The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-29 00:00:00

TBE ATLANTIC CABLE.-

The following letter his been addressed to the
Editor of the-Tintes.:—

- .
" Sir,—Your correspondent's amusing account
of his adventures on bO tad 'the Agamemnon and
yesterday's gale have set me thinking of the
Atlantic telegraph. I am neither sailor. nor
engineer, but I am an old fis' erman, and Vac lay-
ing of the telegraph interes's me because the opera-
tion somewhat resembles my favourite sport ; in
scale and result it more resembles Thor's unsuccess-
ful angling fur the sea-serpent than my fishing., I
have hauled up many a col through 60 fathoms of
the Atlantic. I have left many a good hook fast in
the bo:toin of the sea, and r 1076-often watched
with anxious eyes a day's provision for a party
embodied in one big salmon capering in a Norwe-
gian river at the end of a line that a. dead weight of
ten pounds would break.
" I have, secured my fish in spite of difficulties.
Thor lost his probably becanee rods and- reels
were not then invented. I landed mine because
I used both'. A hint may be taken from fish-
ing in conducting similar operations on a larger
scale. The problem is the• same in both ca-ies, and
may be thus stated :—How to pay out a line with-
out brealting it. If a str a,..tive salmon, weigh-
ing 301 b. or 401 b., can be dragged from a roaring
torrent with a thin fislairgline by a hook fast in a
bit of weak skin, it is worth iimpitiug how it is
done. It is by easing th strain with the spring-, of
the rod. Few ash would be landed if the reel alone
were used to play them ; and a reel only is used in
laying the Atlantic telegraph. If a hand-fine fisher
wants io break his line when fast in the bottom, he
does that which (so far as I understand the matter)
was done with the Atlantic cable. He uses his
hand for a break, pulls the line against the side of
the boat, and the rise of the sea snaps it without
any exertion on the part of the man. Hitherto we
have succeilled beat in breaking the new line, and
we seem t r have broken it where a bandline
usually breaks, near the bottom or near the boat.
It seems to me that something contrived to act
like a fishing-rod might enable John 801 l to land
Anierct at the vext cist if this attempt at erossline
fishing frx continents should fai?. i would suggest
that for laying wires in a rough sea the la,t contact
with the ship should be on a spring with consider-
able play. Two long tapering spars might be rigged
at the stern along the bulwarks, with a pulley be-
tween for the cable to run over ; or two large C
springs with a crossbar and a pulley, might take
theplace of the davit. At the rise of the wave
the springs would ease the strain on the cable till
the paying-out apparatus had time to act, just as a
fishing rod eases a line when a fish is jerkin at
As matters are now arranged the eabre runs on the
side of the ship, and when she rises to the sea it
probably soaps with a jerk before the re .el inside
feels the pull, just as a casting-line is broken by
lowering the point of the rod when a fish is in a
flurry. _ _ _

" I see no reason against the use of spring levers.
I do not know that any one has thought of using
them, so 1 send you the suggestion for the benefit
of those who may think it worth carrying out.—l
atn, sir, your obedient servant,
" Travellers' Club, July 26."

" PISCATOR.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE

WE !K.

(From the Report of the Registrar General.)

