St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-09-03
The Submarine Telegraph.

The Submarine Telegraph.
At the present moment two of the
noblest ships of the two foremost ma
tions, are probably engaged in mid
ocean in perfecting the most wonder
ful results of modern science. The Sub
marine Telegraph was made fast to the
Irish shore on the Sd inst, and it is
hoped that it's unbrokcn line will be
attached to the American shore soon
thus enabling us and compelling us
to feel every throb which pulsates
through the mother country and the
rest of Europe.
OF course the liveliest interest at
tends all the details of this great
movement, and even anxiety and dis
trust are not wanting. In England,
we learn that the prevailing impress
sion is that the enterprise will fail
that is, temporarily, for none car
doubt that the idea, so natural, so
feasible in principle, and so directly
in the march of past scientific success,
must ultimately triumph. But the
distrust springs from the multitude of
novel obstacles which have arisen
during the progress of the undertaking.
But, if we may rely on the spinion of
competent and candid judges, great
as are these obstacles, there is no
ground for believing that they have
all been overcome, Certainly, every
prccaution that science could suggest
and capital supply, has been taken.
The construction of the cable and
the methods of shipment and laying
down have been repeatedly laid before.
the public. We may say, however,
that the maximum speed of the vessels,
while paying out the cable, is estima-
ted at five miles per hour-but 100
miles per day is probably quite as
much as they will ever be able to ac-
complish. The arc of the great circle
to be occupied by tho cable, between
Valencia harbor in Ireland and Trinity
gay, Newfoundland, 1894 m;las i"
length. The greatest known depth
along the route is 1920 feet, or
about a mile and onc-third Nearly
600 miles of cable in addition to that
required by the actual distance, has
been provided, as precautionary
measure. The nature of the bottom,
SO far as sounded, proves remarkably
level, and being covered with the del
icatc remains Of shells waited north
by the gulf stream, it is evident that
the track is free from the disturbances
of storms. The only chance of danger
from the great icebcrgs which some
times grind along the bottom, as they
have done for scores and hundreds of
miles. As to the anticipated difficulty
of transmitting sufficient electric cur
rent through a great distance, which at
one time occasioncd the most doubt a
mong scientific men, it has been disprov-
ed by actual trial with the cable when
shipped and we know of no condi-
tions incident to its submerged state
that threaten to vary the result, except
the rupture of the outer core of the
cable.
The ships themselves, with their
crews, &c, are furnished by the two
governments. The latter have also
agreed for twenty-five years to pay to
the company, up to the time when its
dividends shall have six per cent, a
subsidy of $4,000 year, and $50, 900
"A year after that time. Of regular
revenue there are no data for making
anything like reliable estimate. 1t
is said by the correspondent of the
of the New York Times, on borad the
Niagara-from whom we derive many
of the above facts--that the cost Of Z
single message from London to New
York will be about So. Another
writer says it will not be much below
"a for dispatch of twenty-nine words
or under.
We look upon the whole thing as
plainly feasible. In a year or more
hence, probably, We may be growing
because we do not hear from London
and Paris by twenty minutes SO soon
as we expected, and blowing up the
slow management of the company
So we go-but who can tell the end
thereof?
Eugene Sue, the eminent French