Page:Hamel Telegraph history England 1859.pdf/45

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producing by a combination of movements in the two directions all the signs for letters and numbers. Having known Soemmerring's alarum, Schilling invented one for his telegraph also. His success in bringing his instrument to a state of high perfection would have been much more rapid, had his time not been so much occupied with various duties, and particularly with the founding and directing of a large lithographic establishment for the government.

Baron Schilling's telegraph was an object of great curiosity at St. Petersburg; it was frequently exhibited by him to individuals and to parties. Already the Emperor Alexander I. had been pleased to notice it in its earlier stage, and, when it was reduced to great simplicity, His Majesty the Emperor Nicholas honoured Baron Schilling, in the beginning of April, 1830, with a visit at his lodgings in Afrossimow's house, in the Konooshennaja, to see experiments performed with it through a great length of conducting wires.

His Majesty had long before repeatedly witnessed in the summer camp, near St. Petersburg, the exploding of mines by means of Schilling's carbon igniters through conducting ropes at great distances. Once Baron Schilling had the honour to present to the Emperor, in his tent, a wire.