Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-04-14
THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.


tween the New and Old Worlds is, we believe
decided on, and all the preparations necessary
10 secure a successful plan of operations are
rapidly advancing toward completion. Since
the last notice of the progress of this great un-
dertaking the machines at Glasse and Elliot's
mandatory have been working day and night
to complete the 400 additional miles of cable
ordered before last Christmas and intended to
replace the 3S4 miles which were submerged
and lost last Autumn of Yalentia. I his addi-
tional length has now been completed. 1t is
the same kind of cable as the rest which we
have already Observation-Disclosures strong, small.
and light; 1t has been tested and retested to
insure its perfect insulation, and its complete
ness being thus ascertained, the last miles of
At were shipped last night on board the Adons
screw steamer for conveyance to Plymouth.
In the dOckyard at Keyham the main bulk
OF the cable. to the length of 2,2OO miles, has
oeen slowed away in gigantic coils during the
winter, and full stall of electricians, under
the direction of Mr.. Whitehouse, have been
engaged In working messages throughout its
entire length, and generally proving the cleo
tTlcal fitness of the cable to the fullest extent
The result OF these experiments, we are in
formed, has been IN the highest degree salts
factory. Most of those acquainted with the
hrst Efforts which were made to send messages
through the entire length of the cable, know
that the retaTding influence. or whatever other
name electricians may now choose to call il.
which exists IN long conductor, exercises a
most serious influence upon the rapidty with
which II was found possible to transmit words
through the full extent of the wire Constant
experiments, joined with practical skill in work
ing the wire daily, have enabled Mr.. Whito-
mouse TO overcome So much of this resistance
that i've words per minute can now be sent
through the 2 200 miles Of cable Mt present at
heyham, and 1t Is fully expected that before
the time comes for its second submergement
eight words will be transmitted with case and
certainty.
10 many Of our readers unacauainted with
the practical working OF submarine lines only
eight words per minute may appear to be hut
poor result after all, though we can assure
them that if ever attained ii is such an i'm
provement in the rate Of transmission as not
many yentured to anticipate who saw the cable
worked for the first time last Summer At the
same time such result seems to show with
most convincing clearness that, though $50
words per hour through this line, if it is sue
cesstully laid down. might doubtless amply re-
munerate the company, it would still be almost
as lar as ever from accommodating the business
messages between Europe and the New World
III, therefore, this line is submerged this Sum-
mer III VIII follow as matter of course that
three or four others must be laid as we'll, and
there cams no reason why if one can be laid
down, there should not Re as many telesraphs
under the Atlantic as th;re are now under the
channel.
When the Adonis, with the 400 recently COM
pleted miles, arrives at Plymouth on Monday
next, the additional length will be Immediate
~ landed and joined 10 the coil already at
keyham. This will raise the entire length of
cable already manufactured to nearly 2,6S0
miles, or some l5O miles or thereabouts more
than the entire length with which the expedi-
tlon started last Autumn There is no doubt
however, that the first attempt was made with
too small an allowance for casualties, and that
consequently when the cable parted, and about
$50 miles were lost in the depths of the Allan
tic, II so reduced the length of wire remaining
at the disposal OF the engineers that further
perseverance in the attempt became almost
impossible To guard against a recurrence Of
this mlshap, IL has now been determined to
manufacture an additional 800 miles of cable
beyond the 1850 miles which VIC have stated
is already completed This additional guam
uty Will be commenced at Glass 4 Elliot S
works on Friday next, and will be completed
In month or So, and forwarded to Keyham to
be joined TO the main coil, which will then
measure nearly 5000 miles in length
On the arrival of the Niagara at Plymouth
she Will instantly commence taking board
her share Of the immense wire, which this time
will amount in length to 200 miles, instead of
loo as on the last occasion On board the
Agamemnon the cable will not he cOiIed away
IN one tremendous mass amidships, but be dis
tribute1 equally on the fore, midship and after
part Of the vessel, in three coils of about 500
miles each. By this arrangement, Of course
the weight of the wire is equally distributed
and the ship we'll trimmed. The very reverse
of this was the case last Autumn when the
welght Of the whole mass was concentrated
amIdshiPs, and, thus balanced on the principle
of Chinese toy, the poor Agamemn0n rolled
on the least swell till her yards almost touched
the water.
Tho attempt to lay down the cable will be
made this year at a much carrier period. As
soon rs the coils, with all the necessary appa-
Tatus and appointments are slowed away on
board the Agameinnon and Niagara, (which
will he about the beginning Of May) both
vessels Will leave for u short trip into deep
water, when a number of experiments will be
made with the paying out Of machinery, and
TO ascertain practically If any difficulties exist
IN the proposed plan for submerging the wire
from the centre Of the Atlantic These exper-
lments will be brought to end in few days
and any alterations which their results may
suggest IN the machinery or manner Of paying
out the wire having been adopted rs soon aS
possible the expedition will finally start about
the beginning of June.
All the best authorities and most experienced
seamen have been consulted on behalf of the
company as 10 the state of the weather in the
Atlantic in the month of June, and We believe
the result of an immense mass of testimony
goes TO prove that there are some five or six
consecutive days in that month during which
gale In the Atlantic seldom or never
known to occur. The expedition will leave
these shores so as To arrive In the centre OF the
Atlantic at about the commencement of these
halcyon days and the object will be of course
to get over the deep sea part of the underta-
king before the weather changes. The line
will be joined and laid from the centre of the
ocean, the Niagara bringing her end to England
and the Agamemnon conveying hers to Amer
lea. Communication by electric signal will
of course, if the wire holds, be kept u p between
the two vessels the whole way.
All these new arrangements and precautions
are the result of the experience of last years
attempt, and of course, all improvements con-
duce toward the chances of ultimate success
But II is no exaggeratiOn to say that there is
one portion Of the apparatus upon the fitness
and proper management of which the success or
non-success of the whole plan must ultimately
depend, and that is upon the paying-out ma
clinery. Tha: this machinery was bad latt
year, and that it was made still worse by the