Offices of the Electric Telegraph Company

1848

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY

The Central Station of the Electric Telegraph Company, at the end of Founders'-court in Lothbury, is one of the best of the recent architectural adornments of the city of London. Its exterior, though necessarily limited in width, is very bold in character and picturesque in ornament. . . . A boldly-designed doorway - the key-stone ornamented with a head, nicely sculpted - springing from rusticated work; above it a balcony, supported by trusses, having wreaths of flowers pendant from them; two enriched Ionic pilasters, supporting an entablature, simply ornamented, but in excellent style, and carrying an arched pediment - and in the space between them a clock, on a plinth, having sunken panels, and supported at the sides by inverted trusses - are the leading points of the architectural arrangements, and produce a very satisfactory effect. Above the clock, and depending at its sides, are fruits and flowers, in high relief, exceedingly well done. In a panel, at the upper part of the building, are the words "Central Telegraph Station."

    A flight of six steps leads to the interior of the edifice; and on entering the Hall the visitor is struck by its novel and beautiful effect. The space of ground is occupied by the entire building (exclusive of subscribers' rooms) is about 70 feet by 38; and great praise is due the architect for the skilful mode in which he has arranged his plans, so as to give a capacious Hall for the general business to be transacted in, and yet to allow of space for the utmost freedom of access to the different rooms in which the electric correspondence is carried on. The greatest length of the building is from east to west, the shortest from north to south; and in plan the Hall, which is in the centre of the building, is nearly a square, being about 42 feet from east to west, and in the other direction extending the whole depth of the building, within the walls - that is, 32 feet. 
    At the east and west ends a screen of two stories crosses the hall, in the manner shown in our Engraving, the first story being supported by columns of the Doric order, painted in imitation of porphyry, resting on plinths, in imitation gold veined marble, carrying their proper entablature and frieze; and the upper story by columns of the Corinthian order, the shafts painted in imitation of sienna marble, their capitals and bases of white. These stories form capacious galleries, having communication with the apartments in which are the Electric Telegraph Machines; and to connect the two ends of the building, galleries, of nearly the width of the first inter-columniation from the wall, run along the northern and southern sides. These galleries are supported by trusses springing from the frieze in the respective stories.  The trusses to the upper story are very highly enriched, and of beautiful design; those to the lower of plainer though elegant outline. The blank walls, running from east to west, have pilasters corresponding in order to the pillars of the screens and painted like them; and in the inter-columniations, are arches springing from small pilasters attached to the larger ones. On the south side is the entrance from Lothbury, and the door projects somewhat into the Hall, to allow of a room for the porter; while the gallery before-mentioned  follows the projection, as shown in our view. Immediately opposite the Lothbury entrance is a small doorway leading into the Subscribers' Rooms, and above this doorway is a dial clock. A continuous rail, of light and elegant design, runs along the lower galleries, and is also introduced in the spaces between the columns at either end, and from it spring branches for gas-lights. A railing of plain but close pattern also bounds the upper galleries.
    The glazed windows behind the counter separate an office, called the "translating office," from the body of the Hall. In this office all messages are transferred or translated into the abbreviated code arranged by the Company: but it is to be observed, that all such messages as descriptions of persons suspected of any dishonesty are not translated, but sent in full; only the lists of prices in corn, share, and other markets are so abbreviated.
    The windows separate from the body of the Hall offices for clerks, in communication with those employed at the machines above; and who have to receive messages, through the sliding panes before noticed, and transmit them to their fellow clerks above stairs, by the aid of "lifts," or small trays working up and down, by means of cords, in square tubes. There is a "lift" and a bell in connexion with every desk. The motive power to these lifts is given by the clerk at the desk above, who, on his alarm being touched, turns a winch, and elevates the tray in an instant. As there are separate "lifts" to each desk, so, of course, there are separate tubes for each to work in. On the first story the aprtments, in which are the machines, are not nearly so lofty as the Corinthian pillars would seem at first sight to indicate them to be; in fact, this story is divided into two, by a floor , which does not project so far forward as the series of archways, which both ornament the walls and allow of ingress to the machine-room; and therefore a plain railing is carried along to make all secure. . . . . In the machine galleries the wires are carried along the ceilings from the respective machines to the battery chambers and the text box; the battery wires running east and west, and the "house wires" to test box, north and south. The desks and machines, which are of Cooke and Wheatstone's Patent, are all of polished mahogany, and are very beautifully fitted up; and there are eighteen desks, thus affording accommodation for thirty-six machines, in the six apartments devoted to them. All the wires are numbered at the desks, to correspond from batteries to machines, and from machines to the test box, that the electric circuit may be complete. . . . . .     Supposing a message is required to be sent to Liverpool, the sender goes to the counter on the west side and hands the message, written out, to one of the clerks there, who takes the money, and gives a receipt for it. The written paper is then passed into the translating office, where it is duly transferred into the code arranged by the Company. This done, the clerk touches the alarum, and puts the message on the "lift" for Liverpool. which is immediately drawn up by the clerk at the machine, who instantly sets to work. and, in a few seconds, the messages reaches its destination!

Illustrated London News, January 22, 1848