Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-08-25
sub.parine lines, varying in length from 3


! sublnarir lines, varying A.length from 81
miles TO 500 miles or more each Several
lines proved speedy laiiures, some, from hav'
ing the gutta pereha Coating used to insuiat'
the conducting wire unprotected by iron
wires on the outside, failed Immediately
others where the protection was weak, Ialied
within n few months In some casts the
wires were broken and destroyed by accidents
Most of the cables which worked successful
ly tor a lew months and then failed, had the
insulated conducting wire protected by very
fs:a.irch vires-which were soon DESTROYED
in spots bv the seawater.' a parting Of the
small insulated conducting wire soon fol-
loved and the useiulncss OF the cable WAS
WHOLLY destroyed. Where the protecting
wires bave been large. this result has been
asoIded ... .-......
THE OLD ATLANTIC CABLE or 1858
had for contractors copper strand. consisting
cf wires, g laid round one.) aud Weighing
IO7 rounds psr nautical mile. Insulation gut
IA perclrA laid on IN three coverings snd weigh
ing 26l pounds per knot. External protection
Is strands Of charcoal iron wire, each strand
composed Of 7 wires @ laid round Une,) laid
spiray round the core, which latter was pre-
viousIy padded with a serving ofhemp situratei
with a tar mixture Weight in all, ~ c~t- per
nautical mile. Weight in water. l54 cwt. per
nautical mile, or equal 70 is5 times ITS weight
in water per knot; that Is TO say. It uoald bear
its own weight IN a little les tlan miles depth
Of water.
That cable was laid down between Ireland AMI
newfoundland. Il was about tweuiy-hye hun
dred miles long, and worked three weeks AMI
four days. Ii was not fully tested uniyr water
before hyirg. and was probably faulty when
put aboard ship the las time. Two attempts
we're made 10 lay IL in 1857, which proving IN
successful, II was taken from fhe SHIP and stored
in an improper place eu shore, where g 7fs o.
posed unprotected TO the rlys Of % summer sun
IL /. supposed that the gutta psrcha (Which Is
rendered quite soft at a temper ,tiirc of 10 de-
grees.) was melted through the action OF the
sun. increased BY the attraction q ihe metallic
covering Of the cable. aud permitted the inner
conducting wires 90 drop through TIE insulating
material, aud thus form connection with the
outer wir,s Considerable escape was observed
iron the first experiments With the cable. and
CONTINUED 10 increase until il ceased 10 produce
ineligible signals.
during The time that the cable worked, there
we're Transmitted through it in both dnecuous.
f5dr hundrel messages oF an sorts. These IN
cluIe tie ordinary communications between the
.ot orators. As vel rs the more important ones
which passed between the Qu'en and Mr.. Bu-
chauan, thatWhich gave au account ot the col
lisi1n between The two steamships of the coast
II Newiouudltuj. the aunouncemtut oi the
death of Mr. Eddy, general superintendent Of
the American telegraph company the peace with
China, the suppression Of tine rebellion IN india,
&c.
The operation Of this cable, although At the
e1hcmely low rate Of two words per minute,
and at ,imss suspended by the occurrence ofsub-
terrlneln magnetic storms, which on one occt-
sion. CONTINUED Tor fory-eight hours, settled the
scientific problem whether continuous line Of
over two thousand miles in length, totally sub
merged IN the sea, ca. produce Ineligible sig-
nils. ana We had, Therefore. in orier 10 esiah-
.lish Communication across the Atlantic, only The
mechanioaI construction Of the cable ami IT.
successful suhmersion 10 contend with. The
wei known law discovered in ls2S, by Pr.f
ohm. that the strength of curren, upon a con-
ductor the length being given, and the number
u cells fxei, depends upon it. size. It only re-
NAMED 10 increase the diameter Of the ccniucf-
ing wire 10 order 10 work as rapidly as would be
desirable