THE DUNEDIN AND PORT CHALMERS ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Otago Witness, Issue 554, 12 July 1862, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN AND PORT CHALMERS ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Since his return from Melbourne, Mr. "Woolley, who lias undertaken the work of initiating the employment of the electric telegraph in the Province of Olago, by constructing the line of telegraph between l)unedin and Tort Chalmers, has been actively engaged in a personal oversight of the works, which ate now progressing with some promise of being speedily completed. The peculiarity of the route along which this particular line ot telegraph passes, and its accompanying difficulties, hmc made this close personal superintendence all the more necessary, and it is satisfactory to know that, if the line is not the first opened in Ne w Zealand, it will, by this attention, be at least as perfect as any in its construction. One peculiarity of the route is the extraordinary number of angles which it presents, in addition to which it runs through a thickly wooded and uneven line of country, the lower part of which is a soft and indifferent holding ground for the posts, while the higher point 3 are exposed to the strong winds which are a common feature of the climate. There is, indeed, no parallel example in the colonies, nor perhaps in any part of the world, of lines of telegraph so angular and uneven. This has rendered essential the erection at different points of posts of unusual strength and weight, capable of sustaining the double strain which is brought to bear upon them, and quite an unusual number of angular insulators has been found necessary. The work ot stretching the iviic, was commenced some days iigo at the Port Chplrncro terminus, and from that point the workmen have gradually proceeded towards Dunediri, which, should anything liko firornble Another bo'exi Cii'.^X".', i>«. Jjv'ic;.c!wd in a very oliyrt Uiue,

Tho men cmnecEod with the works aro all men who luivfi been in Mr. Woolley's employ in Victoria, and execute it with an :ic"o p nplished readiness, indicative of experience. Several of them arc employed in parsing the wire from pole to pole, and that being done, the wirj is held by a vice which is made fast to a block and tackle, secured to a tiee or other fixture, and upon that the others pull until the wire is consider 1 (o be sulKcieiHly stretched. As this proceed.-!, one workman is enuacfed m iking fast the wire to the insulator by twisting round it a fine thread of w iru of tho same material, and another hand, a brazier, finds work in connecting the different coils of wire, as uae ; i coil is stretched, this being djnc by tiie two w ir<_-> being twisted lound each other for a few tu,'!K--, arid securely soldered. The wii-e is ru.i tVo.n p',lo to pole, at an averai,e height ot twenty fctl fiom the ground, and is bo evenly strained, as not to exhibit to the uninitiated eye the slightest deflection. The insulators arc of porce-laiii, or Staffordshire pottery, speedily made, of ciurse, for the purpose wnLch they serve. They sit like an inverted cup or cupola upo.i a thick rod of iron which i-i cither a fWiuie in the top or' tlu p'llc, or i; Si cured on to tiie sides, the latter being known as angular supports. In consequence ot a defi-cL-ncv r in the quantity of those imported, Mr. Wtiolley had a number m inuf.ietured by a smith at Port Chalmers, which serve thepurpoboeqaalltwell; and of the upright supports, -ivcral are ot the red pine oi the country, turned by Mr. Telfcr, of Dunedin. The naturally durable properties of this wood are improved by the pieces be-ins? boiled in water, and alter being thoroughly dried, again boiled in a solution of shellac resin and turpontine, which renders them thoroughly inijjerv;on-> to the effects of weather, and makes them even superior to iron. For instance, in tiie event of the insulator breaking, and the wire co-ning in contact with the support, it would still be peifcctly insulated, which c mid not be the case with the metal supports. The entire length of the Imc is about nine miles, the route followed being the Port Cliahner.s and Dunediu roadway, though, at several of the shaiper angles the wire diverges, or is made to span the intervening distance through the bush, winch has bv j en cleared, or over open spaces of ground. In ils construction the posts have been so plat el that, on the road bjing widened, as is intended, very ihw of them will be affected, and those whic.i may be so \sill at once be removed further out upon the edge of the roadway. As much cai c as possible has aUu been taken to fell trejs and bush by which the wire miuht happen to suffer, and toavoil all other probable causes of interruption to the communication. The office at each terminus are to be erected by the Government, and operitors cf ascertained skiil will be prooared from Victoria, whose daily duties will term'ni ito at six in tho evening, though, by being prcx-nt on the premises, they will always be within call in a ease of emergency after the usual hours.

As has previously Leon stated, it is not the intention of Government to proceed immclititely with the construction of a line of tolegraj h to the Heads-, and some th nights aio entertained of the semaphore being used as a substitute. It is very doubtful, however, if this would cd'eet a saving, while it would certainly not be nearly so efficient. A signal-station would of course require to be situated on the most elevated position at Port Chalmers-, and the cost of its erect. on and the erection of the semaphoie at the Heads, with the wages of the men employed an I the messenger required to convey messages from the .signal station to the telegraph oilicc, would soon equal the cost of the more simple and certain telegraph. That portion of the line i=, moreover, the more important in the event of the extension of the telegraph through the province, which is almost certain to take place with the advancement cf other interests, and after an experience of the advantages of the line now being constructed. Ii is possible that the day may not be far distant when a junction to the present line may bo formed at the intersection of Blueskin road, along which a very useful lino might extend to the different townships in the no; thcrn parts of the Province, and thence to Canterbury, while ono of the earliest extensions which is likely to be made, is the construction of a line to Southland, terminating at the Bluii', where the majority of the vessels bound to Ofcaqo would be able to report, and whence we could be put in receipt of Australian and English ad \ ices nearly a day earlier than at present.

In the mean time, it is satisfactory to have to report favorably upon the progrcai of the firs Otago line, which, through official and other delays happens not to be the pioneer of tl.e telegraph in New Zealand, but will not be far liehiii.l in the date of its completion, and fitness for the public ret vice.