New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-01
historian to deal with the calm, obscure gene
raIities which really make up the progress of the
III A. .non @. tba DaviI Ia bi.s,d 81 - L.

world. Az soon as the Devil is Kissed the reader
! throws down Paradise Lost; as soon as Geo.
| Washington retires to his farm he is common
place. When the lovers are made happy the
play ends.
We are now however about to witness some
| thing which our old. fashioned historians would
| dispatch in line or note, though worth
volume or library or many libraries. We mean
the telegraphic communication between Ameri-
ca and Europe, precedent to its extension round
the globe. This is too large theme for any
single hero. II is an idea. And yet the parties
| engage in its realization regard it as already
certain to be carried out. The experience of
| the Black Sea telegraph for instance is thought
to be conclusive, if shorter lines previously
| established were not From Balaklava to Var
| ma the wires stretch under water more than $50
miles, and not the slightest difficulty is expert
enced in using them. There can then be no diff
fcuty in sending electricity across the Atlantic
by the same means. The length of the wires
from Ireland to Newfoundland will be some
1850 miles; they will lie on the sandy plain,
which the soundngs Of our Government have
shown to stretch from land to land for the whole
distance, with the exception of about two hun
dred miles next to the Irish coast, where the
bottom becomes irregular and the water deeper.
The actual distance is some 1000 miles only,
but it will be necessary to make a detour with
tie wires in order TO carry them around tn
Banks where icebergs often ground and wher
the cable might be broken by their weight anl
friction.
The line from Ireland to Newfoundland is TO
be constructed by European Company of which
Mr.. Brett, who has laid down most of the sub
marine telegraphs of Europe, is prominent
member. The capital of this Company is two
millions sterling, and the contracts-aready
perfected-for the completion Of the work re-
guire that it shall be ready for operation by Jan.
%, 1e5S-less than three years hence. The
cable of this part of the line is to contain six
telegraphic wires-like the great Mediterranean
cable now being laid dOwn-and is to weigh
eight tuns to the mile. In laying it down
of course several steamers will be required,
as no single vessel could contain the
enormous weight of the entire mass but the in
genious manufacturers, Messrs. W. kaper X
Co. Of London have cOntrivcd means of so
splicing it as to render the joints quite as
strong and quite as scrviceable as any other
part Of the line. Thus when ono steamer has
paid out her portion of the cable, the end will
be spiced upon the coil on board of the next
steamer, and so on till all is down. Should
storm arise during the process, the exceeding
strength of the cable, formed as it is Of mass
of heavy iron wires wound sprally around the
thick tarred envelope and gutta percba cords
which contain the electric conductors will be
sufficient to hold the steamer as if she were at
anchor until the gale is over. Of course the
work will be done in the Summer months when
there is little danger of interruption from tenn
pests. The cable when once sunk upon the
bottom will remain there forever, below the
range OF marino animals, and safe from all dis
turbance 1t would be difficult to fl limit to
its duration after it is successfully bedded.
OF tie Company which has undertaken the
cs-Atlantc portion Of the work we have often
had occasion to speak. 1t is composed OF some
eight or more wealthy gentlemen, who propose
to build the entire line from st. Johns, New
fouIoland, TO New-York with their own re-
sOurces. Peter Cooper is the President and
Moses Taylor the Treasurer ofthis Company, and
Cyrus Field, one of its members, has just re-
turned from Europe, where he went to consum-
mate the arrangement with the European Com
pany. The American part of the line will be
I,2OO miles in length, II miles Of which will be
under the Gulf of st. Lawrence, and the cost Of
the whole is estimated at million and half of
dollars. The wires across Newfoundland will
make 400 miles of the line, running through
country hitherto unOccupied and unknown In
the cutting of the path and Other preparatory
labors the Company have had 400 men employed
during the past year in that island alone. They
have been literally aided with grants of land
from that colony and have obtained advantage
GUS charters and grants elsewhere. From our
last English journals we learn that the cable to
90 under the Gulf of st. Lawrence was about to
be shipped, and we may accordingly soon ex-
pect to be able to receive dispatches from ST.
Johns as easily and regularly as we now do
from New-Oreans. This cable contains three
electric wires only il being contemplated to lay
down another Of the same size when the Euro
pean wires have been brought across and the
business between New-York and London re-
quires it,
Meanwhile, as soon as communication is OPEN
ed with st. Johns, it is expected that the Col
Inns steamers will regularly call there to take in
Goals and deliver the news. This alone will
bring Us two days nearer to Europe in point of
intelligence, ST. Johns being two DAYS sail be-