THE SUB-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 345, 20 February 1856, Page 8

THE SUB-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

(Fivoa Chamberss Journal.) ibose who have watched the progress of the eiectrii; ieiegv;!])}.!, its vapid extrusion across and cij:jtiiie:-t. over rivers and u'.uier rfll!l ' Wi;l h& -V-'-'^ !»-et'ared to hear tlsat the me.a Atlantic reiejrrauh is likely to Income ;i l-ict uelore we are many years ohier. While we wrue, tae eintrprwisijr „ific«; S in London are ia:kmg unmi-.j ihe wires with a:l parts of the CNimneui—l,-om Cox.e»hu«j:en or Stockholm t,, a.m. ijiru.or still, with die ciiies of J tii:- : illU 1'; e«:^»»t, Htnl ti.tUlan.l territory of ,i,y tJle Kinj. of Sardinia. Fro.n Cape : ,>-••« -t!>n>.), t.je southern extrerni'.V of tiii s i-a.-.a, a wire is t ,, he struck across the i---. ..iiitftn i., Ahn-.-rs, anri ;..no-!:,- i-, Malta, and nym loe.ice. by Corfu ;, li: i ri Je M.-r^u, t.Gon. tV U!t";oil!e; A;;(! a !ilirtl wirr s V j, s <=i!i£r from -'^■ t!';; !;'^;<:x-'!:uil;:, will tviivorst E-ypr, skirt "' ll (' ) °;'' 7 • :i!i" ii;i i:' ::l^ i!lfcl '"> I'^neath the '-■ "V "' U' i; il!' il;'" (^"'l, 1.. *,;.),..„• „t K, n , >«<^<:e, wric^ir. tt -ijl join the ] IK lian system of tCie^ ; ;ip!i- s w; jU ::, sprend. even nosy over a ciis'Tf,"1 :^: "»iie-. K miJ the eastern border "= ii; = iJf., tiiv iv;r«, is t., cross I>^,, . tIK ; llie BurV. (r7' u- li' u "■V: ;:IH| w'" '-'-' can-ird a!o- ;: r { \ n . -•:a-.va:. ne-.UKMiIa, uinl-i- the- sea to B.mieo' i •■!.; rt:.(;. lC .j_a t,r.,),c;i ivill run t., II 0!)g K on ,/ lKi:i';: !l!: I!i;i:n !!Ii« -vili he across i'"c -.■• ; :u isiili.M.u;,.! 'll|.|l!T. K ,„;,.,. . ;i! ,, e bfc|l/ . ;1 ,.. | --''•■< t lli;- ;1«- -^'in liiis piacf;, i: v.ili j, ;is , (l ;nvards .■.> o. c-.eyaiiu trie ni>;;e soutlicrn colonies «i"l s-> y> IL.ln.it 1,,v.-r, s in V; :! , Di ftllie!1 = s ]„,,,;. sl: n' ijtl: vvfcshail -et ..cws ,V, m , 01 ,r ariiip.i.U lH,jw;iy. ..iitre .«,»„(.thin^ f !in . r.;.^..c.i. r.ei.ea -f such a u^l,, v ex^enHi,,,, .f ::i i.;ou^ht-fia-hc-r; hut a i,w years a^o, he y-J! ' s;"""'l •'''•Vfi prw!i<:l^l ,:vo ;) ,J ie ,; r , s , ;l)l iv.v.-.,..-:,,' S v >le;() Ol tfiegs-at.l.s, w.,,,1.'! have i )(;fc n iiu.»lK-a ill im one of the -.vild-^t tircaiucrb. And

