Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1874 — A Great Telegraphic Feat. [ARTICLE]

A Great Telegraphic Feat.

One of the greatest feats in telegraphy upon record was accomplished last evening. By courtesy of the officers of the several telegraph lines communication was secured between St. Louis and Trenton via New Orleans, thus making a continuous line of over 2,500 miles, over which Col. Robert Stewart, who sat at an instrument in the Southern Hotel, St. Louis, conversed with Mr. Charles Curtis, his secretary, who sat in the Western Union office in this The arrangement was previously made that the two operators should meet at the wire at 8 o’clock. Precisely at the hour stated Mr. Curtis was on hand. After waiting a half hour he asked St. Louis the time and was told 7:30. Difference of time had not occurred to Mr. C. After another half-hour’s waiting Mr. Curtis heard the Colonel ask the St. Louis main office if connections were all made, but before the main office, only a few blocks distant, could reply, Mr. Curtis, 2,500 miles away, broke in with ft ,O. K., Colonel, how are you?” The gentlemen conversed for over half an hour, during which Mr. Stewart said: “Give my regards to everybody; I’m having a splendid time.” A greater length of land wire, With one exception, when San Francisco and Boston were connected to ascertain the mean difference in time, has never been secured, and though the distance was so unusually great there was no perceptible space of time consumed in the passage of the subtle current. The messages were not relayed or repeated, but passed direct from one end of the circuit to the other.— Trenton Opinion. ,