The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-24 00:00:00

SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.

PORTSMOUTH, JULY 22.—During the last few days some
very interesting experiments have been made in the dock-
yard and on board her Majesty's ships Pique and Blake, with
a portion of the submarine telegraph intended to be laid
across this harbour under the sanction of the Lords of the
Admiralty Commissioners. The quantity of the telegraph
wire already perfected, with which these experiments were
made, is about half of the entire length that will be required
to reach from the victualling-yard at Gosport, where the
present line of telegraphic communication terminates, to the
Admiral's official residence on this side. The experiments
were made under the superintendence of Mr. Bay, the chemical
referee and lecturer to the dockyard. The galvanic batteries
used on the occasion consisted merely of five single jars,
one inch and a half by four, on Smee's principle. The
first experiment tried was, to test the gravity of the wire,
in order to ascertain whether the substances used to secure
perfect insulation, might not have rendereol the wire too
buoyant. This, however, was satisfactorily proved not to be
the case, for upon its being payed out from the stern of her
Majesty's ship Blake, its gravity was found quite sufficient
for the deepest water. The index used most satisfactorily
tested the capabilities of the invention, being one which had
been constructed for the conveyance of signals for short
distances—a mere model, made by Mr. Hay, for the inspec-
tion of the Admiralty, by which communications might be
made from the bridge of steam-vessels to the engine-room
below. The electric fluid was made to traverse the whole
length of the submarine telegraph, which, having been car-
ried out in a bight from the Blake by the boats in attendance,
was allowed to sink to the bottom. The ;signals were as
promptly shown by the index as though merely transmitted
from the deck to the engine-room, without passing so many
fathoms through the salt water, thus proving beyond doubt
the practical success of this mode of conveying intelligence
even across the sea. Several other experiments were tried
with other wires, differently insulated, but neither as re-
gards gravitation nor as regards giving a perfect communi-
cation were these modes of insulation equal to that decided
upon *by the inventors. In establishing the electric tele-
graph' across a harbour so crowded with shipping as this
generally is, the practical difficulty arising from the pos-
sible disturbance of the telegraph is the only one which the
projectors had to contend with, for it is now proved beyond
doubt that the electric fluid can be transmitted through the
water with the same facility as it is along the lines in ope-
ration on land. The mode of ;conveying these electric com-
munications on land, however perfect, could not be adopted
across a broad channel of the sea, and hence the present te-
legraphic communication between the dockyard and the Ad-
miralty in London has been imperfect, because the impedi-
ments in conveying it across the water have been hitherto
deemed insurmountable. Not that there was any difficulty
in conveying the electric fluid through the water, because
the known laws of electricity have always shown this to be
feasible, but because of the difficulty in laying down a line
of conveyance which should not be interfered with by the ca-
sualties of the harbour. The projectors of the present plan
being nautical as well as scientific men, have surmounted
this apparent obstacle, which the mere scientific have hi-
therto not been able to overcome. The importance of these
experiments is obvious, forif the communication can be car-
ried across Portsmouth harbour, it follows as a matter of
course that it may, with at least equal facility, be carried
from headland to headland, where it cannot be interfered with
by the anchorage of numerous vessels.
The Retribution, steam-frigate, Captain Lushington, ar-
rived at Devonport on Monday night, from Cork. She was
to have returned on Tuesday evening, with the supernume-
raries for the fleet conveyed to Devonport by the Dido.
The Trident steam-packet, Lieutenant Commander Rigge,
was put out of dock at Chathatn on Tuesday, and was taken
alongside the sheer hulk, and had new masts put on board
of shorter dimensions, instead of cutting the original masts.
She was taken into dock again the same tide, and has been
reported to be ready for sea on the Bth of August.
The Antelope, steam-packet, to have engines of 300 horse
power, and to be employed in the Mediterranean, to take
the mails from the lonian Islands, and the Sharpshooter,
steam-gun vessel, to have engines of 200 horse power, both
built of iron by Messrs. Ditchburn and Mare, will be launched
on Saturday next at Blackwall.
The Columbine, 12, Commnnder Booth, is fast progressing
at Chatham, and is reported to be ready for sea the 25th
instant.

The ship Gazelle, Peirce, master, from Leghorn, arrived
at Chatham on Tuesday, with a cargo of timber for the
dockyard.

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF PROVISIONS.—The follow-
ing are the comparative prices of meat and bread in London,
Paris, and Brussels, according to the returns :—London :
Beet 7d. to 9d., mutton 7d. to 10d., lamb 9d. to 11d., veal
7d. to 9d., pork Bd. to 10d. per lb. Paris : Beef 4d. to 6d.,
mutton sd. to 6d., lamb 7d. to 10d., veal 4d. to 6d., pork 6d.
to Bd. per lb. Brussels : Beef 3id. to 5d., mutton 4d. to 5d.,
lamb 6d. to Bd., veal 4d. to 5d., pork 4d. to 6d. The price of
bread in London, for the 41b. loaf, is, for the first quality, 9d.,
second 7d. ; some bakers, however, in Blackfriars-road,
Marsh-gate, Whitechapel, and ether populous parts, only
charge 6d. In Paris and Belgium the price of bread is fixed
by the municipal authorities according to the price of wheat
and flour at market. The 41b. loaf of 18 ounces English, for
the first quality, at Paris, is 6d., and second sd. ; in Belgium
sd. and 4d. In Sweden, Norway. Denmark, Prussia, Poland,
Russia, Austria, Mecklenburg, loc., provisions of every de-
scription are extremely cheap.
THE SNUBBED ONE.— Sir Culling Eardly Smith
never alluded once at Edinburgh to the British Lion. This
neglect from one who, on every former occasion, clung to the.
lion's mane, and pinched his tail to make him roar, met with
its due reward. Sir Culling was thrown out. Yet we can-
not help thinking, that if he had thrown himself boldly on
the British Lion he would have been brought in. If Sir C.
Eardhay le Smith had only let the British lion loose, we ar e
sure would have carried everything before him.—Puweil.