The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 31,
.185: B.

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day.)

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH- EXPEDI-

Paid 1

Leasing
Companies

Closing Prices
this day

Business
this day.

TION.

CORN EXCHANGE.

Most of the country markets held on Saturday were but
moderately supplied with wheat, in which about an
average business was transacted on former terms. For
most kinds of spring corn the inquiry was somewhat re-
stricted, at previous currencies. In the value of flour no
change took place.
The continental markets continuto steady for wheat, at
very full prices ; and large quantities of barley and oats
have changed hands chiefly for shipment to England.
The arrivals of English grain in the port of London last
week were very moderate. From abroad we received
18,085 quarters of wheat, 13,276 barley, 51,816 oat, 23
beans, 1,665 peas, 30 tares, 12,063 linseed, 2,495 rapeseed,
2,701 brls. and 1,103 sacks of flour.

PLYMOUTH, MAY 23.
All the preparations for the trial trip which is to pre-
cede by a few days the actual attempt to submerge this
cable are being rapidly completed here, and most proba-
bly ere these details are laid before the public the whole
squadron will have started for their preliminary cruise
in deep water. It was originally intended and expected
that the vessels would leave the Sound on Tbursday
morning last, but one cause or another has occurred to
frustrate this arrangement, and it is not now expected
that the squadron will be clear off until to-morrow (Sa-
turday) evening. The Agamemnon, Captain Preedy,
and the Niagara, Captain Hudson, are lying within a
few yards of each other in Hamoaze, and the Gorgon,
Commander Dayman, and the Valorous, Captain Ald-
ham, which have been appointed by the Admiralty to
accompany and assist the expedition, are also anchored
near at hand. The first two named are, of course, the
vessels—the one on board which the coil is stowed, and
from which, in a few more days, it will either be laid or
lost, as Providence may decide. Both are now nearly
ready for the voiage, and in both the peaceful nature of
the expedition seems, judging from appearances, to sit
with the moat remarkably ill grace. Their heretofore
spotless decks are all begrimed with tar and grease, and
lumber up the places where a short time ago it was
almost a breach of the articles of war to leave an un-
tidy-looking rope's end or drop a spot of dirt. Even
the hallowed precincts of the quarter decks themselves
are become as places of no account, mere platfcrres for
the erection of sheaved wheels to guide the tarry e ire
into its ocean bed. Nor are the changes which have
taken place in the internal arrangements of each ship of
less importance. Wardrooms and gunrooms are almost
words of no meaning ; cabins are transferred and trans-
formed, one ordinary room being knocked into a dozen
for the accomneodation of the officers, and a dozen rooms
knocked into one for the accommodation of the cable.
The latter trifle seems to occupy both ships in every
part—on the spar deck or on the keel, in cabins and
almost in berths its monstrous tarry folds are always
present, lying, coil above coil, for hundreds and hundreds
of miles, till the eye is pained and the head made giddy
in vain attempts to follow its endless circles. As may
readily be imagined, with at least 2,500 tons dead weight
on beard each vessel, both the Agamemnon and Niagara
astonishingly deep. The lower deck ports of the former
are very near the water, and they are all being fastened
and caulked before starting. But in spite of this the
Aeamemnon carries her share infinitely better than her
long black•looking rival of the United Sates, which is
immersed very deeply indeed by her load. The Agamem-
non now only draws 26 feet, or actually one foot lees
than her draught at starting last year; bat even at this
depth she bears herself well, and looks a noble ship, and
one that should be seaworthy in any weather. The
Niagara, however, draws no less than 27 feet 2 inches
aft, and this great draught effects a marvellous and most
unpleasant change in he* appearance, since it leaves her
spar deck scarcely 8 feet above the water's edge. In
fact, the main deck is actually below the water's level,
and if her lofty bulwarks, some nine or ten feet high,
were taken away, she would appear to be almost the
very last vessel in the world in which it was desirable to
venture across the great Atlantic. So much has been
said about this Niagara, and such exaggerated rumours
have been afloat respecting her general capacity-as a war
steamer, that many of our readers tray be surprised to
learn that as a war steamer she is almost a total
failure. Torre have been bad bargains out
f our own deckyarde, Heaven knows, but
they have never yet gone so far as to produce a wall-
eided frigate of almost double the tonnage of a line-of-
battle ship, yet only capable of carrying 12 guns on her
spar deck, and none at all on the lower. Any other
screw vessel of the same raze as the Niagara should be
well fitted f.-r carrying at least 100 of the litaviee,t
ordnance used in warfare. Her share of the cable is
admirably well di-tributed throughout her entire length,
and thu., of course, any chance of undue strain in a
heavy sea is in a great measure obviated. Still, strange
to say, though those on board assert that she is a much
stronger vessel than the Agamemnon, her decks apps ar
to have given down under the pressure of the enorrirns
coils to a much greater extent than is perceptible on
board the latter. On that ship the great bulk of her
share of the wire is stowed, as before, in her capacious
hold. Last year it was all coiled in one immense circular
ms', nearly 100 feet deep in circumference. By this
arrangement, however, the pressure of some 1,300 tons
"upon such a small surface was found to be greater than
the ship would bear with safety, and it also conduced
to her rolling to an extent that was dangerous to the
process of submerging. To avoid this, therefore, the
hold has been enlarged, and the coil is now laid in a
mass, about 60 feet long by some 45 feet wide and 20
deep, and every precaution has been taken to prevent its
fouling or °liming upjn "kinks" while paying out. In
addition to this coil there is yet to be one on the orlop
deck of 95 miles, and there is one near the forecastle of
230, and a small one of 20 miles for the experimental '
cruise. In both vessels the paying-out machines are
fixed on the starboard side, well astern, and the machines
for reeling in the coil in case of any accident occurring
or " kink" pa-sing overboard are on the port side. Both
these machines have been ac ively at work since Wednes-
day, and the regularity and ease of their motion has
beet all that could he desired. Whatever accident may
mar the expedition this time will certainly not be due to
these nertions of the enhmergina apparatus. The
mechanism of this machinery, which was devised ey
Mes-trs. Penn, Field, Lloyd, and Everett, aed the manner
in which it is fitted with Appold's break, has already
been so fully explained in our columns that it is needless
to describe it further. Tres experimental cruise to test
its character and capabilities is almost of a purely formal
character, and undertaken more for the sake of showing
that no possible precaution towards success has been
neglected, rather than in the belief that any improve-
ment can be suggested is: the working of the machinery
erupt-yed.

