The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-08
TELEGRAPH TO INDIA.
utnticns and Congratulations Between the
rince of Wales, President Grant, The Vice.
ROY of Iudia, and the khedIve.


utntions and UOngrntnlatiOns Between the
rince of Wales, President Grant, the Vice.
ROY of India, and the khedIve.
From the London Daily Negs, June "a.
Ellis Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
and Ocean Telegrapby" was the toast of the
evening at Arlington street, Piccadilly, last
night. In O spacious and handsome pavilion
built for the purpose, and in the presence of
some 700 of the leading members of the sci
entifc, the political, and the fashionable
world, the heir to the Grown conversed freely
with the King of Portugal, the Khedive of
Egypt, and the Viceroy of India, sending
messages to and receiving from Lisbon,
Cairo, and India in the course of a
few minutes. The completion of sub
marine communication between London
and Bombay, by the successful
laying of the Falmouth, Gibraltar, and Malta,
and the British Indian cable lines, was the
immediate cause of the remarkable gathering
of last night, which was successful through
out, and which will be remembered hereafter
as one of the most brilliant and interesting
soirees of the season of 1870. Mr.. John
Pender, the chairman of the two lines named,
and one of the chief promoters Of submarine
telegraphy, determined that the opening out
of direct Communication with India should be
celebrated in a way fitting the OCCASION; and
it was on his premises, at No. Is Arlington
street, that great variety of electrical ex-
periments were carried on. The pavilion we
| have mentioned was erected in and covered
the whole of the courtyard of MIR. Penders
! house. and here, beneath delicate draperies
of soft color, were the batteries retorts, and
wires by means Of which instantaneous COM
munication was established with the countries
named. There has been nothing
like this before. Mr.. Cyrus Field,
at his semi public banquets
at the Palace Hotel and elsewhere, and at
Willis Rooms, when the Drke of Argyll
presided over dinner given in the energetic
Americans honor, astonished every one by
the electrical messages sent and delivered in
the course Of the evening to and from Anne
rican cities, including the distant San Fran
cisco. But inasmuch as the time occupied
in telegraphing to India in those days was
about three weeks, no attempt was made to
talk with it in the course of single evening;
and last night was the first time in the his
tory of telegraphy when the Eastern and
Western hemispheres were spanned, and
when quasi public experiments were tried as
to the impossibility of instantaneous speech
between them. The Prince of Wales arrived
shortly before II A. NJ, the whole company
standing up to welcome him. The scene now
was very brilliant. Over one of the doors of
the pavilion huge cluster of gilded hooks,
like one of the drags of the Humane Society
in gold, but four times their size,
was pendant. Behind it was coil of rope
decorated with laurels. The first was the
grapnel which picked up the cable from the
bottom of the Atlantic in 1866, where it had
lain twelve months the second was por-
tion of the cable SO rescued; and both were
hung up as appropriate relics, for both spoke
of the great scientific triumph which gave the
world confidence in the submarine telegraphy
which was the direct cause OF the long lines
which have been laid and worked since, aud
which made investments at the bottom of the
sea practical realities, like similar investments
in houses or land. Shortly after his arrival,
his Royal Highness signifed his wish
to send message to Lord Mayo,
and before the news that this message
had been sent circulated the crowded
irooms, its receipt hsd been acknowledged by
1.-The operators in India. Lord Mayo had pre-
viously to this sent a message TO the Viceroy
in India; and when the word went round
that his Lordship was in bed, but that he
would be reused with all speed to receive her
Ladyship's and the Prince of Wales congra-
tulations, commiseration was expressed, and
the ladies said, ''poor man" The Prince
then expressed his desire to communicate
with the King of Portugal and the Khedive
of Egypt, and his message was forwarded.
Mr.. Pender then sent messages to Colonel
Staunton, her Majestys Consul-General in
Egypt, and to the Governors of the Presidencies
Of Bombay and Madras. The Prince of Wales
tnow sent a congratulatory message to the
president of the United States, and answers
were received at short intervals from the
King of Portugal the Khedive, and the Presi
dent. When Lord Mayos message came
soon after midnight, it was dated Simla, 5'0-
A. NJ, and there was considerable laughter
His Excellency had been reused from his bee
in the middle of the night-''or tomorrow
morning, isn't it?' as one inquiries
remarked confusedly-to pass compliment
with his Royal Highness and the gay GROVE
in Arlington street. This was the coup of th'
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, NJ. d,
Lesseps, and the rest of the distinguished
company, assembled in the private tent facing
fhe Green Park, were loud in their approval
The actual time occupied by the message
from India to London was four minutes ant
two seconds, and Lord Mayo's not unreason
hble habit of sleeping during the small hour