AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 393 



WORLD'S TELEGRAM. 



The Invalide Russe announces a telegram to America, across the regions 

 of Siberia. From Portland at the mouth of the Columbia, in the Pacific, 

 to Moscow, is only 7,000 miles, the line to extend to Kiachta, so that news 

 from Pekin, in China, could he had in a week. He says that all the 

 nations who want to speak to China will be obliged to do it through this 

 line. 



The cable from England to Plolland has four copper wires covered with 

 gutta percha, and that with 10 wires No. 00, thus making the cable 5 

 inches in circumference and §ths in diameter, and weighing 8 tons 12 cwt 

 per mile. In September last a screw steamer of 918 tons took 150 miles 

 of it, and in three days landed the end — 4 to 6 miles per hour, high wind, 

 with a heavy sea. 



[London Mechanics' Magazine. November, 1858.] 



HUGHES'S TELEGRAPH— PRINTING. 



We visited Mr. Henley's works at East Greenwich, and saw his instru- 

 ments in operation. We believe that there is even better cause than the 

 Times announced, for believing that the Atlantic cable may yet be ren- 

 dered the channel for perfect communication between England and America, 

 in both directions. What the Times said respecting the earth's currents 

 is founded on fact, and we have no doubt whatever, that the Hughes instru- 

 ment, as modified to suit the circumstances of the Atlantic cable, is 

 thoroughly well adapted to the faint currents now sent through it. He 

 has, in addition to the printing apparatus, an invention by which the faint- 

 est conceivable currents may be utilized — a battery of a couple of frag- 

 ments of wire excited to an extremely low degree only. The current from 

 this battery was, of course, so faint as to be entirely incapable of produc- 

 ing anything like a deflection in the needle of a fine Henly Galvanometer, 

 even when the instrument was placed in the circuit, close to the battery. 

 Yet, this extremely faint current, when passed through two hundred and 

 forty miles of the Australian cable, now shipping from Mr. Henley's works, 

 worked the apparatus perfectly. The conclusion is, that not only the cur- 

 rents obtained, at Valentia, from Newfoundland, sufficient to record signals, 

 but may, by Hughes's apparatus, be worked, and signals recorded perfectly, 

 even long after all currents, perceptible by the ordinary instruments, have 

 ceased to exist. 



GUTTA PERCHA AND SUBMARINE CABLES. 



When the temperature is low it becomes bfittle ; the consequence is, that it 

 will break from the conducting wire when any extra strain occurs. It is 

 perfectly pliable at 212'' Fahrenheit. India rubber is superior to it as a 

 covering. Spun yarn, saturated with tar, has a tendency to dissolve gutta 

 percha or India rubber. 



Vessels on Tovell's plan have marvellous speed. Two have been built 

 and proved. The Margaret and the Laughing Water. Bishop is now 

 building another of about 150 tons. 



