[12] Mr. Francis O. J. Smith has recently published a Secret Corresponding Vocabulary adapted to this purpose.
[13] It is proper that I should here state, that the patent-right is now jointly owned, in unequal shares, by myself, Prof. Gale of New York City University, and Messrs. Alfred and George Vail.
[14] This line could now be constructed for less than half the sum.
[15] 98, per minute, can now be sent, 1845.
[16] Many of the facts here given, are taken from Priestley’s Work upon Electricity.
[17] “As the possibility of this experiment has not been easily conceived, I shall here describe it. Two iron rods, about three feet long, were planted just within the margin of the river, on the opposite sides. A thick piece of wire, with a small round knob at its end, was fixed on the top of one of the rods, bending downwards, so as to deliver commodiously the spark upon the surface of the spirit. A small wire, fastened by one end to the handle of the spoon containing the spirit, was carried across the river, and supported in the air by the rope commonly used to hold by, in drawing ferry boats over. The other end of this wire was tied round the coating of the bottle; which being charged, the spark was delivered from the hook to the top of the rod standing in the water on that side. At the same instant the rod on the other side delivered a spark into the spoon and fired the spirit; the electric fire returning to the coating of the bottle,through the handle of the spoon and the supported wire connected with them.”
[18] “An electrified bumper is a small thin glass tumbler, nearly filled with wine, and electrified as the bottle. This, when brought to the lips, gives a shock, if the party be close shaved, and does not breathe on the liquor.”
[19] Academy of Sciences at Munich.
[20] Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 21, p. 686.
[21] Report of Academy of Industry, Paris.