Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-04
MEMPHIS TO ~HOPEFIELD.
sub-Mlssisslppi Telegraph Zine.
The Cause of the Cessation In
Communication with the
Trans-MIssisSipPi.

AACoN@A~AsI
lieh scientific pspsr, isis q wiZZard'i
power" While there Is no element tina
hss received 80 much attention, or has
been the subject Of half so much research
and study, there is none that lie so little
understood, or whose workings are such
s complete and wonderful mystery.
There is no end to the applications to
which man has succeeded In converting
this bis most ubiquitous and a~ll-pervsd-
ing slave. BY It, a man may convert, as
ibid Robert HOudin, or Mr.. Appold (he OF
centrifugal pump notOriety), bis house
into q magicIsn's castle, ana make the
lightning do the work of a retinue OF
servants. The surgeon, the physician
the astronomer, the chemist, the photo
grapher, the worker in all of the meta!F,
in facf, every art and scienca is in.
debted to, and to c certain xtent depend
! ent upon, this wonderfulSeSoWer. But Its
most useful application, and the one that
embraces Ia its benefits all classes OF the
human race, is t~elegraphingi and al
though there are now thousands, mostly
men Of education and OF s ~philosophic
turn OF mind, who are engaged IN this
profession, It's workings are still a mys-
terry. A case Of local interest has lately
come under our observation, which forei-
bly, illustrates this fact, and has caused
our electricians here nc little perplexity.
We sllude to the late obstruction and
restoration of Geographic communica-
ton with the trsns-M ississippi.
For some weeks past, the cable had
been working very irregularly. AT in
tervals no communication could be had
through it for hours, and all at once IL
would revive and the laid pass through
it as usual. This state of affairs contin-
r,.I - a1rro.l -r4oha ami ar lacf Oona. [
munioation ceased entirely. After seve-
raj Intellectual attempts tc revive it, it
was determined to raise it and find out
the reason for the cessation.
The cable crossing at this point is con-
sIdered one OF the BEST ever laid In this
country, having been manufactured
originally for the Red Sea, but for some
resson not used, and afterwards was pur-
chased and laid down by the Western
Union Telegraph Company, at 8 very
heavy expense. The conducting wire
consists of seven small copper wires
twisted together, and covered
with y LAYER OF ~vulcsnizsd India rubber,
or c~aontchoue. Over this layer Is an
OF the same material, making the
about 8 half inch in diameter.
This is covered with a wrapping consist.
Of two lsyers OF hemp twine sstura-
ted with pitCh. The whole is covered
with twelve No. 7 iron wires twisted spi-
rally around it, making the cable about
ID inch and a half in diameter, and CIV
.ng it great strength and Weight-ssveral {
lines larger and stronger n the At |
sntlc cable.
The operation of "under.runningu ,
md taxing the cable up was successfully !
performed by Col. Coleman and Capt.
Baker in a steam tug with a barge at
ached. AS it was raised, and ut inter-
Tals of e few yards, s. needle was driven I
nto the cable so as to touch the conduct
wire, and instruments were applied
O test the soundness Of the portion
When near this shore, by this
means Z Was discovered hat the disturb
ng GAUGE lay within q space Of twenty i:
ards between two points. This piece '
vas cut out, the two ends gpliced, and u
be cable Immediately worked through 3
ut its whole length. The piece cut out p
7Rs brought ashore and examined by G
Coleman and Capt. Baker st their v
and developed u Of the most 4
facts in t~elegrsphing that has Il
yer come under their notice. y
Ga cutting the cable it was found that z
bout four inches of the conducting wire q
ed been burned cut, and was gone COM Il
1t Is supposed that 3 severe d
hook Of lightning had passed along the II
md lire OF wires, and had left them and ii
the cable, burning this piece out a
/ its passage. The curious and inexpli- Il
sble part of the affair is the action Of
ne cable after the burning. At times, a II
of electricity passed through, CT
nd communication was kept up between Il
aud Little Rock; then eeasing y
for q while, it would again re- a
i've, keeping up this htful action as we Il
ave stated, for some time before its p
,tsl suspension. q
Many theories and surmises are adj
.nced by the gentlemen connected with n
he telegraph Office here, as to the ex- a
iauation OF this remarkable phenome- n
on, the only one of which Is ct all sat- v
is that OF Col. Coleman: That
q slight connection was formed be- ia
reen the burnt ends of the conductor, "
Y moisture which hsd penetrated the OF
able in sufficient quantities to keep up o.
le circuit, there being 8 battery on the /"
end strong enough to drive the d
.entricity through at i~ntervals.p This, u
Col. Coleman, 10 whom we are Ia Is
ebted for most of the above facts, Is q p
smsrkable case, and may meyer occur d
gain. The question now naturally sug-
ests itself: Cannot some mode be estab G.
shed whereby communications can be ST
sssed through large bodies Of water q
ithout 8 cable7 It has been proven In L
ais instance that messages passed to and a.
o across the Mississippi without q metal RI
1nnection. Let the scientific work 1t
ut. q