The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-12-09
The Trans. Atlantic re,errnpb.


on the 10Th uit, q deputasion from the Traus-
A1autic Telegraph Company, waited upon th
Manchester (Eng) Chamber of Commerce. to lay
before them the objects and prospects of the At
isotic Telegraph Company. who, after making
three careful surveys of the route, propose laying
down submarine cable between valentia, in Ire.
wires, distance Of 600 statutenailes The state.
ment shows the most practical view of their plans
which has been yet published
The estimated cost IL 935O 900, but with faciIi-
ties that may be obtained from the Governments
on each side Of the Atlantic. there Is . possibility
Of this being reduced to G2J0O00 The bottom Of
the ocean Is one level plain over the whole dis.
tance, aud admirably adapted for the purpose =
The capital Is to be raised in $50 shares of 600
each, and it stated that 453 600 of this amount
had already been subscribed In Liverpool. The
deputatiop consisting of Mr.. Field, An American
director, Mr. Brett the engineer and Mr. Statham
were received by numepus body Of directors
at both associations tncluding the presidents and
were listened to with great attention. Several
gentlemen announced their willingness to take up
shares
Between $50 600 and 100000 of str ck has been
taken In Liverpool only In toe Atlantic Teissraph
Company. large amount has been taken in Lon
don, and this week there have bsen many spplica
tions from Manchester. There seems little doubt
the whole will be taken up promptly, notv thstand
ing the very unfavorabe state Of the money market
Mr.. Field told the Chamber of Commsrcs that
the English Government had acted with the almost
ber Atty 1t had already directed vessel to be Mt
out at Its own expense TO make further and thorough
soundngs and to examine the coasts Of Ireland and
Newfoundland, with the view to select the best
places for landing the cable 1t had also agreed to
interest of four per cent per anuum on
the entire amount Of capital required to manufac-
ture and lay d. wn the cable. The way in which it
proposed to do this was to give the company G4OOo
year which was equal to four per cent, provided
the shareholders did not receive more than per
cent, in which case it would only pay at the same
rat, as private individuals He believed also that
the British Government would even 60 further, and
furnish the cmpsny with vessels for laying down the
cable, free Of any charge"
With til. present system of telegraphing, they
could transmit through single line OF wires ID 404
words every "a hours; but with The code which was
being prepared, they would be enabled to trans nit
at !oost 80 OG0 words within that time between Eu
rope ana America The shareholders would them.
selves have to consider what would be reasonable
charge for transmitting message across the Allan
tic, bearing in mind that they could not at pr. sent
write letter and receive an answer from New York
in less than 2e days and from New Orleans in less
than twice that period.
The.per,cns interested in the company, who had
spent years in obtaining elusive rights and
I'll the shareholders had received 10 per divi-
dend on their money, and until all the working ex
penses had been cleared of after which, they
wous take ons-hst of the net profits then undispos
ed Of The espitsl required to manufacture and lay
down the cable, at first estimated at ESQ 600;
but, owing to the great competition for the oonsruc
.
duction in its COST and strong assurances had also
bsen given by persons conn ctsd with the British
government, that it would place at the scmpany's
disposal two vessels for laying down the wires.
In this tho actual cost for the eompletion Of
the undertaking would be less than G251u00 If they
only calculated upon sending 80 900 words per day it
atei allowing 10 words for the address, date and sig
nature. The United States government had not been
asked for any guarantee yet, but they had granted
everything that had hitherto been asked. At the
same time the shsreho ders must not reckon upon
seivns any guarantee from it, because the company
might not perhaps obtain it. The charges for the
ira nsmisson of messages has not yet been fxed but
he (Mr Fisld) not in favor of their being high.
When once the cable was laid down they would in
cur expenses beyond the support of the establish
ment at either end; and 1t was therefore desirable
that they should keep the wire employ ed during tho
whole Of the twenty -four hours If they could not
get sufficient number of messages at 8 he weuld
receive them at g even at los, and rather than
have the wire unemploy cd, he would come down to
the penny postage system.
In answs to questions he said 1t proposed that
when the cable completed. 1t should be taken Ia
two vessels to the osatre OF the Atsntc, where the
ends would contested, and the vessels would then
proceed respectively towards America and Ireland,
paving cut the cable at the rate of from eight to ten
miles per hour The months of June and July had
been selected because during that portion of the ar
there scarcely ever any storms In the northern
part of the Atlantic Tho strength OF the cable had
been tested with four tons, and rhere was no doubt
that 1t would arswer its purpose in that respeet-
When laid at the bottom of the ocean, 1t would In
jure it, The cable was composed Of seven copper
wires covered with three separate layers Of gutta
percha over which was bound hemp saturated with
tar and other materisis the whole being enclosed in
1875 iron wires Even If the outside wire became de
tached, it would not affect the conducting wire as
the gutta pc cha In which tho latter was envsloped
was indestructible in water.
In reply to the chairman, Mr. Field stated that the
greatest depth of the wss o7o fathoms which
was within Is miles of tho centre Mr. Brett stated
that the cable which he had laid down in the Msdi-
terrsnean where the bottom was very uneven weigh
cd tons to the mile; bat that which would be laid
down in the Atlantic would not weigh more than /
ton Dor mile. Mr. Field said the time taken to
vey the fuid through two thousand miles of sire
less than quarter Of q second. Ar Brett mention
cd that Mr. field had given his chequs for 425 900
wards tho und dertakins, and taat the total smount
of loo, 600. No portion of the capital would be
sailed for unless it absolutely required, and he
hop ped that tho calls would not exceed l5s in this
pound.
AsEcoNp DANIEL LAMBERT On Sunday, the
9th ult Mr. James Mansfield expired, at the village
of Dsbden In his 82i year. He was en- extiaord ma.
ry character, for though not above the ordinary
height, he was of Immense magnitude, measuring 8
.na >oh; akonA NJ lha hau