The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-27 00:00:00

THE SUN,

THE SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.
DOVER, FRIDAY.--It was yesterday definitively
reported direct by submarine telegraph from on board
the Blazer, and thence from hence by wire to Lon-
don, first, that " The submarine telegraph is laid
down to within three miles and a half of the French
coast, where the Blazer is anchored. Communication
with the English coast is perfect." The second tele-
graphic communication was—" The cable is securely
anchored two and a half miles off the French coast."
These rather irreconcileable dispatches appeared si-
multaneously in the morning journals. The trans-
mission of both dispatches came, either directly or in-
directly, as the result of information from on board
the Blazer, on her outward bound passage for the
French coast, and the difference between them is en-
deavoured to be explained by alleging the contretemps
and error to have been cccasioned through the inad-
vertence of the telegraphic clerk in London. The
second dispatch, it will be observed, though it did not
disclose all the circumstances of the case, was far

nearer the fact than the first.
On arriving here (at Dover) to-day, by the two
o'clock express, I ascertained from Captain earner,
in charge of the Princess Maud, who soon after
steamed into harbour, having hit Calais at one o'clock,
that, in consequence of the great cable not being lung
enough, the Blazer was abruptly brought to anchor.
This, after considerable trouble and inquiry, I have
had confirmed to me on official authority. Several
reasons were assigned and circulated to account for
this sudden and certainly unintended detention withi❑
an ace of the promised shore. Amongst other repre
sentations to account for the anomaly, it was alleged
that it was deemed advisable to anchor at the point in
question on the convoy being overtaken by nightfall,
and as it would have to rough the remainder of the
passage through a rolling and pitching sea. It was
also thought it would be difficult to carry the cable on
shore, in consequence of the extended flats that front
the Calais coast, and the possible want of a sufficient
depth of water to accommodate the draught of the
Blazer. Be this as it may, the expedition came to a stand-
still. The Fearless was unattached, and the Monkey and
other towing craft made their way into Calais harbour.
It is difficult to what cause to attribute the short-
coming in serving out of the cable, since, for all the
purposes of slacking, there was a reserve or surplus of
full four miles over the twenty required for casting
out between coast and coast; and although the line of
sea to be navigated was marked out by pilot buoys
with flag-staffs, and although well known to Captain
Bullock, it is not improbable that, either by a diver-
gence from the given track, under the influence of a
strong bead-wind, which was from W.N.W., or the
rolling of a stronger sea as the vessel entered the
chops of the Channel, it might have required a larger
allowance of surplus cable than was originally cal-
culated. Another point to be considered is, that if
accurate soundings of the sea-valleys and undulations
did not enable the engineers to allow for them, they
may have tended materially to swallow up far more
than the actual surplus. Altogether it now appears
that little more than " a quarter of a mile" of cable
was required to have taken the telegraph clean
home to the Calais coast, and this cannot now
be accomplished until so much of the cable
is manufactured and sent down, there being
none of it left or ready made at %Yapping.
The distance of the cable out at sea with the
Blazer is variously reported—some say four miles,
others three and a half, others two and a half; this
latter is believed to be the case. As no further at-
tempts can be made until the additional cable arrives,
the expedition may be looked upon as temporarily
" stranded," and much curiosity is evinced to know
how, during the necessary interval, the cable will
stand, and whether it may be considered as secured in
its situation. The amount of slack or surplus allowed
in last year's experiment with the gutta percha coil
was more than double that of the cable, though the
distance was a mile or two longer. To-day there
was a heavy surfing sea and a fresh W.N.W. wind,
which would probably have rendered it impracticable,
even with the required amount of coil, to have com-
passed the remaining 2i miles. Yesterday a large
number of persons travelled from Dover to the South
Foreland, to inspect the cable, and receive intelli•
gence from the other side, and communications were
made through the cable at intervals. The coast of
France, at 20 miles across, could be seen from the
English shore, when at fitful intervals its white cliffs
became visible.
The misadventure is the more to be regretted as
next month the equinoctial gales set in, and the
contract for carrying out the cable is understood to
terminate.

(FRO➢I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
DOVER, FRIDAY EVENING.--The wind and surf on
the French coast having been violent to-day at high
tide, it has been found impossible to get the remain-
ing two miles to land.
Lord De Mauley and Lieutenant-Colonel Lloyd,
who have so energetically devoted their attention to
the carrying out of this important undertaking, were
at the South Foreland to-day, watching its progress.
His Grace the Duke of Wellington also essayed to
visit it, but was prevented by the rough road to it by
the beach. The commencement of the cable starts
from the point of the cliff immediately under the South
Foreland light, terminating in a shaft upon which it
is proposed to carry it, and thence extend it on to
London.
On the French coast preparations are already
made, at the moment of its landing, by which in con-
nexion with the wires at Calais, it will communicate
with the lines in France, and two gentlemen from the
French Minister arrived at the South Foreland to-
day, with the ingenious telegraph of M. Foy, by
which they will communicate direct with the office of
the Minister of the Interior through a corresponding
telegraph to announce its completion, which is ex-
pected to take place to-morrow, should the weather
prove favourable.—Chronicle.

