The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-08
NEW YORK HyRALp, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1858.

The CABLE AND THE EHB CrRICIA Ns.-By every
mail from England we are presented with the r.
sul's OF the experiments and tests which have
lacn made, or are sill making, on the Atlantic
Telegraph cable by the different electricians whose
assistance and advice have been asked by the COM
pany. One of these gravely informs the Board Of
Directors that there is a serious defect existing
in the line at distance of something over two
hundred miles from its eastern terminus; another
that the fault is five hundred miles off from that
point; another, that il is within three or four
miles Of the shore; md still another who insists
that there are two defects but ut what particular
point the second fault is to be found he cannot
or will not tell.
The last electrician. Mr.. Marley, whose report
appeared in yesterdays HERALD, gives those who
put faith in his statement no hope of the ultimate
successful working Of the cable whatever conso-
lation they may derive from his opinion that
sit is not altogether impossible that some
Ineligible signals may yet be received
through it." The theory of this gentleman,
who is the electrician Of the Electric and Inter
national Telegraph Company" is that the part
I VI thS S0cAS uANiS buI uClSti 10 SuplpUStu w DC
has been made still more defective by the use of
too strong an electric current--that the current
has in fact literally burned the faulty portion of
the gutta percha insulator. Now this may be
all very well in theory, and il may be also very
well to attribute such defect to the suspension of
the cable from some submarine mountain peak
and its gradual wearing away at the point of
suspension; but few facts with which we are
conversant will serve to clear away part of the
mystery which these gentlemen have thrown
around the affair.
During the six months the cable lay coled in
the government dockyard at Plymouth, the
electrician Of the company DIR. Whitebouse,
found it impossible. for weeks at time.
to get an ineligible current through it;
and when be attempted on one occasion,
while Professor Hughes was present, to
telegraph single letter, the attempt
resulted in most signal failure. The incompe-
tency of DR.. Whitehouse was apparent at this
| time, and those who knew the man felt certain
that he could never work the cable after it should
have been submerged If be failed to send mes
| sages through it reliably when the cable was
within reach, why should we be astonished that
| he has not succeeded now, when it lies in the
| depths of the ocean! At last that incompetency
| which was so patent to those who knew the
| Doctor and who had watched his operations
closely, became evident to the Board of Directors
and they did, about five or six weeks since, what
they should have done at least year ago-they
| dismissed him.
But in dismissing him they have not it seems,
exercised much Judgment in their selection of
others to fill his place; for of all those by whom
he has been succeeded not one has yet given
satisfactory explanation of the seeming difficulty.
All this time-that is, from the 9Th Of August
up to the departure from England of
the last mail-nothing definite has been
done towards securing the services of
Professor Hughes, whose experiments on
the cable before il was laid showed the great
superiority Of his system over all others. We
have been informed from private sources that
his proposition has been before the directors for
several weeks, and that ii yet remains unanswer-
| cd and il would now appear az if they would
! rather not work the cable than have it said that
an American had to be employed in the electri-
cal department. as they were Obliged to enlist
the skill and ingenuity Of an American in the
engineering department, before they could sue
coed.
As to the cable, We believe now, as we have
always believed that it is all right, and that a.
soon as the proper instruments are used, whe-
ther they he Hughes or some other they will
work il, and work it successfully. In his reply
to Dr. Whitehouses last statement, Mr.. Saward,
the Secretary Of the company, makes use Of the
following expression, which furnishes key TO
the di0iculty:-"But as Mr. Whitehouse has es-
tablished no means Of concerted action between
difficulty. il is not altogether possible to say
whether the entire embarrassment arises from the
fault referred to-" Our opinion is, that the cmbar-
rassment arises from the incompetency of those
who have had charge of the cable, and that the
embarrassment is still further increased by the
want ofpropcr Judgment energy and spirit Of
fairness and impartiality on the part Of the
directors themselves What Is the reason, We
ask, that Professor Hughes proposition has not
been answered. Are all the English electricians
TO have trial before his turn comess Il the fear
that Yankee may succeed in working the cable
to prevent the realization of the full success of the
great enterprise!
QUARANTINE ExToRroSs.-0ur importers are
well aware TO their cost, Of the scandalous sys-
TEN Of extortion practised at Quarantine in the
matter Of lghtcragc and stevedore charges. The
community nj large will have q very good idea
of this same evil by aperusal of statement Of