terpreted that we consider the agents of the press blamable in any manner whatever. They, doubtless, fulfil their contracts, and do just as all other honest men would do under like circumstances. It is the principle of preference that works so seriously against the welfare of the lines; and it is that which is so desirable to have modified. The Secretary reports that, during the past year, many new lines have been built. Messrs. Smith, Crane, and others, are vastly extending lines in the State of Texas. Here the patents are free. When the noble and chivalrous people of that State were living under the uplifted flag of the Lone Star, as the Republic of Texas, Professor Morse nobly stepped forward and made the nation a free gift of his invention, for the promotion of the cause of freedom. Messrs. Wade, Speed, Cornell, and others, have increased the range in the West. Messrs. Snow & Co. have largely increased the lines in the Canadas; and side lines throughout the country have sprung up with great rapidity. The Nova Scotia Company is extending its line around the western promontory, embracing Cape Sable; also on the eastern islands of Cape Breton. The Newfoundland Electric Telegraph Company constructed a line from Sackville, New-Brunswick, to Cape Torment, and thence, by submarine cable, across the Northumberland Straits to Prince Edward Island, to its eastern coast, Cape East. The company suspended operations during the fall; but has since resumed under the most favorable auspices, now embracing among its members gentlemen thoroughly skilled in the art and science of telegraphing, and some capitalists with ability sufficient to build the entire line singly, if desired. It is proposed to hasten the completion of the line across the Gulf of St. Lawrence, via the Island of St. Paul, to Newfoundland; and thence over the country by subterranean wire to St. John's, on the eastern coast; and thence southward, to Cape Race, where the Atlantic steamers will be hailed and the news sent or received, long in advance of the present time. In connection with this arrangement, the English and Irish Electric Telegraph Company have extended their wires from London to Ireland, crossing the Irish Channel near Belfast, and then running to Dublin, to Galway and the southern coast of Ireland, where steamers will be hailed, and the news procured or delivered, and sent or received, as the case may be. This company connects at London with the lines to Calais, (France,) Ostend, (Belgium,) and the Hague in Holland, through the three submarine cables crossing the English Channel. By this arrangement, America will be within five days of the Eastern Continent, a consummation of the greatest magnitude. While these efforts are being made in the East, the far West, to the Pacific, is not forgotten. Efforts are being energetically made to induce Congress to grant the right of way and small appropriations of lands to aid in the building. Judging from favorable interviews with Congressmen, we are induced to believe that the grants and appropriations will be made. If so, in less than two years a substantial line will be constructed across the plains, giving a continuous wire from ocean to ocean! That the line can be made to be serviceable, there can be no question among practical telegraphers. That it can be shielded from the harm of Indians, there cannot be a doubt! There may be trouble at first, but that is experienced everywhere. The lines now run five hundred miles west of the Mississippi River, to the Indian border. In California, there are some two hundred miles of lines east of the Pacific, so that there is not much to build to complete the connection. It is proposed to run a line of steamers from San Francisco. to China, and when established the trip will be made in twelve days. News from China will then be twelve days in transit to San Francisco, thence one day to Cape Race, Newfoundland, taking the steamer to the southern coast of Ireland in five days. The continent of Europe will be brought within eighteen days of China. The time now is sixty-eight days, and the great saving thus attained will be most startling!! Under these circumstances, who can doubt the value of the lines in this range of connection? But this is not the end of enterprise! The same restless spirit of the age is active for the greater perfection of this connection. As long as there is an opportunity to advance the prosperity of the people, man moves with patriotic energy for the closing of the last link in the grand chain of communication. The cabling of the ocean is now under active arrangement. It will be successfully done in less than five years. When this is accomplished, Europe will be within twelve days of China, and the line of communication will be across this continent ! No one can entertain the slightest idea of the great amount of business that will flow over this great and gigantic range. The commerce of the ocean, the trade of nations, and the cause of science, will rejoice at the completion of such a magnificent desideratum. Some gentlemen have regarded the best route for an ocean line to be from the eastern coast of Newfoundland, starting from Cape Race, and running to the Island of Flores, thence to Fayal and St. Miguel of the Azores, and thence to Gibraltar, or some point on the western coast of Portugal, in the Spanish dominion, and then running by land to France. While the policy of the Spanish government seems adverse to a grand international communication across, or connected with its territory, the plan thus proposed is of questionable expediency, even allowing the basin of the ocean to be favorable, which really is not the case, because when you leave the Azores, eastward the ocean for some hundred miles is only about 1,000 fathoms, or 6,000 feet, and then suddenly descends to a rocky bottom, 2,700 fathoms, or 16,200 feet, probably forming a precipice in that part of the ocean of 1,700 fathoms, or about two miles sudden descent. This difficulty could be materially lessened by going to the Madeira Island, and thence to the coast of Africa, extending the line by land, connecting with the great Submarine Lines now in progress from Europe to Africa, across the Mediterranean Sea. The next and most plausible route is direct from the eastern coast of Newfoundland to the western coast of Ireland. This is the most practicable route; and the only question