The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-10 00:00:00

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.
The screw steamship Bilboa, 312 tons register, is
now in Hamoaze, alongside the sea wall of the
Keyham steamyard, for the purpose of receiving
the Valentia end of the Atlantic telegraph cable.
She is commanded by Captain Joseph Kavanaugh,
a gentleman who has had some experience in the
submersion of telegraphic wires. This portion of
the cable is I=-4 inches diameter, about 14 or 15
miles long, and weighs eight tons to the mile. The
Atlantic wire weighs one ton to the mile. In con-
sequence of the necessity of. retaining the tidal basin
for the use of the Himalaya and other Government
steamships refitting, the Bilboa could not go near
the store in the old powder magazine, and the shore
end has, in the absence of bobbins, to be carried by
hand the whole distance, a quarter of a mile, to the
wharf. Although 100 men are employed, the ope-
ration is slow. The stowage in the ship's hold will
probably occupy three days. Mr. Clifford, who
went out in the Niagara last year and the Aga-
memnon this year, has charge of the arrangements.
Had there been no failure in the working of the
Atlantic wire, it is understood that the Bilboa
would have proceeded to Valentia direct, and have
under-run the cable until the point of connexion
was reached, when a very short interruption in the
transmission of messages would have occurred.
Now it is probable that the Bilboa will proceed to
the point of junction, 10 miles from the beach, and
grapple for the wire. The sea there is about 100
fathoms deep, and the time which may be occupied
in securing the cable will vary from two or
three days to as many weeks. In October
last three weeks were necessarily consumed in
recovering the shore end laid by the Niagara ; in
fine weather it might have been effected in three
days. The same grappling apparatus will be used
now as then. In paying out the shore end from
the Bilboa, a strong machine, a plain drum, and a
breakwheel are all that will be used. As the depth
of water at Newfoundland increases suddenly after
leaving the beach, the shore end there is only two
miles long. Being so heavy its recovery from a
great depth would be an operation of some difficulty;
besides which ships' anchors are not likely to injure
the wire in very deep water.
Some remarks having been made in relation to
the delay in attaching the shore end, it is stated
that the executive did not find themselves justified
in chartering a ship or incurring other expenses
contingent on the successful laying of the Atlantic
cable until that success was realised. The thin
wire run ashore at Valentia was intended only for
temporary use, and immediately it was laid Mr.
Bright and his colleagues adopted the most ener-
getic and prompt measures for the substitution of
the permanent shore end. The shore end, laid in
August, 1857, and recovered the following October,
and which has been ever since at Keyham, was
tested on Tuesday last by the electric machine, and
found perfect.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
Instructions have unexpectedly arrived here from
Ireland for suspending the embarkation of the
Valentia shore end of the Atlantic cable on board
the steamship Bilboa, and she is removed from
Keyham-wharf to the stream in Hamoaze.