The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-03 00:00:00

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.

Yesterday, on the meeting of the committee, Mr.
Ricardo, M.P., was cross-examined. The Electric Tele-
graph Company had paid large dividends—larger than they
would be able, probably, to pay again ; but for many years
they had paid no dividends at all. The company had 40
miles of underground telegraph.
Mr. Hatcher had been engineer-in-chief to the Electric
Telegraph Company from its formation, and was now its
consulting engineer. At the commencement of operations
sending fire words a minute was considered good, but now
they could send from 30 to 37 words in a minute. There
was a possibility, if duplicate lines were established on a
railway, of one telegraph, by placing their wires in con-
nexion with the other, stealing the intelligence that went
over them, but it was not necessary that the two companisa
should have the same signals.
Mr. Edwin Clark, C. E., engineer-in-chief to the Electric
Telegraph Company, stated that be had, within the last 12
months, put up 1,500 miles of telegraph, and gave it as his
opinion that the underground system of telegraphs was per-
fectly practicable. The best and most perfect insulation for
the wires underground was gotta percha, with which they
were supplied by the Gotta Perch' Company, whose patent
had also been successfully applied for the submarine tele-
graphs.
Mr. Gilpin, contractor for the Irish Channel Submarine
Telegraph, now being carried out between Portpatrick and
Donaghadee, described the operations that were being
carried out in connexion with that undertaking. About 60
miles out of the 85 of trench, for the underground telegraph
on the Scottish coaalpwas finished. The wire to be sunk In
the channel would be about 20 miles. Operations were going
on for carrying it underground from Donaghadee to
Dublin and Belfast. The cable was ready to be sunk on
the first favourable tide. The total length of this telegraph
would be 250 miles. There would he four wires cased with
gutta percha, and placed in tubes under ground. The
Outta Perches Company supplied the casing, and no one
else could, that company having a patent right for the pur-
pose. The trenches were feet deep. As they did not
expect to get • great number of messages from Ireland,
they intended, if possible, so as to do it cheaply, to make
their stations at the various post-offices in the towns, and
pay, the post people to work the wires. Thought the
underground was better than the aboveground system.
Had been well received in Ireland, and the only trouble
they had had was that of pleasing everybody. Ihe Irish
Channel Submarine Company only started last February,
and expected that in another fortnight their intire line
would be completed. Admitted that Mr. Ricardo was a
trustee of the company. The telegraph was being laid
down by Mr. Griffin, the superintendent of the under-
taking, and the government placed steamers at the com-
pany's disposal to assist in sinking the cable
Before the committee adjourned an interesting experi-
ment was made to show the rapidity, precision, and perfec-
tion with which an express despatch now daily passes
between London and York. Fur this purpose, at short
notice, the telegraph wires communicating from the central
othce in the Strand with the lobby of the House of Com-
mons were brought up the winding staircase into the com-
mittee room, and there attached to an instrument on the
table. Notice was simultaneously given to some one hun-
dred intermediate stations to keep the electric line clear for
a special despatch. The committee, with the Times in
hand, requested the telegraph clerk to tell his colleague at
York, 290 miles, to send up the fourth advertisement in the
fourth column of that paper, Mr. Baldock, one of the mem-
bers, with a repeater timing the transit. In fifteen seconds
after the request was sent the advertitement in question
was forwarded from York and read off, without en error on
the fact of the instrument, in the committee room, in two
minutes and • fraction, to the great gratification of all pre-
sent, the manipulator stating that had it not been for the
hurried arrangements it might have been accomplished in
one minute, and at a coat but slightly more than that paid
for the advertisement in the paper.

CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY.—Rettum of traffic
for week ending Iday 29, 1862: Passingcra, parcels,
dm., 991. 13.. ad. ; merchandise, cattle, Ac., 441. 174. 94•
total, 1441. Ils. Id. (20 miles open.) Corresponding weak
last your: 331. 10a. Od. (10 miles open.)