yet what wonderful results are already accomplished. Bc-ddes the above-mentioned lines, there is the wire across the Bla«"k Sea to- Balakkiva ; and the Admiralty and b'oroiirn Office now vet news direct from the fleet and ihe camp by a process which needs never t>> wait till a f>>>i clears oil. as was so .frequently the case with the telegraph of twenty years ago. hat we can do in the way of i;i\ ill;."' and receiving- information, is nothing to what we shail do when the vast web has spread its ramifications to the end of the earth ; and no spider ever leli the tug of a ilv from the remotest pxtremity of its filmy net-works more surely than inn foreign minister, seated quietly in his oliiee in Downing street, will he able to feel '.he uuise of ail the colonies within the course of an hour or two. At first, there will be someihhig surprising to si c pava»rai)l)s in the evening papers dated Melbourne or New Zealand at nine in the morning (cmtime) of the same day ; but we shall soon get used to messages from the antipodes, <iiul lookon ! heirs as matters of course, and perhaps gn, rblrt if b\ any e.isuuliy we have to wail for an answer till the next day. What will be the effect on trade? Surely there will never be ;i <»]itt. when our merchants can know the state of the distant market, day by day. 2xo room f'«>i" blind speculation tlien. We know an enterprishur Uader.. who. reading in the advices from Adelaide that blankets were a drug in the ninrkei, immediately b,.ughi up ;>;m sent out a thousand pounds'worth of the same commodity, and silenced all remonstrance with : " I know what I'm about. Nobody, will tinni; of sending blankets in the face of the advices—so v.-nen mine iret to the colony there won't be one left, and the demand will be brisk." And sure enouah, the result was as he anticipated : ami he realised a hand^-ire profit. But what will he and others do, when the lips and downs of the foreign markets are as welt known in the city as those of LeadenhaU or Leeds ?

But we have been betrayed intn a iona; preface. We sat. down with the intention >..{ savi;:;: someihinir abaut the Ailmuie T*'!ef.rrai;h—ubotu ihe wires that are to enable us to hold hourly

cowiiHiniuulions wish insv cousins, in the Uniied J^iutes. The 'm-ouu Aiiamio is <;\ready paviiv bestridden. In a few weeks thy New Ywrk. NewfiiiiDdhuu!, and Lmi'iiii 'iVie;>rnnh Company, wiil bave laid their sul.marine wire I'mm the niiiiitlaiul of America to St. .John.?. Xcivfoiindiatid. This, which iikiv be tailed the nvsi step, vtiil enable us to send or to receive mr-s----s.-i^-es froii) one side of the uec-an to the other in

six or seven iiays. For in>i;nicr', tiiu steam-);----leaves New York: four days aiierwai'i.s she calls at St. Joliij'h. and there t;:;:ps in the news received vi) to the latest moment by telemajd; from all part? of the Stares ; and tbeit steaminir fo.tii, si.c wiliget over the ICOO miles between New found lain! and. Liverpool in from six to seven days, as already stated. Should Ope Clear be fixed on for ;i telegraph station, then the time would be reduced to'.'ive or bix rlavs. The port of Si. John*, thuiii-h a go>,d une when you are once inside it, is obstructed b y rucks at the entrance. Th;-se rocks aie h-jn."l biown -,;;i and the neoessarv i-njuoveni! uts aie to lie made' to facilitate the prompt approach and fu-p;>, inre of steamers; nu<\ as a coal .Ji^ot is' m be establi^heii, tlie vessels -.viii be able to proee-d with a smalierquautify on board, and have room to spare for freight.

'iiitii c-nses the secnm! and longer s'ridrs frnm Gape Clear to Si John's or ber-\ ( .<:n the nearest points uf Ireland and N.iwfoundhnj'i. To sink a wire th:oup;h such a distance, wiii indeed beji tri.imph of skill mid eii»inJcjrii'i<r science. The company entertain no' douhi <>f its possibility, and arc-' taking active measures t!) c-an-y out their ph.us. One iinpori.nm preliminary was to know .surriethi nif vi the u.riure of ti;e ocean hoiiom between the two plac-.s above named; and this h;,s been ascertained by the admirable Atlantic somiiiin-s undertaken by liie United .States' Government \\V ii-ive iriuie than one- e-died aiicmion t.,, ,i,i s undertaken in lh\s J.;urun'. The results a:.Mii^u];u)y inieresti!^- in many respects; but v.-rJi ]■'.._,;.,.,[ Ul ,] IC in .,- H { j iu . st j,; n) r.ient. M;u>i-i-q.»m, in a letter to the secretary of tin; navy jit ti,:il lh, ; J,,,U'))H of the S'-Il I^tween Inland and Xeu-Juundland 'is - t i»aieau, winch seems to have h riiU jdaced there especially for the purpose uf holriin- thewips ». a Milmwrine tele-ra; 1,, and of keeping tlie.u o.iiof Ijunn'swny. It i s „< ith^r m,, deep „,,r t"O,na!!. iW; yet it is so deep ,l liU U,,. wires wlicn uric- lin.l.will remain Vi.'r i v, r w-vnui tin' rcacn oi vessels, iccheros, 4IH: l iol - s , au.i'.lau, u{

