The Express.
London, England, 1858-09-22 00:00:00

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

10 TIP 71D1T071, OP TIP 312/2/1/.
tilintl-1 am instructed by the directors to forward
for publication the annexed report tram lb. Variety, the
electrician to the Electric and International Telegraph
Company. _ _

. _
Re O one of the gentlemen who hem been ociumlted bg
the board In rderenoe to the present state of the Atlantic
Cable.—l am, lko., ORO. BAWLED, flectetery.

REPORT ON THE STATE OF TIEHI ATLANTIC
TELEGRAPH CABLE.
I arrived at Valentia on the evening of the Tilli-listene,
when I found that sowed' had for many days been "'caved
through the able from Newfoundlead.
On the 6th, 7th, Bth, 9th, and 10th, I tested the table at
intervals in four different ways, to wertedn its condition.
The following are the results :
First. There is a fault of great magnitude at a distance
of between.24s and 300 statute miles from Valentis, but the
locality cannot be more accurately ascertained until a portion
of the cable 30 or 40 miles in length has been tented against
my standard of resistance, and until the log has been con-
sulted to ascertain the amount of slack paid out. I would
suggest that the piece of sable at Greenwich be woefully
measured and tested against lay standard in order to obtain
the most correct estimate of the distance off the fault. As-
suming, however, that it is 270 miles, and allewiag 22 per
cent. for slack, it is possible that the chief defeat is in ehenow
water, 410 fathoms.
Secondly. That the copper wire at the faulty place above
alluded to does not touch the iron covering of the cable, as
is proved by its forming a voltaic element which gives rise to
a continuous positive current from the copper wire varying
vary little in tension.
Thirdly. The insulation of the wire between Valentin and
the fault is perfect, or at least contains no defect of .0 dent
importance to be perceptible or to materially influence the
working were the cable otherwise perfect.
Fourthly. The copper wire is continuous, ad consequently
the cable ham not parted. Faint signals or reversals are still
received from Newfoundland, but the power need will shortly
eat away the exposed copper wire in the faulty piece by
electrolytic deoompositics.
The actual resistance of the fault appears to be at least
equal to ten miles of the cable, but is most probably greeter.
Taking it at its lowest resistance, vie., ten miles, and
assuming that Newfoundland is only using 180 mills of
" Daniel's" battery, the strongest current received thence
daring ray stay wee only 1.24 th part of the force that it
would be were there but this one fault. When it is, however,
borne in mind that on the other side they are probably using
more power, and also that the defect first alluded to probably
offers more resistance than that assumed, viz., ten miles, it
IPA evident them is another and more distant fault, the ap-
proximate locality of which I could not pretend to estimate at
this end without being able to mask to Newfoundland.
From authentic data shown to me at Valentin I em of
opinion that there was a fault on board the Agamemnon be-
fore the cable was submerged, at a distance of about 560
miles from one end and 640 from the other.
The following are the data in question, but on what occa-
sion they were obtained I am unable to state ; they were,
however, probably when the ships were at Quesnstowu .
Testing of coils on board the Agamemnon, consisting of
about 1,200 statute miles of cable.
1. When the upper end was disconnected the current en-
tering the cable from a battery was 8.6 parts.
2. When upper end was put to earth current entering the
cable was 10.6 parts.
3. Current going out of upper end of cable to the earth, 6
parte.
4. When the lower end was disconnected the current
entering the cable was 8.5 parts.
6. When lower end to earth, 10.4 parts.
6. Current going out of upper end of cable to earth, 4.6
parts.
Showing that if there were a fault it was nearer to the
upper end, but not far from the middle of the coil.
When 200 miles had been removed from one end of the
coil (but from which end I am not at present aware), leav-
ing 1,000 miles, the amounts were:
Ist
2nd
3rd
4th
sth
6th
indicating that them wee a fault, by rough ealenlation, at
about 660 Mille from one end and 440 from the other.
With the 200 miles amble, amounts wen:
lot
tad
3rd
4th
6th
.6 „
6th
Test of the entire cable on board the Agamemnon and
Niagara, viz., 2,600 miles :
Battery at Agamemnon end-
1. Current entering the cable, the Niagara end being dire
connected, 4.5 parte.
2. Niagara sod to earth, 49) parts.
8. Current flowing out at Niagara sad to earth, 151 parte.
Battery at the Niagara end.-4. Current entering cable,
Agamemnon end being disconnected, 351 parts; 6. Aga-
memnon end to earth, 37 parts; 6. Current flowing out at
i Agamemnon end to earth, 14 parts; indicating considerable
linkage on board the Agamemnon.
' lam also informed that the currents through the cable
even immediately after it was submerged were so weak that
relays were useless, and that not one perfect message was
recorded by them, everythiag that was received being read
from the deflections of a galvanometer.
By comparing the above data with those of the new cable
now making by Mews. Glass and Elliot for the Elect&
sad International Telegraph Company, the amount of cur-
rent which entered the one thousand miles of cable when
dbocanected at one end should not have exceeded 2 or 2.6
parts, instead of 7.5 and 8.5 parts.
The inference by rough celculation, therefore, Is, that
than was a fault offering • resistance equal to a 1,000 oe
1,200 miles of cable, situated at a distance about 160 mill/
from one end of the 1,200 miles coil on board the Aga-
mammon.
This, however, cannot be the fault abet alluded to, ((Weed
at about 270 miles from Valeetis, but may have been the
one which caused such alarm when the ships were 600 mile,
from Ireland, and when the 'agnate ceased altogether and
never ontainly recovered.
It is not at all improbable that the powerful currents front
the large induction coils have impaired the insulation, and
that had more moderate power been need the cable would
still have been capable of transmitting messages.
To satisfy myself on this point I attached to the cables
piece of gutta percha covered wire, having first made a slight
incision In the Wm percher to Ist the meet reach the wire:
the wire was then beat no as to close up the detect.
Tim defective wire was then placed 1n a jog of sea water,
rod the latter connected with the " earth."
After a few signals had been sent from the Induction cots
into the cable, and consequently into the test wire, the she
tetchy buret through the incision rapidly, burning the bete
nearly 1-10th of an inch in diameter.
When the full force of the coils was brought to beer in the
OW wire, by removing them from the cable, and snowier
the electricity only one channel, viz., that of the tut
wire, the discharges, as might he expected, burnt a bole it
the gatta welts under the water half an inch in length
sad the burnt pate percha came floating up to the surfs=
The foregoing experiments prove that when there are int-
perfeetions in the insulating covering there is very grist
dower arising from using such intense currents.
The are of the present conducting strand is too small to
have worked satisfactorily, even had the insulation bent
sound.
With a strand of larger dime:miens less intense currents
would be required, and both speed and certainty increased.
It is not, however, altogether impossible that some intel-
ligible signals may yet be received through the cable, se
stated in my previous communication.
(Signed) C. F. VARLET,
Electrician of the Electric sad Internal:Wel
Telegraph Company.
To the Chairman and Directors of the
1 Atlantic Telegraph Company.
G. &ward, Esq., Secretary.
Leaden, Sept. 18.

