Untitled

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 45, 14 April 1863, Page 3

Printing by Telegraph:. — On Monday some interesting experiments, designed to prove the practicability of printing by telegraph, or, in other words, to show how a telegraphic apparatus can register simultaneously in type messages of which it is the medium, were made in the presence of the Lord Mayor and other gentlemen at the offices of the United Kingdom Telegraph Company, in Old Broad-street, where a machine for the purpose, as in vented and patented by Professor Hughes, is now in operation, communicating with Birmingham and other large towns. The instrument was first introduced in America, and has since been brought into practical use in France, and more recently in Italy, with, it is said, complete success. It is now being tried on the lines of the United Kingdom Telegraph Company with the view to its adoption by them. The machine is fixed to a table or platform no larger than an ordinary chess-board, and is altogether very neat and compact. The electric waves are transmitted by a revolving arm, which acts in concert with a typewheel. On the face of the instrument are 28 keys, arranged like those of a piano, but occupying less than a third of the space. These correspond with, an equal number of metal plates working upwards through slots formed all round a circular disc, on the top of which, but not in connection with it, the arm, and what is called " con-tact-maker " revolve. The type-wheel and this arm revolve together, and, when a key is depressed by the operator, a plate corresponding witb Ihe letter touched is raised and a letter is printed, while at the same instant, by a graduated movement, the paper is carried on a space ready to recei v the next impression. The instrument is worked chiefly by women, and very much after the manner of a piano, but with a heavier touch. It prints at both ends of the wire simultaneously and in clear type so that the operator sees the message which ! is being transmitted as it proceeds, and, no copying or translation being required, the chance of error is avoided. The speed secured in France and in America by highly-trained operators is said to have reached from 40 to 50 words a minute. At this rate the instrument would print matter equal to a column of the Weekly Despatch in a few minutes less than an hour, assuming there was no break in the operation, which, probably, would be too much to assume. It was brought into use in transmitting a report of the recent speech of Mr Bright at Birmingham. — Weekly Despatch. A great meeting, composed of the leading men of all Irish parties, was held in the Man-sion-house, Dublin, on the 20th January, as a demonstration in support of the claim of Galway to the long-agitated postal subsidy of £75,000.