to be settled is one of science, though of no ordinary degree. We refer to the extent that a galvanic current can be sent on an insulated wire, fixed as a cable would be in non-contact with other conductors of the electric current. Of course, experiments will soon settle this question. By some it is believed that on an insulated conductor, a current could be sent around the globe, and that there will be no induction therefrom, if properly and thoroughly insulated. On this point we express no opinion. Granting this question of science as settled in the affirmative, and we see no difficulty in cabling the ocean at the points mentioned. Lieut. Maury, of the National Observatory, seems to be firm in the conviction that there is nothing in the way, so far as the ocean is in question. His judgment is pre-eminently to be relied upon. He has had great experience in the science of the ocean, has sounded the depths of its basin, calculated its currents, and the nature of its bed, giving him the rare power of advising on this subject with certainty, and scanning its wonderful contents and myriads of phenomena. After we pass the grand banks of Newfoundland, some five degrees east of the coast of Cape Race, the bottom of the sea becomes of a uniform depth under two thousand fathoms, until you near the coast of Ireland, where the depth is some 2,000 fathoms. The span will be some 1,600 miles. The bottom of the ocean is even and regular on its surface, composed of earth, shells, or clay, enabling the cable to lie with ease and undisturbed, until the Creator shall call the sea to render up its jewels, and decrees a general dissolution of matter. But, supposing that science decides adverse to laying a cable upon this beautiful plateau of earth across the ocean, just desig nated, we can run a cable from a favorable point on the coast of Labrador to Greenland, with a stretch of 480 miles, and enter a bay on its southern coast; and then by land, a subterranean line northeastward, to a favorable point; and thence to Ireland or Scotland. If desirable to reduce that stretch, we can run to Iceland; thence to Shetland, Scotland, or other points. The practicability of this route is unquestionable, even if the air line route is deemed inexpedient. These enterprises are of the utmost importance to the lines of America and Europe, and deserve the most liberal encouragement. Would it not be well for the lines throughout the country to offer, as premiums, a per centage of the tariff on the business transmitted over each line respectively, for the benefit of the line, to the extreme ocean coast in the east, to the Pacific in the west, and the great Atlantic Ocean line, on all business coming from or going to those Companies? Having thus spoken of the increase of lines and the proposed extensions to the eastern coast, across the plains to the Pacific Ocean, and also across the deep sea of the Atlantic, we now propose giving the aggregate extent of the telegraph lines in America. Some have one or more wires, and in order to give a fair representation of the extent of business thereon, the length of wires will be given, regardless of the particular arrangement of routes: We have calculated the capital stock in this immense range of electric communication. Some of the lines cost double that of others, but we have taken up each line separately, and arrived at the facts as they really are. The estimate may be a little under, but not over the legitimate amount : These estimates show the amount of capital invested in the electric telegraphs of America. Only ten years ago Professor Morse was building the experimental line between Washington and Baltimore. That forty miles was the longest telegraph line in the world. Since then the web has been spread from city to city, and the people throughout the entire land enjoy the blessings of this element of nature, subdued to the utility of man, by the industry, genius, and inventive powers The telegraph companies of America must perceive the ex istence of one fact, that is, the old lines are not paying larger dividends than they did years ago, notwithstanding the more rigid economy and greater extent of "feeding lines." There is a cause for this loss. The commerce and trade of the country increase, and the revenue of the lines ought to be greater. With but few exceptions, they are not. Why is this the case? We are confident in our opinion, after carefully investigating the question during the past half year, that it results from a general loss of confidence in the telegraph to subserve the purposes of trade as is is now and has been managed. The fault lies with the Companies. Want of concert is the main evil causing this unfortunate state of affairs. Could the lines be brought under one uniform responsibility throughout the country, there would be ten-fold more telegraphing done than at present. When a patron can present a message for a distant place, with a reasonable prospect of its reaching its destination within proper time, then, and not until then, can better times be realized by the existing Companies. This is a matter of serious import, and the application of some uniform remedy,-to meet the case as far as practicable under the present arrangement of lines,-will prove serviceable and beneficial in the end. In connection with this, the policy of adopting a mode to guarantee the prompt and correct delivery of a message, ought to be considered as a very important question for consideration. Whether or not Companies are responsible for losses sustained by individuals, resulting from errors in transmitting the message,-is a question at law not settled. If they are, it is time they should know it, and have prepared the proper checks for safety. If not, good faith to the public demands better fulfilment of the trusts reposed in lines than has been generally realized. The public have certainly great cause for complaint, and for withholding patronage. It is time that the entire enterprise throughout the country should be concordant, and unite in one great effort, not merely for the welfare of each company, but also of the public, in devising measures equally conducive to the interest of both. Let them be united, and peace and prosperity will flow therefrom. They can be so, if they will, and, at the same time, as distinct as the billows; yet, ONE AS THE OCEAN ! Respectfully submitted. TAL. P. SHAFFNER, |