THE POST-OFFICE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
It is an amusing, as well as interesting, sight to take
a look on the morning that the general mail delivery
opens at the crowd that gathers around the Post-office
for the purpose of getting their letters, In former
times, when there were but two delivery windows, by
daylight in the morning the procession was usually
formed, and it is a fact that some enthusiastic and
anxious men have been known to take up their lodg-
ings the night previous to the opening, stretched on a
blanket on the Post-office house steps, dreaming of the
news they should hear from the absent loved ones in
their letters. Long before the office opens now the lino
is formed. Anxiety is depicted on the countenance of
all—all hope to receive a letter from a wife or other
dear relation or friend. Remembrances of the family he
has left behind him rise up and cheer the patient waiter
as he is crowded to the window. The young wife to
whom he pledged his boyish vows, his rosy-checked
little girl, appear in his mind's eye, and he urges his
way on to the window. Stand at the window and watch
the serious faces as they disappear from there. Those
who have been standing an hour or two in the wind or
' dust are amply repaid if they receive a letter. Joy
brightens their faces, and makes their hearts beat
quicker. Scarcely do they touch the precious docu-
ment ere the seal is broken, and while glancing at the
contents they are rudely elbowed away by some other
anxious letter-seeker. See this poor unfortunate genius
—this face is well known, he has always been at bis
post at the arrival of each steamer for the past six
months, certain at each time that he will get a letter.
How eagerly he watches the clerk as he hastily runs
over the yellow-coloured documents. His eye brightens
for a moment as the clerk pauses, but he goes on again
hastily as ever, and then shakes his head and says " No
letter." The brightened eye looks sad again, the face
pales, and the pour fellow goes off sorrowing with the
feeling in his heart that in this far-off land he is for-
gotten by those who knew and loved him at home.
Those who get letters admire the mail facilities; those
who do not, think they are very had. It is understood
that the Post-office department have leased the California
Exchange, and that the next mail which arrives will be
opened there.—Alta California.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT. -- Yesterday, about twelve
o'clock, an accident of a serious nature, which it is feared may
terminate fatally, occurred at the corner of Great Stanhope-
street, South Audley-street, Park-lane. A gentleman was
driving a very spirited horse in a gig, when, on passing
down Stanhope-street, the animal took fright at something,
and began rearing and kicking in a most dangerous manner,
leaping over the traces and breaking the shafts of the
vehicle. Unfortunately, a poulterer's errand-buy was going
along with his basket to some gentlemen's houses in the
neighbourhood, and being unable to get out of the way, was
knocked down and trampled under the animal's feet in a
shocking manner, Some bystanders assisted in securing the
horse, when the poor boy was conveyed in a cab to St.
George's Hospital in a state of insensibility, where at present
he remains, with but slight hopes of his recovery.
The whole of the bodies interred in the burial-
ground of St. Thomas Apostle, Queen-street, Cheapside, have
been exhumed, the ground being required for the formation
of the new street from London-bridge to the south side of
S'. Paul's-churchyard, and deposited in a mausoleum
erected for their reception at the corner of New Cannon-
street. It is somewhat curious that several of the bodies,
which have lain under ground upwards of seventy years,
were in good preservation, whilst those interred within the
last fourteen years were all completely decayed.
APOTHECARIES' HALL.—Names of gentlemen who
passed their examination in the science and practice of me-
dicine, and received certificates to practice, on Thursday. the
25th of September :—Henry Walter Bucknill, Rugby, War-
wickshire ; William Hill Clarkson, Ledbury, Herefordshire;
George Jonathan Mitchinson, Carrington, Boston; James
Black, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
THE BLOOD AND THE- MICROSCOPE.—The blood
seems simply a crimson fluid till scrutinised under the magic
glass of the microscopist. Instead of appearing one evenly
bright red stream, we see that it is made up of globules,
some of which are white and others red. The white ones,
indeed, largest, and roundest; but the red ones are by far
the more numerous. On they flow, whilst life lasts; the red
dots being too many in a plethoric alderman, or fox-hunting
squire; and too few in a pale, lovelorn maiden. But in both
alike, on, on they flow through the arteries, like myriards of
red and white billiard balls running through a series of tubes.
—Dickens's Household fords.

- -
DEATH OF A CELEBRATED HORSE.—A telegraphic
dispatch from Columbia, Ohio, to the editor of the Cleveland
Herald, says that the celebrated trotting horse known as the
Gilmore colt, died on Saturday evening of the lock-jaw, at
Barton and Ortman's Four-mile Course. He was valued at
21590 C 1911410; And yo 4 Wound fu t,200 CIOLAI4.