The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-09
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.

) Portsmouth, ENG, July 22.-During the las
few days some very interesting experiments have
oeen made IN the dock-yard and on board her
Majestys ships Pique and Blake, with portion o.
The submarine telegraph intended to be laid across
this harbor under the sanction of the lords commits.
sloners ofthe admiralty. The quantity Of the tele
graphic wire already perfected with which these
experiments were made, is about half of the entire
length that will be required to reach from the VIC.
tualllng-yard at Gosport, where the present line OF
Geographic communication terminates, to the ADM.
rails official residence on this side. The expert
ments were made under the superintendent oil
Mr.. Hay, the chemical referee and lecturer to the
dock-yard.
The galvanic batteries used on the occasion con.
sisted merely of five single jars, inch and hall
| by four, on Smees principle. The first experiment
tried was to test the gravity of the wrc in order to
ascertain whether the substances used to secure
perfect insulation, might not have rendered the
wire too buoyant. This, however, was satisfactorily
proved not to be the case; for upon its being paved
out from the STERN of her Majesty 3 shin Blake its
gravity was found sufficient for the deepest water
| The index used most satisfactorily tested the capa-
bllties of the invention, being one which had been
constructed for the conveyance of signals for short
disances--a mere model, made by Mr. Hay, for
the inspection of the admiralty, by which commu-
| nications might be made from the bridge of steam
| vessels to the engine room below.
| The electric fluid was made to traverse the whole
| length of the submarine telegraph, which having
| been carried out in blight from the Blake bv the
boats IN attendance was allowed 10 sink to the bot
tom. The signals were as promptly shown by the
| index as though merely transmitted from the deck
to the engne-room, without passing so many faith
oms through the salt water, thus proving beyond
doubt the practical success Of this mode Of convey
ing ntelIig nee, even the sea- Several other
experiments were tried with other wires differently
insulated, but neither as regards gravation nor as
| regards giving perfect communication, were these
modes of Insulation equal TO that decided upon by
the inventors.
In establishing an electric telegraph across q har-
Dor so crowded with shipping az this generally is,
the practical difficulty arising from the possible dis
turbance Of the telegraph is the only one which the
projectors had TO contend with for is now proved
beyond doubt that the electric fluid can be trans.
mitted through the water with the same facility as
it is along the lines in operation on land The mode
of conveying these electric communications on land
however perfect, could not be adopted across a
broad channel of the sea. And hence the present
Geographic communication between this dockyard
and the Admiralty in London has been imperfect
because the implements in conveying il across
the water have hitherto been deemed insurmounta-
BILE.
Not that there any difficulty in conveying the
electric fluid through the water, because the known
laws of electricity have always shown this to be
feasible, but because Of the difficulty in laying
down line of conveyance which should not be in
terfered with by the casualties of the harbor The
projectors of the present plan, being nautical as well
scientific men, have surmounted this apparent
obstacle which the scientific have hitherto not
been able to overcome. The importance of these
experiments is obvious; for, If the communication
can be carried Portsmouth harbor il follows
as matter Of that ii may, with at least equal
facility, be carried from headand to headland
where it cannot be interfered with by the anchorage
of numerous vessels.
Thus between Great Britain and France, or any
other country separated only by the sea- distance is
annihated--in fact this new mode Of teleeraphic
communication appears to be one Of those. wonders
which, however strange now, will be loMed upon
hereafter thing Of course, and il is scarcely too
much to expect that in less than half century
merchant may communicate with his agents in Cal
cuta in the morning, ard receive his reply before
sitting down to bis supper in the evening London
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