The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-10-21
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.


TAe Eleesrs-M.s.essc Telegraph.
The adaptation of the principle of electro-nag-
netism to telegraph purposes has been 90 rapidly
DEVELOPED. from its earliest apprehension, up to
its final and complete triumph in the recent lay
ing Of the Atlantic cable, that the world has not
kept ND with it, and even now can hardly realize
that tbis great work has indeed been accom-
plished.
Eectro-msgnetism was discoveredby Prof Ger
stem. of Copenhagen, in 1919. Although its ap-
pGcabilitv 70 the transmission of telegraphic mes
sages was subsequently conceived OF. and estao-
lished by others, it was reserved for our country
man. Professor Samuel F. b. Morse, of New
York. to make the grand and ~crowning discovery,
which was patented in France in 1888, and IN
this country in 1910, by thename Of the Amer
lean EIectro-Magnetic Telegraph" Subsequently,
Mr.. Alexander Balm patented, in England, his
claim for an improved electro-chemical telegraph,
where the message was recorded by electricity
upon paper chemically prepared; and in lS4s-9,
Mr.. ROYAL E. House, Of New York, obtained an
American patent for a telegraph in which the
message was recorded by types, and the circuit
broken and resumed, by means Of keys similar to
those of the piano forte, answering to the letters OF
the alphabet. The FIRST electromagnetic line in
the United States was that between Baltimore and
Washington, the distance 40 miles, completed in
1874, Congress contributing 100000 towards It's
construction. From this inception the work has
advanced until the present day, when there are
more then 8 1000 miles of telegraph lines in the
United States, and in the world a total lengtnex-
ceeding 100, 900 miles.
In 1850. the first submarine telegraph was laid.
A line of cable, "a miles in length, was stretched
across the Straits of Dover, thus connecting Eng
land with France. Owing, however, to the
cha6ng of the wire against the rocks on the
French coast. it was severed within a month, and
a new and stronger cable was laid down, and Is
in successful operation at this time. The lmme-
date result Of this success was the establishment
of various lines of submarine telegraph In Europe,
of which the line from England to Holland loeing
lis miles) was the longest, until the laying OF
that of 400 miles across the Black Sea. The idea OF
q trans Atlantic cable does not seem to have been
entertained ut this time. Ii was too stupendous
to be grasped, or if entertained, the scientific and
mechanical difficulties in the way were supposed
to he insuperable. Chief among these was the
difficulty which existed of transmitting a sufh-
ciently powerful current of electricity through an
insulated wire of so vast a length. But the
march of genius could not long be stayed
The plan of an Atlantic telegraph was preached,
and repeated electrical experiments were had,
until perseverance wasrewarded with success, and
in 1856 teIegraphic signals were successfully re-
corded through 1000 miles of wire, covered with
uutta percha the various lines of the English
and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company being
Joined for the purpose. As the practicabllIty OF
the new project was thus far gradually demon
aLI1Ll LlcIc W1s OOLl W. iii
ital. The American Company was therefore
formed az far back as 1854, MeSrs. Peter Cooper
and CYRUS W. Field taking a leading and enef-
getic part in the organization. The first step
was to secure a charter. this was obtained In
April, 1854, from the Colonial Government OF
Observation-Disclosures act being entitled A Act
incorporating a Company for the establishment
of Telegraphic communication between Europe
and America The Company was thenceforth
known az " New York, Newfoundland and Lon
don Telegraph Company 1t received various
grants from the Government of Newfoundland
subsequently, from that of Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick. and finally from the Crown OF Eng
land and the Congress of the United States.
Among these was the exclusive right tor q term
of fifty years of landing Geographic cable on the
shores OF all the British North American Prov
inces except Nova Scotia for twenty-five years.
Great Britain further granted an annual subsidy
of s14 900 sterling until the net profits yield o
per cent. per annum, on the whole capital OF
1850 900 sterling. the grant to be then reduced
to SIC. 900 sterling per annum, for a period OF
twenty-five years. The United States granted a
like annual subsidy of 500 10 until the net
profits yield q per cent. per annum, then to De
reduced to So, 900 for a period of twenty-five
wears, subject 70 termination of contract by Con-
gress on giving one years notice. The next step
of the Company was 70 connect st. johns, New
foundland, with the lines already IN operation In
the British North American Provinces. and IN
the United States. by immersing Is miles of cable
across the Straits Of Northumberland, and 80
miles in the waters of the St. Lawrence. Eng
land being already connected geographically with
Ireland, there remained only the problem OF
trans-Atlantic communication. In 1886 Mr..
CYRUS w. Field visited England, for the purpose
of making final arrangements, and as a conse-
auence thereof the - Atlantic Telegraph Com
pany'' was formed, with a capital of $3.50 600.
The charter of the former company was then
made over to the new one. with all It's exclusive
rights and privileges, present and prospective: Inc
next step was to acquire an accurate knowledge
of the geographical character of the bed of the
Atlantic, and the selection of the most feasible
route. The deep sea soundings OF Lleuts. Maury
and Bergman were mainly depended upon. Inc
basin of the Atlantic was proved to be a long
trough or groove, indented between the old ana
the New Worlds. and extending almost from the
Northern To the Southern Pole. The hollow Of
this basin is Sd great that the lowest depth OF the
Atlantic is nine miles beneath the highest peak OF
the Andes. In most places the actual bottom OF
the Atlantic is much broken up and very lrreg-
ular, and of course if a route were selected where
these sudden elevations and depressions were most
decided. the cable would be suspended from sub
marine hill to hill, subject to a thousand disas-
trous contingencies. A route was finally decided
upon, from information furnished by Lieut.
Maury. He demonstrated that there was a prac-
ticable path North of the Bank OF Newfoundland
on a vast oceanic plain or plateau. This plain Is
scarcely IL, 900 feet below the level of the sea,
and extends in a continuous ledge from Cape
Race, in Newfoundland. to Cape Clear In Ireland.
The greatest depression is in mid-ocean, whence
it imperceptibly ascends to the shore on either
eide.
This plain was generally leveled, 50 deep as to
be below the reach Of disturbing superficial
causes, and composed of particles of shells, SO
minutely triturated as to render their character
indetectible save with the aid of a microscope.
Their presence, examined by the lights of science,
proved how little those profound depths had been