The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-21 00:00:00

Atlantic Telegraph Comp ny.

Mr. Saward, Secretary to the Atlantic Telegraph
Company, presents his compliments to the Editor of
2 he Sun, and begs to send him copy of a letter ad-
dressed to one of the directors of the company by
Capt. Anderson of theiGreat Eastern ; also a letter
from Mr. Fairbairn, LL.D., F.R.S., both of which,
it is thought, might be deemed of public interest at
the present time.
August 19.

• Great Eastern, Aug. 16, 1865.
My dear Sir,—l have no doubt that you will
read with some interest the opinions of a sailor
whom you know, respecting telegraph cables
across the Atlantic, and especially as to the
cause of our present failure. I was formerly a
doubter, then as I became intimate with the men
and means to be employed to overcome all the diffi-
culties I had thought of I became hopeful; but now
that I understand personally the difficulties in the
way of practically laying a cable in an ocean of
great depth, I have become sanguine.
The cable has failed for the present principally
from the cause of its own wires penetrating the
gutta percha core, and that cause has been so far
fatal only because it was unanticipated. I mean
by that, if we could have foreseen the probability
and sufficiently understood the action of the ship,
appliances could have been arranged that would
have recovered the faults without the elaborate pro-
cess that past experience has taught to be efficient.
They can generally tell immediately when a fault
occurs ; very little, only a few miles, is necessary to
be hauled in. For this purpose the cable has to be
passed from the stern to the bow of the ship—at
the best of times a hazardous thing to do, and in
this very long ship a difficult operation. An engine
applied to the paying-out gear, so as to reverse and
haul in at once before the cable had reached the
bottom, and while the fault was being located, would
have reduced our three faults to a very small risk ;
so that even this cable, which in all other respects
seems perfect, could be efficiently laid when we have
obtained the appliances our new experience has taught
to be necessary. It never was anticipated that we
should have to attempt the recovery of a lost cable
from the depth of two miles and a half, and for the
same reason we failed—our grappling gear was in-
efficient.

Three times out of four attempts we hooked the
cable and raised it from the ground several hundred
fathoms. Upon two occasions the swivels of the
grapnel rope broke, and upon the third occasion our
rope, which was made up of ship's stores, added on
to the proper wire rope ; and when we had once
more began to be hopeful, if not sanguine, a good-
looking 6-inch rope brake like a thread. This much,
however, we have established ; we can hook the cable
when we choose, and we fairly believe that with proper
appliances we can lift it and complete its laying.
No one can be blamed for not anticipating this
unfortunate result. Every kind of experiment has
been tried, and the wire had never before pene-

,rated the core ; this and some other aspects seems

to have fixed the idea in some of the leading minds
that the faults have been the result of malice. I
incline to the opinion that they were the result of
accident, as I know by experience that accident will
produce more curious results than design, and they
are as easily explained one way as the other ; but
this follows, that appliances should be used that
would prevent such fatal results, whether produced
by one cause or the other.

This can be done hereafter by machinery we now
know how to construct, and the additional security
can be had by making those wires of a number of
smaller ones, so that no one would be sufficiently
strong to penetrate the core ; or, if necessary, cover
the core with canvas or wire gauze, to make it still,
more secure.

This done, there can really be no difficulty with
this ship in laying the submarine cable round the
world. It would be a long and useless story to tell
you how our hopes alternated betwixt hope and
hopelessness during the 10 days that we grappled,
and hooked, and lost the dear old thread. Our
backs are very much up, and all of us long to re-
cover the cable and restore our prestige. I have
become positively eager, and hope circumstances
will admit of my finishing what I have begun. My
opinion now is, that the companies interested in the
success of this cable aro really upon the point of
success. I have a fear they may be disheartened—
and no wonder ; but another attempt cannot fail,
humanly speaking. We know the cable is perfect
in its insulation or capacity for transmitting mes-
sages. We know it has the right specific gravity and
the right strength, and we know it only fails in one
point, that of wounding itself ; and even if that
cannot completely be overcome with our new expe-
rience we ',know how to meet it, recover, and repair
it. I dare say the hope will be thought visionary by
many, yet in your own interests I hope all concerned
will at once order a new cable to be made and com-
pleted by May. The Great Eastern could then sail,
lay it with certainty, and in the same season pick up
and complete the one for the present abandoned.
This would be beyond all question the best way
now to economise the affairs of all the companies em-
barked in this enterprise, and my regret is that a
number of capitalists were not here to imbibe the
confidence that experience has given all of us en-
gaged in it.

