　and　received　at　Mount　Clare　by　Alfred　Vail。

This　was　the　first　message　of　a　public　character　sent　by　the　electric　telegraph　in　the　Western　World；　and　it　is　preserved　by　the　Connecticut　Historical　Society。　　The　dots　and　dashes　representing　the　words　were　not　drawn　with　pen　and　ink；　but　embossed　on　the　paper　with　a　metal　stylus。　The　machine　itself　was　kept　in　the　National　Museum　at　Washington；　and　on　removing　it；　in　1871；　to　exhibit　it　at　the　Morse　Memorial　Celebration　at　New　York；　a　member　of　the　Vail　family　discovered　a　folded　paper　attached　to　its　base。　　A　corner　of　the　writing　was　torn　away　before　its　importance　was　recognised；　but　it　proved　to　be　a　signed　statement　by　Alfred　Vail；　to　the　effect　that　the　method　of　embossing　was　invented　by　him　in　the　sixth　storey　of　the　NEW　YORK　OBSERVER　office　during　1844；　prior　to　the　erection　of　the　Washington　to　Baltimore　line；　without　any　hint　from　Morse。　　'I　have　not　asserted　publicly　my　right　as　first　and　sole　inventor；'　he　says；　'because　I　wished　to　preserve　the　peaceful　unity　of　the　invention；　and　because　I　could　not；　according　to　my　contract　with　Professor　Morse；　have　got　a　patent　for　it。'

The　powers　of　the　telegraph　having　been　demonstrated；　enthusiasm　took　the　place　of　apathy；　and　Morse；　who　had　been　neglected　before；　was　in　some　danger　of　being　over…praised。　　A　political　incident　spread　the　fame　of　the　telegraph　far　and　wide。　　The　Democratic　Convention；　sitting　in　Baltimore；　nominated　Mr。　James　K。　Polk　as　candidate　for　the　Presidency；　and　Mr。　Silas　Wright　for　the　Vice…Presidency。　　Alfred　Vail　telegraphed　the　news　to　Morse　in　Washington；　and　he　at　once　told　Mr。　Wright。　　The　result　was　that　a　few　minutes　later　the　Convention　was　dumbfounded　to　receive　a　message　from　Wright　declining　to　be　nominated。　　They　would　not　believe　it；　and　appointed　a　committee　to　inquire　into　the　matter；　but　the　telegram　was　found　to　be　genuine。

On　April　1；　1845；　the　Baltimore　to　Washington　line　was　formally　opened　for　public　business。　　The　tariff　adopted　by　the　Postmaster…General　was　one　cent　for　every　four　characters；　and　the　receipts　of　the　first　four　days　were　a　single　cent。　　At　the　end　of　a　week　they　had　risen　to　about　a　dollar。

Morse　offered　the　invention　to　the　Government　for　100；000　dollars；　but　the　Postmaster…General　declined　it　on　the　plea　that　its　working　'had　not　satisfied　him　that　under　any　rate　of　postage　that　could　be　adopted　its　revenues　could　be　made　equal　to　its　expenditures。'　Thus　through　the　narrow　views　and　purblindness　of　its　official　the　nation　lost　an　excellent　opportunity　of　keeping　the　telegraph　system　in　its　own　hands。　Morse　was　disappointed　at　this　refusal；　but　it　proved　a　blessing　in　disguise。　　He　and　his　agent；　the　Hon。　Amos　Kendall；　determined　to　rely　on　private　enterprise。

A　line　between　New　York　and　Philadelphia　was　projected；　and　the　apparatus　was　exhi