The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-29 00:00:00

Walls End.

Thorpe .. 15 3
Hilda .. l6 0
Ships at market

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, Jan. 29.—Wind this day at noon—West ;
moderate breeze, and fine weather.
PORTSMOUTH, Jan. 28.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Her
Majesty's ship Geyser, from the Eastward.
DARTMOUTH, Jan.—Wind W.—Sailed—Cynosure, for
Martinique.
PENZANCE, Jan. 28.—Wind S.W., strong.—Arrived_
Queely Shiel, from Liverpool for Lisbon, with loss of bul-
warks, sails, &c.
CARDIFF, Jan. 28.—Wind s,—Sailed—Arctic Hero, for
Havannab.
RAMSGATE, Jan. 28.—The Convoy, from Shields to New
York, which was assisted in here on the 26th inst., is
discharging her cargo.
JERSEY, Jan. 26.—Wind W.—Sailed—Escape, for Rio
Janeiro.
LOWESTOFT, Jan. 28.—The Fellowship, of and from
Seaham for Southampton, with coals, foundered on the
25th inst.
QUEENSTOWN, Jan. 29.—Arrived -.City of Washington,
screw atsamer, from New York.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.
Arrived, Jan. 28—Sarah Scoit and Darcy, for Shanghae;
Der Nord, for Guatemala.
Arrived, Jan 29—Alfred, from St. Michael's ; Dolphin,
from Minitlan ; Queen, from Palermo; Forester, 'from
Demerara ; Treaty, from Dunkirk ; Constance, from
Memel.

DEAL, Thursday Morning.
Passed—Peninsula, screw steamer, from Cadiz, for Lon-
don; Sicilia, screw steamer, from London; for Glasgow;
Assyrian, from London, for Shanghae.
Putting back—A number of those which sailed yesterday.

A QUIET AFFAIR.—As it is now finally settled
that the marriage of the Prince of Wales is not to
take place in London, but in an obscure village in Berk-
shire, remarkable only for an old castle and non-sanatory
arrangements, Mr. Punch ventures to suggest that the
secrecy of the proceeding should be carried out to the ut-
most, and that all the intimation the nation should have
that the Heir Apparent is wedded should be the following
advertisement among the Marriages in the Times of March
13 :—" On the 12th instant, at Windsor, by Dr. Longley,
assisted by Dr. Thomson, Albert Edward England, LG.,
to Alexandra Denmark, No cards."—punch.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Society of Arts, held
yesterday evening at the institution in John-street,Adelphi,
Mr. T. A. Masey contributed a paper, the object of which
was to exhibit the causes of the failure of the last attempt
to establish telegraphic communication across the Atlantic:,
and to °pcu a aiscussion as to the best means of providing
against similar mishaps for the future. The chair was taken
by Mr. W. R. Grove, Q.C., F.R.S.
Mr. MA.SEY began by giving a history of the invention of
submarine cables, from which it appeared that in 1840 Pro-
fessor Wheatstone prepared plans for a submarine telegraph,
which he either did not complete, or circumstances pre-
vented him from making any practical use of at that time or
since. Professor Moree,in 1842, laid an insulated wire across
from Castle Garden to Governor's Island, in the harbour of
New York,and demonstrated the practicability of submarine
telegraphy. His experiments, however, went no further.
Mr. Brett, in 1845, took out a patent for the invention of a
submarine electric cable, the insulating medium to be
caoutchouc and other substances. Receiving no support or
encouragement from the British Government, he turned
his attention to France, and in 1847 received from the Go-
vernment of Louis Philippe an exclusive grant to lay cables
on the French coast for 10 years, which was afterwards re-
newed by the Emperor of the French; and in August,lBso,
he laid the first experimental line across the Channel, from
Dover to Calais. This cable was simply a gutta percha-
covered copper wire,which broke very soon after it was laid,
and the permanent cable now in use was laid in 1851. The
author proceeded to give an account of the various steps
taken in reference to the laying of a cable across the At-
lantic, which ended by the formation of a company for that
object. He expressed his opinion that not sufficient
time or attention was given for proper experiments to
be made as to the adaptability of the cable to its future
resting place, and the work which it had to per-
form when there. The form of cable adopted
weighed 931 b to the mile, with a breaking strain of 3 tons.
The rapidity with which this cable was made was most
remarkable, but Mr. Masey thought that this had in some
degree prevented its receiving the necessary watchful super-
vision in every detail of the manufacture, which would have
been the case had it been proceeded with more deliberately.
The treatment to which it was exposed previous to being
laid was, in the author's opinion, very likely to have injured
it. It appeared to have been available for use for only a
few days, and to have transmitted in all about 4,000 words.
The currents sent through it were too weak to affect an
ordinary instrument, and the author described the delicate
apparatus called Thomson's Marine Galvanometer, which
was actually employed to receive the messages. The com-
mittee appointed by the Board of Trade to inquire into the
cause of failure. reported that it was " due to causes which
might have been guarded against had adequate preliminary
investigation been made into the question," and they did
not discourage future efforts in the same direction. Mr.
Masey discussed the relative merits of the various routes
proposed for the laying of a cable between this country and
America, giving the preference to that between Ireland and
Newfoundland. He referred to the great improvements that
had been made in the manufacture of the insulating medium,
and as a proof of the confidence of the manufacturers in the
success of the enterprise, referred to the offer of Messrs.
Glass and Elliott to take, under certain conditions, the risk
of making, laying, and working a cable for one year across
the Atlantic.