At all events the attempt should be made to pick
up the cable, and there is as fair a prospect of success
as there can be about anythingnotyet accomplished.

With kindest regards to you and yours, I remain,
my dear sir, very truly yours.
(Signed) JAMES ANDERSON.

Manchester, August 18, 1865.
George Saward, Esq.—Dear Sir,—After an
anxious week as to the fate of the big ship, I have
to congratulate you, as the official organ of the com-
pany, on the safe return of the expedition. I deeply
regret the loss the company has sustained in the loss
of the cable, but notwithstanding this misfortune, it
is satisfactory to know that, along with many others,
I still retain unbounded confidence in the ultimate
success of this cable, barring accidents such as those
which have unfortunately occurred.

As regards the cable itself, the machinery for pay-
ing out, &c., are concerned, there is no cause for
alarm, and provided greater care and attention is
observed in the manufacture, I have reason 'to believe
that the hopes of the company and the public will be
fully realised. The strength, insulation, and other
properties of the cable, are perfectly satisfactory,
and I am glad to find my previous experiments on
pressure confirmed in the improved condition of the
insulation as it was drawn up from the depths of
the Atlantic.

All these were considerations of importance, and
strongly confirm the previously-entertained opinion
that this great and important enterprise will end in
a final and complete success.

As respects the Great Eastern ship, she has
proved herself everything that could be desired
as a vessel exclusively adapted for the submer-
gence of the submarine cables in deep water,
and I firmly believe, after being duly prepared for
the purpose, that her future destinies are involved
in the laying telegraphic cables in every known and
every suitable sea on the face of the globe. She
appears admirably suited for that object from her
smooth easy motions at sea, and the facilities for
steering which her screw and paddle engines afford.
All these are in favour of paying out and hauling in
shouldiaccidents occur such as those which overtook
the ship in the middle of the Atlantic.
Assuming these views to be correct, I will ven-
ture to suggest to the owners of the Great Eastern,
after the Atlantic cable is safely laid and in work-
ing order, that the vessel should be converted into
a marine " submerger," for the entire and exclusive
purpose of laying cables and to charter her to your
own and other companies engaged in these under-
takings. In effecting this object it would be neces-
sary to direct attention to certain points of con-
struction which in my opinion would require to be
strengthened, and which I believe are known to the
company's engineer. These are additional stringer
plates on the upper deck, and probably a short way
down the sides, to increase her powers of resistance
to strain with a heavy cargo on board, such as she
had from the Nore to Valentia. This being done,
you may safely trust the Great Eastern on any sea
or in any weather to which she may be exposed. I
am sure you will pardon me for these, which are at
the service of the directors, and in hopes of the ulti-
mate completion of the cable, I am, dear sir, yours
faithfully, _

(Signed)

WM. FAIRBAIRN.

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Foreign Courts.

PARIS, Aug. 19.
The Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; accom-
panied by her family and a numerous suite, has
arrived at Biarritz.

The Grand Duke of Saxe Weimar is now at
Ostend, where he intends to spend some weeks.

Prince Amedeus of Savoy, who is at the present
moment at Lisbon, will be the godfather to the second
son of King Louis of Portugal. The King had
wished his father-in-law, Victor Emmanuel, to be
the sponsor, and had expressed his intentions to the
ecclesiastics designated for the ceremony ; but the
•Court of Rome, to which tho matter was referred,
refused to accept the King of Italy as godfather in
the religious part of the baptism. King Louis
having informed his father-in-law of the circum-
stances, the latter expressed the desire that no im-
portance should be attached to the incident, and
Prince Amedeus was then designated by the parents
in his stead.

