New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-09-19
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH-CORK AND NEW
FOUNDLAND.
From The Cork Reporter,

From TIE Cork Reporter,
We sbal rst direct attention TO the geographical pO
s;ton of the points on either side of the Atlantic which
4 / intended shall be thus linked together. These are
s. Johns Newfoundland, the most eastern port OF
Nsrh America, and vaentis the most western harbor
n the British Isles. Besides the propinquity of these
,orts. they have the additional advantage of lying
most in the same parallel of latitude that the line
NAV stretch direct between them glance at the
map will show that the mighty waters OF the st. Law
,snce swollen with the tributes of the great American
i.Les has cut the Island of Newfoundland from the
continent. Therefore it necessary to lay SUBJ
marine cable between il and the mainland; this has
been accomplished and the telegraph across the Gulf
Of 81 Lawrence distance of eghty-iive miles, has
Seeu laid. and Is now in full operation This will eu-
able direct communication from New-YOrk to st.
Johns a distance of $50 miles, but then the wide
o. can has only been reached and the problem still
must be soyed-how is it to be crossed At first it
WAS contemplated that the line should go to Labrador,
Greenland Iceland the Ferroe Isles, and so to Europe
by ucce ave stages but to such roundabout journey
there were insurmOuntabe objections, into which we
need not enter. Ice has to be especially guarded
against and ground where anchors may catch in the
line must be avoided consequently, very deep water
4 desideratum, and this presents ITSELF at once,
YOU leave the cliffs of Newfoundland. Nineteen hum
dred miles Of must then be crossed and, as we
formerly observed facilities for the undertaking exist
such as no equal extent of the globe parallel The
cable to allow for the inequalities of the ground and
other exgencies of the case, will be 5000 miles long.
The wires viii be isolated in gutta pefeha coatings;
will be applied to give durability, strength, and eff
cacy to the cable. To lay enormous an amount of
coil two ships will proceed to the mid ocean, each car
ryDg half the line They will then separate, and con-
nue to lay out the cable until they shall have reached
their respective destinations. The wires will enable
them during the entire process to telegraph each to
the other at WILL so that their combined movements
will be, as it were, at the direction OF one
mind. We have remarked how much credit the
Government of the United States reflected upon itself
by its beralty in placing warship at the disposal of
this private COmpany and we hope to see the States and
the British Government each contributing hrst-cass
ship TO the laying of the cable. 1t would be grateful
tribute in recognition of such extraordinary enter
PRISE and show the world that these free nations spare
no concession which forwards the interests of their ct
zens. Hitherto, almost all the cables which have been
ost have been sacrificed from being placed in sailing
vessels towed by steamboats, These have become un-
manageable In bad weather, and, to save themselves,
have been obliged TO throw the coil overheard. This
could not occur if the countries were TO contribute first
rate steam men-of-war. AT all events IT Is well tn
think that in this instance, there will be two vessels
the line can scarcely be lost for, even one We're
obliged to sacrifice her freight, the other could wind 1t
up from the deep. The number OF wires TO be used Is
not determined upon, and here again. modern science
has achieved great triumph OF course, in line of
such length the amount OF copper used IL the wire be-
comes an object of the gravest confederation in deter
mining its expense. Now, in elegraphs above ground
Il has been found that the facility of transmitting cur
rent has increased with the enlarged size Of the wire
The electricity has twere broader path to move on
Thus an imperfect conductor can compensate for its de-
icve state of conduction by increase of volume. Take
for instance the two metals, copper and iron
lion offers seven times the resistance OF copper
10 the passage of an electric current, but by pro-
pOrtonaly increasing the size of the iron wire cleo
ticty will be readily transmitted through 1t as
through the better conducting metal; and conse-
oueny iron wires ope-sxth of an inch in diameter,
are used in the telegraphs of this country. 1t was
dreaded from such of reasoning that so enor
nous line should not only be Of the best conducting
material but that it SD uld also be of great thickness,
which would vastly enhance the expenses, but DIR.
Whitehouse who is one of the greatest existing au-
horties upon this branch of science has, in series
q over 1000 experiments, demonstrated that not the
sme. but rather opposite condition, operates IN
ubmsrne lines. 1t is TO be remarked that the wires
here are thoroughly Isolated so that the charge cent
INTO one resembles the charging Of Leyden jar, and,
consequently the smaller, within certain limits, The
wire in which is to be charged the more effective the
operation of the electricity will be- This is result OF
the most important character, for otherwise the COM
pany would have been put TO enormous cost In en-
ploying larger wires which would, in fact, have been
only operative to retard the elegraphic action SO
necessary IL il in physical science, at every new STEP
BY actual experiment 10 interrogae nature, which Is,
as Bacon finely says the true office of man, who is her
minister and interpreter" DIR. WhitehOuse has also
invented machine by which, If the line shonld be
broken or damaged, the point Of interruption can be
accurately ascerfained. Imp ,ssibe it may appear
at first sight il 10 perfectly practicable. We dread that
to give adetaled account OF il at this moment would
occupy to much space however, shall take early
opportunity Of doing So ..a