The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-21 00:00:00

THE ATLANTIC CABLE.

The intense interest felt in everything likely to
throw light on the cause of the present failure of
the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, induced us to devote
so much space yesterday to the explanations of Mr.
Whiteho use. That gentleman claims the title of
" Electrician Projector of the-Atlantic Telegraph."
He has been engaged during the whole period of
the manufacture of the cable in experimenting upon
it. He has continued these experiments long after
the completion of the whole cable. We therefore
perused his account with great care in the hope of
finding some light thrown on the cause of the
present difficulties.
We need not say to those who have travelled
'through the long communication of Mr. White-
house that we have been greatly disappointed.
Had the cable not been laid down, had it broken
again and again, we could have understood the drift
of Mr. Whitehouse's letter. Acccording to his state-
ments the form, weight, and whole construction of
the cable was ill devised; not only ill devised, but
imperfectly carried into execution. Yet in spite of
this character the slender cable—which, slender as
it was, was a heavy burden for two large ships—
was successfully submerged. He blames the paying
out apparatus. Yet this apparatus did its work
sufficiently well to accomplish the laying down of
the cable in spite of wind and weather. The defect
of the cable cannot, therefore, be traced to its me-
chanical construction—that is, so far as Mr. White-
house gives us any idea of his own opinion of the
present cause of the stoppage of electrical communi-
cation. Mr. Whitehouse admits that he had the
control given to him over the electrical operations
of the great undertaking. Yet all that we learn
from him was, that up to the last moment he was
only slowly feeling his way as an experimentalist ;
that even now his speaking apparatus can hardly
be said to be completed. Now this is the confession
of the ' Electrician Projector of the Atlantic Tele-
graph." He throws considerable light on the
method of getting up companies and gigantic
undertakings, not very satisfactory, indeed, for the
consideration of shareholders.
Mr. Whitehouse and Mr. Brett—the former as
electrician, the latter as engineer—made certain
experiments on a length of 2,000 miles of under-
ground wire belonging to the Magnetic Telegraph
Company. The result was deemed successful, and
advantage was taken of the publication of this suc-
cessful result to commence the organisation of the
company. The Electrician Projector of this com-
pany now asserts, that though he claims the title
of the Electrician Projector, he is " bound to say
that his own habits of research would have led him
to repeat it (the experiment on the 2,000 miles of
wire) again and again, in various forms, before he
should have ventured to regard it as a basis of
operations in so gigantic an enterprise ;" and again,
that he is " free to admit that the inferences drawn
therefrom were in some respects incautious, and the
promises of working speed too sanguine, in which
respect experience has convinced me of severa
sources of error."

After such a confession as this, which seems to us
to indicate that the Atlantic Telegraph Company
was got up upon most uncertain, if not false elec-
trical data, it seems strange that the person making
this confession should style himself the Electrician
Projector. The strange thing, however, in spite of
all this confession, is, that the thing, so far as elec-
trical communication is concerned, has been an ac-
complished fact. The engineering difficulties have
all been overcome ; intelligible signals have been
sent both ways. They have been sent with as
great, if not with greater speed, than theory had
anticipated. Why, then, the candid exposure of
all Mr. Whitehouse's difficulties and doubts ? All
these, on his own showing were practically swal-
lowed up in success, as soon as the first intelligible
messages had been recorded on both sides of the
Atlantic.

Wherefore the voluminous communication of
Mr. Whitehouse ? It is an apology for his quarrel
with the directors of the company. Now, while
one side of this quarrel only is before the public, we
have stated that we cannot enter into its merits.
All that seems of any real value in this lengthy
apology, and self-condemnatory confession of an
electrical projector, is contained in its last para-
graph. With all his experience, Mr. Whitehouse
declares that he has heard nothing since his resig-
nation to alter the opinion he then expressed, that
the nature and seat of the injury extends no farther
from the shore of Ireland than the portion of the
cable which ought to have been replaced by the
thick shore end.
If this supposition be true, the defect could easily
be repaired without any great difficulty. In this
case the Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Com-
pany stand, as Mr. Whitehouse says, in this re-
markable position :—" Having a success which has
startled the whole world laid at their feet, they
know not how to use it, but by apathy and incom-
petence surfer it to elude their grasp, and the grand
enterprise of the day to fall into collapse."
If the confident expression of this opinion be
founded in fact, all the foreboding and complainings
of the whole of the previous part of Mr. White-
house's letter must arise from a distempered imagi-
nation. If this be not so, we are forced to the con-
clusion that the credulous directors forced a pro-
jector, with but little faith in his scheme, to a suc-
cessful conclusion ; that after its success, a check
arising from a cause easily foreseen and imprudently
unprovided for, directors and projector change
places; faith is restored to the projector, and departs
from the directors.
Directors and shareholders have a direct pecu-
niary interest in the undertaking ; they have freely
spent their money to carry out a gigantic work of
the greatest import to the civilisation of the world.
In spite of any quarrel with their projector, we
cannot suppose they will suffer the question to col-
lapse here. It is to their own direct interest to
settle the doubt that remains as to the permanent
failure of the cable they have successfully sub-
merged, as an electrical way. They will surely at
once take means to set at rest the question whether
the fault lies within reach of repair. Mr. White-
house seems to labour under the impression that he
is the only electrician who can successfully work an.
Atlantic cable. Without undervaluing that gentle-
man's attainments, or the discoveries he has made in
deep-sea telegraphy, we cannot admit the existence
of any patent right to exclusive knowledge on this
subject to any man. The gigantic strides made by
electrical science have not been made by one mind.
They are the combined results of the brain labour
of hundreds of distinguished men. Many of these
were martyrs of science, and we have known some,
whose tion 1: elcett real diAcoverers would entitle
them to as distinguished a rank, at least, if not a far
more exalted one, than Mr. Whitehouse has yet
attained, who hardly obtained in their old age but-
ter for their bread. However much we may sym-
pathise with individual disappointment, scientific
progress requires a perfect absence of all exclusive
rights to reach perfection.—Daily News.

