New Orleans daily crescent., 1858-03-12
THE ATLANTIC rELEcRAPH.


We rejoice that our Government has had the good
sense to detail the noble steam frigste Niagara-onr
finest national yessel--for the duty of renewing the
attempt to lay telegraphic cable between the CONT
nents Of Europe and America II is true that every
consideration Of practicality and fitness demanded
that the Niagara should be reappointed for this SER
vice. but in this country the functioaries Of Office do
so many things without conceivable cause or rea-
sonabe motive that ii would have been impossible to
predict with any certainty what action would be
taken in the matter or whether any would be taken.
The failure Of the experiment last summer caused
feeling Of disappointment, as genuine as it was
universal, throughout England and America Many
interests bound up in the undertaking. and thou
sands looked anxiousy for its eonsummation as a
grand triumph Of genius, science, and Anglo-Saxon
enterprise. The popular belief in the omnipotenee Of
modern science and the inalliblity of the means
which it nowadays selects TO work out gwen results
led to popular confidence that 1t would in this case
goriousy overcome the formidable obstacles that in
terposed and achieve a success which should eclipse
all its former triumphs. The result shook that un-
reasoning confidence certainly, but it would require
dozen such failures to overthrow it altogether and
satisfy the world that the project is wholly mpracti
cable. II the persons who have charge of the opera
tions entertain any msgivngs 10 the final result
they carefully conceal them, and assume to be san
guine of successful termination Of the next trial.
They have recently reported to the company that no
element of failure beyond the control of science has
vet been developed, and that the knowledge gained
in August last WILL in their opinion lead to salts
factory termination Of the work during the coming
summer.
The failure was unquestionably attributable to de-
fecs in the payingout machinery, and it is stated
that under the supervision of board of scientific
men important improvements have been or will be
effected in this apparatus The report of the Directors
expresses the opinion that no alteration in the con-
struction of the wire will be necessary, but an add
ton of four hundred miles win be made to its length
which will be in all about 1868 miles. Improvements
have been made in the transmission of dispatches
through, over, this great length Of wire, and
periments have been constantly going on since it.
was slowed away at Devonport. One of these i'm.
provements is thus described:
The electric signals, on their entrance into the
cable, are made to pass through an instrument, by
means Of which they record themselves upon the
same slip of paper and side by side with those Of the
receiving instrument at the other distant end Of the
line We are thus able to scrutnize most clearly the
behavior and transit OF every signal II dot dash
be lost 1t is instantly detected and if even the
slightest discrepancy occur in the length Of the rela-
tive Marks it cannot fail in this way to be at once
made evident
Up to the close of the last year the company had
about 81 100000, and had on hand bal
ance Of s25O,00O to meet future engagements. The
expenses attending the renewed operations are to be
met by issuing shares of 800 each, which will no
doubt beready taken the profits of the enterprise
in the event of final success, will be enormous. One
item of its income will be $4,000 annually, the
sum guaranteed by England and the United States,
to be paid in equal proportions by the two govern
ments.
The reader can, no doubt, readily comprehend and
appreciate the grand results that viii follow the sue
cessfu completion of this work. 1t will be an ami
hiaton OF time and space that will bring the eastern
and western hemispheres within hailing distance of.
each other; it will infuse new, and, perhaps, in
some respects, an embarrassing intelligence into the
Of commerce and news Of all the cur
rent events Of the times-the wars and rumors of
wars, the caamities that inhct upon themselves
and each other or suffer in the natural course OF
things with the thousand minor items of detail that
swell the catalogue Of human destiny-will flash with
the speed Of thought from extremity of the globe
to the other.