In the llst weekly report it was shown that the
public health of London had undergone some im-
provement in consequence of the fall of tempera-
ture ; and it will be seen from the present return
that that favourable result was maintained, and
\VAS more decided, in the week ending last Sa urday,
July 24. lu the first week of the present month
the deaths were 1,191, in the next 1,173, and last
week they were 1,132. The mean weekly tempera-
tures were in the came periods 55.9 deg., 66 4 deg.,
and 62.9 deg., which are, on the average, less by
2.5 deg. than those of the five weeks preceding.
In the ten years 1848-57 the average number of
deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week
was 1,061 ; but, as the deaths now returned occur-
red in a population which has annually increased,
they c n. only he compared with the average after
it has been raised in proportion to the increase—a
:
correction which will make it 1,167. The deaths
of last week were therefore less by 35 than the
estimated number.
The deaths referred to cholera in the third week
of July, 1849, wero 678, in the corresponding week
of 1854 e they t i
were et rh e
ending 26,1 in that of last year 28, and
in
v itheweek Sit urday 10. It will be
d
average mortality wore derived
from seasons as free as is the present from
epidemic
ent chat
he
ak
e
cholera, the present state of the public health
would not appear relatively so good as might be in-
ferred from the above comparison.
If the deaths of last week had been according to .
that which may be termed " the healthy rate,"
yde-
rived hem those districts in England where the
mortalit is least,
they would have been 799. The
excess arising from circumstances that constitute
the comparative insalubrity of London is 333.
The morality from zynicric diseases in the ag-
gregate shows no increase on that of the previous
week, but rather a slight diminution ; the deaths
under this head were in the two weeks respectively
403 and 393, The m. r ality from diarrhoea has
been remarkably constant for three weeks, the
numbers having been 129, 126, and 127. This
complaint was much more fatal at this period last
year, when the number in the week rose to 259.
Sixteen fatal cases of diarrhoea occurred in Maryle•
bone, of which six were in the sub district of
Christchurch and five in St. John. Of the 10
deaths referred to cholera only one occurred to an
adult, a woman in Newnham street, Marylebone,
who is stated to have died of "Asiatic cholera" on
the 19th instant. The daughter of a stableman,
aged seven months, in May's-buildings, Mayfair,
died from the same disease. The death of a woman
is recorded as having been caused by fever, which
wason T
thereforeo r
was directly attributed to the inhaling of the stench
of the river during a short excu'sion between Pim-
lico and London-bridge.
Of five nonagenarians whose deaths are in the
present return the three oldest were a widow, aged
96 ; a widow, in High-street, Clapham, 98 ; and a
Greenwich pension. r 97. .
Last week the births of 804 boys and 851 girls--
in all 1,655 children—were registered in London.
In the 10 corresponding works of the years 1848-
57 the average number was 1,456.
At the Royal Observat,ry, Greenwich,
height of the barometer in the week was 29-Zta2ined
The highest reading was 30 in.,
o Gn al
ani
sheraver-
agethe we: was 62.9 deg., which 1
rtosaet attained
nietd
theee
mean teurp-ralure of thesaPabewily:widieeMeintkr .i
on Monday. The mean temp, raatiujdre.3wof d
et thegloi ..e stoveBair meanin
of 43 years (as determined .
range was 22.8 deg.
the
highest point on the net.
week
The thermometer tell to its lowest point
day, when it was 49.3xtddeagy.:
tThehe n-i. rangean dailyo
Ao difference between the m
709.92
deg.deg. ;
can dew-point tempe-
rature and air temr,:erature 'was 9'4 deg. ; the mean
degree of humidity of the air was 71. The mean
temperature of the water of the Thames was 67.4
eeg., wh ch is ne r'y 5 deg. higher than that of the
.ir. The wiud blew geernally from the south-
west ; on Saturday it blew when st!ongest withta
prtssure of 4.51 b,, on the square foo` apcl Os
horizontal movement on that day was 2:86 mil"'
Rain fell to the amount of OW in., most of which
&a 911 Saturday,

p 0 YA.T R E.
A.ji e
ov.
P r" tir,Vr.EClsar'7.esTKfiejf.
THIS EVENING, will be presented the new farce, en-
' titled DYING FOR LOV3.
After which, Shakspare's Play of THE MERCHANT OF
'VENICE. Shylock, Mr. C. Kean— Portia, Mts. C. Kean.

STRAND THEATRE. —Lessee ma 1 Directrei
Miss S wanborough.—This Evening will 139
performed
ASMODEUS, or the Little Devil's Share,
Followed by GOOD FOR NOT El NG.
A Dance of Almas. •
To conclude with DONE ON BOTH SIDES.
Commence at half-past 7.

Prices of Admission during the Summer Sea on : —Stalls,
4s. ; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit is. 61. ; C 3 ►liery, 6d. Private B fixes,
1/. Is and 1/. 1 Is. gd. Second Price to Boxes and Pit only,
at Nine o'clock—Boxes, ls. 6d. ; Pit, ls.

GINTERBITRY FULL, Westminsr,er-roa(l.
OPEN EVERY EV ENIN-(4.—The follow.
company of Vocalists are engs4e,l for the pc-formance
S lec;:ions from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS
CHORUSES, GLEES DUETS, bc.. viz.:—Miss Russell, Ars
Badzey. Brn ,ell, Miss Ray, Madame Bartoletti,
Miss Montagne, Mrs. Lawrence, and Mrs. Anderson ;
Herr F. Joughmans, Mr. Zienshavr, 3. To J Barker.
W. Melling. Senor kn'onio, E. L. gime. Mr, Badzey, Senor
Tiroli, Mr. Cozens, Mr. Bell, 4r Ber mrd, and Ilr. St. Albyn
Mr. Yanin, John G. Forde, and E. W. Mackeey. Piano-
forte, Mr. Cecil Eli3kfi ; harmonium, Mr. Courtnay ; Direc-
tor, Herr F. Jonghtnans. ('ommence at boven o'clock pre-'
cisely. S :peers, &e., until twelve o'clock.

THE WEATHER—SUN Orproz, JULY 21
1112R310312rEE, IN Tag SIIADS.
63—highest since noon yesterday.
156—loweat this morning and (laying the night,
68—this day at noon.

BA.ROmwrza, 30.05.
WIND. N.N.E. ; light and fine.

SIGN WATEtt NT LONDON 131.1.11Y4F.,.
THIS DAT —Dlorn.. 57 min. aft. 3 —Evan., 13 :nix. aft. 4
To-MosnOw—Morn., 28 min. aft. 4 —Even., 43 min. aft. 4

;
~(Lt :1)
v tij - 4.7
.41 t •••.-
e 17,4,j)