Washington sentinel., 1854-04-02
From the N. Y. Journal OF Commerce.
Telegraph Across the Atlantic Ocean.

The depth of the ocean is the only great diff
Guilty IN the way of a magnetic telegraph to
Europe. Experience has shown that the wire
WIN work as well IN salt water as it will in the
AIR put where the water is one or two miles
deep, as In the Atlantic ocean, the dificutyis to
lind way OF resting the wire above terra f,ma,
dyetso thatit will be out Of the reach Of Winds
and currents, and vessels, which disturb the
surface Cannot this difficulty be overcome
cannot wire be suspended horizontally, say
zoo or 800 feet below the surface of the water?
is 1t more dlfiicult to suspend wire in the
water than 1t is to suspend it in the air. which
is done every day? My plan is this: The wire
should be incased in tarred rope, gutta -percba.
or other substance, and so constructed as to its
buoyancy that it will sink itself to about the
right depth OF its own weight, and SO also as
not to be very heavy in its sunken condition.
1t should be held up by buoys and held do,cn
by weights, the buoys and weights to be at
tached to each other by perpendicular rod, or
connection OF some kind, and these buoys land
weights) to be of the right distance apart-say
q quarter or half mile. The work can be done
leisurely, in parts, when the ocean is calm the
buoys above water always indicating the pro-
gress. All will admit that if there were no
winds, or waves, or currents, and consequently
the ocean always still, the plan would be sim
pie, easy, and practicable. Hence the difficulty
is narrowed down to this Can the effect of
the winds, and the waves and the currents be
sufficiently guarded against or overcome; or
in other words, can anything prevent them from
breaking up the chain, or waiting the whole
fabric out Of its line to the north or to the
south? As to this, it may be said that the
great depths of the ocean are believed to be
nearly still, and that in the greatest storms of
wind its surface only to the depth of few feet
land comparatively a very small part) is dis
turbed. The buoys being small and far apart,
the force of the winds and waves upon them
would not be very great, while it would be
something but, to overcome this force, there
would be the weights and the wire imbedded in
the still water some 800 feet below But if
anything more should be required, at certain
distances say three or five miles, q much larger
weight might be suspended and far lower, or in
places where soundings could be had, firm
anchor could reach the bottom.
The deep sea soundings made by Lieut..
Bergman, Ito which Lieut. Maury has lately
referred in an interesting report, establish the
fact that there is a northern line across the
ocean where the water is comparatively shall
low. 1t may be said, also, that the currents
and winds would, to considerable degree,
neutralize each other by their own changes
and variations. The advantages of suspend
ed wire over wire sunk to the bottom, (if the
latter be practicable are its easier construc-
ton, being done in parts and when out of
order the easy detection of the place where
the break is, and the easy manner in which it
could be repaired. If the plan is practicable,
the amount of cost is of little consequence
yet it is easy to see that there are perhaps hun
dreds more expensive works already completed
in this country. These suggestions, if not val
liable in themselves, may, it is hoped, lead to
something that may serve to further the inn
portant object. n. M.