The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-24 00:00:00

THE ARM lr .

Yesterday there was a brigade field-day of the •
whole of the troops now quartered at Chatham garri-
son. The three battalions of infantry, comprising the
depot companies of 18 of the India regiments, with ,
the battalion of Royal Marine Light Infantry and
the Royal Engineers, assembled on their respective
parade-grounds at 2 o'clock, and were marched to the
lines, headed by their. bands. On Major-General
Eyre, the commandant of the garrison, attended by
his staff, arriving on the ground, he was received
with a general salute ; after which the troops, who
numbered nearly 5,000 men of all ranks, marched
past in slow and quick time, and were put through
a variety of brigade.: movements by General Eyre,
the various manoeuvres being executed with great
precision and steadiness. After the officers and
troops had been exercised in military movements
for about two hours they were marched back to
their respective quarters.
The 2d battalion of the 4th Foot (King's Own),
stationed at Chichester, were presented with
colours on Tuesday by Major-General Sir J. Y.
Scarlett, K.C.B, commanding the South-Western
District. At the conclusion of the ceremony the
Major-General addressed Col. Whittingham, C.B.
and the officers of the regiment, and congratulated
them on the general appearance of the regiment.
and the high state of discipline it had attained since
its formation. . _

The 2d battalion of the 19th Regiment, stationed
at Winchester, are under orders for Shorncliffe.
Orders have been received by Col. I. T. Leslie,
C. 8., commandant of the East India depot at
Warley, directing 350 non-commissioned officers
and men of the East India troops to embark at
Gravesend to-morrow on board the Undaunted,
1,100 tons, for Calcutta.

The 58th Regiment was entertained at a public
dinner at Auckland, New Zealand, on the 14th of
Nov., and embarked for England, in the ship Mary,
on the 20th of that month. The ship was at Rio
Janeiro, taking in fresh supplies, on the 4th of Jan.,
and is hourly expected to arrive at Cork. The 58th
served more than 14 years in New Zealand, and in
the years 1845, 1846, and 1847 saw mu-eh hard
work in the native wars. The number of men re-
turning is about 200 of all ranks, all who could
having obtained their discharge, to avail them-
selves of the free grants of land awarded by the
Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1858.

IMPROVED ELECTRICAL CABLE.

On Tuesday evening the Rev. Walter Mitchell,
M.A., delivered a lecture " On the Atlantic Tele•
graph, and Electric Telegraphs in general," at the
Russell Institution. The most novel feature of the
lecture, and one which elicited great interest, was
the description of some very interesting experiments
by Professor Hughes, the inventor of the printing
telegraph recently described in our columns. These
experiments have not only exemplified the defects of
the present Atlantic cable, and the cause of the
interruption of electric communication, but also
afforded a demonstration of an easy method of pre-
venting such accidents for the future. A copper
wire insulated in the ordinary manner was placed
in a bath of salt and water. An electrical circuit
was made, interrupted only by the water. The com-
plete insulation of the copper wire was indicated
by the needle of one of Mr. Henley's most delicate
galvanometers connected with the interrupted
current standing at zero. A hole of considerable
size was then made through the gutta percha,
allowing the salt water to reach the wire. The
electrical circuit was then immediately completed
by the water, the deflection of the needle, and its
permanent position at 90 deg., markinc, what is
technically called " dead earth," or, in other words,
the complete escape of the electric force through
the opening into the surrounding water. A more
minute hole was then made, when the following
curious phenomena presented themselves. The
needle of the galvanometer was deflected about 70
deg. ; but instead of remaining stationary at that
point, kept vibrating irregularly through arcs of
two or three degrees on each side of 70 deg. The per-
plexing vibrations of the galvanometers applied to
the electric cable were thus exemplified. It becomes
therefore exceedingly probable that the vibrations
supposed to be produced by earth currents are
nothing more than an indication of the minute
nature of the flaw in the gutta percha, which
has destroyed the conducting power of the present
cable. To remedy such defects for the future, Mr.
Hughes has devised a form of cable as simple as it
seems to be effectual in performing its work. Gutta
percha is more or less porous. Minute flaws may
exist which may not show themselves until some
time after the immersion of a cable. This was ex-
emplified by Mr. Henley, who discovered a flaw in
his Tasmanian cable, which did not show itself until
it had been three or four days under water. To meet
these defects, to fill up any minute pores in the
gutta percha, and also to cure any accidental frac-
ture or puncture of it, Professor Hughes introduces
a vis?id semi-fluid substance of a non-conducting
character between the conducting wire and the
gutta percha. The gutta percha covering .of the
wire is drawn 'out into a tube a little larger in bore
than the wire, the space between them being filled
with the viscid fluid. As soon as any. puncture is
made through the gutta percha covering the fluid
oozes out, and is of that nature that it hardens as
soon as it comes in contact with the surrounding
water. A puncture was made in a piece of this
prepared cable while in the bath. The needle of
the galvanometer instantly registered dead earth,
showing the injury received by the cable. But
immediately the fluid began to ooze out and repair
the injury. In about half a minute the return of
the needle to zero indicated the complete restora-
tion of the covering of the cable. Not only was
this demonstrated by punctures, but long slits, two
or three inches in length, were speedily filled
up. This imitation of the process by which nature
repairs injuries done to trees by the flow of
the sap and its coagulation opens out a good pros-
pect of overcoming the defects which have lately
manifested themselves in several deep sea telegraph
cables. It was stated that there were no mechanical
difficulties in the way of the manufacture of such a
cable, and that it would not be more expensive
than those now made.
The lecture was also illustrated by some of Mr.
Henley's very perfect and delicate relay instru-.
ments, which excited deserved admiration.—Daily
News.

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