The Placer herald., 1857-05-23
The Great Submarine Telegraph of the
Atlantic Ocean,

The New York Herald of April goth, has
a long and interesting article in relation to
the Atlantic Telegraph, which is to be laid
down this summer. We extract as follows:
"Ihe New York, Newfoundland and Lon
don Telegraph Company made an attempt
in August OF 1855, to unite the islands Of
Newfoundland and Cape Breton, but the YES
sells employed in the work were caught in a
gale, the cable was obliged to be cut, and
the undertaking abandoned for that time.
Last year the company succeeded in ma
king the desired telegraphic connection be
tween the opposite shores of Newfoundland
and Cape Breton. This time they rejected
the three wire cable and procured much
lighter one, with single wire, consisting of
seven strands. The object of this arrange
ment, instead Of single wire of the same
thickness, is to provide against the possibil-
ity of any break of continuity taking place
in the metal This strand will stretch twen-
ty per cent of its own length, and is covered
with three layers of the purest gutta percha,
separately applied The cable weighs some
what less than a ton to the mile, and is one
of the lightest and strongest of its thickness
vet manufactured.
A few weeks after the allied army entered
the Crimea single wire cable was laid
across the Black Sea, distance of three
hundred and seventy four miles, between
Varna and Balaklava, and it was through
this that the English and French govern
ments were apprised every day of tho move
ments Of the belgerent forces on either side
Ill l.. ~,
has yet been laid, and the operation of sub
merging it would have been regarded ten or
twelve years ago as an utter impossibiity.
Surprising, however, as this and all other en-
terprses may appear, they dwindle into in
significance with that in which the New York,
Newfoundland and London Telegraph Com
pany are now engaged.
This work will probably be completed, as
we have already stated, within two months,
and will be performed by two American and
two English war steamers. The Niagara will
take one half the cable, or one thousand two
hundred and fifty miles oft, on board at Lon
don, while one of the English steamers will
receive the other half at Brkenhead, near
Liverpool. The four vessels will then pro-
ceed to point in the Atlantic as near y equi-
distant as possible from the termini of the
line in Ireland and Newfoundland. Joining
the separate ends of the line by an ingeni-
ousy contrivcd conncctor, they will drop it
in mid ocean and take their way to their
separate places Of destination, paying out
the cable as they 90, and keeping up the
telegraphic communication with each other
as they progress by the Transmission of des
patches from ship to ship. Each Of tile YES
sells having the line will be accompanied by
one Of the o'her two as an escort to assist in
any way that may be required. On the ar
rival of the Niagara at Newfoundland with
her end Of the line, she will have it convey
ed on shore, and this accomplished, will go
back to England before her return to the
United States. The distance between Val
entia Bay, in the southwest Of ireland, and
St. Johns, Newfound and-the two points of
connecion-is sixteen hundred and fifty
miles.
From the accompanying engraving the
reader will obtain an idea of the manner in
which the cable is conStructed