The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-16

The example of Europe ought certainly to cure
Of any proclivity to mix up religion with poll
tics At all events, the religious conflicts of the
age, and particularly the present transition state
of the Church Of Rome, are really calculated to
awaken much attention both with priests and lay
men. The subject is well worthy Of profound
thought.
Arrangements for the Laying OF New
Cable.
The readers of the HERALD are aware Of the
tenacjty with which we held to the belief that the
Atlantic telegraph was practicable undertake
'pg, ard that we spared no labor or expense to
keep them informed Of the miputest details from
the commencement Of the enterprise to the sue
cessful landing of the cable on the 9Th OF August,
1858. We are now enabled to present them
with complete history Of the operations on the
cable after it was submerged-a history which
has never before been published, and the impor-
tapce of which cannot be over estimated in view
of the ipcontrovertible evidence it affords of the
practicability of the enterprise. In the publica-
ton of the many columns which we give of hard,
solid facts, we put an end for ever to the absurd
and silly controversy which was waged some
few months ago, and which had for its object the
refutation Of the statement that the cable
was ever successfully worked, or that
even single word was sent from
station to station. A reference to the summary
of the messages, which will be read with much
interest, shows that from the 10th of August to
the 18th of September one hundred and twenty
nine messages were sent from Valentia to New
fourdland; while the number sent from New
fouudland to Valentia during the same period
was two hundred and seventyone, making a
total of four hundred messages sent both ways.
This statement is verified on oath before Mr..
Robert B. Campbell, United States Consul at
London.
Here, then we have four hundred hard, solid
facts for the digestion Of those who still contend
that no message was ever received through the
Atlantic telegraph cable. Some, however, went
still further In their sceptcism asserting that the
cable never was laid, and one individual in
Epgland became so crazy upon the subject that
the police authorities of London were obliged to
look after him. The array ofacts which we present
today will do more to satisfy the public mind
in regard to the ultimate success of the great
work than anything that has yet been published
Who can doubt for moment that it will be &C.
complisbed when he learns that all these mes
sages were transmitted through the cable under
the most unfavorable circumstances and despite
the defects which it is now known existed in the
insulation? And here it may he well, as this is
an important feature in the history Of the enter
prise, to refer to it more at length.
When the cable was in process of manufacture
in the factory of Messrs. Glass and Elliott, in
Gre enwicb, near London, it was coiled in four
large vats aud there left exposed, day affer day,
to the beat Of summer sum- which was intensi-
fed by the tarred coating of the cable to one
hundred and twenty degrees. This went
on, day after day, with the knowledge of
The engineer and electrician of the company,
although the directors had given explicit orders
that sheds should be erected over the watts to pre-
vent the possibility Of such an occurrence AS
might have been foreseeD, the gutta percha was
melted. so that the conductor which it was de-
sired to insulate was so twisted by the coils that
it was left quite bare in numberless places, thus
weakening and eventually, when the cable
was submerged, destroying the insulation.
The Injury was partially discovered before the
cable was taken out of the factory at Green
witch, and length of about thirty miles was cut
out and condemned. This, however, did not
wholly remedy the difficulty, for the defective
insulation became frequently and painfully appa-
rent while the cable was being submerged. Still
further evidence Of it's condition was afforded
when it came to be cut up for charms and trim
kets in this city. Despite of all this, how
ever, it is now proved in the most
conclusive manner that the cable not only work
ed after it was submerged between Ireland and
Newfoundland, but that four hundred messages
were sent through it even in its defective condi-
ton.
There is one fact particularly deserving of no
tice as showing the great Importance of the At.
lantic telegraph in commercial point Of view.
We refer to the collision of the Europa and Ara.
bia, which was made known under two days after
it's occurrence off the coast of Newfoundland
But this is not ALL for there is another if possible
still more conclusive on the subject The British
government was enabled, through the transmits
sion oftwo dispatches to Halifax and Montreal, to
countermand the sailing of large body of troops
who had previously received orders by mail to
proceed to India. The amount which they saved
by the telegraph in this way is estimated at two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Ofthc COM
mercial importance of the line, however, therecan