ven in its failure it
has been of immense benefit to the science of the world, for it has been
the great experimenting cable. No electrician ever had so long a line to
work upon before; and hence the science of submarine telegraphy never
made such rapid progress as after that great experiment. In fact, all
cables that have since been laid, where the managers availed themselves
of the knowledge and experience obtained by the Atlantic cable, have
been perfectly successful. All these triumphs over the sea are greatly
indebted to the bold attempt to cross the Atlantic made four years ago.

The first Atlantic cable, therefore, has accomplished a great work in
deep-sea telegraphy, a branch of the art but little known before. In one
sense it was a failure. In another it was a brilliant success. Despite
every disadvantage, it was laid across the ocean; it was stretched from
shore to shore; and for three weeks it continued to operate,--a time
long enough to settle forever the scientific question whether it was
possible to communicate between two continents so far apart. This was
the work of the first Atlantic telegraph; and if it lies silent at the
bottom of the ocean till the destruction of the globe, it has done
enough for the science of the world and the benefit of mankind to
entitle it to be held in honored and blessed memory.

Now, as to the prospect of success in another attempt to lay a telegraph
across the ocean. The most erroneous opinions prevail as to the
difficulties of laying submarine telegraphs in general, and securing
them against injury. It is commonly supposed that the number of failures
is much greater than of successes; whereas the fact is, that the later
attempts, where made with proper care, have been almost uniformly
successful. In proof of this I will refer to the printed "List of all
the Submarine Telegraph-Cables manufactured and laid down by Messrs.
Glass, Elliot, & Co., of London," from which it appears that within the
space of eight years, from 1854 to 1862, they have manufactured and laid
down twenty-five different cables, among which are included three of
the longest lines connecting England with the Continent,--namely, from
England to Holland, 140 miles, to Hanover, 280 miles, and to Denmark,
368 miles,--and the principal lines in the Mediterranean,--as from Italy
to Corsica and thence to Toulon, from Malta to Sicily, and from Corfu to
Otranto, and besides these, the two chief of all, that from Fr