Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-01-03
From The Philadelphia North American.
The Sub Marine Telegraph and Lieutenant
Maury. tI

cUcty anu ue ntCecSliy W bCttHllno HlSu W 'h'
development Of The material prosperity Of the
nations Of the world, heretofore SO conspicuous
ly illustrated by the signal discoveries and de-
ductions in astronomy, chemistry, geology, me-
,eorolopy, and other departments Of knowledge,
is, 10 remarkable extent, exemplihed IN the
recent scientific discoveries and inventions
which have done so innoh to promote inter
Communication between different and distant
places and countries We might refer to The
rail car and the steamship as marvellous cxem-
Publications. Of this truth, forming, as they do,
such invaluable contributions Of science TO com
nerce and other practical uses Of life To the adj
vancement of all the material interests Of man
kind, and ioihe widespread diffusion Of a high
er order of civilization than the world has liith-
erto known. But these now belong 10 the es-
tablished economy Of things, like the Coperni-
can theory Of the heavens. We seem TO be OBJ
lvious Of the fact that their date is recent, or,
indeed, that they ever had beginning while
the great marvel which at present absorbs the
public mind is the new mode Of communication
by telegraph through the air, and especially
through the sea. .Ni Wa
Within the whole range Of physical discoy-
cry, there is certainly nothing that comes 10 us
invested with such strange wonder as The
magic wire that communicates thoughts and
words. To have tanned the lightnings thus to
man q uses is one Of the most extraordinary tri-
umphs Of mind over nature, great in itself and
in its-obvious results, and great in lis promises
of wider ,riumphs ia the future. The proud
honor Of this achievement belongs to the country
Of franklin and Fulton, and happily demon
biratos how cOngenal is our American soil to
the origin and growth of great practical ideas,
which are the chief poems Of these later times,
beautiful 10 the imagination, as well as useful
and serviceable 10 man. When il was first an.
nounced, the multitude regarded il as indeed
but dream of fancy, which couldnever be re-
doced TO any practical parpose. Soon, how
over, all incredibly vanished, and establishment,
by no means bunied yet, filled the general
mind when the dumb Instrument like Thing
Of life, began to deliver its messages through
,he land, annihiaiing time and space The
thought then, naturally enough, suggested itself
that The wire, il insulated, nigh, pass under
the water as we'll as through the air, and thus
iosm medium nf communication between coun-
tries separated by intervening seas When
preliminary experiments had been tried, 10 the
new as,onishmsnt of the world, the first great
submarine telegraph. crossing the English
cbapnel from Dover to Calais, was announced
rs practical success. 1922
This application Of the great discovery could
cot, Of course, remain in that stage. The tel
egraph might be employed to connect countries
separated by still wider seas, aud even BY vast
oceans themselves and then the nations speak
to each other almost as famiiarly as the house,
hold group assembled around the evening board !;
and something tangible would be done towards
the practical restoration OF that unity Of man
kind when the infant race dwel near together
and were of one speech and language. But if
not its moral, certainly its commercial uses,
would be Of momentous value. The practical
age at once undertook the realization Of the
grand idea. The government Of France set
about the construction Of such telegraph across
the Mediterranean, over the Sardinan islands,
to some point in its Algerne possessions and,
although the undertaking, twice attempted, has
fwiee failed, i'ero is nm dnnbt that. Taught BY
these failures and tho new light, that science
has since shed upon the subject, they will soon
thus bring Africa into communication with Eu-
rope. The Austrian government, also, has la
ken upon itself 10 lay submarine telegraph
from point on It's Mediterranean coast 10 the
western shores of that sea, 10 connect there
with telegraph, (for whose construction the
capital, we understand, is already provided, J
which is 10 follow the banks Of The Euphrates
and terminate in British India; thus uniting
london, by one continuous line Of magnetic
ant regions uf Central Asia. To complete the
union Of the four continents and unite the ives.
tern with the eastern hemisphere, the wires
must be laid across the wide and rough Allan
tic. This is The grand undertaking of the age
and il is looked upon with the most intense ill.,
ierest from all parts Of the civilized world
The attempt made year ago last summer, 10
connect Cape Breton island with Newlound-
land. when upon the very point Of succt eding,
was unfortunately frustrated by an insuspcious
gale Of wind, which made it necessary, for the
safety Of the ship, TO cut the wire and lose it
in the sea, after forty iwn miles Of i, had al
ready been laid. But The enterprise will soon
be resumed, and doubtless with success, The
company, however, are now resolved on the
speedy laying Of The wire from poin, near
Galway, in Ireland, to Newfoundland; and if
fortune smiles on their plans, we may hope to
see The magnificent purpose accomplished by
the close Of another season.
But science comes forward TO claim new hon
ors for this practical triumph; and, what is es-
pecially gratifying 10 our national pride, il is
American science which sheds new light on the
difficult problem, and renders the undertaking
altogether practical thing. Lieut.. Maurv,
with the cooperation of others, and The liberal
and judicious helps extended to him by the gov
ernment, has revealed some hitherto undiscov-
cred secrets Of the sea, that have a most inti-
mate aad essential hearing upon the successful
accomplishment Of this great work BY vast
number Of deep-soundings, suggested and insli-
tned BY hin. he has not only removed the
common erroneous impressions in regard TO the
great depth of the ocean, but he has denionsira-
ted That lis bottom is comparatively level, and
is all covered to The depth Of many feet will,
lieess infsoria, microscopic creatures, less