The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-03 00:00:00

TUE BED SEA TELEGRAPH.

Mr. John Marshman, Chairman-of the Red Sea
Telegraph Company, writes the Editor of the Times
as follows : •
Sir,—ln reference to' your City Article in the issue of,
yesterday, on the subject of the Red Sea Telegraph'
1
,eg to submit to you the following brief observations.
There is no time for rivalry. Circumstances are te!
serious for such trifling. Though the scheme of tb;
Red Sea Telegraph was submitted to the public OPr,
than a twelvemonth before the- Euphrates Valley VI
which has received the patronage of the Tres
when the intelligence from India became mordisPPia'7
by each succeeding mail, and the crisis more /03°3'
gent, we proposed for the consideration of the Cie'
vernment the construction of an alternate lilt
fn our late letter to the Chairman of the Eagt
Company we said :—" Without reference to any will'erof
(rents which have been already made on the subiec,e
telegraphic communication with India by her Moiesla
Government and the Hon. the Court of Directors, suci
repudiating any intention of interfering with them, log
diverting its support from the scheme to which it 1„
been granted, we feel confident that the present eeler
gency justifies us in asking the Hon. Court to colislicb
the propriety of encouraging an alternate line,,voo
is capable of being immediately carried out.
i.di
have thus anticipated the very judicious remarks w'et
you have made this day :—" A better course torf,til
he difficulty seems, however, to present itself. ii "'et
lines are practicable both should be completed, and epa
hould be encouraged to compete with the other to 6i4
bow soon the first link can be realized." The tWO
are, therefore, not antagonistic, but subsidiary t° tbe rir
stl-important object of establishing telegraphic. o°ol,
munication with India at the earliest practicable Peri is
For our own part, we have done all in our powel/
obviate the danger to which you allude when you elity
" Between conflicting schemes there seems a probe
let
that the Indian telegraph which ought to be con3P,le,,eeci
in six months, will either fail altogether or be dela.;
until the greatest need for it is passed."
The salient point on whioh the objection to the.ltlare
Sea line has been based is the existence of coral reftf
Sir F. Beaufort, late bydrographer to the Adnoir,,,ll ;(4:
and Mr. Bright, the engineer of the Atlantic 34
graph, have effectually disposed of that objection. :;:jr
coral reefs, moreover, have been surveyed, andbl
t"
position ascertained and most accurately laid dorlao
the late Capt Moresby in his admiral).* chart .of bN
Red Sea, and it is intended that our submarine e$
shall be placed beyond the reefs.
eaist
As to Mr. Andrews' remark about " the eve Ao
irregularity of the bottom, in consequence of whichp
line would in many places be unavoidably su°Pen oe
across submarine chasms and on sharp rccky edgeftfili
which it would speedily chafe through by the force °d
own weight," the statement rests on no experience 'Ol
no survey, and is therefore as gratuitous as Mr. And_.,regio
other assertion, that Pharoah's chariot wheels were
of gold. „ to
I will not intrude further on your patience 011;4
state that the only object of the Red Sea Telogrc of
Company is to assist in supplying the great $Ol%Ol
the day—communication with India at the Pl+ol
awful emergency at the earliest practicable period.
„to
should rejoice to find that a vigorous effort was 10 V itr
lay down both lines concurrently. The nationloof,
terests would, we think, justify the encouragetnentfresi
double line. As to the support we may exeee' eles
Government; there can be no doubt that it will begithe
not 'as a concession to importunate suitors, but ie
.pirit of a just appreciation of the paramount iE°l3"lO
ance of this undertaking at the_ present time, a° of
such an extent and on such terms as shall tsectire
confidence of the public.