New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-30
TIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Core spondeDce Of The London Daily News.
L.. - -


NAIENTlA, Sunday, Sept. H., la)o.
The sounds of rejoicing for the completion of the
telegraphic communication between England aud
America had hardly ceased either side of the ocean
which has been wonderfully intersected by the WIRE,
ard the OvatiOns and festivities in honor OF those VINO
were instrumental IN achieving the great work were
sil at their hight on this side oi the IRISH Chaunel
when gloom was cast upon all ty the sudden ana I'M
expected announcement that inteligble signals had
ceased to come through tie cable. The pubic aud
those interested in the success OF the undertaking have
doubtless been much surprised that so many days
should have been allowed To eapse since the announce
uent Of the failure OF signals without their being made
acquainted, eitheir through the Company or hewspd-
per espOndence with the progress O analrs NJ tns
terminus of the Atlantic wire. But the fact is that
beyond the bare fact that signals were not received
there was nothing 10 communicate until the results oi
the investigate Of Prof. Thomson Mr.Edward Bright,
Mr.. Varley, and ether scientific gentlemen, VINO
have been experimenting upon the cable Tor the past
few days. transpired. Those experiments have not
vet been completed, but sufficient has been done
toward pointing ont the exact position and probable
nature of the fault TO Justify the public being made
acquainted with the facts From the time OF landing
the end. on the 5th of August, to Monday the 9Th,
the cable continued in fair condition, though shghl
defect of no consequence IN working was observed
in the insulation Up to that evening nothing but
ultimate positive and negative currents had been re-
ceived from Newfoundland though words ana adjust
ment messages had, from soon after the landing,
been continually sent from Valentia That evening,
howeVer, eoil currents came WIN the "1us s sehu
slower and "repeat" from Newfoundland, beng
sent by Mr.. Whtehouse's instruments and received
spon his beautifully constructed recording relay. II
was soon found, however that Mr.. Nmtehouse's
recording relay, though admirably adapted Tor re-
ceivng messages through the cable, had been ad-
justed aud constructed under the very natural be-
lief that the cable, if landed at sll, would have
suffered little in its electrical condition, and was
found not to work with certainty with the COM
paratively feeble signals which arrived from the
American continent Prof Thomson's delicate reflect
ing galvanOmeter was accordingly substituted ior II,
though messages were raIsmtted from both ends
usual by Mr.. Whitehouses patent. During the
whole of the week, from Monday the 9Th to Saturday
the 18th, various adjustment messages were received
and sent through the ine though, IN consequence OF
their constantly requiring messages from Nalentia TO
be repeated several times il evident that in New
foundland the signals not READ with the same
facility as those in the contrary direction 70 Nalenta
This circumstance tends to prove that the fault that
was observable was somewhere near the Irish coast,
for any defect more than 800 miles from either coast
would affect the transmission and reception of signals
equally az both ends Accordingly the cable was
underun for the distance of about three miles
from Nalentia Island by Mr.. Cumming, cut and
tested thoroughly by Mr. bartholomew, the Electrical
Superintendent who stated that whatever fault existed
was far out at sea. The ends accordingly joined
up again without new piece Of cable being laid be-
tween Dowas Head and the shore. From that time
10 Saturday the 2lst Of August, the fault very
variable both in its nature and lis apparent
distance from the Irish coast, at first appearing
something like $40 miles distant and grad
ually diminishing until it became stationary
at a point calculated with great accuracy to be
nearly 30 statute miles from the Naenlla end oi the
cable An this period the electrical condition became
daily worse and worse and it only with the great
care and by constant repettions, that the vanons
official and eongrs,alatory messages between the
English and American authorities were transmitted
toNewfoundland the messages back TO Naentla being
in almost every case, clear and distinct. The condition
a the wire became daily more faulty until the Sst OF
August, when Government message was dlspatched
through the cable for the North American colonies
and on the morning Of the LIST of September second
Government message safely transmitted; but
after il had been duly acknowledged, the insulation
of the wire became suddenly worse, and il was
found impossible 10 make them understand al New
foundland Words and messages were continually trans
mitted: but il was soon evident that the American
shore they could only just distinguish that signals
were being sent for the only answer received at Va
lentia was =" Repeat" and - Don't understand, and
some OF these small phrases only disngnishsble
at intervals land since oclock the morning o: Fri
day the eth Sept, no ineligible signal whatever has
been received. Occasionally, however, very distinct
r,yerssls las regularly alternating positive and
neeativ. currents arr termed have been received; ];
,omstimes 80 strong aad good that, had they been
sending words from Newfoundland, they could have
been distinctly read on The repeating gelTsnouetsr Of