PHILOSOPHY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 148, 22 March 1859, Page 4

PHILOSOPHY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

*THB:/w^/:pf:?elre^tr,loal/^^ Ireland and .Newfoundland consists' of a :'cppper;;^r^hd/.//eprit^ninfg;/s^ ;rwjresffpf/i:pure:/cpppe^ triiiiph thicker thiari; a; thread: of/^^itVg/fsilk^/ fa^ <l a ;fieirti6ri/-pf/tlie / twis'tipg/ pl:;'all/-j^(^/n^ ihpfibead of a.h;;or^ f t^eXUi'cl<pess"p^ ;-^ns.eir/Z.t^ j^i^na CpvenngS(pfi t^ and;iron wirefshe^thihgs,faW( only fpr^ /'.ppecipus :-cordv/y .;///;/-///f.:f//f';f 'f'":-;/-'-'/'//f/;///i' [■ L / JOf fall/the Jrtarveisiofrnpdern [perhaps;; theymost astonridingyisithis/thatf either/w^er; or e^th^ wi re f or/the Telp^aph./// $$ pn/lnef : el ecirM telegraph ;>vas;fi^st; ihtrodufeed,/ it/\ya;s; sup-^ posed tobe nedessary .toilay down;orf erect; two insulated; wires; between:f the alatipns /from f an^/tp/wl^ eeived ;anct ,despatclied/' /Supppsing;y|pr/ instance, we wished/to communicate between liiQiidbn arid -Edinburgh;/rthie electrical cur-i/ /l^pt/,c6;i|1,4 ( /orily;';be :|l(ljnburgh^:SO(as,-tp record;itself/ upohythp; /condition thatythere^ould be/some means j'|y//whicH/. rt should/ travel.'/bMt'ag^in/tQ/ /tje/placp^ whence, itataf tpd. ZZYyZZZZZ7 l //T'he /e)ectri^t:;current /cpuhl/pnly/>be: I c/eated in liphdpn/-aijd:/ detected •; burgh,^,by f ; the/^ki^ten^/^of iwp electr^ai i fthe^W ?s& -■ lother/tp return;iv-so as to establish what is; i calledl a corriplete or closed circuit/ This requifM twp^ires, b/a I shock/ wave,yor /current^ from Loiidptv/^to i Edinburgh, the othec to return it. It was j soph fdiscpvered,,/firßt,f tha;t:;wherever there j ', existed "an -unbroken bodyr of; ywater, it might be substituted for the return' wire; I and secondlyy/thatfthes earth itself^/fbrjill /known distances 61 electrical stations, might ' be similarly*usedi; : / Z'y- -Zy '■'''. ZZl;Z-Zj y^HpWr it f comes /that earth pr r watpr act;aii a of: enclosing or completing .t|i^ eiectrical.circuitrisjnpt/yet well unders.tqpd. It is one of many marvels of scienceiswell ! determined;yetlwi^tpgr^pfintellectually. Electricali waves, yor currents,,,call them j what ypii will; {have been tcahsmittecl frpm \ I^rid/to//l|e^fou^ miles ofy c^pec;|Jrppp /iqipt Ihipker/m^rtu bodkin; these currents/. have. found r their w'ajr back -through: the earth; iinder/ the de|i^B/!pf the/'AM^ tp the spot from wtiencp they st?rtedli// Hp^vf have: they, found >their way : .^ck ; again:? IJas /the/: ehbtle; lightning; forced ay path, ttirpugh..' tire shortest;maihefpaticdjihe^ | tlie ysppt /^ere/fthe* \ copper wirey;dipped into the earth at: NewfoundlahdiytbftHat where /thef bth&yend- of the virire/ wias/buried in. Ireland ?////Ai^ /wie/tp c maryellbug .fluid flowing, /or some equally marvellous ■-vibration of particles dffmatter transmitted, by the shortest rputey between tlie/ tvrd\ earth /ends fof/ the/cable, prfis i* diffused /tftrpugh the; surface , pf;the;partli fpr soriie/unknowny distance/oh^; each side oi' 'this-narrow//jpatfi? Ar^ we, ipstead of.• thiese prppesses ;sohard/tbv'coh*cpiye, to suppose the/earth/a reser-;', voir of neutralisation for molecular distui*bahce,'/so/thaithe j)articles;of the wire being; disturbeiby/electi.ical /vibrations, .the/earth i at . both / ends /of the. wire may /neutralise these /vibrations,;Avhen both the; ends are in con tact/with it? These are some of the scientific; speculations>s to tlie rationale ;,of thffact that the earth, serves as/a returnr wire for any lengths ofelectrical cable, provided that^ cable be kept throughout'its entire length out ofelectrical communication with the earth. , .*.; ■ ; '/;..;, f • . ~ '