Scientific American Supplement, No. 508, September 26, 1885Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 508, September 26, 1885
Various
Science -- Periodicals
In conclusion, it may be said that optical telegraphy, which has only
within a few years emerged from the domain of theory to enter that of
practice, has taken a remarkable stride in the military art and in
science. It is due to its processes that Col. Perrier has in recent
years been enabled to carry out certain geodesic work that would have
formerly been regarded as impracticable, notably the prolongation of
the arc of the meridian between France and Spain. Very recently, an
optical communication established between Mauritius and Reunion
islands, to a distance of 129 miles, with 24 inch apparatus, proved
that, in certain cases, the costly laying of a submarine cable may be
replaced by the direct emission of a luminous ray.
* * * * *
A NEW STYLE OF SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.
Mr. F. Von Faund-Szyll has devised an original system of submarine
telegraph, which is based upon the well known property that selenium
exhibits of modifying its resistance under the influence of luminous
rays, and which he styles the _Selen-Differenzialrecorder_.
Contrary to what is found in the other systems hitherto employed, the
Faund-Szyll system utilizes the cable current merely for starting the
receiving apparatus, which are operated by means of strong local
batteries. The result is that the mechanical work that devolves upon
the line current, which is, as well known, very weak, is exceedingly
reduced.
The system consists of two essential parts: (1) The receiver, properly
so called. (2) The relay as well as the registering apparatus or
_differenzialrecorder_. The receiver consists of a closed box, K, in
the interior of which there is a very intense source of light whose
rays escape by passing through apertures, _a a'_, in the front part
(Fig. 1).
As a source of light, there may be conveniently employed an
incandescent lamp, _g_, capable of giving an intense light, and
arranged (as shown in Fig. 2) behind the side that contains the slits,
_a a'_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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