THIS DAPS MARKETS.

HAY MARKETS.

SMITHFIELD.--Meadow hay, £3 os. to £4 10s. ; clover
do., £3 10s. to £5 55.; and straw, £1 Bs. to £1 12s. per load.
Both hay and straw, the supplies of which were moderate,
sold slowly, at our quotations.
CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, £3 6s. to £4 125.; clover
do., £3 12s. to £5 6s. ; and straw, £1 Bs. to £1 12s. per
lead. Trade rather dull.

IVIIITECTIAPEL.—Meadow hay, £3 5s to £4 10s.; clover,
do., £3 lOs to £5 55.; and straw, £1 10s. to £1 14s. per load.
A fair average supply, and a heavy demand.

COLONIAL.

TEA.—There has been very little business done by private
contract, as purchasers are awaiting the large public sales
announced for to-day. Prices are firm, and common congou
is quoted 10d to 101 d per lb.
SUGAR.—The market has a very quiet appearance, and
the transactions reported have been unimportant. Holders,
however, are fewer, and the present high rates check busi-
ness. In the refined market there is a fair demand for
pieces, but dried goods are quiet, at about former values.
COFFEE.—By private contracts only a limited business
has been done at fully late quotations. A rather large
quantity is advertised forublic sale during the week, and
the qualities being good late rates are expected to be
realised.

RICE.—The market is very quiet, with little alteration to
notice in prices.

Rum.-LThere is a fair demand for the better qualities,
and full values are current.
FRUlT.—There have been further arrivals of new cur-
rants, and a good business has been done at 478 to 52s per
cwt. New Valentia raisins are quoted 42s per cwt.
SPlCES.—Pepper and pimento have been in moderate
demand, at about late quotations. Nutmegs, ginger, and
cloves have been rather Arnier, and cassia lignea has been
in active demand, at a slight improvement.
SALTPETRE.—The market continues firm, and a mode-
rate business has been done, at folly late rates.
TALLOW.—OnIy a moderate amount of business has
been done. Prices, however, are firm. P.Y.C., on the
spot, 49s 9d ; last three months, 49s 3d ; and January to
March delivery, 49s 9d per cwt.

DESTRUCTION OF A LIVERPOOL SUGAR WARE-
HOUSE BY FIILE.—On Sunday morning a fire broke out
in the warehouse of Messrs. J. Leitch and Co., Blackstock-
street, Liverpool, and raged until four o'clock in the after-
nosn, destroying a very large quantity of property, and
gutting the building itself. Through the energy of the
fire brigade, 65 hhds. of sugar and 75 hhds. of molasses
were saved. The stock and premises were both fully in-
sured in the Phoenix, Sun, Royal, arid other offices.
HULTSDORF MILLS COMPANY.—A meeting of
the Hultsdorf Mills Company (Ceylon) was held yester-
day at No. 8, Austin-friars, Mr. Harry G. Gordon in the
chair. The accounts and directors' report for the last year
showed a satisfactory return, except a loss on cocoa nut oil,
but this latter had been mainly caused by the late conuner-
cial panic. The disposable balance was £3,942, 18s.
from which the directors proposed a dividend of o per cent.
per annum, leaving £1,637 Ils. 9d. to be carried over to the
next account and reserve fund, which amounts to £3,875.
After some observations from the chairripn,_Mr. Frith, Mr..
Nicholson, and others, the report was adopted and a vote
of thanks was passed to the directors;