The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-21
THE ATLANTIC rEhEGRAPH AND THE LONDON
fIMBs
wAsulsoros, Sept. le, 1883.
10 Me Efiors of be TIaion

10 Ge Eiaors Of he Uaion
An article that appeared in your issue Of yesterday
renders word more the same pronc subject OF the
Atlantic Telegraph necessary The tirst fash across the
Atlantic is quickly followed by the angry tones OF the
Thunderer denouncing for claiming share in the
great work and manesng delight at its successful
accomplishment by what it Is pleased TO term Bunkum
addresses "
While have thought that countrymen were
rather premature in their manifestations Of joy nduging
in celebrations ovaildns, and ubilatons before It was
ascertaned definitely whether the cable would work we'll
after it had been laid must dissent from the
conclusion of the Times and maintain that our coun
try entitled to the first share Of credit for ORIGINATING
the Atlantic telegraph Though there submarine
eegraphs in operation from Dover to Calais, and other
places in Europe straits and small seas, no
thought of attempting to lay cable across the
Atlantic until in the year 1852, It, o. III. Bergman
officer of the United States navy, made continuous line Of
deepsea soundings from Trinity bay id Newfoundland,
to Vaentia bay, Ireland and thus proved theexstence
o@ comparatively level plain plateau extending the
whole distance between those two points not exceeding
two miles in depth in any part of it, lie also ascer-
tanned from specimens brought up from the bottom OF
the ocean by the instruments used in sounding that the
bed of the ocean at that depth entirely beyond the
influence of any disturbing causes that asate tile surface
of the water such wind, and waves, &c. so that il
cable was completely submerged it might lie for
ages perfectly safe and secure
This fact first suggested the idea of the Atlantic ele
graph Then and not till then was the plan of it con-
"
into execution But Even when the company bad been
formed and stock taken and they wished d place tie
practcabty of the enterprise beyond all doubt before
making the attempt what means were adopted for that
purpos2 They had to the same officer of the
United States navy. His services again called into
reguson and in thesummer of 1856 he detailed from
the Coast Survey and in the Arctic fitted for that pur
pose repeated the line of soundngs from Trinity bay
to Valenta bay with improved Instruments and
similar result and thus demonstrated the fact Of the
tence of this plateau prepared by Nature and ready for
tbs reception of the cable That are indebted to the
energy and ndomtable perseverance of an American Tor
the successful laying Of the cable it presumed none will
have the hardhood to deny Cyrus W. Field pcsevered
in the attempt end after shaps and failures enough to
induce y one of less energy and than him
self to abandon the enterprise in despair lie finally had
the satisfaction of seeing his efforts crowned with stc
cess The Times, ignoring these facts entirely, Law
shes its praises the operatives that worked the machine
ry for paying out the cable, the working bees of the
hive ''the great cble layers, horeally acted the same
part in completing the Atlantic telegraph that the officers
and crews Columbus ships acted in discovering Amer
ca According the argument of tile Times, the las
borers that dig the holes and SCI the posts for line OF
telegraph on land are entitled to much more credit
and have a far better claim to be esteemed public
beneactors than Franklin that first proves the identity
of electricity with the lightnngs Of heaven, Henry
that first investigates the principles of eectronagnetls
or Morse that first invens the Iathine to apply those
great principles to practical utility the philosopher
that investigates the principles Of science in his laboratory
and then gives the result of his experiments to the world
should be equally esceed with the mechanic that avas
himself of the philosophers researches and applies these
principles to the construction of machinery ii the name
of Columbus deserves to be remembered and honorcd as
much us the dong since forgotten) that acted under
his guidance and direction then American phoso-
Pliers American inventors and especially an officer OF the
American navy entitled to share the honoi Of the success
ful completion of the Atlantic telegraph If Ulysses
could say of himself with popriey after having aided
the Greeks before the walls of Troy, with the wisdom OF
his counsel till victory had crowned their efforts with sue
cess Peqanzm cii possecoagi, may we not say
with equal propriety Bergman laid the Atlantic cable,
since he first demonstrated the paccability of the en-
terpIisei ~