, 1860-10-09
The Failure of Snbm 9rlnc Tcleeraphs.
IFtcm the l.orGn IN Chronicle cppk III

The latt mall from Australia brings tutelll-
gence Of the fail1le OF another submarine tele-
nect Tasmania with the main land Of Australis-
1t is not positively stated what are the causes
Of the failure Of this submarine line, hut the fact
is u1dcniRblo that it must NOW be aided to the
loEg list Of complete failures in the attempt to
solve the question Of eubmarine telegraphy.
There is row not single piece Of submarine
Telegraph which il not either wholly useless or
the prese1vntlen Of which is now subject Of ex-
pense. 1he Atlantic line hAs been abandoned;
such Was the condition Of the portions Of it
which were raised after great difficulty that it
WAS not considered worth the trouble aad ex-
pense Of recovering. Malta aud Caglian hare
now no telegraphic conmunieation with each
funcs; the section from Aalts to Cariu has been
6haudoned to the contractor, Who may have the
half Of its value ior tie trouble Of picking it up.
The 900 miles from Suex along the Red Sea 10
knrrachee has erased to speak for months.
Eren the short lengths which bind US to the
Continent gire immense trouble, and the cost
OF repairing aome OF them has been 50 great
that the company to whom they belong have not
been able to pay more than half their former
rate OF dividend. It appears pretty certain that
thera a<e still more failures to come. The gov
eminent have ordered q cable to be made.
which was intended to be laid from England to
Gibraltar. For some reasons, however, which
have never been clearly explained, the cable u
no: 10 be laid to Gibraltar, bat il to be convey-
ed to the East ard sunk between Raugoon and
Singapore. It is not coneidered suitable for
employ 1nent rear at home. 80 it is 10 be sent to
the other side Of the world, through the heat Of
the tropics, and laid where it il probably
thought lts failure will never be heard of By the
unfortunate tax payer, at who're expense the
worthless cable had been manufactured, TIE
history Of submarine telegr1pha down 10 the
present time is made up Of series of lunders.
Of stupsndous amount Of jobbery, and want
Of judicious management which has probably
never Jet been surpassed in the history Of any
great undertaking,
:: Tho great defect Of all the submarine tele.
graphs hitherto laid has been the imperfect in.
aulation Of tte gutta percha covering. This
substance ia full Of minute imperfections and
air bubbles, and some poriiona Of the abandoned
cable which we're picked up in the Red Sea
showed, upon examination, holes in the gutta
percha large enough to contain good pes, md
which bad been caused BY the action Of Tho elec-
trio auid. The marine Superintendent Of the
Red Sea line in this report says: "lhe sea
water being thns admitted to the copper wires,
the action Of the electricity sad sea water de-.
composed an inch or two Of tho copper wires,
which started apart, and tho connection was
thus lost. Theze holes in the gutta percha were
undoubtedly produced by the expulsion of wa.
ter or air bubbles, accidentally retained betwean
the gutta percha and the copper conductor in
sn psess p.tsts o. 'S'ng Oh Inc sutta pereha IN
7ots a'a'e.
tn the AK of "u.Led ,fom the ss;h Of Nay
nina months were required for The eIecrity to
= ~. - .os Ns: 10 inat EARN Tor which
~ ~ 10 o. s.ea. ~ SUNNY u must NOT, hoFeT-
Js sIpP"ssas o:caose gu.'a pefcha has been
thasa su Inu .h e lnstaoce tonnd "antlng, shat
.as,n -. asafore, 70 nope ieit 1or me cause Of
ehe.a ~. 'esap1y. * ano ye', IN me iace o.
tnese nH4n ,da 1aele, Inc government has expended
,SS. .S Ipon eaoie "hlea they admit to be
Th-re ~ no nractis,i ~ da1; n1iG IL Has made
.nniy;n1 1na3s ~ -nhha. 4a1.sn.s1n toe way OF
XII }ess arr there nv n;sct;egs ~ pusposss
arouuds OF econoT ];.t ~ tbs s ass ~,snaa On ;ae
1orta Of Messrss S;1ve, r. ~ & s;i1s. .sh
WooInich. viii conYice H. noo.t sesn4; ~, t,t
"s.d sr1 H. 81, ~ sn@ suos'ance may De