The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-07-13 00:00:00

THE ATLANTIC CABLE.

QUEENSTOWN, July 5.
The Niagara and Gorgon, attaehed to the squadron
for the laying of the Transetiantio oable, arrived in
Qmemitown at an esrly hour this morning. We regret
having to announce that thu object of the expedition has
for the proient failed. The Agamemnon and her tender
the Valorous, and the Niagara and her tender the
Gorgon, Bailed from Plymouth on the 10th of June ;
MlOll of the great vessels carrying about 1,600 miles of
cable, with • new and improved apparatus for paying it
out, which it was calculated would have allowed fur any
strain or unequal motion of the ships, as the very speed
of the vessels regulated by automatic arrangements the
rate at whioh the coil was to be discharged. After
having been three days at ma the expedition was over-
taken by a fearful gale, whioh continued without interiniuion for nine days. On the seventh day of this
heavy weather the "hips, which continued to keep
together, hid to part company, and the Agamemnon was
obliged to scud before the wind for 36 hours ; her coals
got adrift, and a coil of the cable shifted, so that her
captain for souse time entertained serious apprehensions
for her safety, and from the immense strain her water-
ways were locoed open, and one of her ports were
broken. Two of her sailors were severely in urea, and
one of the marines lost his reason from fright. Yet
such WM the oonmiumate skill, good seamanship, and
intrepidity of her ocinunander, Captain Priddle, thud he
wee enabled to bring her at the appointed rendeevoue,
lat. 52 deg. 2 min., Fong 33 deg. 18 min. The Niagare
role out the storm gallantly, having only carried away
her jibhoom and one wing of the flgtire head, the great
American eagle. All the vowels having at length at,
rived at their central point of junotion, the first splice
of the cable was mode on the 96tii. After having paid, out
two and a half mile' •eoh, owing to an sooldent on board
the Mager', the cable parted, -The ship' having again
met, the splioe Was WAS good. and they owilinenosil he
give out the cable a second tune I but after
they
_had earth paid out forty nilles it was re.
ported that the current was broken, and no 00M.
1111111101 COO °Quid be made between the ship*.
fortunately, in this Minima the breakage must have
ownirrod at the bottom, 1111 the eleotrician.4, from the fine
ealsalaidoe• which their sensitive instrumento allowed
them to snake, were able to declare "null to have been
the foot, even before the wools owns together again.
Having oast off this loos, they not fur tits third time
and recovered the ommeetion of the sable on the 98th,
I They then started afresh, and the Niagara having paid
I out over 180 miles of cable, all on board entertained the
most sanguine anticipations of 'mow, when the fetal
announcement WIN made upon Tuesday, the 29111, at
9 p.m., that the eleotrio current hail owed to flow.
As the normally of abandoning the project for the pre.
sent woe now only too manifest, It SOW considered that
the opportunity might in well be availed of to test the
strength of this cable, Accordingly, thie immenee veg.
eel, With all her stores tee, was allowed to swing to the
cable, and, in addition, a strain of four tons Was plead
upon the break*, yet, although It was blowing frail
at the Ohne, the cable held her se if she had been a'
anchor for over an hour, when a heavy pitch mof the p
snapped the rope, and the Niapra bore sway for th'i
port. Before starting an arranpotent was made that
should any accident occur in giving out the sable before
the shine eliould have gone 100 miles, they elionld re.
turn to their starting plus in mid WOWS I but that in
eau that diatoms ehoulil have been eximeiled before any
(*malty ahould happen, they 'Mould make for Queens.
town, In amionlance with this underataniling, the
Niagara, having snide 109 Wise before the mishap, re.
turned to this port. Upon her homeward way she
must have passed the Agamemnon, but owing to the
heavy fogs whit& prevailed for the greater portion of
that time she missed seeing or pilling any tidings of her.
As the Agamemnon has not yet arrived, although her
destination wee direetal towerci this shore, it is son.
jeetured thet she might not hare delivered the arranged
quantity of soil at the time of its failure, anil may have
consequently returned to the plum of meeting, which
will unavoidably protract the suspense which must
necessarily be felt, as, until she be spoken with, nothing
definite can be learned as to the occasion of the dissiter.
The two principal eleatricians, Dr. Hanty and Mr.
Lewes, on board the Nieman., are Inclined to believe
that the accident ooaurr on board the Agamemnon,
which, as it would only implicate a !witty arrangement
of soots of the apparstwi, would still leave hope of the
ultimate success of the undertaking, wherein, if the
separition has occurred at the bottoin' its effect will be
greatly to damp, if not, deter the enterprising ephrlt of'
the director' from perseveriug in this gigantic project.
Should nothing be heard of her consort the Niagara will,
after coaling, proceed holier ocean station, having union
board about 1,300 trilled of the cable, which, supposing
that the other vessel ha retained a similar amount.
would still permit of the junction being completed, and
allow of 30 per cent. for casualties. In this Ishit trial
some 500 mike of the rope was lost, and when it is
calculated that it is roughly estimated that the value of
the cable is £lOO aonile, it will be seen OM the sacri-
fice opts the present has not been so extensive in might
at first sight have bcen supposed.