James Alfred Briggs
James Alfred Briggs (c1844-1903)
1904 Obituary [1]
JAMES ALFRED BRIGGS, died on November 21, 1903, at the comparatively early age of 59.
He was a capable electrician and, in the course of his career, did a good deal of original work. During the seventies he invented, but did not patent, the "split-battery" method of duplex working, which practically doubled the carrying capacity of the lines and was adopted by the Indian Telegraph Department. For this special service he received the thanks of the Director-General.
Somewhat later, he was associated with Dr. Muirhead in bringing out a patent for a system of Quadruplex Telegraphy, which was subsequently adopted and worked in the United States.
Other patents of Mr. Briggs's dealt with "Improvements with Electrical Circuits" (conjointly with Mr. F. Kinsman); "Improvements in the Production of the Electric Light," and "Improvements in Dynamos."
For a period of years he was Superintendent of the Indian Government Telegraphs, and the exigencies of the service took him to some of the least salubrious districts, on which account his health suffered severely. Before finally leaving India, he was attacked by a most dangerous illness, from the effects of which he never recovered sufficiently to complete the brilliant career which appeared open to him.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1875.