any kind; and so shallow, that the wires may be" readily lodged upon the bottom.' This plateau lies at a depth of from 1500 to 2000 iathoms on the Euivpeau side oi the ocean, v nd gradually rises to about half that, depth at its western extremity. With this fact before them, the projectors are in a condition to proceed with the twisting ol their eabics, and to provide, me.vis for the transport of so prodigious a length as l{>oo miles. Lieut. Maury adds ihat among other resultsof the soundings, it wns ascertained that there are no perceptible currents on the plateau ; so that the wire once laid, there would he little ru-k of its being swept away. We hoar thai the cable is to he similar in that laid across the Ciulf ofßt. Lawienc;-, describing which, a New Yuri; paper sn\>: ' Laci; enimuu- j nieating wire is reuuiariv ami perieelly insulated in making it, when thus covered, about a quarter of an inch in diameter. Three insulated wires are then placed in a circular M>rm around a tarred hempen cord, and the. space? between them iiilei! up with layeisol the same material ; aiter which stnimi-, likewise of tanvil bemn.tire bounii firmly around the whole. iStroiiir win s are then twined .sjiii'allv around, and the cable is ci'mji'eted. The reason of ilie use of tar is, that it uives ilurai>i!ity ; as tar, in connection with iron, has hien found to act as a, n-r"af preservative to the cable when innucrseU in s lit water." Whether viewed by itself, or in connection with t'ue present state oi political ailiiits, this Atlantic 'j eit «\-apb as-mines a hiii'li iniiiortance. Wiiatever may take place in Europe, wiii be known within an hour or two m Washington and in our North American colonies; and for the sake of ail e<>ue< rued, it. is to bu honed that Oie friendly !eeiin«-'no\v subsisting- will lie fitrenu;theneii. In ai>out three year.-, t'ue union will probably be effected : and part oi the scheme 1■ >r e>::eii&ion in Cm-. East wiii hen ihintj: accomplished. We mii'/nt speculate still lur'.li^r as to what t\)e results wili be when we c;iu talk at pleasure wiUi the in-.tinodes of San Francisco— ;ti one and the same time with the lands of thu rwhr.r ;vnd the settiiui- sun ; but we forbear. The results will some das sv^eak for themselves. .\leaut;:i!e, we nun jusl glance at auoUie! view o! the q lesion. 'At ]:ome evr-n,' sa-'s a i-on-ti?!i)));-rary, ' the telei-rapii is slid in its ini.iucv ; but every one who has paid atieulion to iiust.bjeer, must ieel that tin- period is vm far cistaijt '.vhen im]:rovvim.-nt^ will be effect' i:j the present ci:un>-v lijutU: oi' traes i:it!ti!/i r n-i-sai-es, uu:i when hicreas-.ul facilities and ui:i:i.ii-:K-;i char.'es will j/ive tn this ineth'id '>f co-.n-ijunicittiitu the full use of the ndva;it; ures winch it possesses over the Post Ollice. Ihe lin.-e will come when the machinei v of St. Martin's io Grand, will bear ;i;e. s;imc relation :<> nur te!o--r.-i'>i:ie c-mi'.satiif.-v thai, the caua'.s :uui hi»-!i\va\ s n-.'.v bear to ihe rail w:-v>,." 21r'bonrne Age, Jan. 8.