The CHA ißmAxsaid he was old enough to remember when
grave, and as it appeared to him plausible reasons were
advanced against the practicability of electric telegraphy at
all, whereas now not only had it become established as a
means of land communication, but submarine cables were
working successfully for very long distances,'and the fact
had been proved that signals could be carried across the
Atlantic. To establish a more permanent telegraphic com-
munication between Europe and America was, therefore,
now only a matter of time, and the questions raised by Mr.
Masey's paper were, which of the several reutes suggested
for the purpose was the best, and what means should be
employed for insulating the wire and for protecting the in-
sulation. The author gave his preference to the "V alentia
and Newfoundland route ; but it appeared to him that the
objection to the Iceland route on account of the influence
of the aurora borealis was not a serious matter, while the
fact that it would be divided into three portions was a
strong argument in its favour.
Admiral ELLIOT observed that while the paper noticed
several of the reasons assigned for the failure of the Atlan-
tic cable, it omitted to mention the principle one, which was
that the specific gravity of the cable laid down was so great
that even if the work had been perfect in a scientific point
of view, it must have been destroyed. He gave great praise
to the Atlantic Telegraph Company for what they had
hitherto done, and for what they were now doing, but he
thought that they should be regarded only as the pioneers
of this great undertaking, for if 20 cables were laid down
they would hardly supply the demand. With regard to a
proposal which had been made, that a survey of a belt of
five miles should be made across the Atlantic preparatory
to laying down another cable, he thought that if such a re-
sult could be accomplished the delay in the laying down of
the cable would be advantageous; but he did not believe
that any vessel starting from the coast with the best men
and the best instruments on board could be kept within a
belt of five miles. Of the two elements into which the
question of submarine cables was divided the scientific was
at present the better developed. Electricians appeared to be
agreed us to the construction of the core, but when they

came to the covering for the protection of the core there
was a great diversity of opinion. If it were necessary to
protect the insulating material from the attacks of the sea
worm he still could not agree that the best protector was
iron wire, because from its own weight iron wire became an
agent of destruction instead of a security. In his opinion
the lighter the cable and the smaller its size the more
likely was it to be injured in laying down.
Dr. WARRINGTox contended that the evidence hitherto
obtained of the nature and contour of the sea-bed was
totally inadequate to the successful laying down of an
Atlantic cable, and he recommended a survey of a belt, not
of five miles but of two, which he maintained was perfectly
practicable. What he advised was that they should ascer-
tain the result of a more perfect survey before consigning
another half million of money to the bottom of the
Atlantic.

Sir E. BELCHER declared that a survey within a narrow
belt could only be accomplished by an arrangement which
would make allowance for the drift in taking the soundings.
Captain SELWYN gave his opinion that a rocky bottom
was not the most destructive to a submarine cable in deep
water, and alluded to the fact that divers were able in 15
fathoms to pursue their work without interruption even in
the heaviest gale of wind.
The opinions of several other members having been ex-
pressed with regard to scientific details connected with
submarine cables, a vote of thanks to Mr. Blasey was pro-
rcmed and unanimously accorded.

THE MURDERER TAYLOR'S WIDOW.—On her
acquittal, Mrs. Taylor, the wife of the murderer of
Mr. Meller, of Manchester, left Liverpool for Somerset-
shire, accompanied by a relative. Since that time she has
been residing at several places, but of late had taken up her
abode at Shepton Mallet. There she made the acquain-
tance of a tailor's apprentice, a young man of 19 years, who
was captivated by her face and flowing hair. The attach-
ment appears to have been mutual, for after meeting last
Wednesday at a public-house on the From road, on the
next day they left Shepton Mallet in company. The elope-
ment having become known to their friends, a pursuit was
instituted, and the young man, feeling he bad not the means
wherewith to successfully elude his relatives, wisely deter-
mined on surrender, and quietly returned to his home.
What has become of the lady we cannot say. A corres-
pondent states that Mrs. Taylor, like the tailor's appren-
tice, has returned to her home.—Bristol Daily Post.
THE MURDER IN LEICESTERSHIRE.—The young
man, Busswell, who is charged with the murder
of his fellow-servant by shooting him, was examined be-
fore the Melton magistrates on Tuesday morning. Tho
prisoner's statement is, that he was not aware that the gun
Was loaded, that he took it up to frighten his fellow-ser-
vant, put it to his ear, and pulled the trigger. This state-
ment, however, is at variance with the fact that the pri-
soner was shortly afterwards found to be dealing with the
property of the man he had shot.