The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-02
LAYING the ATLANTIC TeIsgranh.

Seven years ago, the first submarine
cable was laid, connecting the shores of
Great Britain with those of North
America. The interval has been in
dustriously employed in preparing, un-
der better auspices, for repetition Of
that great undertaking. The expert
ence then gained has been turned to
good account now. What was faulty
in that experiment has been caretully
provided against in this, Errors and
oyersights are all corrected. Fourteen
hundred miles of the new wire were
coiled away in the Great Eastern tanks
on the 24th of April, there being then
but thousand miles more oft TO be
shipped. About twenty-five miles Of
wire are run on board every day. Ac-
cording to this reckoning, therefore,
and allowing for Sundays, it would be
quite the end of the second week IN
june before the whole coil would have
been got on board. And allowing a
reasonable time for testing experiments,
and getting snip and conveys IN work.
ing trim, and perfecting all those nicer
arrangements which at the critical pc
riod determine the success or failure of
the whole enterprise, we may safely say
that the expedition viii not get fairly
under weigh until early IN July.
That, in fact, is the month originally
kept in mind for undertaking the work,
The seas are least likely to be disturbed
then, iceberges do not rear their cold
foreheads then to warn the mariner,
and the fogs are generally lifted from
along the Newfoundland coast July,
especially from the middle Of it, is set.
tied unon by all capable Judges as the
very month IN which this important eN
periment should be undertaken. Yet
even a good share of this month, it Is
claimed, can proftably be taken toi
still further making thorough electrical
tests, searching with the most rigid in
| ouisitiyeness for defects either 10 the
cable, the working, or the apparatui
for paying it out, and gettlnd the shpN
| all in perfect order for making a sure
thing Of the great purpose Of the yoy
/ sce. When the little squadron set
forth on its momentus errand, which il
| destined to do more than any schema
ever devised for making the nation
brethren. it will carry with it the bless
iprs of the civilized world ftwih havI
in its keeping the little nerve which :
! to connect the interests and sympatnie
of all the populations of the globe.
The amount Of slack cable turnishe.
for the present experiment Is sad TO b
| apparently disproporuo1ed to the whol
length of cable TO be paid out, beIu
but about one hundred and fifty mile.
The entire cable, as before stated, Is .
be twenty four hundred miles long
while the distance TO the irish coast q
the North American, scross winch IN
cable Is to be stretched, is two thousau
two hundred and fifty-three miles
This present cable is estimated 10 b
able to carry eleven times Its ow
weight per mile in water, while the cl
cable could not carry quite five time
its own weight per mile. We are there
fore 10 infer that the strength Of th
new cable is verF much greater tha
the ola, and hence that there IS ie.
need Of so large an amount OF SLACK ,
calculating lor the proper length OF o.
whole cable.
From experiments which are oonUI
b ually making in the coil, it is satlsta.
torily ascertaIned that at least doze
words per minute can be dispaJche
d through this cable when once success
fully laid. A continuous stream
electricity IS passed through the cab
as il Is turned into the tanks Of the ve
, sci. thus satisfying the managers thl
all is right up TO the last mile and u
last moment Should the slightest d
feet interpOse, or the smallest obstac
E throw It's influence IN the way, itw0u.
/ be instantly detected at the very poii
|. where it offered itself by the vigilal
= testing process Of the electricians vi
, have the cable in scientific charge
I Thus far In this great enterprise '
o hear nothing said Of the determlnatll
r of our Navy Department y pay al
Official regard 10 the same, although
!. would seem TO be even urgently appI
= pirate that some such regard should
1 shown. This Is sn undertaking on b
Y half Of the nations There is s0Inethu
/ more IN IL than 3 mere corporation
p terest The whole world takes stock
1 il, in the moral sense, Especially c
tit that the great nation whose govei
e ment and ideas dominate theeontine
7. toward which this new embassy Is
rected, should advance with a hear
d greeting fOT.ils,originatOFs and since