Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

Description

Thomson explains ' a telegraphic system to which, in the course of this investigation, I have been led, as likely to give nearly the same rapidity of utterance by a submarine one-wire cable of ordinary lateral dimensions between Ireland and Newfoundland, as is attained on short air or submarine lines by telegraphic systems in actual use'. He describes the process of working out the determination of operations performed at one end of a submarine wire, so adjusted, than when the other end is kept completely uninsulated, the subsidence of the electricity in the wire shall follow the triple harmonic law.

Annotations in ink throughout.

Subject: Physics / Engineering / Electricity

This paper was published in full in volume 8 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On practical methods for rapid signalling by the electric telegraph' and 'On practical methods for rapid signalling by the electric telegraph. (Second communication.)'.

Reference number
AP/39/5
Earliest possible date
1856
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
14 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

William Thomson

View page for William Thomson

Use this record

Citation

William Thomson, Paper, 'On practical methods for rapid signalling by the electric telegraph' by W [William] Thomson, 1856, AP/39/5, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_39_5/paper-on-practical-methods-for-rapid-signalling-by-the-electric-telegraph-by-w-william-thomson, accessed on 11 August 2026

Link to this record

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/ap_39_5/paper-on-practical-methods-for-rapid-signalling-by-the-electric-telegraph-by-w-william-thomson" title="Paper, 'On practical methods for rapid signalling by the electric telegraph' by W [William] Thomson" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

    View collection