Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-08-27
From the National Intelligencer.
Delay I'm Telegraphlng Across the Ocean.


transmit messages over the Atlantic Telegraph Mr..
De Sautry the electrician in chief at Trinity Bay says
that the reception of the Queens Message was commen-
ced early on Monday morning and not finished until
Tuesday morning but it was stopped for several hours
to allow of repairs to the cable The time necessary for
the transmission of the Presidents Message would de-
pend its length and the condition of the line and in
sruments at the time perhaps, under favorable circu
stances, hour and half He adds that he is unable
to give any information for publication to the work
ing of the cable
Just previously to the reception of the Queens Mes
sage the Boston Daily Advertiser received from pri-
vae at Trinity Bay precise explanation of the
cause Of the delay in the working of the Telegraph
The difficulty does not appear to be of character to
create any fear that it will not be eventually overcome
though may require material alterations of the instru
ments now in use. We quote from the Advertiser:
at appears that in the passage of electrical sig
nal across the ocean, not only is appreciabe time
consumed but the signal itself changes in degree its
original character 1t is so to speak, stretched out A
signal which short line would seem perfectly sharp
and prompt takes the form of long wave and requires
from six to ten seconds to declare itself between the be-
ginning of its effect and its end Between what such
nal would be at the end of short wire and what
at the end of the Atlantic wires there is somewhat the
difference between the shortest (saccato blast
OF whistle and note drawn out with the swell of an
organ to the length of six ten seconds A dis
tnct feature to be observed the ScN of the prolonged
signal it has most force in the middle of its period and
gains and loses that force gradually.
"Of the length of time which this modified signal re-
quires for passing the ocean not informed,
do we know that it has been ascertaned 1t is evident
however, that it must be at least six seconds the short
est period in which signal completes ITSELF Now it
is well known by Faraday and Wheatsones observations
on long wires that for at least half the period required
for the transmission of any signal the current must be
continued unbrOken no new signal must be begun
Otherwise the signal returns to the operator that being
its shortest opportunity to discharge ITSELF At the
shortest therefore, signal the cable will require
than three seconds the point of starting and six
second to record itself
Readers who have the slightest knowledge of tee-
graphic machinery will understand how materially such
modification OF the prompness of the signal must af
feet any form of the apparatus in USE The quickest
tap OF Morses telegraph, for instance, is exchanged
with such signal for long crescendo and dminuendo
wave. In Morse's aphabet spaces short taps or dots
and long ones dashes variousy modified to make
the several letters word Of ten letters may consist of
thirty or forty of such signs. 1t will readily be seen
how impossible it would be for operator to transmit
such word until experiment enables him precisely to
adapt his spaces to his dots and dashes to tell when
dot ends and when space begins so great is the i'm
mediate change when an instant dot is changed into
signal six seconds long
I'VE give this illustration merely because it is so
simple. Similar changes in computation and combina-
ton will be required for the needle elegraphs or the
printing telegraphs There is no reason why Hughess
telegraph which highly and deservedy praised should
escape them more than any other We must be content
to wait till these experiments and computations
have been made The essential victory has been gained
in the transmission of rapid, epronounced signals
from side to side Out of those signals an alphabet can
be formed or recording machinery be driven, by
them, beyond doubt 1t not to be expected that
the varied apparatus of the short lines should answer the
same purpose without modification upon one so long,
Mr.. Hughes's telegraphing apparatus, which is above
mentioned is supposed by of our contemporaries
be peculiarly adapted to the of the Ocean Telegraph
It is thus described
"By Mr.. Hughess arrangement every wave makes q
distinct letter, while by hehouses it requires seven
current waves to produce two letters Hughess Tele
graph prints does that of House. but it works upon
the plan OF using but one electrical impulse per letter
while Houses requires seven and Morses three and
halt. One impulse is the one for long submarine line
The revolutions Of the type wheels kept at similar
speed, not by any clock pendulum work, but by vi
brating springs, which, by the law of acoustics give
Invariably fixed tones for certain numbers of vibrations
one and all alike according to those vibrations These
springs unlock the escapements at the SAME time at eacl
end of the ne and the type Wheels set ree ordinarily
make one hundred revolutions per minute equivalent tc
forty words. This, OF course is through land lines
His magnet is a combination of natural and an elec
romagnet and the current of electricity is used to de
tach an armature from the poles of the electromagnetic
which is replaced again by lever and the current fol
the transmitting station influences the magnet at the
ceiving station, and not his own. Thus the effect il
direct the conducting force is undisturbed and but
tenth of the usual battery power is required This Gu
rous property it is believed from experience and OBJ
servaton, enables a communication to be made botl
ways over the line at once and understand that tn
ingenious inventor has offered to transmit ten word
westward and ten words eastward or twenty words pc
minute through the Atlantic cable regularly and con
tnuously. The type wheel is governed by four cocl
wheels and these by the vibrating spring and as tn
current for the distant station arrives it deaches tn
armature spoken Of opens detent the press work goe
, On and the letter is printed"
New ORLEANs.-The weather for the week just draw