The Press.
London, England, 1858-09-11 00:00:00

THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 11, 1858.

When, therefore, it was proposed to lay '
down a telegraphic wire from England to
America, 2,000 miles and more in length, over
waters the depth of which we know in
some places exceeds two miles, a grave ques-
tion excited the minds of practical men whether
the experience of the iron cable, which was suited
to shallow waters, was fitted to bear the strain
consequent on paying out to such depths, and in
stormy weather; for it is evident to even the
most casual observer that 2,500 fathoms of iron

rope hanging from the stern of a vessel must
exert a most dangerous pressure, not only on the
paying-out machinery but on the whole cable so
paid out ; and this pressure would be greatly
increased by the pitching of the vessel in a
heavy sea.
Another difficulty in the use of this description
of cable was the stowing away of such a cumbrous
weight in the hold, and the constant risks of
kinking in the coils, and, lastly, the enormous
expense, amounting to 1901. a mile, including the
waste inseparable from its use. These difficulties
were ably pointed out by a pamphlet on submarine
telegraphs, by Wm. Row Err, to which we have
already called attention in a previous number,
and the results of the late experiments seem to
have fully justified the apprehensions enter-
tained.* We will now attempt to explain the
probable failure that has occurred, though we
have great reason to complain of the disinge-
nuousness of the Company throughout, in looking
rather to the share-market than the public good
in this national undertaking, and preserving a
mystery throughout all the stages of the proceed-
ings. the current, they say, is interrupted, the
signals being unintelligible. Had they ceased
altogether, we could understand that the cable
had parted, but signals still passing from end to
end, but so weak as not to convey a message,
seem to us to disclose such a state of things
as the following.
The pressure in submerging, of which we
spoke above, has forced the iron spiral
strand to stretch, and also to elongate and
strain the copper wire inclosed in its centre.
This wire is composed of small strands, folding
over or twisted into a solid rope ; and, though
the strain through such a length of cable may
and has broken the strands in several places, it
has not probably broken them all in one and the
same place, so as to disconnect the current alto-
gether. But still the effect naturally is to
weaken the wire so much that it will no longer
sufficiently convey the electric fluid to mark the
characters on the other end of the cable. We
cannot but congratulate ourselves on the caution
habitual to the British mind, which saved us the
exuberant self-glorification of our warmer trans-
atlantic and Irish brethren. Be ours rather the
task to extract the moral from the late failure,
and to learn from it the means of avoiding dis-
appointment in future. That it is possible to
lay down a cable is proved ; that it is necessary
to do so is equally clear. It therefore behoves
us to select such a cable as will not only obviate
the difficulties we have pointed out, but give rea-
sonable hope of answering the known desiderata.
This we have grounds for believing the Directors
of the Atlantic Telegraph Company are diligently
investigating, though they still make a mystery
of their proceedings, which, perhaps, under the
circumstances, is hardly wise.
In fine, we heartily pray for their success in
an enterprize so fraught with untold advantages
to the interests of humanity at large, and trust
that no shallow prejudices, no petty considera-
tions, private or personal, will prevent their
carrying out their magnificent design on the
surest and most enlightened principles.