Alexander Jones

The Electric Telegraph Its Rise and Progress in the United States Alexander Jones

The author of this book, Alexander Jones, begins his treatise by enumerating all the discoveries made to date (1852) in electricity, magnetism, and the electric telegraph. He then provides a brief explanation of the terms and instruments used in telegraphy. Pointing out that it has long been received wisdom that Samuel Morse was the sole and ingenious inventor of the electric telegraph, Jones takes considerable pains to establish the truth of this claim, by examining and analysing more than 1000 pages of evidence arising out of the patent trials instituted by Morse and his friends. What he discovered will probably surprise those who uncritically accept the many myths about Morse. Jones writes that for him to have invented the telegraph, he should have discovered all that was actually discovered by Galvani, Volta, Oersted, Arago, Ampère, the Davys, Gauss, Faraday, Henry, Steinheil, Wheatstone and a host of others who had gone before him, embracing nearly half a century. He should have invented the galvanic battery, discovered electro-magnetic motion, discovered the plan of producing electro-magnets, and of varying their power, and adapted them to making signals at a distance. Indeed, he should have discovered nearly all that was known about electricity in his time, and been the first to suggest its application to telegraphing. Because he did none of these things, he certainly did not invent the art of telegraphy. The distinguished American Professor Henry, in evidence said, "I am not aware that Mr. Morse has ever made a single original discovery in electricity, magnetism, or electro-magnetism, applicable to the invention of the telegraph." To settle the point, Jones asks, "suppose Morse had never existed, would we have had in operation an electric telegraph in the United States of America?" He answers himself with certainty by replying, "certainly we should."Jones also discusses the dates at which the chief telegraph lines in America were built and put into operation, new projected lines, the expense of building and operating lines, and, a topic dear to his heart, the connection of the newspaper press with the telegraph. He also gives a resume of telegraph operations in Europe, together with some rather quirky suggestions of his own for using the telegraph to activate fire alarm whistles, ignite gun powder for underwater blasting, and fire guns in warfare.