The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-30
Submarine Cables.

1t is not yet ascertained whether not the attempt
to lay the great Atlantic telegraph has been uccessf
but the indications that has failed 1t las been
argued that the existence of submarine Geographic
cables and their successful working during several
years. is evidence of the probability of favorable
solution Of the Atlantic problem But it must be re,
membered that, in this problem the difficulties to be
overcome are vastly greater than in any OF the others
and the disturbing elements far numerous and
more powerful. b. recently published table it ap-
pears that there is the Old world 025 miles OF te
graphic cable; but only two of them furnish even in
| an approximate manner the data which would Justify
in venturing provisional opinion as to the present
enterprise. The cable from Malta to Alexandria in
the Mediterranean, is 1856 miles in length but the
greatest depth at which it lies is only 420 feet The
one between France and Algers is $50 miles long, and
descends to depth of ,585 feet The Atlantic cable
is 2,6 miles long and is laid depth Of from 500
to "a athoms, or from 1000 to 15 90 feet
The line laid from Malta to Corfu in the Mediterra-
mean in 1857, at total of el25 000 failed after
paying out 400 miles OF cable similar to that used
for the first Atlantic experiment
The submarine cable laid by the Dutch in 1871
between Batavia and Singapore distance of miles
failed after conveying few messages. Their failure
was attributed to the cable being broken by anchors or
coral reefs, and the enterprise was abandoned The
cable laid by the English government through the Red
sea- to connect the telegraphs i'll India with those OF
the Mediterranean proved entirely unsuccessful never
conveying even single message throughout and the
project WAS abandoned although the government had
given guarantee OF II per cent e., 600 90 for
half a@enturys project to falmouth in
England, with Gibraltar abandoned after the cable
had been made for this purpose, at cost of 81 900
But even should the attempt to connect the two
continents by means of the telegraph prove
failure, that fact would necessarily imply perpet
ua teegra phic severance On the contrary public and
private enterprise would then be directed to another
and demon>tFably feasible route-that BY Belring
Straits The necessity tor Geographic communication
remaining as great az ever, in tact increasing from
year to year. the failure of the marine scheme would
simply turn the efforts OF the world into another chan
mel which offers only the probability but the GER
tanty OF favorable solution OF the problem In fact
the advantages of the euric marine lnes are
great and evident, that it is only wonderful that
much energy has been expended the inferior and
more difficult method. In marine lines failure or
break i'll part is almost necessary destruction
of the whole. In overland lines, on the contrary.
casualties, it they cannot be averted can at least be
easily and speedily repaired.
In these facts, and in the certainty that the pressing
needs of the world will force the construction of the
great overland Telegraph line by Behring's Straits we
may find abundant consolation for the imminent failure
OF the great Atlantic scheme. IN 0. Picayune.