登陆注册
4620100000084

第84章

On December 12, 1846, Bain, who was staying in Edinburgh at that time, patented his greatest invention, the chemical telegraph, which bears his name. He recognised that the Morse and other telegraph instruments in use were comparatively slow in speed, owing to the mechanical inertia of the parts; and he saw that if the signal currents were made to pass through a band of travelling paper soaked in a solution which would decompose under their action, and leave a legible mark, a very high speed could be obtained. The chemical he employed to saturate the paper was a solution of nitrate of ammonia and prussiate of potash, which left a blue stain on being decomposed by the current from an iron contact or stylus. The signals were the short and long, or 'dots' and 'dashes' of the Morse code. The speed of marking was so great that hand signalling could not keep up with it, and Bain devised a plan of automatic signalling by means of a running band of paper on which the signals of the message were represented by holes punched through it. Obviously if this tape were passed between the contact of a signalling key the current would merely flow when the perforations allowed the contacts of the key to touch. This principle was afterwards applied by Wheatstone in the construction of his automatic sender.

The chemical telegraph was tried between Paris and Lille before a committee of the Institute and the Legislative Assembly. The speed of signalling attained was 282 words in fifty-two seconds, a marvellous advance on the Morse electro-magnetic instrument, which only gave about forty words a minute. In the hands of Edison the neglected method of Bain was seen by Sir William Thomson in the Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, recording at the rate of 1057 words in fifty-seven seconds. In England the telegraph of Bain was used on the lines of the old Electric Telegraph Company to a limited extent, and in America about the year 1850 it was taken up by the energetic Mr. Henry O'Reilly, and widely introduced. But it incurred the hostility of Morse, who obtained an injunction against it on the slender ground that the running paper and alphabet used were covered by his patent. By 1859, as Mr. Shaffner tells us, there was only one line in America on which the Bain system was in use, namely, that from Boston to Montreal. Since those days of rivalry the apparatus has never become general, and it is not easy to understand why, considering its very high speed, the chemical telegraph has not become a greater favourite.

In 1847 Bain devised an automatic method of playing on wind instruments by moving a band of perforated paper which controlled the supply of air to the pipes; and likewise proposed to play a number of keyed instruments at a distance by means of the electric current. Both of these plans are still in operation.

These and other inventions in the space of six years are a striking testimony to the fertility of Bain's imagination at this period. But after this extraordinary outburst he seems to have relapsed into sloth and the dissipation of his powers. We have been told, and indeed it is plain that he received a considerable sum for one or other of his inventions, probably the chemical telegraph. But while he could rise from the ranks, and brave adversity by dint of ingenuity and labour, it would seem that his sanguine temperament was ill-fitted for prosperity.

He went to America, and what with litigation, unfortunate investment, and perhaps extravagance, the fortune he had made was rapidly diminished.

Whether his inventive genius was exhausted, or he became disheartened, it would be difficult to say, but he never flourished again. The rise in his condition may be inferred from the preamble to his patent for electric telegraphs and clocks, dated May 29, 1852, wherein he describes himself as 'Gentleman,' and living at Beevor Lodge, Hammersmith. After an ephemeral appearance in this character he sank once more into poverty, if not even wretchedness. Moved by his unhappy circumstances, Sir William Thomson, the late Sir William Siemens, Mr. Latimer Clark and others, obtained from Mr. Gladstone, in the early part of 1873, a pension for him under the Civil List of L80 a year; but the beneficiary lived in such obscurity that it was a considerable time before his lodging could be discovered, and his better fortune take effect. The Royal Society had previously made him a gift of L150.

In his latter years, while he resided in Glasgow, his health failed, and he was struck with paralysis in the legs. The massive forehead once pregnant with the fire of genius, grew dull and slow of thought, while the sturdy frame of iron hardihood became a tottering wreck. He was removed to the Home for Incurables at Broomhill, Kirkintilloch, where he died on January 2, 1877, and was interred in the Old Aisle Cemetery. He was a widower, and had two children, but they were said to be abroad at the time, the son in America and the daughter on the Continent.

