The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-07 00:00:00

pensive. Neitber party have any ground for the
opinions of the one, or tears of the other, in any event
which has yet occurred. The second engravirv,
when contrasted with the first, will convey a better
idea of what the Holyhead wire should have beer,
what the Dover one is, and the Donaghadee one, as
we believe, will be, than any statement of the ditnr-
ences between them which we could make.

The telegraph in this instance consists of four
wires. Each wire is separately insulated in a double
covering of gutta percha. The double coating ha;
been adopted to prevent the probability cf imperfec-
tions in the material. The scheme Completely ob•
viates that risk; for it is highly improbable that the
deficiency would occur in 13)tie coverings at the same
point. The four wires, distinguished by the letter
Ain the engraving, being insulated by the gutta
percha B, are not brought into contact with the pro-
teetieg wires ; but are wrapped with spun yarn, sa-
turated with tar, which protects them from the gal-
car:Lied wires D. Ten of these wires of con-
siderable strength and thickness are twisted round
the tarred yarn, which covers the gutta percha in
which the four conducting copper wires have been
insulated. The adoption of the spun yarn as a co-
vering or shield to the gutta percha prevents the pos-
sibility of accident, from the latter being chafed by
the wires. The probability of that accident is not
gceat, but still it exists. We have seen part of a te-
legraphic wire absolutely twisted into the form of a
knot, while still the gutta perch, faithful to its im-
portant trust, maintained perfect the insulation of the
copper wire. The galvanised wires in the rope which
has maintained the communication with the French
coast for the past ten months are very strong ; and
while the weight of the first specimen was only one
tonper mile, the weight of the specimen on that sta-
tion in actual use is fully seven tons per mile.
The differences between the two telegraphs are
thus apparent. The successful telegraph contains
four wires, each doubly covered with gutta percha,
wrapped in yarn carefully tarred and twisted round,
with ten thick galvanized wires forming a rope of
inch of diameter, and weighing over seven tons
per mile. The unsuccessful telegraph contains only
one wire, also doubly covered with gutta percha, but
not wrapped in yarn, and with its covering of twelve
dtibianmegtaeirv, and onewires,anizedtob p
neortmilemoreof
than i
weight
an inch in
The galvanized wires are unnecessary as a protec-
tion of gutta percha against the influence of ocean
water;
for
have s
yearseenve in ry thin gotta
w
immersede for five
brine,
ha percha
t stillas net-
ting
firm
and tough PS on the day of its manufacture. It is
doubtful whether the material be not improved by
the process.
We have heard that someextensive coils of tele-
graphic wire in the form of the
the successful wire—have been
in
Ipvr eepianrraetri,o n
therefore,at the
of more
ere and are now
more
sub-marine telegraphs. When ten or twentyea
ro
have come and gone, a net-work of telegraphingSearsw.ll
be laid under many seas, and carried over many ind's.
Intelligence will pass from nation to nation, " quick
as the lightnings flash." This apparently feeble
shallr e bsoearsceondd illustration__
agency will help to break the barriers which separate
mankind. And while it is evolving great benefits to
commerce, the instrument which has rendered " suba-
queous telegraphing" practicable, should not be for-
gotten. The " savages," we are told, who gather
this gum in the forests of oriental isles and make it
up in blocks for the market, put stones and other
useless substances in these masses of professed gum,
to increase their weight. The civilised are astonished
that the " savages" should have learned to cheat. And
yet the vice is natural. Kelp burners sometimes try
the same means of money making. A kelp owner
told us that be was greatly distressed on the subject
of Irish kelp, because it contained stones. Cheating
is even practised among civilised persons. But if the
" savages" are guilty of dishonesty in their gum
gathering as their help, in making sub-marine tele-
graphs indispensable, an effort should be made to bring
them out of their savage state. Their gutta percha
has been a useful discovery to Europeans, who should
try to make its discovery still more useful to " the
savages.