New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-03
THE WORKING OF rdE ATLANTIC TELE-
GRAPH.

The sLowness Of the signals through tle Atlantic
Telegraph cable does lot oeperd On hs retafdston OF
electricity in passing through the length OF we II
abe wire were suspended IN the ar tbere would hs no
Sifcuty in Transmitting rapidly 80 the instruments
could Dc worked; bat when the wne - covered WIN
Ru.tA percbs, and iunersed 10 water, re;8ns the
ekeIicity and the charge once communicated 70 the
wire requires time for its discharge. Ine rrst ssna
made transmitted smost tinstansnsou5y through 10
esnauctng wire TO the instrument at the other eni
but the wire does rot readily part with me charge ano
The electricity IL prevents the effect O second
signal from being perceived the distant instrument.
Tnis peculiar effect begins TO be perceived 10 an inl'
nersed wire at distance Of ~ miles, and ncrease5 70
force the distance Increases 80 that AZ 2OO miles,
communications by Morses telegraph would be ldl-
pssstc sbe, unless means adopted 20 c)untsrscL
the OBTAINING influence Of the external cOrtuot0r.
When the telegraph to the Hague was aid down, the
difficulty OF Transmission through a submerged wire
became for the first tine observed and the Morse IN
sTament then employed would not act in conseq
Bot the difficulty was shortly overcome by dlscbar.
iEg the WIRE after esch signal, which was done oY
sending electrical current in the Ieverss direction
With the needle telegraph the elect had b3en scarcely
perceived for in the ordinary working OF thst nstru-
ent the electrical currents continually reverted;
but with che recording instrument, in g1ch the elec
tYcity Ope always 10 the same DIRECTION sclsl
for reversing The caront becomes essen
italy necessary. How far tbst arraDg slleDt only
win sutii TO clear the we has not yes bea deter
mined, bat IT evident that IL is Insufficient for
tie Atlantic cable.
IL the difficulty that hss arisen we're owing TO the
retaIdstion OF the electric current there would bs
ht.s Rope Of its being overcome for the nstursl We
loety Of electricity could not bs iacre ssed but waer
ii is known that the slowness with which one signal
SoIlors another is Attributable to peculiar condition
Of Inc wire, which has been efoously neutrelzsd by
specisl arrangements for distance OF two @ three
husdTed miles. it may be reasonably expected TIA.
Other conIiyan may be adopted that will overcome
the difficulty even across the Atlantic.
The detention of electricity ir the submerged
wire is said 10 be owing 10 " induction, and oy tbus
yiviig the effect psue, the cause may be supposed
10 have been discovered. The induction Of electric
ny ia however, L subj impeyfectly known that
here is Do advance made toward understanding the
tifeu.ty that impedes instantaneous Intercourse
win America, by giving il that nlns. 1t is much
better TO state the effect. ard 10 admit that tho causs
r. unknown. The question vil then be untrammeled
BY cry foregope conclusions, and those VINO
set themselves TO solve the problem viii do
20 with greater probability of success. Tho facls
are these: a wire suspended in the air will
ksnspit seversl hundred ielegrsph signals in Sec
end but when the same wire is coated with gutta'
pero6S and mmer.ed in water, one signal viii not
ioDow smother scross the Atlantic rapidly than
twenty in minute IL romsins for scientific men to
dscover tie reason why the wire a,ts 80 differently
under these circumstances, and to End the means Of
overcoming the fculty IL occssons. Wnen thai has
been dore the signal wire tbs. now serves the line
Of commur ication between Europe ani Americ. will
transmit a. many words in minute IS it now rsquIes
IN horr ~ work through. LOnd. Morning Poet.