The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-23 00:00:00

The Atlantic Telegraph.

Yesterday, a distinguished company of visitors
went down by special train from Charing-cross to

the Great Eastern to see as much as can now be seen

of the stowage of the great cable, and of the general
arrangements which are being made for its careful
submergence across the Atlantic. As this was the

last visit which will be allowed to be made to the

ship before her departure, great eagerness was
shown to be present on the occasion, and a large
and most distinguished party assembled. Among
others were his Excellency the American Minister
and Mrs. Adams, the Duke and Duchess of Suther-
land, the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, Lady

Cowley and Lady Feodora Wellesley, Lord Clan-
william, Lord Castlerosse, Lord and Lady Hard-
wicke, the Marquis of Hartington, Lord John.
Hay, Lord William Hay, Lord John Manners,

the Duke and Duchess of Somerset and Lady

Gwendoline St. Maur, Lord Shrewsbury and

the Ladies Talbot, Lord Bradford, Lady Westmore-
land, the Hon. Stuart Wortley and Mrs. Wortley,
Hon. J. Yorke, Mr. Edward Warner, M.P., the

Mayor of Totnes, Mr. A. Seymour, M.P., the
Honourable Robert and Lady Mary Meade,
Captain Napier, RN., and the officers of the
Terrible ; Colonel Wilson Patten, M.P., Mr. J.
Pender, M.P., Mr. Henry Prunall, Hon. J. C.
Haliburton, M.P., Mr. Glass, •Mr. Cyrus Field,
Captain Hall, R.N., the Right Hon. E. P. Bou-

verie, M.P., Admiral Eden, Mr. Thomas Brassey,
and very many others, with all the chief officers and
electricians of the company. The party started
soon after 12, and before 2 o'clock were alongside
the great ship, which, even making allowance for
her great depth in the water, now nearly 32 feet,
still seems to look even more grand and massive
than ever. There is little more than her size, how-

ever, just now to attract admiration, for probably
at no time during her ch quered career has the
Great Eastern ever been so dirty or has her noble
expanse of deck worn a more littered and unsightly
aspect. In all directions it is broken up with tem-
porary offices, sheds, and shanties of every shape
and size like the hasty shelters knocked up at the
oil wells of Pennsylvania, only rather dirtier, and,
if possible, more mixed up with wheels and cranks
and fussy puffing engines. Stores of all kinds, too,
cover the decks, which are further divided along

their length with the timber frameworks to hold the

wheels over which the cable will run till it enters

the paying out machine astern. A great deal of
this apparent 'disorder is, however, always insepa-
rable from vessels commencing a voyage, and espe-
cially such a voyage as that on which the Great
Eastern is bound. When ready for sea her appear-
ance will be very different, except in the matter of
cleanliness, for clean she can never be until the
cable has left her.
The visitors yesterday made the usual rambling
inspection of all parts of the vessel—saloons, berths,
engine rooms, and everywhere. The great attrac-
tions were, of course, the coils, and especially that
amidships, where the last couple of miles of the wire
were being slowly wound inboard, and the very last
fathom of which was safely stowed in the vessel last
evening. Two short messages were sent through
the cable—one through a section 1,500 miles long,
another through its entire length from end to end.
The battery power used was very low, and the signals,
though slow, were wonderfully clear and distinct.
After these slight experiments had been completed,
the visitors were conducted to the grand saloon, where
a most excellent dejetiner had been laid, and to which
their journey down enabled them to do substantial
justice. At the conclusion of the defamer, Mr. Pen-
der, in the course of some brief remarks, expressed
his belief and hope that the cable would be success-
fully laid, and that it would promote the happiness,
the communion, and the peace of Great Britain and
the United States, which had already so much in
common to unite them. The Duke of Somerset
proposed " Success.to the Atlantic Telegraph," and
in ft, few emphatic words declared that the success
of this great enterprise would tend to promote the
best interests, political and commercial, of the two
great and kindred nations. Mr. Pender observed
that they were honoured with the presence of ono
who had devoted the energies of the last few years
of his life in England to preserve the amicable rela-
tions between the two countries, at a period of no
ordinary difficulty, with singular energy and suc-
cess. He believed that whatever position Mr. Adams,
whose father and grandfather had already filled
such important offices, might be called on to fill in
his own country, he would be followed by the good.
wishes and respect of all who knew what services
he had rendered and what ability he had displayed
while he was among us. Mr. Adams, who was warmly
received, thanked the chairman and the company
for the way in which they had expressed their sense
of his services and for the manner in which they had
alluded to his country. During the recent troubles
he confessed he was selfish enough to hope the
cable might not be laid, as he well knew he
would have been overwhelmed with telegrams ; but
now that the war which had distracted his country
had been put an end to, he wished with all his heart
that one of the greatest enterprises that had ever
been conceived might be successfully carried through,
as he believed it would do more than any otheragency
to strengthen the bonds of Union between the two
countries. The interests and objects of the Govern-
ment of Great Britain had all along been to main-
tain peace, and now that the contest which had dis-
tracted the United States had been put an end to,
the sole object they had in view was peace also.
The party then returned to town by boat and
rail, reaching Charing-cross at 7 o'clock. All the
arrangements connected with the trip to and fro
were under the charge of Mr. Knight, and it is only
fair to say they were most complete.
It is intended that in the course of this day the
Great Eastern shall get up steam just for the pur-
pose of turning her engines to see that all is, in
proper working order. The fires will be kept banked
up during the night so that all may be in readiness
for the start on Saturday morning to below the Nore
Light. Here she will take in her final stores, and
also her last supply of coal, 1,500 tons, which com-
pletes her equipment, and here also she will be
swung for the adjustment of her compasses, the de-
viation of which, caused by the magnetic influence
of the cable, is of course considerable. All these
operations will occupy from the 4th to the sth July,
and on the 7th or Bth she starts for Valentia. The
present condition of the cable is all that the share-
holders can desire, and with fair weather there seems
almost a certainty of the success of t 1 great
undertaking.