The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-30 00:00:00

TILE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

We have been favoured with the following acceun
of the landing of the Telegraph Cable in Newfound-
land :

The American Government having requested the Admi
ralry to furnish another vessel to assist in laying down the
Atlantic Telegraph Cable, by sounding Trinity and Bull's
Arm'Bay, and to look out for the Niagara on her approaching
the land, to pilot her up the latter place, her Majesty's ship
Porcupine was selected for that purpose, and ordered to
leave the survey at the Hebrides on the 25th of May. She
replenished coals at Cork on the 6th of June, and proceeded
on her voyage across the Atlantic a week in advance of the
other ships.
She encountered for ten days, when nearly midway across,
the same gales which so seriously damaged the Agamemnon,
and it is a curious tact, illustrative of the rotatory character
of these summer gales, that another vessel 200 miles to the
N.E. of them bad, on the same day and hour a gale of wind
from the opposite direction to the quarter they experienced
it from.
The vessel arrived at St. John's on the 28th of June, trad
left the next day for Trinity, and commenced operations
with the surveying, taking the precaution to keep a look
out en the summit of Bull Island, whence they could obtain
a clear view of 40 miles to seaward for the vessels. Nearly
a month had elapsed, the survey was completed, and every
one was beginning to get anxious about them, when, on
August 4, at 3.30 p.m. the beacon fires of the lookouts gave
them warning of the approach of the long-looked-for
Niagara and Gorgon.
At 7 p.m. Captain Otter boarded the Niagara, and although
it was so late, expressed his willingness to conduct her to
the head of the bay, boats having previously been despatched
to show the position of the channel. The following was the
order in which the ships proceeded :—Porcupine, Niagara,
and Gorgon • each boat marking the channel burned a blue
light, and Gorgon;
hoisted a lantern, to show her position as
the vessels approached. This, with the vessels' lights, and
the fire-beacon on Bull Island having extended to some of
the trees (with which the place is entirely covered), gave to
the otherwise darkness of the night a partial illumination,
and threw the vessels out in bold relief, which, in contrast
with the high and gloomy appearance of the cliffs, gave to
the whole a peculiarly grand and picturesque effect.
They arrived in the terminus-bay at 3 a.m., and soon the
rattling sound of the anchors letting go brought the clerks
and other officials, who had been long waiting anxiously for
the vessels, down on the beach to welcome their arrival.
Shortly afterwards the boats of the vc•sels were seen to
muster round the Niagara, with numbers of the officers on
board, and then, with the connecting link of the two con-
tinents in tow, they pulled with right good will towards the
shore.
On landing, the shore end was carried up through a road
only recently cut through the priisreval forest to the termi-
nus-house, a wooden building, about one-third of a mile
from the beach, which connects it with all the electric
telegraphs in North America. From tbis house the distance
by the telegraph line to New York is 1,080 miles, to St.
John's, 80. as
When this place was reached the great work, asafVl. to
landing this end of the cable was concerned, ,nay be
amid said
the
have been nearly complete, and when Mr. Field,
stumps of &flea trees, informed the assemblage that he was
communicating with the Agamemnon on the other side of
the Atlantic, this wonderful undertaking was consummated.
At this stage of the proceedings Captain Hudson, as
senior officer, assembled the people present, returning thanks
to the Almighty for granting such favourable weather, with-
out which it was evident to the most unrsflecting that the
undertaking could not have been successful ; he then con-
cluded by thanking all the officers and men_
.for their exer-
tions and assistance in carrying out t
Friday, 6th, 11.30 a.m.—Mr. Field conveyed the gratifying
intelligence that he was communicating direct with Valeu-
ii
tia Bay, Ireland.
Monday, 9th.—The Niagara, the Pore.o pine, and the Gor-
'. e flnt-mem was eh wn
goo went to St. John
the inhabitants. A publics Great illumination,i a ball, and regatta,by
were got up during the brief stay of the vessels, and all
classes on shore vied with each other in expressing their de-
light at the successful termination of this undertaking.
They left St. John's on the 11th of August, and have
carried a line of deep sea soundings across the Atlantic,
nearly on the parallel of 49.36, the deepest water, 2,621
fathoms, being found on the meridian of 17 deg. W., and it
continues nearly this depth until 13 deg. NV where it
shoals eaddenly to 800 fathoms, and then decreases gradually
to 70 fathoms, in long. 10.0 Th
e Porcu arrived at
Plymouth August 27.
The cable is submerged at a depth varying from 150 to
100 fathoms (:oft muddy bottom), through the centre of
Trinity Bay, and when it reaches the commencement of
Bull's Arm Bay it decreases to 60, and continues this bot-
tom until within 23 miles of the landing-place, when it
gradually decreases, and the bottom is a mixture of mud and
sand.
The Bay of Bull's Arm, which has just been brought into
notoriety by the fact of its being selected for the terminus of
the Atlantic cable, is at the West end of Trinity Bay, nod
separated from Placentia by a narrow Isthmus of a mile and
a half in breadth, the distance round by sea being upwards
of 200.
It is ene of the many inlets and sounds which abound in
Trinity Bay, and has been chosen owing to its situation
with regard to the prevailing winds, which prevent it from
being so fiequently encumbered with the drifting icebergs
annually sent down by the current from the Polar ieeione.
It is situated 40 miles from the eastern promontory of the
bay (Break-heart Point), but up the bay, in the centre of
which the cable is laid, more encouraging names, and
prophetic of the success which has attended this undertaking.
are to be found, as " Heart's Desire," Heart's Ease,"
" Heart's Content," and not far from the spot where the
cable is landed " Hope All Bay."
These places were named by some of the early naviga-
tors. Cabot, Sir Walter Raleigh, Hudson, and Sir Hutopbry
Gilbert, who was unfortunately lest, with all his crew, in
returning), all helped to explore this coast; ar.d, more re-
cently, the celebrated circumnavigator Cook, wire first cern-
meticed his distinguished cateer as a sarveyor in Placentia
Bay.
Snug fishing villages, containingfrom 20 to 60e houses, are
now to be met with in most of these harbours, lOrgedt of