The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-14 00:00:00

Arbroath and Forfar . ••••

Chester and Birkenhead . •• • . • • .. ••
Dublin and Drogheda • • • • • • •.•• • • •

Dublin and Kingstown •
Dundee and Arbroath • ...•
Durham and Sunderland
Edinburgh and Glasgow .
Eastern Counties and North Eastern•
East Lancasibre .
Eastern Union • • •• • • • • • • • .. • .

Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr
Glasgow and Greenock .....
Gravesona and Rochester • • •••• • • • •
Great Southern and Western • • •
Great Western, &c • • •
Hartlepool .
London and Nerth Western, ikc
London and Blackwall..... ......
London and Brighton.
Londoa and Croydon .
London and South Western. ......
Manchester, Bolton, and Bury
Manchester, Leeds, and Hull Assoc
Maryport and Carlisle ..... .....
Midland, Bristol, and Birmingham
Newcastle and Carlisle
Newcastle and North Shields • . • • •
Newcastle and Berwick
5 f North British .. • •• ••

Paris, Corbel], and Orleans •••• —..
Paris and Rouen. •• •• •• •••• •• •• ..

Preston and Wyre !• • • • • • • • •

Sheffield and Manchester...........
South Eastern and Branches
South Devon..

Taff Vale .• •• .... .;

Ulster . ........

York and Newcastle . ........

771
5,039
5,233

York and 2siorth

THE

!ÜBMARthE TELEGRA

AT PORTSMOUTH.
We are enabled to supply the following additional
particulars respecting the submarine telegraph laid down
across our harbour. It is now about three years since
the telegraph from the Nine Elms terminus to the ter-
minus at Gosport was first established. Subsequently,
from the inconvenience experienced at the Admiralty-
office here, because of the distance to the te:egraph
station, the wires were continued from that place to the
Royal Clarence-yard. With this addition, however,
although the inconvenience was lessened, it was far from
being removed, the harbour intervening, leaving a dis-
tance of upwards of a mile to the Admiral's house un-
connected, and, notwithstanding the wish of the autho-
rities, both here and in London, that the telegraph should
be carried to the dockyard, no attempt has hitherto been
made to do so, because it has been considered almost
impossible to convey it under water. An offer, indeed,
was made to the Admiralty to lay down a telegraph en-
closed in metallic pipes, which were to be fixed under the
water by the aid of diving bells. This scheme, having
been found to be impracticable, has been very prudently
abandoned. Whatever difficulties may have hitherto
interfered to prevent the establishment of submarine
telegraphs appear now to have been entirely overcome,
for the time occupied for the commencement of carrying
the telegraph from shore to shore, and transmitting
signals, did not occupy a quarter of an hour. The tele-
graph, which has the appearance of an ordinary rope,
was coiled into one of the dock-yard boats, one end of
it being made fast on shore, and as the boat was pulled
across the telegraphic rope was gradually paid out over
the stern, its superior gravity causing it to sink to the
bottom immediately. The telegraph consisted of but
this line, and, unlike those along the various railways,
required no return wires to perfect the circuit. The
electric fluid was transmitted from the batteries in
the dockyard, through the submersed insulated wire,
to the opposite shore, the fluid returning to the
negative pole through the water without the aid of
any metallic conductor, except a short piece of wire
thrown over the dockyard parapet into the water,
and connecting it with the batteries. The fact of
the water acting as a ready return conductor was esta-
blished beyond question; for to test this most thoroughly
repeated experiments were made in the presence
of some of the principal dockyard' authorities, including
the heads of the engineering departments. There can
be no longer any doubt that, without reference to dis-
tance, the water will act as a return conductor in com-
pleting the circuit. It will be recollected that in 1842
Mr. Snow Harris, when proving the efficiency of his
lightning conductors in his experiments from this dock-
yard to the Orestes, exemplified that water would serve
to complete:the electric circuit. On that occasion, how-
ever, the distance traversed by the return current through
the water was but trifling compared with the space ac-
complished in the pre: ent instance. The batteries used
were Smee's ; and a very delicate and accurate galvanic
detector, invented by Mr. Hay, the chymical lecturer of
the dockyard, who was present throughout the whole
proceedings,..was also brought into requisition. Inde-
pendent of the simplicity of this submarine telegraph, it
has an advantage which even the telegraphs on land do
not possess—in the event of accident it can be replaced
in ten minutes. The success of the trial here has, we
understand, determined the inventors to lay down their
contemplated line across the channel from England to
France, under the sanction of their respective Govern-
ments.-11ampshire Guardian.

DEATH OF THE VAUXHALL HERMIT.—On Friday
a man, well known about London as the Vauxhall
Hermit, expired in Guy's Hospital. His name was
William Racket, aged 77 years. He had a most extra-
ordinary appearance, always wearing an immense white
beard and long white hair. lie formerly exhibited him-
self at Vauxhall Gardens as the hermit, but latterly he
had been in a state of great privation, obtaining a liveli-
hood by selling lucifer matches in the Borough, end
sleeping in the low lodging-houses in the Mint. Ile had
been an inmate of the above institution only a few days
More his death.

STRANG EES FRIEND SOCIETY.—The annual ge-
neral meeting of the Benevolent or Strangers' Friend
Society, established in 1785, for the purpose of visiting
and relieving the sick and distressed poor at their own
habitations throughout the me tropolis and its vicinity,
was held on Friday night at the Office in Exeter Hall, T.
Farmer, Lg., in the chair. The report showed that the
exertions of the society were unremitting in the efibrts
to relieve the distresses of the poorer classes, and that
upwards of seven thousand cases had been relieved
within the past year. About 2,6002 had been distri-
huted in charity throughout the year. The officers of
the society were re-elected, and a plan sanctioned by
the meeting, which, it is calculated, will have the effect
of materially extending the means of the institution.