New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-16
THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH

As ~ cannot be accused of evsv having been over
sangus- of the Of the p,,aent Atlantic Tele-
graph may claim merit f,r our patient for
be.rsncc while events have been gradually showing
that our satcipations were, after all eerect, that
working telegraph the chances were sganst it. To
the perseverance of Mr. Field. and tle energy with
which he wss backed BY his associses in laying the
csblc have done and still desire to do full and em
phatic jnstce; and though their srct ~ may be
deemed in some happy accd'at yet it Is
certain that accident so happy would never have
happened but forthe skill and determinatiea through
which it was accomplished. But when We hsye said
this. have snid all and then fall back, perforce,
upon the weighty reasons which have besn urged,
from time to time. why the cable even if il should
ever he lad in continuous ne from Ireland 10 this
continent. should answer the purpose which
many 30 implicitly expected and which all 50 aniently
desired.
But il must now, we fear, be given up COM
pete failure. We are informed, indeed, every day or
two that the electrical current is still unbroken. but
these Indications is evident too feeble to permit
u. to indulge in the hope that the Cable can ever be
used sor tcegruphic purposes. The Electrcian-ln-
Chief announces that one break has been discovered
about two hundred miles from the coast of Ireland,
and that another is suspected to exist at still further
distance. As miss il good as mile, 20 one break
is a. goOd-or a. bad--as a thousand but the truth
probably in this is, that the breaks nearer
thousand than one. The interruption, no doubt, is not
merely in two places, but from end to end. The
Cable still holds together and may continue to do so,
perhaps for time longer; but it is gradually,
though certainly, yielding to the strain of It's own
weight and the immense pressure " which it is SUBJ
jected spun-yarn yields TO slow and steady ten
sion This it to us, is the most rational way OF
accounting for the present condition of things, as 1t Is
one which was long ago foreseen and predicted. The
London Times Of April - 1857, in an article, written
no doubt BY expert led Us to anticipate the failure
that has followed should this Gable ever be laid, and
pointed out very clearly the probable causes of that
failure. w. republsh the article, one well
worthy the consideration of those-whether stock
holders or othervise-who are still curious anxious
upon tho subject:
........... The Atlantic Cable, of the construc-
tion and ultimate destination Of which we have thus
given outline, is beyond all doubt beautiful specf.
men Of manufacturing skill. II possesses several
essential! requisites Its cost, believe, is only El0O
per mile; lis weight only one tun per mile. It con-
tracted TO bear strain of tuns cwt ITS diameter
il small and IT is flexible as an ordinary rope
These are great dvantages, but the setsoh on the
other side numerous and most important. In tue
first place the conducting wire itself Is rdiculousiy
small hen considered tnht III rs
current for 5000 miles, The latter is most serious
fault. so also is covering the outside with 40 fine n
description of wires that three months rust will de-
stroy them. BIT The greoicst tauh ot all IS tsot, IN
our ju9gneni the whoe cable iscOnstrUctedoR uroRg
principle. In preoiOus article on the subject Of sub
marine bRrophic communication, IRE pointed out me
errors kich hare 0iready led 10 me destruction oj 50
many cables asd He simple an rh'ch hey are
Temcdied Jy Mr. dh0Rs patents. TINS atlantic ca5le
MOugh trlH regard 10 hghtRess end cteapHess step
IN ne figkt direction, is still not IN he r,gh path
Whenever cable is constructed with spiral wires
round soft core, any strain in paying 1t out
must by stretching the outside wires either attenuatc
or break the copper conductor or nure It's Insulation
This is simple fact, which those least conversant
with mechanics easily understand. We do not
mean to say that the present cable will not succeed
but The chances against IT, and il il almost certain
that before IL has been down twelve months, 1t WILL
ike others similarly constructed be perfectly useless
Lfn does ansper temporarily, uW not Je dne to the
pian on rkich II mode bpl IN spite ofa. The first
locomotives butanswered the purpose for long time,
and undoubtedly locomotives, though neither OF
these reasons would Justify company at the present
day in igsoring recent improvements, and having
their engines made after those bygone models. IL is
the same with submarine cables. The present one,
though lighter cheaper and more flexible than the
ponderous iron coils through which shareholders have
lost huudreds Of Thousands irretrevaby, is still made
on the old principle Of observation-disclosures.
q large conductor, makes tie Of The coble rs
strength and doss army altogether rUh the neoessdD
for outside SPIRAL rirssP By ms patent cheopness,
hghfness increased c0pductDaay, and therefore GER
fQirty Of elscirIc dci,0n insured Only by the
adoption Of plans like these can the public ever hope
for any extensive and useful scheme of submarine
communication.