The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4267, 30 October 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1876.

The General Assembly, during its last session, voted £IO,OOO to be expended in the construction and laying of a second telegraph cable across Cook's Straits. This step was taken in pursuance of a recommendation made by the General Manager • of Telegraphs, who urged that the present cable was liable to be broken at any moment, particularly by reason of its being caught by a ship's anchor, or from the effects of an earthquake, and that if such an event did. occur, serious inconvenience might ensue, fdnce the cable had lain intact from the day when it wan first deposited on its s> a bed the apprehension* entertained of its fracture might have, been r«.<;ard'.'d as frivolous by many persons : but it so happened that in t'm following December the cable did.breftk* though whether from unfriendly contact with!' a ship's anchor or from a wr> nch by aa earthquake, or from sheer weakness, is not quite clew, To all appearance*, the rupture

was occasioned by the friction of the cable upon a rocky bottom ; but Beeing that the broken place was only about fourteen miles from Wellington, it is not improbable that the dissolution of the magic strand was hastened by the.effects of "a shake," as the Welhngtomaus pleasantly call those vibrati..ns of the earth and all things thereon which are so alarming to the visitor to the EmpireCity,butoocursofrequentlytherethat its inhabitants take them asmttters of course and do not even think it worth while to record themfor the benefit of the scientific W0 i, o. •'. from whatever cause, the Cooks Straits' cable did part in twain* and what followed will not be readily forgotten. It was nearly four weeks Wore the Luna started from Wellington wiih the pickineup apparatus on board. Another three weeks were consumed in grappling for the cable. Occasionally one end of the cable was brought to the surface of the water, and then dropped again. Sometimes a lump was broken off and carefully secured. Lar«e quantities of new and expensive rope dW the end of each act of the performance the Luna returned to port to refit. At length a spbxe was effected, and telegraphic communication between the two islands restored • Mr Lemon, m the most handsome manner' distributed a considerable sum ot money out of the public funds by way of bonus to those gentlemen of the Civil SeYvice who, to tS fellows, had been chosen to serve in the 7,S ap S V e , x P editioa J and the 'New Zealand Times,' which had been ridiculing the expedition, made a hearty meal off its own words. The little bill for the cruise JEf^i 0 L3 ' 363 - The Coßt of the cable, however, is not the principal thine to be regarded, because that would be the" same whatever number of cables might be laid, in the event of one of them breaking, but telegraphic arrangements were completely upset for seven weeks owing to the want of a duplicate line. That want will portly be supplied. A cable with one conductor (that now in use has three wires), manufactured in nmdon to the order of the ■New Zealand Government by the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, has arrived ac Wellington by the Zealandia, and will be laid as soon as arrangements can be made for the purpose. It is forty-fire knots in length, which will leave ample slack for paying out. The cost, as usual, exceeds the estimate. It was calculated that £IO,OOO would cover the whole expense of construction and laying; but in addition to the LIO.OOO appropriated last year, it has been found necessary to take a further vote of L 2,500 this year, and still other expenses are looming m the distance. People have, however, got so accustomed to the cost of public works exceeding the estimates, that they would probably think there was something wrong if the estimate were correct. The ,? e °* ? oute ren »ains to be determined. That which has been provisionally marked out by the officers of the Marine Department runs about four miles to the southward of the present cable; but before coming to an absolute decision the opinions of the officers of the Agnes, which is the name of the vessel to be employed in laying the cable, will be taken, as their experience will be valuable. The main points to be kept in view are to lay the cable in as deep water and as far north as possible, so as to be out of the reach of the deep sea waves of the Pacific. The breakage of the Port Darwin and Java cable was an unfortunate circumstance for the present enterprise, because arrangements had been made with the Kastem Telegraph Company for the use of their vessel, the Edinburgh, in the service, but that steamer having been sent to repair the Port Darwin and Java cable, it has become necessary to replace her by the steamer Agnes, belonging to the same company, and the task of laying the cable must be postponed till December. Meanwhile, the Zealandia is lying at Wellington with the cable on board and demurrage is being paid for. her detention.

This subject suggests the question of •whether or not our Government proposes to take part in the forthcoming telegraphic conference in Australia. It was moving very actively in this matter a shoit time ago, but the p3litical discussions of the session have probably thrust it out of sight; moreover, the matter has been hung in suspense even in Australia, pending the return of Mr Cracknuj. from America. Mr Cracknell reports that the United States will not subsidise a direct telegraph line between California and Australia, but, had its views been different, we are quite sure that New Zealand could not have assisted in such an expensive undertaking, however favorable she may feel towards it at some future time. Nor do we think, indeed, that when the Australian Colonies came to count the cost, they could have joined the United States in such an undertaking, although it was but courteous to listen to what the latter had to say upon the subject. The project of a trans-Pacific line being thus disposed of, there remain for consideration the alternative proposals of a duplicate line between North Australiaand the Dutch settlements in the Eastern Archipelago or of a line from Western Australia to Ceylon. We apprehend the question will resolve itself into one of expense There are advantages and disadvantages peculiar to each route; but the main thing to be accomplished is to get a duplicate cable, the need for which is too palpable to require proof. Cceteris paribus, we incline to prefer the Western Australian route, but as to the cost of a cable taken this way, there is absolutely nothing but guesses to go upon; nor, indeed, have reliable estimates Deen supplied as to the expense which the Colony would incur by the laying of a second cable from North Australia. The points for determination could very soon be settled at a Conference, and as New Zealand is intimately concerned, she ought to be represented. It is obvious, too, from the official correspondence which has taken place and the remarks of the Australian newspapers, that were fhe to refuse to participate in such a Conference it would not be taken in very good part. It does not, however, follow that she must be represented by delegates. The end in view might be achieved by the aid of correspondence and the telegraph, and much expense would be thereby saved. We hope, however, the Government will inform the Assembly before the session closes, what course it has marked out far itself in this matter.