The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-25
TELEGRAPH CABLES.
The Extension in the East-Submnrine Enc.
mics and Light or Heavy Wires-NIultipiied
Charges.

niles and Light or Heavy Wircs-Multiplied
Charges.
From the China Hondon) Telegraph, Oct AL
In a recent notice OF the several schemes lately
put forward for extending teiegraphic com
munication TO China, we gave prominent place to
tine project OF the Linda, Australia and China ree.
graph Company for laying light cable constructed
on Mr.. Yarleys principle, between Ceylon and Pc
nang We have more than once written in favor OF
this plan, but some facts that have recently been
published seem to Indicate that the experiment
far more hazardous one than either ourselves or It's
has been tried and found wanting. Indeed, 1t is
hardly likely that the telegraph Construc-
on ana e oq heavy cg
iron. clad'' cables unless 1t had been proved to
demonstration that the opposite principle lat all
events as now applied was totally inefficient. The
Times not long ago asserted on good authority, that
OF late years there have been 5000 miles OF light
cable laid, some covered with thin wire, some con-
sstlng OF India rubber core alone. and others pro.
tected with hemp and other substances, but that no
Inc OF this description has been found to last longer
been few weeks only. All the cables now In work.
Ing order are OF tho strong and heavy form, and
cited TO justify The adoption or the light principle
These are very damaging ana discouraging facts,
aud they have evidently maze strong Impression on
the public mind. Mr.. Varley himself comes to the
rescue, by means Of long letter addressed to the
daily papers, III vndlcation OF his system His argu.
ments may De briefly summed up In Jew sentences
Firstly. at great depths the bottom IL usually soft
and even and tie water perfectly still: therefore o
cab.e once land requires no coating OF iron wire to
y,
cable will sustain as much IS thirtydve miles OF lls
own lengtn IN water without breaking. the heavy
only ten; therefore the former 10 more easily
recovered for the purpose Of examination or
splicing Thirdly, most OF the faults In cables hitherto
iald have arisen from fragments OF the iron wire
percha insulator-a mischief obvi ously Impossible
where no wire Is used. Fourthy, smaller ships
may be employed, ana no paying. out machinery Ii
wanted, as "kinKs'' or ''fou naKes' will be allowed
togo overheard without any CHECK or attempt to dis.
enangle them. These and tue alleged cheapness Of
ma RAh4 10 nl I'm fo
But they are met by . similar number OF serious
objections. The absence OF all danger from atrltlon,
at great depths, cannot be DENIED; bls there Is
another Formidable source Of destruciOn-tte boring
or the tOeuO, an enemy OtV To De deHed on drDaor
0rpro0E In like manner we may admit that light
cable Is more easily picked up III case OF need, tnan
heavy one, but prevention Is better tnan cure
anu the first consideration is to lay cable OF such
construction, and in sucn manner, as will reduce
to mil inum the chances Of necessity for repair or
renewal. And on the mode OF laying, Mr.. Dunbar J.
heath, gentleman Of considerable attainments In
electrical ana mechanical science, adduces some
Important considerations. The smaller the vessel
used the greater OF course, Will be the amount OF
'pitching.o Ii "a pasing-out apparatus be used 10
control the jerking thus produced no 'ilght' cable
could bear the strain: tas Is proposedi such appa
ratus be dispensed with, the cable would often run
out at the rate OF twenty or perhaps thirty miles
hour-causlng an enormously disproportonate loss
IN ''slackn or waste. Lastly, the question OF
cost il not placed nearly satisfactory q footing
as we expected. Instead OF being so very much
cheaper, The light caDe Is as expensive as the heavy,
IL We may Judge by the contract made for the section
distance from point to point, ana without any refer
ence 10 tho "sack" (Which 1t IL admitted would be
considerably greater with the light caDle, the sum
OF G25 to be paid the Inda Rubber Gutta Percha
and Telegraph Works Company Is at the rate OF
almost ESQ per mlie winch Is nearly the same as
the cost OF the iron cadn cable between Suez and
Bombay, while the neavy cable between Malta and
AexandrIa cost only ESQ per mile.
These calculations are particularly unfavorable to
the success OF MIR. Variey's pet scheme. No doubt,
before long, there VIII be still further improvements
in the construction or ocean cables, ana In the
interest OF progress hope that the dihi-
culties we nave dwet on may soon be overcome; but
for the present 1t seems to us far safer to trust TO
the well tried form that mas produced such satlsIac-
tory results IN the Atantlc ana other Important
lines. But by whatever means accomplished tue eX-
tension OF the Red Sea line to CHINA win be great
BOOM AT present tue vlcissituoes encountered by
every message, even between London and Gale,
are such render 1t a matter OF surprise that a
single one even escapes unmutiated. Each tee-
gram mas to be repeated, from one forwarding sta
tim to another, more Than twenty tnnes-twenty-
two, we believe, IL lhe exact number-and 1t has,
besides TO be translated and retransated at leas,
i've times. OF the heavy charge levied nearly the
whole ID divided between the numerous foreign
companies whose lines form the connecting Inks
thus, OF the 81 Is, which IL the minimum rate
charged Tor message To Gale, the English com
pany that receives tue message in London gets only
Is sd. One evil result OF this minute subdivision
this confused conflict of interests Is that no rcduc
ton Is allowed as on onor lines, for press messages