, 1865-08-04

and fittings of every kind have been care
fully revised, adapted, or improved. All
that the experience of previous attempts
could suggest, all that the most earnest
and painslaking foresight could antici-
pate, has been done everything now
rests with the weather. In the four
great divisions on which the success Of
the undertaking may be said to turn
namely, the cable itself, its stoWage, the
ship, and It's engines, nothing apparently
has been overlooked. As regards the
cable it still remains in the same perfect
state as when it was tested at the works,
and, in fact, its whole electrical condi-
ton is such as the largest shareholder in
the undertaking would desire for it. lis
various lengths are now and have been
Tor some days past Joined up, and twice
every day, morning ami evening, me$sa-
ges are sent through. The time which
these occupy in transmission shows lis
condition to be as nearly invariably as
possible. Last week experiments were
tried with 4 variety of instruments to
ascertain tie highest rate of working
speed with a low battery power. The
best OF these instruments was, it is said,
one invented by Mr.. VarIey, with which,
1t was found easy to work through the
whole length of $500 miles at an average
rate of about f0ur words a minute. At
this speed the signals were remarkably
clear and distinct, and it is still claimed
that it Is possible to devise instruments
which can raise the rate from four words
a minute to as high as eight or even ten.
TINS, however, remains TO be proved.
Yet even in the absence of such instru-
ments, there cln be no doubt but that the
gradually improving skill Of the signalling
clerks, as they become more accustomed
to work through the wire, will, with the
betterei electrical condition of the cable
when at the bottom of the Atlantic, soon
make four words q minute the minimum
OF what can be accomplished BY this tcle-
graph. The Insulating properties of the
gutjG perCha are always increased by eX-
ternaI compression. When sunk in the
tremendous depths beneath which the
cable IS to he submerged it is calculated
that the weight Of water above it will
give a pressure of about two and three
quarter tons to the circular inch. Under
his enormous weight the bulk of the in
s%uIaling core will probably be reduced
oae third, and in fact, 50 compressed on
all sides ass 10 most materially improve
both 'conductivi'y" and insulation. Such
aids to signalling excellence, when cou-
Piled with the benefit which the cable is
certain to drive from The unvarying tenn
perature at the bottom of the ocean, are
likely TO do more towards increasing the
rate at which messages can be seat than
anyinstrument which has yet been brought
forward. During the time of paying
out, signals will be sent 10 VaIentia
for every so miles of cable sunk, and for
every so miles the Great Eastern runs.
Thus it will be perfectly easy for the
public TO follow her course on any map,
and know precisely by the difference be-
tween the distance trayersed and the
length Of cable sunk the amount of slack
that is being paid out. This slack, as it
is called, will afford the best index to the
state of the weather and The way in which
the Great Eastern is doing her work.
No less than 80 per cent. of the entire
length of the cable has been allowed for
slack, or waste, as i've may better call it.
If all goes well, not more than 10 per