Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-10-14
THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
ITS CONDUCTING POWER
Impaired 2
PROBABLE STRAIN
over sUBMARINEMoUNTAIN CHAIN.
EXPERIMENTS { PROJECTS.
FOR IT'S REMEDY
GREAT DEPRECIATION IN
CABLE STOCK
Correspondence of the London Times.

the particulars of the last successful cruise
Of the Agamemnon, it will be remembered
that reference was made to very serious
electrical faul: having occurred in the
cable on Sunday, August lst, after about
one. halt of the distance from mid ocean TO
the shores of ireland had been traversed.
Though that fault (Which was apparently
break in the continuity of the conductor)
gradually recovered itself after having
caused great trouble and anxiety for some
thirteen hours,ye, the electrical condition
of tlA cable had evidently received q shock
from which il never completely recovered.
This vas, however, regarded as matter
of very little consequence, as the currents
which were both received and transmitted
wae sufficiently good for all the purposes,
of.telegraphiEg. During the remaining
three or four days which were occupied in
slbmerging the remainder of the wire, its
electrical condition was very variable, be-
ing at times very good and occasionally
Indifferent. These variations were at the
time referred to the effects of magnetic
storms and earth currents, but at no time
was its condition SO defective as in any
degree to impair the telegraphic commune
cation.
From the time of landing the end, on the
9Th of August, to Monday, the 9th, the
cable continued in fair condition, though
slight defect. of no consequence in work.
ing, was observed in the insulation. Up
to that evening nothing but alternate posi-
tive and negative currents had been re-
ceived from Newfoundland, though words
and adjustment messages had from soon
after the landing been continually been
continually sent from Valenta. That eve
ming, however, coil currents came with the
words "send slower aud repeat" from New
found land, being sent by Mr.. Whitehouse's
instruments, and received upon his beau
tiGully constructed recording relay. It was
soon found, however, that Mr.. White
houses receiving relay, though admirably
adapted for receiving messages through the
cable, had been adjusted and constructed
under the very natural belief that the ca
BILE, if landed at all, would have suffered
littlo in lis electrical condition, and it was
found not to work " ith certainty with the
comparatively feeble signals which arrived
from the American continent. Professor
Thomson's delicate rejecting galvanomiter
was accordingly substituted lorit, though
messages were transmitted fEonNoth ends
as usual by Mr. Whi;ehouse's patent.
During the whole of the week, from Mon
day. the 9Th, to Saturday, the l4;b, va arious
adjustment messages were received and
sent through the line, though, in consequ.
ence OF their constantly requiring messages
from Valentia TO be repeated several times
it was evident th4t in Newfoundland the
signals were not fead with the same fac lily
as those in ,he( contrary direction to
Valentia. This circumstance tended to
prove that tae< fault which was obseIable
was somewhere near the Irish coast, for any
defect more than three hundred miles from
either coast would affect the transmission
and reception of signals equally at both
ends. Accordingly the cable was underruu
for the distance of about three miles from
Valenta Island by Mr.. Canning, cut. and
tested through by Mr. Bartholomew, the
electrical superintendent, found that what.
ever fault existed was far out to sea. The
ends were accordingly Joined up again
without new piece of cable being laid
between Dowlas Head and the shore.
From this to Saturday, the 2lst of August
the fault was very variable both in its ma.
ture and its apparent distance from the
Irish coast, it first appearing, something
diminishing until it became stat ionary at a
point caculatep with great accuracy to be
nearly 270 statute miles from the Valenta
end of the cable. All this period the
electrical condition became duly worse end
worse, and it was only with the greatest
difficulty and by constant repetitcns that
the various official and congratulatory mes
sages between the English and American
authorities were Transmitted to Newfound
land, the messages back to Valsntia being
in almost every case clear and distinct.
The condition of the wire became daily
more faulty until the 3lst of August, when
government message was despatched
through the cable for the North American
colonies, and on the mUrning of the lst OF
September a secoud government message
was safety transmitted, but after it had been
duly acknowledged the insulation of the
wire became suddenly worse, and it was
found impossible to make them understand
at Newfoundland. Words and messages
were continually transmitted, but it was
soon evident that on the American shore
they could only just Distinguish tha, signals
were being sent. for the only answer re-
ceived al Valentia was "Repeat" and "Don't
understand" and even these small phrases
were only distinguishable at intervals; and
since half-past one O'Clock on the morning
of Friday, the h OF September, no intel.
ligible signal whatever has been received
Occasionally, however, very distinct re-
versals las regularly alternating positive
and negative currents are termehl have been
received, sometimes so strong and gosd that
had they been sending words from New
ioundland they might have been distinctly
read on the refecling galVancmeter of Pro-
lessor Thomson. When the line is not IN
use for the purposes Of testing words, short
messages are continually des patched through
the wire for an hour at time, and then Tor
the answers. whic excepting the reversas
already alluded to, never come
From :hc time of the first cessation of
the signal u to the present time, Profess
sor w. Thomson. Mr. Varley, and Mr. Ed
ward Bright have been eng ignd day and
night in testing, and have come to the con
clusion that the defect is loss of insula-
ton about 90 miles (alonr the cablel from