Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-09-04
The Atlantic Telegraph.

It will be seen that the muchaIed of Atlantic Gable
is broken and, presume, the enterprise deferred for
we have idea that another attempt will be made this
season. The directors of the enterprise were to have
met, and we suppose did meet in London the 9Th
inst, to consult upon matters and things among the
rest we suppose the question of making another attempt
this season.
This attempt will hardly be made Even when the
expedition which has just failed, made its start it
believed that too much of the gone. The in
tention had been to have made earlier start but cir
cumsances interered to postpone the carrying out of
that intention What was deemed too late at the be-
ginning of August will hardly be undertaken away on
in September, or October, as is spoken Of What failed
because of heavy swell in August, would have small
chance in sea agtaed by the heavy gales of the Au-
tumnal Equinox.
About the time when the news Of the sailing of the
feet engaged in laying the wire received atten
ton was attracted article in the Scientific Amer
con, always good, practical authority. That paper
predicted this failure citing facts of practical charac
ter showing the strong probabilities against success
The whole course of procedure had convinced the
commonsense editors of the Scientific American that
there were too many philosophers and too men Of
practical mechanical mind and forethought engaged
and the result has indicated the sagacity Of that con
ClusiOn.
Some evenings since we were reading short sketch
of the life of George Stephenson the founder of the Eng
fish Railway systematic builder of the little Rocket
the first successful locomotive. We marked how he
had felt his way-rsen step by step The of poor
man who got twelve shngs week for firing an engine
employed at some coal mines Young Stephenson first
ambition as boy was to assist his father at six shillngs
week-then he got the position of fireman his own
hook-then little hghcr-than he got charge Of al
engine which he used to take apart and clean until he
fully understood its mechanism and the principle upon
which it worked Theh his practical thought and study
enabled him to see and remedy defects, and he APP
piled to when engines pumps got out of ordcr-thcr
something brought him to examine the wooden trmwayS
employed to carry the coal from the mines These he
studied fully and practically understood, making improve
ments in them and in the adaptation of the power employ
cd In that way he increased his stock of experience
and capital
When the first line of railroad of any length in Eng
land, proposed Mr. Stephenson put himself in com
muncaton with the directors, and dssaudcd them from
the idea of using horse power, and induced them to &C
for locomotive steam engines. He appointed engi
neer of the road at salary of three hundred pounds
Step by STEP he improved his cngines-hs railroad sys
TEN and his other discoveres-a successful because al
practically worked out step by step. He died wealthy
and respected and yet at 20 years of he could hardly
read and had not q cent Of capital. There were ne
George Stephensons connected with the telegraph cable
only theoretic sauans