The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-20 00:00:00

THE IMPERATRICE TRANSPORT.

MARGATE, June 18.—This vessel, which sunk in the
Gulls after having been in collision on the sth inst., still
remains with her mast-heads above water in the narrow
part of the channel. The divers for the last few days
have been unable to continue their operations from the
strong winds that have prevai!ed, together with the
spring tides. They have saved the greater part of the
Minis. rifles and army clothing that were on board.
With favourable weather they will save the whole, also
6000 shells, and about 100 tons:of powder ; but- it is a
work of great labour and risk. When the cargo is out
they will endeavour to weigh the vessel, which is esti-
mated at 16,0001. value, as she was quite new. The arms
and clothing were forwarded immediately to Woolwich
and the Tower by a Government steamer.
About 40 cases addressed to officers in the Crimea,
containing uniforms and other necessaries, have also
been landed. On their being opened they were found,
notwithstanding they were mostly packed in tin and
soldered up, to be thoroughly saturated with salt water.
It is well known that the pressure of the water a few
fathoms from the surface becomes very great, but the
cargo of this unfortunate vessel is only at high water
about 8 or 9 fathoms ; yet the shells, which are empty,
with wooden plugs screwed into the holes, are found to
be generally full of water. A portable leather-cased
bottle, with a cork and a top screwed on, was also found,
to contain salt water, which one may reasonably con-
clude was not in it when shipped. Every care appears
to be taken to preserve the contents of the private pack-
ages from total loss, and it is to be hoped, far the sake
of the divers who are at work, that the Government
stores which are sent up to Woolwich and the Tower
may
to say
spoil in
awaiting
t bo
re
der s allowed
ffrom
t o remaint
hevarious a nd
departments,
seppoa
nothing of the loss to the country, which by prompt
measures might be prevented.

q'ilE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH ACROSS
THE ATLANTIC.

The telegraphic communication between. America and
Europe, precedent to its extension round the globe, is
too large a theme for any single hero. It is an idea.
And yet the parties engaged in its realisation regard it
as already certain to be carried out. The experience of
the Black Sea telegraph, for instance, is thought to be
conclusive, if shorter lines previously established were
net. From Balaklava to Varna the wires stretch under
water more than 350 miles, and not the slightest diffi-
culty is experienced in using them. There can, then, be
no difficulty in sending electricity across the Atlantic by
the same means. The length of the wires from Ireland to
Newfoundland will be some 1,750 miles ; they will lie on
the sandy plain which the soundings of our Government
have shown to stretch from land to land for the whole
distance, with the exception of about 200 miles next
to the Irish coast, where the bottom becomes irregular
and the water deeper. The actual distance is some 1,600
miles only, but it will be necessary to make a detour
with the wires in order to carry them round the Banks,
where icebergs often ground, and where the cable might
be broken by their weight and friction. Of the company
which has undertaken the cis-Atlantic portion of the
work we have often had occasion to speak. It is com
posed of some eight or more wealthy gentlemen,
and
i‘o
iwons e
s resources.
Taylor who
propose to lay the entire line from St. John's, Newfound.
land,
ertoiNs
etwheYporreksiwdeitnht,
their
Peter
hetrea-
surer of this company ; and Cyrus Field, 0n
its members, has just returned from Europe,
weh rof
be went to consummate the arrangement with e e
the
European company. The American part of
will be 1,200 miles in length, 71
of • the line
which will be
under the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1 the cost of the
whole is estimated at a millionandn' a
half of dollars.
The wires across Newfoundland will
make 400 miles of
the line, running through a country hitherto unoccupied
and unknown. In the cutting ofother
preparatory path and
preparatory labours the company have bad 600 men em-
ployed daring the past year in that island alone. They
have been liberally aided with grants of land from that
colony, and have obtained advantageous charters and
grants elsewhere. From our last English journals we
learn that the cable to go under the Gulf of St. Law-
rence was about to be shipped, and we may accord-
ingly soon expect to be able to receive despatches from
St. John's as easily and regularly as we now do from
New Orleans. This cable contains three electric wires
only, it being contemplated to lay down another of the
same size when the European wires have been brought
across and the business between New York and London
requires ft.—Net° York Tribune.

A letter from,,STth.
ePeatceorosbouortsg
firuomthetNational
CrimeaG arrive
Gazette of
Berlin says :
direct at the Imperial Chancellery, whence they pass to
the Minister of War and to the Military Gazette, directed
by Prince Galant), who bas a resume drawn out for the
Invatide lune. The telegraphic despatches are fre-
quently not published until three or four days after their
arrival."