The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-24 00:00:00

ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE.

TO THZ EDITOR OW THE EXPRESS,

&imam to those whose money and
Labour have been so freely amd, in aped to the interests of
science, so effectually expesda in solving the problem of
telegraphic communication begwees Ireland and America, I
trust you will permit me to make a few remarks upon some
etatements injunously affecting the Atlantic T
Company, winch have appeared recently in the comesleirefte:
report of an interview of certain persona with Lord Palmer.
ston on the subject of a proposed survey of the coast. of
Greenland and Iceland. Those statements were as follows
_ . . .

I. That the Atlantic Telegraph ham been a failure.
2. That the supposed failure hie considerably shaken the
eonfidenoe of scientific electricians in the possibility of •
direct line between England and America.
3. That the cable of the Atlantic Telegraph Company is
3,000 miles in length.
4. That the recent discoveries in electrical science show
that it is almost impracticable to work through that cable
or any cable, of similar length at • commercial profit.
There is no foundation whatever for any of these asser-
tions ; and, with your permission, I desire to say a few
words respecting each of them.
The Atlantic 'Telegraph is not a failure. Its success will
ever be eminentas the great scientific triumph of the pre.
sent day, especially when it is considered what was the
state of telegraphic knowledge at the time it originated.
Its value was amply demonstrated by the important massages
it conveyed while in working order, and its ceasing to work
was neither caused by "long sea routes," "stormy and deep
oceans," nor any other came which a Greenlend line or any
shorter sea circuit would remedy, but simply because a fault,
unperceived before submersion, has subserjuently developed
to such an extent that, until rt can be need and repaired,
the current is unable to pass along the conductor. But
there is no intention to abandon the undertaking on that
account ; on the contrary, the time that has been afforded
for reflection and experiment has brought to light the fact
that greater facilities than have been believed in by the
most eanguine do actually exist for the safe and permanent
establishment of telegraphic communication between Ire-
land and America.

After careful and long consideration therefore, and after
bringing to bear upon the subject all the results of past ex-
perience, it his been determined, in the first instance, to
attempt to restore communication across the Atlantic by
means of the original cable during the present summer,
and an expedition bas already been sent out for that
PurAlrrtia good reason to hope that along all the deep sea
portion of the routes the insulation will be found even more
perfect than when the cable was laid, and recent expe-
rience in lifting shows that with judicious management
cables can be recovered in anything like moderate depth.
with much greater ease and safety thee heretofore wsa
thought possible.
It u equally inaccurate to state that the present state of
tho Atlantic cable has shaken the confidence of any tele-
graphic electrician whose opinion would be of the least value
as to the practicability of a direct line between Ireland and
America. On the contrary, the laying of that cable and its
success have given an extraordinary stimulus to electrical
studies; and the laws of electrical conduction, ioduction,and
retardation are now becoming so well and clearly developed
that there would be no lack of electricians of the highest
scientific position who would undertake to work the existing
cable continuously at a very handsome and remunerative
speed if it can be once again restored to order.
The assertion that the Atlantic cable is 3,000 mike long
is a gross misstatement. Its length from shore to shore,
including slack, does not exceed 2,060 miles; and u the
circulation of inaccuracies upon this point, in connexion
with supposed advantages of the Danish mute, is calcu-
lated to deceive the public, I beg to annex for comparison
the distances and advantages by the two mutes, irrespective
of georraPhical and nautical considerations, between Lou-
dest and the telegraphic system of Amerim.

BY TEI ATLANTIC COMPAIreB ROUTE.
Miles.

Land line all constructed and working, Len- ---
don to Valentia, not exceeding GOO
Sea line, including stick cable