Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-09-09
III. Atlantic Telegraph.

There is strange silence at this end OF the
line relative TO the working of the telegraph |
and almost all we know of its capacity and the /
success attending its operations Is derived IRON
the English journals. We were not permitted
TO know how long time it required to transmit
the messages of the Queen and the President
until the steamer arrived from Liverpool In
fact. all the information we have in regard to IT,
except the two or three messages which have
been made public, is derived from the English
papers.
The London Times of the 2lst announces the
receipt on the day previous Of the message
containing the news of the collision between the
Arabia and Europa. This message contained
twentv-one words, and at O'Clock the same
evening further particulars were asked for \
replv was returned to this enquiry at half past
seven. two and half hours afterwards giving
the additional information in sixty words
A Paris letter says that project for an e'ee-
trie telegraph to connect Europe with China
was in course Of preparation in that city and
would be presented to the Emperor on his re-
turn to Paris.
The London Morning Post gives the follow
inc interesting account Of the working OF the
telegraph;
Tba sI.Upess of the signals through the
Atlantic telegraph cable does not oePeHI oH 'nS
rItariation Of electricity in passing through
| tbs Ienath of the wire If the wire were sus-
nenset In the air there would be no dltnculty IN
transmitting as rapidly as the instruments could
| ba worked. but when the wire Is covered with
! ,,,,t. nercba. and imme sed IN water It retains
| Inc electricity, and the charge once cominuhi-
Gated 20 the wire requires time for It's discharge
/ The fist signal made is transmitted almost III
staptaDeously through the conducting wire TO
the instrument at the other end; but the wire
does not readily part with the charge, ana the
electricity il retains prevents the eject oi d SEC
ond signal from being perceived on the uls'ah'
/ instrument This peculiar elect begins 70 oe
nerceIyed in an immersed wire at a distance OF %
mules, and increases in force as the distance m
creased so that, at 200 miles, communication by
Norse's telegraph would be impracticable, un-
less means were adopted to cOunteract the de-
raiuins, influence of the external conductoT--
When the telegraph to the Hague was lald
down. the difficulty Of transmission through d
submerged wire became for the nrst time oD-
served and the Morse instrument then employ
ed would not act IN consequence. But the dii-
fculty was shortly overcome by discharging the
wire after each signal, which was done by send
ing an electrical current in the reverse direction
With the needle telegraph the effect had been
scarcely perceived, for IN the ordinary working
Of that instrument the electrical currents are
continually reversed; but with the recording III
strument. IN which the electricity operates al
yyays in the same direction, speeI1l LTrange-
ment Tor reversing the current becomes essen
TALLY necessary How far that arrangement
lonlv will suffice to clear the wire has not yet
lbseu determined, bat It seems evident that 1t Is
Insufficient for the Atlantic cable
Ii the difficulty that has az sen were owing
To the retardatiOn Of the electric current, there
would be little hope Of its being overcome, ior
the natural velocity OF electricity could not De
increased; but when il Is known that the slow
mess with which one signal follows another Is
attributable TO a peculiar condition OF the wlre'
which has been efIeetually neutTalized by sPe
cal arrangements for 4 distance OF two or three
hundred miles, II may be reasonably expected
that other contrIvances may be adopted that " |lll
overcome the difficulty even across the Allan
tic