Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-08-07

AAillCS al VIC WdNSle VI NilS 1T
land and the continent had already been con-
nected with Ireland, irrespective of any de-
sign to extend the Geographic communication
toward tho West. There therefore remained
only a single gap to be flled-the basin of
the Atlantic itself.
Experiments were instituted to measure
the duration, force, and speed of electrical
currents, which resulted in establishing the
following
PRINCIPLES AND FACTS.
Towards the close of last year the electri.
cal element of wide. ocean telegraphy had as
sumed this phase. Science had then shown
That gutta pereha submarine wires do not
transmit as simple insulated conductors, but
that they have to be charged as Leyden jars
before they can transmit at all.
That consequently, such wires transmit
with velocity that is in no way accordant to
the movement OF the electrical current in au
unembarrassed way along simple conductors.
That magno- electric currents travel more
quickly along such wires than simple voltsc
currents.
That magno. electric currents travel more
quickly when in high energy than when in
low, although voltaic currents of large inten-
sity do not travel more quickly than voltaic
currents of small intensity.
1adI kuS velocity Oh the TRANSMISSION OF
signals along insulated submerged wires can
be enormously increased, from the rate in
deed of one or two seconds, to the rate of
eight in single second, by making each al
ternate signal with a current of different
quality, positive following negative, and neg
alive following positive.
That the diminution of the velocity of the
transmission of a magnetic. electric current in
induction embarrassed coated wires, is not in
the inverse ratio OF the squares OF the dis
lance traversed, but much more neatly in the
ratio of simple arithmetcal progression.
The several distinct waves of electricity
may be travelling along different parts of long
wire simultaneously, and within certain linn
its, without interference.
That large coated wires used beneath the
water or earth, are worse conductors, SO far
as velocity OF transmission is concerned, than
small Ones and therefore are not so we'll suit
ed as small ones for the purpose of submarine
transmission of telegraphic signals; and
That by the use Of comparatively small.
coated wires, and of electro magnetic induc-
ton coils for the exciting agents, telegIaphic
signals can be transmitted through two thou
sand miles with speed amply sufficient tor
all commercial and economical purposes.
Upon this basis of ascertained facts. the
measure was pushed with vigor. The incor-
porated New York, Newfoundland. and Lon
don Telegraph Company, which had given all
the weight of its influence to the stimulation
of preliminary investigation, in the summer
of 1856, deputed their vice president, Mr..
Cyrus W. Field. who had indeed been, in the
main, instrumental in obtaining the charter
from the government of Newfoundland. to
visit England, with a view to the effecting of
such arrangements as were best fitted to ad-
vance the undertaking. The result of this
visit was the formation of the
ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
The stock of the company is divided into
three hundred and fifty shares of $1,000 each.
The charter of the New York, Newfoundland,
and London Company, comforting upon it the
exclusive right to land telegraph cables ON
the shores of Newfoundland and other parts
of North America, and for twenty-five years
to do the same thing on the shores of Nova
Scotia, was made over to the new company.
together with all concessions bearing upon
the undertaking which may be hereafter OBJ
tanned and all the patent rights of Messrs.
Whitehouse and Bright, electricians, which
in any way concerned the working of instru-
ments in marine circuits Uf great length,
were prospeetively secured TO it.
In order that the capital subscribed might
be entirely applied to the immediate object of
the undertaking, the projectors Messrs. Brett
and Field, and Messrs. Bright and White
house, CONSIDERABLY arranged that their COM
pensation for the privileges assigned, and for
past expenditure and exertions, should be left
entirely dependent on the successful result of
the undertaking. The final agreement with
these gentlemen was, that upon attaining
success, a half yearly dividend of ten per
10, l,l.,, c
be paid to the shareholders, and that then
one half of any further profit should be given
them, and the other half be retained by the
Company, it having been estimated, upon a
very moderate computation of the probable
amount Of revenue, conjoined with consid-
Grafton of the comparatively small working
expenses where there can only be two termi-
nal stations to be maintained, that very sat
isfactory result might be secured to all par
ties upon this ground.
The proportions in which the shares were
taken were one hundred and one in London,
lightweight in America, eighty six in Liver
pool, thirty seven in Glasgow, twenty eight
in Manchester. and the remainder in other
parts of England. George Peabody, ESQ.,,
the American banker in London, has been
one Of the most liberal and devoted friends of
the enterprise from the start.
THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
After due experiments it was decided to
adopt telegraph cable composed of seven
fine copper wires, twisted into cord Lie Of
All inch thick. This strand was coated with
gutta percha, forming small rope s of an
inch thick; then coated with hempen twine
soaked in pitch and tar; lastly, an external
sheathing Of Is iron wires, each wire being
a strand of seven finer wires, making in all
1875 wires. The weight Of the cable is about
one ton per mile, and it is capable of bearing
direct strain OF over five tons, without frac-
tuTe,
THE TELEGRAPH PLATEAU.
In the opinion of scientific men, there was
little need for much deliberation on the part
Of man, as TO the exact position the Atlantic
telegraph is TO take. Nature has benehcenIly
| decided this question for him. Nature, in
deed, has made every necessary preparation
Tor the work. Newfoundland is stretched
forth as the hand Of the new world, to meet
the grasp of the British Isles, which are ex-
tended as the hand Of the old world. Exact
~ where these hands are held towards each
other, and between them, a smooth, softly
paved ledge Is laid down, to receive the cord
that may compensate for the shortness Of their
reach, aud this ledge is placed exactly AT the
depth which is required for the security of
this connecting cord, and Just beyond the
| edge Of the eddying current which troublaa