The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-06-20
Submarine Telegraph Cables-PrOgre
of American Invention.


of American Invention.
the electric telegraph itself is American inven
ton, all improvements in instruments or cables are
also American. Important improvements have been
developed by the necessities Of the government in the
present war.
Upon the laying OF the new government cable from
Choystone Fortress Monroe in order to connect the
latter point directly with Washington we took occasion
say that telegraph cables hitherto used for long dis
ances have been enveIopod by wire armor, drawn spi
rally the inner wire in the form of ordi
nary rope whereas tho submarine cable "is con-
struccd entirely different principle tho protecting
wires being extended the longitudnaly and
straight lines without any twist whatever Tho latter
we showed to be tho stronger and observed that had
the Atlantic cable bccn manufactured ia that form it
probably would not have failed.
In reply TO this, Mr. William IT, Horstmann has writ
ton to the HERALD to say that "this cable is claimed
TO be an invention Of the managing and manufac-
turing parties concerned in IT." whereas no (Mr
lorstmann) had exhibited in May and June
1850, at the Merchants Exchange sample OF cable
constructed this principle and enumerated in circu
Jar At tho time its advantages, calling it has cable and in
further proof Of his claim to the invention he states
that on the 7h OF December $780, he laid cable OF this
description across the Mississippi at vcksburg, and
Nay last another one across tho Hudson at West Point
The writer winds up in these words-'sr cannot allow
others to assume as their invention that which is 50
clearly my own.n
Mr. Iorstmann thus insists upon two points In the
rst place. he asserts that claimed this invention
Others and, secondly he claims it for himself IN both
points he is clearly in the wrong. We did claim tho
invention for nybody We simply said 1t was tho first
time such cable was used "for long distance" and
this Mr. Horsmann docs not venture contradict His
cabo was only laid across the Mississippi
and the Hddson-vsry short distances The cable
laid across the Chesapeake is twenty Ave miles
Ia length. And az to Mr.. Horstmann's claim
10 the invention being his because he exhibited spcci
men Of such cable in $780, fear he is by several
years too late. By turning to page COL Of tho Telegraph
Manual" by Mr.. shansr, OF Kentucky, published in this
city BY Pudncy Russell in 1852 Mr. Horstmann will BIO
asonishsA to End wood engraving of such cable con.
structed by the author nine years ago. and Of
which kind several laid in 1883 and some of them
arc being worked at the present trne (July, 1850.
Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. In
the case OF Submarine cables IL has pro, itself to be
So Tho crossing Of the rivers by the of high
II America was found to be very expensive and
reliable. Tho wires were constantly breaking, and
stsrms frequently carried away the masts In Noycm
ber 1850. torn~o destroyed al! tho telegraph poles
on the Mississippi and by the great food in tho Ohio in
January 1851 mast erected for the crossing that
river was swept away. In six n,hs nvo masts wero
Mr. shancrs attention consequently called 20 tho lay
Ing of submarine wires, covered with gutta percha
They failed in consequence OF tho sand Ia tho Mississippi
river wearing OF Tho gutta percha. Tho noxt expert
ment ha made was TO place six wiros lateraliy the
outside Of the gutia psrcha to protect it, flashing them
transvsrsoiy with finer wire every twenty inches.
This, too, failed But, by tho advice or Mr.. shaft
ner, Mr.. Andrew Wade, who was laying q
Ae from tho East 10 81. Louis, covered the
insulated wiros entirely with lateral wires laid
the gutts psrcla They fastened with ties o.
small wire at every twelve inches. That cable proved
TO be After this Mr.. Shafner made several
cables with additions to tho plan adopted by Mr.
Wade; and with the aid OF Mr.. John b. Hclh, he con-
structsd in 1884, drawing Of which appears his
book, and Is exactly similar to that Of which lately
gave ravng, and which has been hid, by order OF
the government from Chsrrysons Fortress Monroe,
except that The latter has rsn wro core, which
the strength, and the gutta porcha covered
with tarred hemp Improvements Of Mr. Bishop iusur
ing both strength aud insulation. Tho machine for
making suc cable is also the invention of Mr. Bishop
and is Tho progeny Of necessity the government re
qusing tho cable Ia great haste. This machine manu-.
iactured two miles per day Formerly the work
done by hand. 10 is tho first time
that = long cable Of this construction has
Of coiling end paying out cable covered spiraly
with the protecting wire. This obstacle has beon over
by the ingenious paying out machine invented by
SIR Buckley To him and to Mr. Teiss great credit is duo
for the speedy and successful laying OF the present
cable. American invention is great those improve.
ments in tho laying Of submarine telegraph cables