Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-17
THE ATLANTIC CABLE
~ Ssets fsoa ~ nsssras--Fisid's Ac-
taswledssnsns--A Predsetscn--Csp-
tain Brooks's Tsvention.


$S~"S VI st<S afSt AttohttV SScs" "ss,A
omit TO mention that grand soul, Matthew
y. Maury. whoF Field himself said furnished
the brains for tina. great enterprise"
einian writing from historic Fredericks-
burg. near whore Maury was born, and
whore be once lived, could have been
oble."
In the DzrArcs Of Friday the lst you
state in reply to the above: M. +. Maury
We never employed IN any Of the sound
jngs which ascertained the actual oceanic
mountain range; never took any part in
the work Of preparing, shipping. and pay,
1888, 1850, 1865, and 1895 upon which Cyrus
". Field exhausted the best powers OF his
life" &c.
The actual facts in tho case are these:
Maury was so intimately associated with
the success OF the Atlantic cable that Mr.
Field himself said In speech at dinner
given IN New York in 1853, to celebrate the
arrival OF the first MESSAGE across the At
lantic, Marry furnished the brains, Eng.
land gave the money, and did the work
AS early A. ls4s Maury prophesied that
there must exist between Newfoundland
and Ireland a broad and level plateau at
the bottom of the ocean. and boldly an
nouuced his conviction in the columns OF
the Washington National Tnieuigenco. de
named il then 1.-THE Telegraphic Plateau" .
He petitioned Congress for the means OF
pursuing his prophecy and making good
his theories.
nRooKE's INVENTIONS.
In ls4e Congress directed the Secretary
of the Navy Ito detail three suitable YES
sells to be used In perfecting the discoye-
ries made by Lieutenant Maury." Under
authority of these instructions. and sub
ject to Maury's directions, vessels were
dispatched from time to time. but at
first failed to bring no specimens
Of the bottom in deep water. But in
1925 Passed Midshipman John nj.
Brooke fsince OF Merrimac fame. then
stationed at the observatory in Washing
ton. under Maury, proposed contrivance
for deep-sea lead, by which the plummet
or shot on touching the bottom OF the
ocean would detach itself and send up
line with q specimen OF the bottom. This
beautiful instrument is called Brooke's
Deep-Ses Lead" (See Maury's Sailing Dr.
rections.)
Early in 1854 Maury made the following
official report 10 the Secretary of the Navy
on the subject Of these deep-sea soundings:
with special reference to the project Of
laying submarine telegraphic cable across
the Atlantic:
FROM NEWFOUNDLAND TO mELASD.
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY,
February %, 1854.
Sir.-The United States brig Dolphin
0deutenant-C Commanding o. II. Berry,
man was employed last summer upon
special services connected will. this Of
fee.
He was directed to carry line Of deep
sea soundings from the shores OF New
- rat o.
suit is highly interesting upon the question
of submarine telegraph across the Al
Ian.ic.
THIS line of deep-sea soundings IL decisive
OF the question as 10 the practlcablilty or
q submarine telegraph between the two
continents in so far as tie boltom Of NE detp
sea is concerned. From Newfoundland TO
Ireland the distance between the nearest
points il about 1000 miles. and the
bottom of the sea between the two places
is plateau which seems to have been
placed there especially for the purpose OF
holding the wires of tbs submarine tele-
graph and of keeping them out of harm
wav. 1t is neither too deep nor too shallow.
vet il is so deep that the wires, once
landed. will remain forever beyond the
reach OF the anchors of vessels, icebergs.
and drifts Of any kind. and yet so shallow
that they may be readily lodged upon the
of the aboye-named places on this side to
the north of the grand banks" will rest
on the beautiful plateau to which l have
alluded, where the waters of the deep sea
are as quiet and as completely at rest as at
the bottom of miil-pond.
NO CURRENTS AT TIE BOTTOM.
Lieutenant Bergman brought up, with
iBrooke's deep-sea sounding-lead, speci-
mems of the bottom from this plateau.
sent them to Professor Bailey at West
Point for examination under his micro
scope He found that all these
specimens were microscopic shells, not
particle Of sand or gravel to be found
among them. These little shells, there
fore. suggest TO me the fact that there are
no currents at the bottom of the sea
whence they came: that Brooke's lead
found them where they were deposited iii
their burial-place. Had there
been currents at the bottom they would
have swept and abraded and mixed these
microscopic remains with the debris of the
bottom-such as ooze. sand. gravel. and
other matter.
Consequently telegraphic wire once
laid there would remain as completely be-
yond the reach of accident as it would be
II buried in air-tight cases. For
the purpose of fastening the completion
of such line take the liberty of suggest
ing for your consideration the propriety OF
an offer from the proper source of prize
to the company through whose telegraphiC
wire the first message shall be sent across
the Atlantic.
have the honor to be, &C..
Nj. F. MAuRY,
Lieutenant United States Navy.
Superintendent National Observatory.
Hon. j. c. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy.
In a letter to Hon. W.. A. Graham (Sec-
retary of Navy as early as November
8, 1850, Maury says: lyon may. there
fore, consider il settled principle IN sub
marine telegraphy that the true character
of cable for the deep seq 10 not that of al
iron rope a. large as mans arm. but OF
sinqle copper srire or fasicle Of tcires. coated
with gutta-percha, plant and supple, and
not larger than lady's finger"
The Secretaries of the Navy continued
20 embody Maury's suggestions on the SUD
ject of the ocean telegraph with ever-in
creasing enthusiasm in their annual re
ports to Congress from 1854 to the compile.
ton of the Atlantic cable.
Nh YIELDS ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
To c. W. Field Maury wrote on the same
subject: 1.-The iron-wrapping for deep
sea lines of telegraph instead OF being
advantageous in any respect are nos only
hindrance but an encumbrance and also
waste. 1pe weight OF tHe cOIu may ~
adjusted 70 sinking by the size OF the con.
Quoting wire within. as we'll as by the
character of the non-metallic wrapping
without. The insulating material should
be gutta-percha or India rubber. and only
requires to be protected from chafes an6
bruises while on board and when il is be
ing paid out. The breaking strain neet
not be over half ton. and it's weight 50t
or 600 pounds to the mile. I'll risk any
thing on that"
To friend at the University of Virgins
Maury wrote: II have now before me
coils upon coils of samples Of telegraphis
wire submitted to me for inspection and
approval. have been most happy IN de.
yising plan for making ceilings and Law
inc it down which obviates every diff
Guilty. @. W. Field e urging telegrsphit
patrons in London TO adopt my plans fol
the cable. We shall see."
To the same, on july &c. 1855, he says
The company insist upon my going Il
Newfoundland ! do not see how / car
get OF, but think. considering the i'm