The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-15
The Atlantic Telcgrnph-Proposals for a
New Cable.

| IHc AoA
New Cable.
from the London Times.
The Atlantic telegraph and all that relates 70 II, the
best kind Of rope to he used the best means OF getting
down. and the best way TO work IL when IL is down. tho
whole scheme, IN iact seems to be slowly drifting pack
again into those realms Of theory and speculation rom
which IL has only so recently emerged. Already there
many projectors and competitors in the hed some 70
work the OLD rope, make new. II s not cheer
Ing 70 find that public attention Is almost nsnctvey
directed To the consideration OF tho latter project ana tat
the hopes and expectations ef the majority, the present
virclad at such cost, and with sicn rlsks-s Already
regarded as virtually lost and useless .
Among those who have come forward with remedies lor
overcoming tho difficulties of the Atlantic, in case new
rope required Mr. Rowett, wbo that thcre may DO
mistake about the matter, expresses himself as willing
to TO lay the rope from Vaena 10 Newioundand
everything Included, for smalta sum as f1S2 000 or
f2oo 600 less than the capital expended by the Atlantic
Company Such offer has naturally directed some
attention Mr. Rowetts plan, which is simply that Of
rope covered electric wlre instead OF the Old mode o,
proceeding by a wire-covered rope. Mr. Rowetts idea
is 10 have the conductor well and safely insulated with
gua percha, and then simply enclosed without further
preparation in the strands of common hemp cable
about an inch in diameter. piece has already been
made-not with view Of displaying what would be
necessary for the Atlantic Depths but 10 illustrate the
peculiar advantages which such q mode Of construction
gives the wire cable This specimen is certainly as
light as flexible and as strong as could be desired and
these three qualities must be the very qua with
all future Atlantic telcgraphs
The Of such a cable would be only, Mr. Rowett
alleges, $50 per mile, its weight about cwt, and its
could upon il while being Submerged
no matter what the state Of the weather, or
how the vessel might be punging. TO this Iarticu-
lar rope have said, certain amount OF attention
has lately been directed owing no doubt TO Mr. Rowes
offer TO take il in working order across the ocean to
America for a regular contract price per miie But,
beyond the feeling due to otter OF such magnitude,
and made with such confidence of success, neither tho
proposal or the rope the notice they have at
trsced Mr. Rowetts idea a rope covered wirc is by
one, and, what is more 70 the purpose,
the cable is almost without exception far inferior in
important requisites to others that designed some
time before this was thought Of II is light, strong and
flexible, En all snch ropes and so even IS the pre-
Ia call / unN in
high degree The difference between Mr. Rowetts rope
and Others of the kind is that in tho former
adequate protection is given to the gutta perchl, and
be given by his method Of srandng the hemp,
whereas with all others tins important point is carefully
considered and provided for For these and for other
which show cable to have been designed and
constructed by person onaequained with what sub
marine telegraph requires is Of its kind an inferior
cable though il has certainly done good service in di
rccEg attention to the general question Of rope covered
wires for the purpose OF deep sea tecgraphy.
the prnce or wire is the right one after
all For any depth under 900 fathoms wire rope is
tho best and cheapest for great depths 900 and 1900
fathoms becomes the dearest because the worst and
most difficult TO submerge. No man who has seen
deep wne laid but must have been convinced that
covering the rope with wire was only making difficulty
which required all the costly apparatus Of paying out
chimes, brakes and check tackle TO contend against
and which in but too many instances il has boon inn
possible totally TO overcome. ANY one, also, who has
crossed tho Atlantic would engage to pay out
piece Of common Wbpcord, without breaking u, from
Ireland 10 America; because In such there would
be strain IT. and could run out as fast as chose
This ought to be the principle in which all very deep
ropes should be laid down everywhere. ropoooyered
wire, light enough 10 be very cheap, and because light
| therefore strong. with such a coil running from
steamer going ten miles or so an hour dozen cables
might be laid across the Atlantic in twelycnonh no
other difficulties exist II has beon urged that such ropes
If moved nv currents at tho bottom Of tho sea would
sLafe through at once bot besides that this objection
applies equally 10 wire, there exists proof positive that in
the greater depths Of the ocean the water s as notion
less az the bottom the rocks on which II rests.
DurEg the soundings taken by the Gorgon, shells of
the most delicate texture and SO small that II was I'M
possible perceive them without the aid Of magnfying
POWER were brought up Yet these shells their
finest ridges uninurcd, and had evidently lain with
cut movement IN those tremendous depths Tor ages
Another proof that whenever the strain upon the sound
TX line prevented bottom being at once discovered and
100 or l2o iathoms more line were payed out after
the lead had touched was always known 10 the foot
what surplus had gone over the line invariably sunk
the SPOT whore the lead had grounded and came up
In tangled Ike ball OF cord Such results could
have been obtained had there been any motion far
below the surface.
but question arises with regard ropccnvorod wire
and indeed submarine cables 81 all kinds laid AZ very
great depths and that how the pressure weight
or the s0perncambcnt OF waer affects tbs gulta
pcrcha Esu!aier. We may doubt the question whether
water increases in density OF whether IS comprcsblc
but deny that il has weight At least, and that
this weight upon the bottom Of the ocean and
whatever there The very minute and perfect shells
bpg found ~ tho bottom does moro 10 dsprovo such
supposston than empty egg shell shows that there
be such thing atmospheric pressure Of fifteen
POUNDS the square nch In both the pressure Of
water and air Is equal inside and out But IN the case OF
The gutt pei cha insuicr it is not AMI the water press
ing with immense external force woad penetrt a many
places whore the guard hemp at all injured, and so
gradually pcrct the substance OF the guit pcrcha
to reach the copper wire and seriously weaken its
dc, ting powers We do not say that such acton does
take place hut II IL possible " would at do
away with the sb.lity oi such rope covered wires
MIR. Eoactt proposes In ANY his plan Of construct
mg his rope s, We have said, Inferior TO many others
of the same Kind.
Russia.
The grea, Russian Steam Navigation Company took pos
the 2Gth uit OF the establishment at villa
rancs, granted 70 them by the Sandman government
The steamship Iuvucibie, her passage from Cron.
siadt for iu with full cargo, had been entirely lost
The Passengers ana saved
The Prince of Prussia arrived at Warsaw on the 24th
ult and cordially received by the Emperor Alexan
der On the follow ing Gay the Emperor AMI the Prince