Year: 1865

if not more just. may prove at least more
fortunate. As far as regards the cable IT.
| self there is absolutely nothing to be de-
sired. ..
The Malta and Alexandria wire was an
enormous Improvement on that by means
of which it was hoped to connect England


with the United States. That laid along


the Persian Gulf is again great improve


ment on the Malta and Alexandria while
| this which is to cross the Atlantic is still


more marked Improvement On them all. So


exquisitely delicate are the tests that a


minute flaw even in one of the four coat


ings of guttagercha has been detected, its


place defined almost to yard or So and
| the length in which it occurred at once cut


out 1t is singular but significant fact


that almost all the accidents and stoppages
which have occurred to submarine cables
| have arisen from those which have been
| laid in shallow water. A deep-sea line,
once we'll laid, seldom or never gives fu-
ture trouble, except, of course, III those few
| rare cases where the line has to be taken
over ocean depths known to be liable to
volcanic disturbances. Thus the deep-sea
portions of the Malta and Alexandria line
from Malta to Tripoli have, it is stated,
never given an hours uneasiness, while the
shallow sections from Bengazi, &c, to Al
exandria are constantly getting out of re-
pair AS set-off to this however, it is
only fair to state that shallow cables may
be repaired with as much facility as they
seem to break down while, on the other
hand, the first fault of deep-sea line, as
rule, its last.


At the bottom of the Atlantic it is need
less to say that no volcanic disturbances
are apprehended Along the route on
which the cable is to be laid the depths
vary from 1900 to about $500 fathoms-
The dangerous part of this course has hith-
erto been supposed to be the sudden dip or
bank which occurs about hundred miles
off the west coast of Ireland, and where the
water was supposed to deepen in the course
of few miles from about 300 fathoms to
nearly 1000 Such a rapid descent has
naturally been regarded with alarm by tel
egraphic engineers, and this alarm has led
to most careful sounding survey of the
supposed bank by Captain Dayman, acting
under the instructions of the Admiralty
The result of this shows that the supposed
precipitous bank, or submarine cliff, is a
gradual slope of nearly 60 miles. Over
this long slope the difference between its
greatest hight and greatest depth is only
s, 100 feet, so that the average incline is,
in round numbers, about 145 feet per mile.
A good gradient on railway is now gen
orally considered to be in 100 feet, or
about 53 in mile, so that the incline on
this supposed bank is only about three
times that of an ordinary railway. In fact,
as far as soundings can demonstrate any
thing, there are few slopes in the bed of the
Atlantic as steep as that of Holbern Hill.
In no part is the bottom rocky and with
the exception of few miles which are
shingly, only ooze, mud, or sand is to be
found


As regards the commercial prospects of
the undertaking, it may be stated that the
Atlantic Company have begun their work
under the renewed agreement with the
Government for subsidy of 920, 600 "a
year, and, in addition a guarantee of per
cent upon capital of $500, 900. All sys-
TENS of Government guarantee of this kind
are in themselves radically bad, and OPP
posed to every rule of free trade and com
mercial enterprise. In this case, however,
the guarantee is not only at variance with
the principles of political economy, but
possesses its own special attributes of ab-
surdity Thus, in return for their guaran-
tee, which is only to continue in force while
the line is in working order, the Govern
ment demand that the maximum charge
for messages shall not exceed IS Cd


per word With such tariff the line would
be absolutely choked with messages, and
the company in return for its overwork
and general maladministration of business,
| pp1 pf
year. At tariff of gl per word, on the
contrary, the company, while guaranteeing
a message to and the receipt of reply
from any part of the United States within
"a hours, could with ease earn revenue
of 9l ,000, 600 year, or nearly twice the cost
of the present cable. In fact the Govern
ment guarantee is only conditional on the
line being in working order, and while it is
so working the company can, for the rea-
sons we have stated, do ten times better
without it, If the shareholders are wise
the sooner they shake off this clog upon
their enterprise the better. At present, it
| is estimated that the operation of telegraph
ing can be safely conducted, day and night,
at the rate of from six to eight words
minute Both Professor Thompson and Mr..
Varley, however, are confident that with
| the new machines they have invented this
rate may be increased to nearly l2 words
minute. On this expectation, however, we
decline to venture an opinion. The dis
patch of a message of 100 words through
the line to America, and the clear receipt
of a similar number in reply, will, after the
cable has been laid, be accepted by the
company as proof that the wire is in per-
feet working order, and without further
formality it will at once be opened to the
use of the public. Most earnestly do we
hope that this greatest scientific undertake
ing may be followed by the commercial and
political success which the completion of
telegraphic communication with the United
States must achieve.
Defence OF THE GoosE-It is great
libel to accuse a goose of being silly
bird. Even a tame goose shows much in
stinct and attachment and We're its hab-


its more closely observed, the tame goose


would be found to be by no means wanting


in general cleverness It's watchfulness at


nighttime is, and always has been, proven