The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-10-14
The Ocean Cable.

TWAS fortnight ago, when the public was
al anxiety with regard to the Atlantic Tels-
graph, that it was supplied day after day with
telsgrans and other Information, apparently
authoritative, in regard TO the reasons Of suspen-
sions. TWAS this cause and that; but, Uniform
~, causes which would readily be obviated
- soon % certain instrument was set to work
and we were furnished with the exact dates q
which the experiments Of Professor White
house and Thompson were to enI. respective ly.
and rhe triumphs Of the new saoaSt to CON-
mence. All this we Tow discover was spurious
There was no part Of it true. Tue evil wa,
not Of sort to be RENE lied BY any machihnc.
The public was deliberately ab lsed aud
mislsd, with what n)tivs, aui BY what per-
sons, will be the subject Of future inl iiry.
At that time, rejecting these iuistifc att ons,
We intimated suspicion that the continuity OF
the cable had been partially or totally saadsred,
probably by abrasion on some mountain SUNNI it
over which it was suspended; . hypothesis
which the Herald, who in iorssd the bIgus ia.
formation to the fullest extent ridicuIed and
discredited. Our present information, founded
on the careful tests made by the electricians
At the vaisntia end, shows that tina trouble was
precisely what we indicated. the break is
estimated, after protracted observations, to be
go miles from valentia, at point where .
submarine mountain chain, noted by Bergman
and Dryman, il crossed; and BY reference to
tie log and other memoranda, kept on the Az.
amemnon, Sir Charles Bright veriiiss hi. rec-
ollecsion that this range, owing to the Agamem-
non moveing at = more rapid rate than was
noted BY the log, was crossed on the 81 ultimo,
before the int ended time; oweing to which q
large quantity Of slack that va. to have been
paid out, in order to Gil the chasns on either
side, 20 that the cable might be sure to rest
on the bottom, was unfortanstsly retained, and
thus two immense arcs were LETT swaying In
the currents II the wires are still partially
iataet at that tsngsniiaI point il il littls short
Of miracle. tits ouly question It days how
long they will rsaasaa %. Professor Thompson
hes also discovered loss Of the curreats 1t
other points, from causes doubtless Of the same
description. He holds out small hopes oe rom
edy. There is to be substitution Of the hsavy
cable as either shd, in order to save the leak
agss there may b. near the shoe, and the pow
erfui instruments OF Mr.. Hsalsy aIs. 70 b
brought into the service. These changes tail
ing, there Is little encouragement left 80 fAr -
the present enterprise il concerned. Our re-
source must be in another cable.
To this resource, we advance with good
heart. The difhculties Of the task will all
have been overcome. The present cable, u
failure In practiee, has not failed to mark
Ill the dang ere 70 Be encountered; has furnished
~ with Information Of the sub ocean bed, hal
declared bow much stronger and more stoutly
shsathsd must be its accessor; has attsstsd TN
excellence Of the paying.oat apparatus. =
We have now ample proof thst . telegraph
wire two thousand miles long, has, 20 long q
II i eni're, powers Of speech fully adequate 4
the daily rsquirsssnts Of men and busiasss
and that We have Only to make sure Of lie in
tegrity to insure it, s'oqasnce. These are pro
dig,ous steba In advance. One half ct the uu
eertainities and Tears Surrounding the Gre
attempt are cleared away. II u found tia
capital can conquer the powss oe naturs, evsI
in . contest in the depths of the See. This
the only point Of rsal moment. The nens,
will Be Forthcoming. -(N. Y. Times.