BERLIN, Aug. 17.
A few days since the Crown Prince and Crown
Princess of Prussia, while on a tour, landed at Alsen
and proceeded towards the heights of Duppel to
inspect the remains of the entrenchments and forti-

fled works and the graves of those who fell in the

recent operations. A letter from Sonderburg gives
the subjoined further particulars of the royal visit:--

" At the monument erected to the memory of the
fallen Prussians, her Royal Highness the Crown
Princess formed a large garland of some field flowers
which she had gathered during a walk through the
fields on which the entrenchments are situated, and
bound the flowers together with a blue sash which
she had worn. From Duppel their royal highnesses
drove to Satrup and Nubec, where the graves of the
soldiers were also visited ; and then the prince and
princess proceeded to the spot where, in the pre-
ceding year, the Crown Prince first went under
fire. Their royal highnesses returned to Sonder-
burg in the steam-vessel Vineta."

The Duke of Devonshire is at Bolton Abbey, his
seat in Yorkshire, entertaining a large party of
friends for grouse shooting.

The Marquis of Hartington, M.P., has joined the
family circle visiting the Duke of Devonshire at
Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire.

The Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury have gone
to Aix-la-Chapelle, accompanied by the Ladies
Ashley, for a few weeks.
The Earl and Countess of Yarborough arrived a
few days since on a visit to the Countess (Dowager)
of Listowel, at her ladyship's residence in the county
Cork. The noble earl and countess intend to be in
London for the wedding of the Earl of Listowel and
Miss Bruce.

The Earl of St. Germans is in greatly improved
health. The noble earl is still on the Continent.
The Earl of Cawdor is entertaining a select party
of friends at Cawdor Castle, Nairnshire, for the
shooting season.

The marriage of the Earl of Listowel with .Miss
Bruce, second daughter of Lord and Lady Ernest
Bruce, is to take place towards the end of next
month.

Lord and Lady Frederick Cavendish have arrived
at Bolton Abbey on a visit to the Duke of Devon-
shire.

Lady Hart has arrived at the Queen's Hotel,
Upper Norwood.

MR. CARLYLE'S HEALTH.—Among the absentees
from London at the present moment may be men-
tioned Mr. Carlyle, who is on a visit at Torsouce, the resi-
dence of Henry Inglis, Esq. For some time past, gr.
Carlyle's health has been very indifferent. The researches
consequent upon the compilation of the "Life of Frederick
the Great" have been of a long and exhaustive character,
and the neighbourhood (Cheyne-walk, Chelsea) in which
the distinguished author resides, is during the summer
months very ill adapted for those persons of a sedentarY
habit who require a bracing air.
THE COLONELCY OF THE 83RD REGIMENT has
become vacant by the death of Sir Frederick Stovin. 111
the absence of all the authorities having anything to AY
to the selection of his successor, it is of course impossible
to predict who is likely to obtain' the vacancy. The last
regiment was given to Sir C. Straubenzee, who now stands
after Major-General Braybrooke on the list, and it is not
improbable that either he, or some one of those who have
been passed over will be selected on this occasion.—ArmY
and Navy Gazette.

We are returning to England with the hope that
capitalists will see it as we do. •

Mr. Field is buoyant and hopeful beyond us all ;
he would at once go the picking up, and I would
like to indulge his wish, but we cannot possibly get
the necessary appliances in the way of machinery,
wire, rope, and complete the necessary repairs to the
well-used boilers of this ship within two months ; it
would probably be more, could not be less, and there
is every probability that the winter gales would drive
us from our work, and without the sun we could not
find our fishing ground.

As these opinions are in substance what all en-
gaged upon this enterprise really feel, there is no
reason why you should not read them to any whom
you may think they would interest.