The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-07

Ihe Opening OF tine Atlantic Telegraph
When Will IL be Ready for Public Uscs
The time claimed for the experiments Of
Mr.. Whitehouee and his assistants haviag
expired, the public are now naturally iupa-
dept to ASCERTAIN the obstacles which have oc
cssicned the further delay In the open
ing of the lipe. Notwithstanding the re.
serve maintained oa the subect, we believe that
the following will he found to'erably correct
explanation of toe cir cumstsDces that have led
TO this unavoidable disappointment Of the pub
lie hopes,
Mr.. Whitehousc has had q fair trial and has
proved bimsel utterly III able to fulfil the con
d,tiops required for the remnnerauve working
of the line. His system, though II has never
been fully explained, is understood TO be essen
TALLY the Morse plan, except for recording
which is the same as devised by Balm; and st
most it is believed that Whitehousc has done
no more than to combine the discoveries aud in
ventions Of photographers who have gone before
him. The average speed at which Whitehousa
can transmit through the cable whea every
thing is right, is about four letters per minute;
but as very large proportion of every hour of
the cay is lost, by reason of the almost unceas-
ing necessity 10 "adjust" the instruments at one
or botn ends Of the line, the actual number of
worcs possible to be transmitted in day does
not average even one letter per minute, and FREE
quently not ore per hour; and there appears to
be no coed reason to anticipate any better suc-
cess for the future with the same instru
Dents, Under these circumstances the direc-
tors properly determined to invoke all the
scier,i6c aid which could be enlisted in the solu-
ton OF the difficulties attending the successful
working of the line. Not only have they given
TO Professor Hughes oil the powers and facili-
ties necessary to the proper testing of his instru
ment but they have invited the assistance Of
all the English, French and German electri'
cians who may feel Disposed TO contribute to-
wards The furtberance of this great inferno
tional undertaking. Whatever may be the
rights ard privileges reserved to Professor
Wiihbouse by contract, it is obvious that they
can no longer be adhered to, TO the injury and
loss Of the stockholders. We are satisfied, how
ever, that there is nothing in the bargain which
binds the directors to experiment indefinitely
until Mr.. Whitehouse succeeds in complying
with the scientific conditions which would rem
der his labor, of indispensable value TO the COM
psny.
The most confident hopes are entertained
that the machine of Professor Hughes viii iufil
all i9e immediate requ rements Of the line
lie undertakes to transmit eight letters
q minute--or, in other words to accom-
plish one hundred per cent more than Mr..
Warehouses; most successful efforts, and that
without any Of the Interruptions occurring to
the latter. From what we know of the working
Of his instrcment, and the results OF the expert
neDts made 10 England, We believe that this is
only the minimum calculation Of what ne can
40. The average number of signals through
the cable whilst eoiled at Keybam WAS about
;hirty-fve. The average number Low il
about sixty per minute, showing that all the
theories Of the many scientific men were just
the opposite Of the truth. TAX ng Hughes
experiments upon the cable wnil-t 1t was
coiled at Keyham into consideration, and as
suming that sixty electric signals-thirty
positive and thirty negative currents-can now
appears to be no doubt but that his instruments
will transmit an average Of twenty five to
thirty letters-equal to Eve or six words-per
nil ute. Should these snticipsti0ns be car
ried out-as there is every reason to be-
iiove they will be-the ocean telegraph will be-
come at once not only the easy medium of COM
munication which we expect to render 1t, but
highly remuneratye enterprise to ali concerned
in il.
As regards the definite opening Of the line,
there il. Of course, owing to these c!rcum-
stances, some little doubt attending It As
nearly ss We can calculate, however, 1t will not
be- d. layed beyond the let Of October. AT tie
last accounts Professor Hughes, who has two
instruments with hin in Loudon, WAS preparing
to leave With one Of them for Trinity Bay. IL
Was arranged that the cable company should
. nd special steamer from Liverpool TO Trini-
~ Bay on or abou, the 10th Of this month, to
convey the Professor or his assistant, with all
necessary instruments and other fixtures for
working the cable. lie will arrive there
about the 10Th or 18th Of the month, aud
will of course require few days Cor prepa-
ration and the adjustment Of the machinery
This viii occupy him until tae 18th Of Septem-
Der, or perhaps TO the LIST Of October, but GER
tainly not longer. II, therefore, he succeeds In
his calculations, we may count upon being
placed in the full enjoy ment of the fruits of bis
lsbors by the latter date. We look forward to
the results Of his experiments with double inte-
res, fret FOR the FAKE Of the enterprise itself,
and next in order that they may add another
laurel to the bays won BY American ingenuity
and energy In this greatest Of medcrn under.