TELEGRAPHY IN 1874.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 243, 20 March 1875, Page 3

TELEGRAPHY IN 1874.

The Telegraph's Journal thus recounts the progress of telegraphy in 1874: —"The principal portion appears to be that of the various submarine extensions, which have not only been numerous, but also important; South America having been brought into almost direct communication with Great Britain during the year. In 1873 the section of the Brazilian Company's system from Lisbon to Madeira was partially laid, but owing to the appearance of a fault, the work was stopped until the present year. On the completion of the section between Madeira and St Vincent—a length of 1200 nautical miles—the broken cable off Madeira was recovered, and communication thus was established between Lisbon and St Vincent. Subsequently the section between St Vincent and Pernambuco—lß4s nautical miles—was completed, and thus, by means of the Eastern Company's cable from Lisbon, were the Brazils brought into direct telegraphic communication with the United Kingdom. Consequently upon the laying of the various cables belonging to the Western and Brazilian, the Central American, and others, communication was opened up between Demerara on the North and the River Plate on the South. The AngloAmerican Company succeeded in laying a fifth cable across the Atlantic, by means of the cable left from last year, and a subsequent addition of 1100 miles of new cable. The Great Eastern was occupied in the work, and difficulties were encountered, as the weather was most severe. It is difficult to understand the operations of the company, for they have gone to the expense of laying an entirely new cable, whilst they appear to abandon an existing cable (1865) which has been broken down. An attempt has been made, by an opposition company, to lay a separate and independent cable across the Atlantic. This has so far succeeded that the cable has been submerged across to within a short distance of Newfoundland, and there buoyed. It appears, however, to have a fault in it. Bad weather has for some weeks prevented any operation, so that the Direct United States Company have been unable to complete their communication during the present year. Cables have been laid during the year between Jamaica and Porto Rico, and another short West Indian section, also between Constantinople and Odessa, between Zante and Otranto, and between Barcelona and Marseilles. The amount of mileage added to the submarine system has been very great, exceeding that of any previous year. Accidents have been not infrequent, both at home and abroad, but from the rapidity of the repairs —showing the value of local repairing steamers —the interruptions have not extended over any great period. Numbers of the post office cables have been broken, but, with the exception of the English-Guernsey cable (broken for the second time), all have be"en restored. In the repairs to the Irish cable it was noticed that the hemp and gutta-percha had suffered very much from the appearance of several distinct kinds of 'boring' worms, which had done much damage —especially one kind, which attacked and penetrated the gutta-percha to so great an extent that a fault had occurred. These worms were noticed in the Wexford, as well as in the Holyhead and Dublin cable. The Postal Telegraph Department have during the year introduced the Sounder as much as possible, and it may now be definitely considered as the instrument of the future : it various advantages have at last become apparent, and in time we shall observe its use as wide and extended as may be seen in the United States. The Duplex continues to advance, and the Stearns's system is rapidly becoming extended. The advantages derived from the system of Duplex working have daily become more and more apparent. The important work of the transfer of the postal telegraph system from the old centre at Telegraph street to the new building in St Martin's-le-Grand was most successfully accomplished during the first week of the year, reflecting the greatest possible credit upon those engaged,"