162 G. Mathiot on the Atlantic Cable. 
to charge it, the electricity would find its way through the om — 
ductor or through the insulation. ie 
From the tone of the European publications I have been ledto 
infer that they do not consider it possible to work the cable ina 
prompt and efficient manner by means of the battery. The 
slow and imperfect action of the Balaklava and some other — 
cables seems to have early thrown a damper on the prospects for 
submarine lines, and the suspicion seems to have become conve 
tion after the publication by Mr. Faraday of his experimenls 
together with those of M. Melloni and Mr. Clark; according t0 
those experiments it is demonstrated that increasing the number — 
of pairs in the battery, or increasing the “ dnéensity,” as this ope 
ation is often improperly called, does not diminish the “wav? 
time” or the time for the electricity to flow through the co 
ductor. By the experiments on the subterraneous wires of the 
Manchester telegraph, the time for the current to manifest? 
through 762 miles of wire, was the same whether 30 pairs, 50 
pairs, or any number of pairs up to 500 were used. If Ido nt 
mistake the tone of these, and all the subsequent papers on™” 
wave time for submerged conductors, these experiments are Te 
ed as decisive against the possibility of shortening the time 
by any modifications of the battery. At the results of those 
experiments M. Melloni appears to express astonishment, a 3 
considers it as opposed to the laws of Coulomb and others a 
against the received ideas of quantity and intensity. Mr. #4 if! 
appears to be disappointed however, he having predicted oe 
rightly apprehend his meaning, that the current from the great’ 
number of pairs should have manifested itself more quickly 
than that from the lesser, and this nonconformity of the eg 
ment with his predictions he attributes to the fact that while #? 
intensity of the current was increased, its quantity was re: 
e and considers with the increase in the number of ibs 
pairs, their size should have been diminished in order that only! ¥ 
same quantity of electricity in a more intense condition migtt 
have been permitted to traverse the conductor. From all this ® 
is evident that those views offer but small prospect of the e 4 
ever serving to work the submarine telegraphs. I cannot oe 
ever, but express astonishment that any other effect on the pis 
time, from increasing the number of pairs, than that exhibited” 
the experiments of Mr. Clark should have been expee patter 
ne of the 
eee 
t thick wire (in the case of the Atlantic?” 