The Secretaries of the Cawnpore Memorial Church
Late announced that the Bishop of Calcutta, who la shoat to
have England for his diocese, has kindly undertaken to maw
personal inquiries in India with • view to determine the meld
eligible site for the proposed church, so as to owl ad 1116
designs of the promoters with se Mks delay es poerble.
News reaches Gibraltar now in two days from
E4ltatt, by moans of the electric telegraph through Prow.
sad Spain.

,RA Pll.-

ea to forward
It Verily, W.
erni Tim*pupil

a elaselied
d the Atlanta
D, iestessry.
I ATLANTIC
mt Sth Wt.
re boat naiad

td the *ibis s
a as =Aids's.

• at a distance
aside, bet the
d awn portico
si toiled oohed
I bee bees ma-
d out. I would
oh be earefolly
R order to obtain
the dealt. ea-
t alleviate 22 per
hot Jo in &allow

ale, place above
g of the cabia, am
oat gives tin bz•
far wiry *Arlin(

son VsUeda mai
dect of sufficient
iadoimos

ud oneawilwatly
re/Imila are stal
wed will .liortly
Unity pa°, by

▪ lo to .t lout
rnbably mein.
• tan miles, sad
drag 130 ogle cd

noeivoi Amos
the leme that It
la It JO. banner,
• probably Wig
laded to probe*
tea tau, IS
sat fault, tho
lad to tethmaieall
kotadlead.

-olattia I as of
Agooolousoo bo
ace of 'boat 540

mt as what wow-
eats ; t►ey wn►
lualwalawa :

al, coriotiag d

the current en-

rent entering al.

'e to the etrth, 6

'id the current

Lb to earth, 4.4

• nearer Le t►e
• rod.

O LAM and of the
int aware), low-

r*ti•

et ralridatics, at
!be other.

> .:

, ::

6 „
Agsameseca sod

• sal bolas dir

ert►, 161 prim
earls( mai%
psis ; & Age-
&awing eat at
tag Kesidonabk

Gash Ur cable
le so walk Uri
4 meow um
nd Wag rail

of thii -- Gila
low the Medd§
sower! at car.

i of amble elms
laceeted 2 oe 2.11

"4,1% le. tha
iol to a 1,000 a
about MO alba
board the Agri.

tidal to. Amid
I hi', b., CM
. •on 500 AIM
I altogetbm rt

earnests hoes
seesislos, sd
se coblo wadi

to the cable •
et made a eihrhi
reach the wire:
elect.

of ma wain,.

I ledoetins was

wire, the skier
nulling the baba

%t to boar on the
e, and allowing
at of the tea
burn• • bola Is
I inch in length,
u. the auzlana

els theca are it
re is very grad
vs.

is Me mall le
lamalslam WS

mantas cervara
nty Linwood.
that bows
the cable, id

gY,
ad Interaatioaal
War.

mot ial Marta
wtbo about ow
:ortaktro to mobs
*rains tbs noel
to carry I the
so perbb.
two data 6a•
Utmost% fn."