15
On the 7th of September, 1810, Soemmerring called on
Baron Schilling to invite him to his lodgings, in order
that he might have the pleasure of showing him the
action of the telegraph through wire carried round the
whole house in which he then lived. It was Leyden’s
house, nearly opposite the Max Gate. The wires were
first covered with a solution of india-rubber, and then
varnished.
On the 25th October, the then newly-married Crown Princess of Bavaria, Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, aunt to Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Constantine of Russia, honoured Soemmerring with a visit to see his telegraph. She came accompanied by her mother, aunt to His Highness the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who is married to Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Catherina Michailowna of Russia.
conducting wires, from which the gas bubbles rose, terminated each in a separate glass tube containing water. Others have repeated this error, and it he even been said that each point terminated under a separate inverted glass cup with water. The fact is, that these gold points, representing the letters of the alphabet and the numerals, were all placed side by side in a row at the lower part or bottom of an oblong glass trough, containing water to a considerable height.