同类推荐
  • 文苑诗格

    文苑诗格

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 元诗别裁集

    元诗别裁集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陆稼书先生问学录

    陆稼书先生问学录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 品茶要录

    品茶要录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编交谊典师弟部

    明伦汇编交谊典师弟部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 大乘四法经-实叉难陀

    大乘四法经-实叉难陀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 你是我走不出的劫

    你是我走不出的劫

    多年的陪伴,是你我宝贵的财富,虽然不知道你会不会珍视,但它却是我的良药,可能你不知道,其实我想告诉你的是我喜欢你很久了,久到我都快要记不清了“你女朋友我认不认识啊,见没见过?”“嗯,现在我正需要把那小笨蛋送回家”“送回家……我吗?…我嘛!”都说陪伴是最长情的告白。一直以为自己是单恋,可直到被拐进沟里了才知道自己始终是被套路,被算计的那一个。“你怎么这么会抓娃娃呀?”“无师自通,喜欢你也是……”最好的爱情不过双向箭头,友情也是。_l——_l日常走向,第一人称,刚开始尝试,多多支持。
  • 异界修仙:神君,靠边站

    异界修仙:神君,靠边站

    有一种穿越叫做,转发这只锦鲤有一种修仙叫做,抱住原主大腿有一种机缘叫做,老乡你好再见……同为修仙文的女主,独她没有灵根。不是亲妈不疼,只是世间巧合如此(甩锅ing)她也许并不霸气,不嚣张,不强悍,而且佛系没有脾气,无论怎样拿捏,她都是不急不气。但当她积蓄起足够的实力——“折我羽毛者,挫骨扬灰!”“凡失去的,必重归来!”“辱我一尺,还你一丈!”——弱肉强食并不是绝对的生存法则,扮猪吃虎才能当上大王~本文无男主,但多元素
  • 斗破苍穹之绝世天才

    斗破苍穹之绝世天才

    陈建穿越斗破苍穹,改名萧殇,筑,无上修为,屠,万恶之人,行,正义之道,做,磊落之事。一生行走于斗气大陆,在那场旷世之战之后,与其爱人,归隐山林……
  • 偷吻专家

    偷吻专家

    他身边那个位置,代表了危险与死亡,她却从不畏惧。他给她的爱,不能让她知晓。吻,只能偷偷进行。如果不是她近乎执拗地坚持,也许他们早已错失一切机会。面对她,他从无招架之力,最多不过是负隅顽抗。说不清是谁给谁坚守和继续的勇气,只知道一路同行,抵死不惧。
  • 宿主请停止黑化

    宿主请停止黑化

    给她映像最深刻的是最后出现在她面前的那个少年,那个少年苦着一张脸凄凄惨惨的看着她问她什么时候回来。莫名的,她笑了一下然后骗他说,很快就回来了。她不想让他那么失望,那就让他怀着无限的期待在这时间的长河里慢慢等她回来吧,说不定那天她就活过来了呢。
  • 沙州记

    沙州记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绝世魂主

    绝世魂主

    洛城,方鲁镇。传说中有一种古魂瞳,奇异而又神奇,世人一直在寻找古魂瞳的存在。七年的时间,他曾是一个受人嘲笑与白眼的瞎子。如今,他重见光明,不再是受人耻笑的瞎子与被人收养的弃儿。七年的黑暗时间,他沉寂,他隐忍,他独自承受黑暗的痛苦。七年后的破茧,练就古魂瞳,成为地位之高的符师,成为族人的领袖...乱世之中的英雄,绝世中的魂主,掀起了一方狂潮...只为俯瞰众人,成为最强者。乱世英雄,儿女情长,情深薄寡,谁是他心中的佳人……
  • 艾泽拉斯大领主

    艾泽拉斯大领主

    艾泽拉斯拥有无数条时间线,而这正是玩家们赖以生存的‘服务器’。每一个服务器都是全新的、与众不同的故事。而在众多的服务之中,有一条服务器即使是青铜龙也不愿意轻易踏入其中。因为那里生活着一个被死亡所眷顾的人!
  • 罪惟录选辑

    罪惟录选辑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。