Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-11
The Fren oh Cable.

From the Boston Advertiser.J
A small party Of scientific gentlemen,
members of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, which
closed its session at Salem last week, re-
ceived and accepted an invitation on
Thursday, 26th instant, to visit the cable
office in Duxbury.g From Boston to
Kingston station, by rail, thirty three
miles, thence by coach five miles, brought
the party to the landing. In an old bat
well-preserved clapboard mansion OF that
quaint old town were found the head
quarters Of this new and wonderful high
way. The visitors were cordially well
coined by the manager, Mr.. Brown, and
were at once brought into the presence of
the fitting, Aame-like image which indi-
Gated, in symbols on graduated screen,
the Thoughts working at that instant on
the other side of the Atlantic. Inter
preting the fitful tremor of the image,
or line of light, one inch in length and
one-eighth of an inch in breadth, the
youthful interpreter, who did not look
the wizard that he was, calmly read, for
transcription by his assistant, a message
in which occurred at intervals the words
" New Orleans -" Citizen etc, etc.
While inspecting the apparatus, the mem
bers of the party received the following
message fresh from France, sent ex-
pressly to them:
Te Duxbury. frsm Brest. time $50 Pm. paris
THE company present their compG-
ments to the gentlemen assembled at
Boston, and hope to be able to send them
news of the great international boat-race
that will be gratifying to both nations.
The usual rate of transmission Is about
ten or twelve words per minute. Look
ing for the mechanism by which these
wonderful results were obtained, the in
curing visitors observed on their right,
placed on marble pedestal, q medium
sized spool of silk-colored copper wire,
said To consist of several thousand turns
or convolutious, in the center OF which
spool, suspended by Q single silk-worm
6hre was minute mirror attached TO
lItile magnet made from piece OF watch
spriug. From lamp properly placed
and shaded beam Of light was thrown
upon this mirror, and from the mirror
was reflected two hundred tlnes enlarged
upon the graduated screen IN froltof the
interpreter. the flame-like image already
mentioned. In transmitting from Dux'
hurry to Brest, the operator with his right
hand makes use OF two keys or springs,
one Of which being pressed, causes at
Brest q detection in similar pifFoF,
sending the message fame to the right,
while pressing the other key defects the
mirror at Brest 10 the opposite direction,
sending the image-flame to the left US
indications are thus interpreted:s q JERK
or fitting 10 the right and then once to
the left denotes the letter a; lifting
once to the rigL. and then three times to
the left denotes the letter b.; and thus
letter by letter the words are spelled.
Passing 20 an adjoining room, the deli
cate instruments used for testing the
electric conduetion Of the cable are
shown : among which are condensers
ana batteries, rheostats aud shnnts,
bridges. switches and plugs, and, crown
ing an. the wonderful astatic gslvansm'
eter. Of Sir VIM. Hamilton. But possibly
IL would weary our readers TO tell OF ohms
and negohms, farads and megafarads,
volts and microvolts, aud ell the termi-
noloev of conduction, resiste nee, electro
static capacity. and conunned eleciriscA-
ton. II may, however, CRAFTY them TO
learn that the insulation OF the deep-ses
cable between Brest and ST. Pierre, has
more than doubled in efficacy during the
hort month which has elapsed since Tbs