The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-26
IHE FRENCH CABLE.

scription Of the Route-Thc European and
American Termini.
The monopolv enjoyed by the directors of
the Anplo-American cable, together with the
high rates charged Tor the trans,hlssion l, OF
MESSAGES and the almost certainty that In the
event of n rupture in the friendly relations
ooyv existinp between Great Britain and this
country the British Government, having both
ends of the line resting on British soil, would
take control of the cable and thus debar us
from the privilege of European telegraphic
communication have led to the establishment
OF new line Of cable, directly connecting the
shores Of France with those of our own land.
THE COMPANY
was granted its first charter two years ago by
the French Government, having been assured
of assistance from business men and capital
lists in this country On the 9th day of July,
1865. a concession was given to the Baron
Emile d'Erlanger, of Paris, and Mr.. julius
Reuter-, of London, 10y the French Govern
ment to establish and maintain this line for
period of twenty years from the tirst day OF
September next, the concession stipulatlng
tbat none but French and United States soil
sbould be touched by the cable, and further
more that the charge for despatch of twenty
words should not exceed twenty dollars IN
cold. The French Government bound itself
not TO grant any other concessions for lines
of telegraph from France to any part OF North
America during the time OF the concession
granted to this line. The capital stock of the
company amounts to Il, POO, 600, or S6,OOO,-
OOO and is divided into 10000 shares, valued
Mt 500 each. in gold. The company has an
organized Board of Directors in London and
Paris. and agencies in the principal European
cities as well as in New York. No sooner
were subscriptions for the stock opened IN
London and Paris than the liveliest interest
was manifested in the enterprise. But
short time over week, and all the shares
were taken and selling at premium, and on
The day the subscription was closed the trSt pay
ment of GOO, GOO was made to the English
Company who had contracted for the manu-
facture Of
THE CABLE,
which is almost twelve hundred miles longer
than the one now so successfully working. 1t
looked upon as far superior. and every advan-
fage has been taken of previous experience
1t is one-third larger than the old cable, IS
more heavily covered with iron, mixed with a
serving of warn. diminishing the specihc gravity
of the water Insulation has been mademore
perfect. the wires being imhedded in new
compound and covered with four layers of
gutta-percha, around which IS an inch of
steel wires, wound spirally, each wire first
being bound with fine strands OF hemp, well
soaked in a preserving compound Though
unusually strong the tleEibihty OF the cable
is such as to enable it to yield readily to the
workings of the waves and currents. 1t is di-
yided into sections: the two shore ends, the
deep sea portion from OFF Brest to st. Pierre,
the eastern and western shore ends at that
island, and the section to be laid from st.
Pierre to the shore end off Massachusetts,,
near DuXbury.
A COMMISSION
of scientific men connected with the under
taking, at the request of Baron dErlanger
and Mr.. Reuter-, made a report on the cable,
in which its estimated strength was placed at
x tons while the strain required for it's i'm
mersion could be only fourteen hundred
weight This commission further promise
that it will be a matter of certainty to send
through the cable at least twelve words per
minute while by improved methods Of sig
mailing it is confidently predicted that even
this number of words will he exceeded.
The power Of transmitting messages
through long lines of submarine cable is
now perfectly understood, and no more mat
ter of doubt. In laying the cable defective
portions have been found, where the insula-
tion was imperfect, but it is singular that
these breaks have not been discovered till the
cable has lain in the water for some three
hours and q half, that time being required for
the water to force itself through the various
substances composing the cable till it reaches
the copper conductor. In all cases, however,
these breaks have been speedily and satisfac-
torily overcome. Everything being in readi-
ness,
A SURVEY
was made for the most direct route from
Brest to the terminus on the coast of the
United States, which was determined to be
the neighboring town of DuXbury, from which
place a direct line from this city connects
with the cable. The main cable extending
from Brest to st. Pierre lies one of the great
plateaus which exist at the bottom of the At
lantic ocean; this plauteau being much higher
than that on which the English cable rests.
by keeping in the five hundred fathom line
npon Milne Bank, and around the southern
edge OF the Grand Bank there is no possibility
OF ice, or of anything else to injure the cable;
the northern edge of the Grand Bank was
avoided on account of the impossibility of
ascertaining at what depths the icebergs
ground. Sometimes icebergs ground in
ninety fathoms then again vessels employed
in the sealing trade might drop their anchors
and thus iniure the cable, and to avoid either
or both of these dangers, the southern edge of
the Grand Bank was selected as the place to
lay the cable. Moreover, the track from the
southern edge of the Grand Bank to ST.
Pierre, and from thence to Duxbury, is en-
trely safe from any danger from ice, and does
not cross the anchorage place of any fleet of
vessels. The cable upon Milne Bank,
from the Grand Bank to st. Pierre, and
from thence to Duxbury, is laid in water of
such comparative shallowness that repairs,
if needed in the future, can be made with the
greatest facility The cable, nowl laid, startsin
very shallow water from Minou Bay, but in
four or five miles it deepens from II to &c