Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-06-15
The Atlantic Telegraph.

!
The experiments which have beer
made with the new telegraph machines O
Professor Hughs upon the Atlantic cable
mad been quite successful. The instru.
ments transmitted messages through the
whole length of cable, and clearly de.
monstrated that .ney could be worked with
more rapidity and with greater reliability
than any other method.
Mr.. Cyrus w. Field called on the I3,h
upon SIR John Packington, the First Lord
OF the admiralty, and explained 10 him
the situation of the Atlantic telegram
company IN regard TO a paddie-wheel
steamer to act as tender upon the Nj
a9ara, IN place of the Susque hannah.
which the United States Government
were prevented from sending on account
of the yellow fever having broken out on
board of her The Admiralty at once
granted the request 10 Furnish a steamer
IN place of the Susquehannah. The lib
eraliiy of the British Governmentin plac-
ing four of their best steamers at the dis
posai OF the Atlantic Telegraph Compa-
ny. 10 assist In laying the cable this wear,
and at a lime when they are chartering
merchant steamers for their own service,
shows the deep interest they feel in the
success of the great International enter
prise. Confidence in the success of the
undertaking appeared TO be daily increas-
ing in England
The London Times details at length
the plans for laying the cable, and SAYS
that the greatest efforts. to insure sue
cess are being made, that no precaution
has been neglected, and that no suggest
ION worthy of attention has been ignored
The experimental trip, TO start on the Oath
or 25th of May, Is expected to occupy six
or ten days. During this, about 100 miles
of condemned cable will be used in ascer-
tanning the efficiency of various buoys.
laying down and undermining the wire
Sc, and, when all doub,s and theories
have been practically solved, the squad
ron returns to Queenstown, makes It's
brief final preparations, and starts for
the great attempt about the l0jh of June,
thereby taking advantage of the most fa-
vorable tine in the whole year.
After efecting a splice III the middle
of the Atlantic and safely sinking the
wire to the bottom of the sea Ga depth of
l 500 fathoms) the Niagara will at once
steer for Newfoundland and the Aga
memnon for ireland, each vessel steam
ing as fast to her homeward destination
as Is CONSTANT with safety to the great
undertaking. In case of dangerous
weather arising, the first consideration
will be, of course, the safety of the cable !;
and no matter how advantageous such and
such a course Of action may appear, moth
ing may lie done by which the success of
the undertaking is jeoparded, or even left
II chance.
Each vessel is provided with reels of
strong wire rope which can be attached
to bnoys made In the manner of ordinary
fishing boats, though, of course, capable
of sustaining a weight of several tons
Provided with this apparatus, the cable
may be cut without reluctance, if ever the
weather threatens, and the end of 1t
(firmly secured TO the rope aud buoy)
allowed to rest almost upon the bed of the
ocean, to be hauled up directly the storm
has passed. Proper precautions have al
so been taken 10 make the floating ends
of the huoys conspicuous and easily
found in case of the ships being driven
from them.
In regard to the electrical part of the
undertaking the Times says:
:" A number Of experiments have re-
Gently been made with a view of inereas-
ing the rapidi,y of working signals thro'
the entire length Of the cable. These
experiments, in which variety of in
ventions and applications have been en-
pIoyed, have been conducted by Professor
Thompson, Mr.. Hughes, the American
electrician (whose printing telegraph IS
likely TO revoutionize the present uncer-
tain system, } Mr. Henly, and Mr.. White
house. The result, though on the whole
far more satisfactory than was at first an
ticipated, shows indubItaly that more than
one submarine cable will be required to
do all the business likely to be transacted
between this country and the New World.
Such result, however, need dishearten
no one, since none but those unaequainted
with the subject have for moment I'M
agined that one working cable would be
sufficient, or do more than show the way
which others will be soon ready and anx-
ious 10 follow"