Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-04-15
From the London Times. March IL.
The Atlantic Telegraph.

~ NhNie
as we trust, final attempt to submerge this
line OF electrical communication
bet xeen the New and Old Worlds is. we
decided on. and all the preparations
TO secure a successful plan of
operations are rapidly advancing toward
Since our last notice of the
progress of this great undertaking, the ma
chimes of Glasse g. ElIiot's mandatory
have been working day and night to COM
plete the 400 additional miles of cable or
dered before last Chr istmas, and intended to
replace the 3s4 miles which were submer-
ged and lust last Autumn off Vslentia. This
additional length has now been completed.
1t is of precisely the same kind of cable as
the rest, which we have already described
flexible, strong, small aud light; it has been
suitation, and its completeness being thus
definitely ascertained. the last miles of it
were shipped last nighI on board the AdoRis
screw steamer for conveyance 70 Plymouth,
where it will arrive on Monday next. In the
dockysrd there, at Keyham. the main bulk
OF the cable, 10 the length Of 1900 miles,
has been slowed away in gigantic coils
during the Winter, and full staff of cleo
,~ricians, under the directions of Mr.. White
house, have been engaged in working mes
sages throughout It's entire length, and gen.
orally proving the electrical fitness of the
cable to the fullest extent. The result of
these experiments, we are informed, has
been in the highest degree satisfactory.
Most of those acquainted with the first ef-
forts which were made TO send messages
through the entire length of the cable know
that the retarding influence, or whatever
other name electricians may uow choose to
call it, which exists in a long conductor,
exercised a most serious influence upon the
rapidity with which it was found possible to
transmit words through the extent of the
wire Constant experiments. joined with
practical skill in working the wire daily,
have enabled Mr.. Whitehouse to overcome
So much Of their resistance tnat Eve words
per minute can now be sent through the
2 200 miles of cable at present at Keyham,
and it is fully expected that beiere the time
comes for its second encouragement eight
words will be transmitted with ease and GER
tainty. To many of our readers unacqusin-
ted with the practical working Of submar-
inc lines only eight words per minute may
appear 10 be but a poor result, aft"r all,
though We can assure them that i: evee at
tanned it is such an improvement in the rate
of TRANSMISSION as not many venlured to an
ticipate who saw the cable worked for the
first tine last Summer. A, the same time
such a result seems to show with most con-
vincing clearness that, though $50 words
per hour through this line, iii is success
fully laid down, might doubtless amply re.
numerate the Company, it would still be
almost as far as eve: from accommodating
the business messages between Europe ana
the New World. II. there fore, this line i;
submerged this Summer, it will follow, as 6
matter Of course, that three or four Others
must be laid as we'll, and there seems nc
reason why, if one can be laid down, there
should not be as many telegraphs under the
Atlantic as there are now under the Chan.
mel.
When the Adonis, with the 400 recently
completed miles, arrives at Plymouth on
Monday next, the additional length will be
Immediately landed and joined on to tbs
coil already al keyham. This will raise
the entire length Of cable already manuiac
tured TO nearly 1850 miles. or some l5O
miles or Whereabouts more than the entire
length with which The expedition started
last Autumn. There is no doubt, however,
but thai the first attempt was made with toe
small an allowance for casualties, and thai
consequently when the cable parted, and
about $50 miles were lost in the depths o
the Atlantic, il SO reduced the length oI
wire remaining at the disposal Of the engi,
neers that further perseverance in the al.
tempt became almost impossible. To guard
against a recurrence OF this mishap it ha.
now been determined to manufacture an ad.
ditiunal 300 miles of cable beyond the 2,65C
miles which We have stated is already COM
pIeied. This additional quantity will be
commenced at Glasse g. E'liot's works or
Friday next, and will be completed in /,
month or so, and forwarded to Keyham t.
be joined to the main coil, which will Their
measure nearly 5000 miles in length. The
Niagara and Agamemnon are again to be
the vessels employed in the attempt OF Ibis
year. The former was to leave New York
We believe, on The Ist of this month, and Is
expected at Plymouth about the 18th OF
18th. On her arrival at that port she viii
instantly commence taking on board her
share of the immense wire, which tnis time
will amount in length to 800 miles, in
stead OF 1900, as on the last occasion. On
beard the Agamemnon the cable will not be
coiled away in one prodigious mass amid
ships, but be distributed equally on the fore,
midship, and after part of the vessel, in
three coils of about 800 miles each. By this
arrangement, of course, the weight of the
wire is equally distributed and the ship well
trimmed. The very reverse of this was the
csse last Autumn, when the weight Of the
whole mass was concentrated amidships,
and, thus balanced On the principle of 3
Chinese toy, the poor Agamemnon rolled on
the least swell till her yards almost touched
the water.
The attempt to lay lay down the cable
will be made this year ct 4 much earlier
period Than on the last occasion. As soon
as the coils, with all the necessary apparatus
and appointments, are slowed away on
board the A~gamemnon and Niagara, which
will be about the beginning of Say, both
vessels will leave for a short trip into deep
water. when IL number Of experiments will
be made with the paying-out machinery, to
ascertain practically it any difficulties exist
in the proposed plan for submerging the
wire from the center ofthe Atlantic. These
experiments will oe brought to an end in a
few days, and any alterations which their
results may suggest in the machinery OF
manner OF paying out the wire having been
adopted as soon as possible, the expedition
will finally start about the middle Of June.
All the best authorities and most eYnpri-