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281
Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
264
Cooke
arrived
in
London
on
April
22,
and
wrote
a
pamphlet
setting
forth
his
plans
for
the
establishment
of
an
electric
telegraph;
but
it
was
never
published.
According
to
his
own
account
he
also
gave
considerable
attention
to
the
escapement
principle,
or
step
by
step
movement,
afterwards
perfected
by
Wheatstone.
While
busy
in
preparing
his
apparatus
for
exhibition,
part
of
which
was
made
by
a
clock-maker
in
Clerkenwell,
he
consulted
Faraday
about
the
construction
of
electro-magnets,
The
philosopher
saw
his
apparatus
and
expressed
his
opinion
that
the
'principle
was
perfectly
correct,'
and
that
the
'instrument
appears
perfectly
adapted
to
its
intended
uses.'
Nevertheless
he
was
not
very
sanguine
of
making
it
a
commercial
success.
'The
electro-magnetic
telegraph
shall
not
ruin
me,'
he
wrote
to
his
mother,
'but
will
hardly
make
my
fortune.'
He
was
desirous
of
taking
a
partner
in
the
work,
and
went
to
Liverpool
in
order
to
meet
some
gentleman
likely
to
forward
his
views,
and
endeavoured
to
get
his
instrument
adopted
on
the
incline
of
the
tunnel
at
Liverpool;
but
it
gave
sixty
signals,
and
was
deemed
too
complicated
by
the
directors.
Soon
after
his
return
to
London,
by
the
end
of
April,
he
had
two
simpler
instruments
in
working
order.
All
these
preparations
had
already
cost
him
nearly
four
hundred
pounds.
On
February
27,
Cooke,
being
dissatisfied
with
an
experiment
on
a
mile
of
wire,
consulted
Faraday
and
Dr.
Roget
as
to
the
action
of
a
current
on
an
electro-magnet
in
circuit
with
a
long
wire.
Dr.
Roget
sent
him
to
Wheatstone,
where
to
his
dismay
he
learned
that
Wheatstone
had
been
employed
for
months
on
the
construction
of
a
telegraph
for
practical
purposes.
The
end
of
their
conferences
was
that
a
partnership
in
the
undertaking
was
proposed
by
Cooke,
and
ultimately
accepted
by
Wheatstone.
The
latter
had
given
Cooke
fresh
hopes
of
success
when
he
was
worn
and
discouraged.
'In
truth,'
he
wrote
in
a
letter,
after
his
first
interview
with
the
Professor,
'I
had
given
the
telegraph
up
since
Thursday
evening,
and
only
sought
proofs
of
my
being
right
to
do
so
ere
announcing
it
to
you.
This
day's
enquiries
partly
revives
my
hopes,
but
I
am
far
from
sanguine.
The
scientific
men
know
little
or
nothing
absolute
on
the
subject:
Wheatstone
is
the
only
man
near
the
mark.'
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