Fresh up, to-day, from Essex, the supply of wheat was
very moderate—from Kent, seasonably extensive ; hence,
the show of samples of both red and white was tolerably
good. Owing to the prevailing fine weather for the grow-
ing crops, and to large arrivals from abroad, the demand
for all kinds of wheat of home produce ruled very inactive.
In some instances, very fine samples realised last Monday's
currency ; but the value of all other kinds had a downward
tendency—the fall being is per quarter.
We were somewhat extensively supplied with most kinds
of foreign wheat. So little business was transactod in any
kind, that the quotations were almost nominal, and to have
forced sales is to 2s per qr less money must have been sub-
mitted to.

Scarely any English barley was i❑ the market, but tho
supply of foreign was extensive. The trade ruled heavy,
at barely late rates.
Malt was very dull, and inferior samples were rather
cheaper.
There was a large quantity of foreign oats on the standp,
and the oat trade ruled heavy, on rather lower terms, viz.,
6d to ls per quarter. . _

- - .
Both beans and peas—the supply of which was limited—
sold steadily at very fall prices.
There was only a slow inquiry for flour, and last week's
prices were with difficulty supported.
CURRENCY PER IMPERIAL MEASURE.
Waeat—Essex & Kent, 'MAR—Chevalier .. • . 66s to 68s

Rod .... new 391 to 44a
Ditt0........ old —5 —9
Ditto, White new 44 529
Ditt0........ old —s —8
Norfolk and
Lin-
coln, Red, o'd —s --a

gate Yorkshire and
Lincolnsk.,Feed 201 245
Potato
Youghal and Cork
81ank....... 195 248
Cork, White ..... 201 Ns

Ditto now • • .. • • 40s 45s
Bye—Old .......... • . —s
Now . • • • 329 349
Barley—Grinding .• • • • 26s ins
Malting 35s 88s
Chevalier . . 384 411
Malt—Suffolk and No
• • ........ 583 08s
Brown ..... • • .... • • • • 519 h6s
Kingston and Ware 581 66s

ScotCh,Feed.•• 20s 2's
Beans—Tick ......... 34s 353
Pigeons ....38• 433
Peas—Grey .......... 403 42s
Map1e........... 41s 433
White........... 41s 43
Boilers 42s 44s
Flour—Town-mado... 28s 40s
Suffolk 331 ifs
Stocktn Fs Norfoll 30s 32s

METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.

The total imports of foreign stock into London last week
were 2,132 head. In the corresponding week in 1857 we
recoived2,229 ; in 1856, 1,647; in 1855,1,852 ; and in 185,,
3,657 ; in 1853, 3,693 ; in 1852, 3,675 ; and in 1851,
2,944 head.

The programme of the intended procetdinzs of the
expedition mey be very briefly told. Acc,rding to pre-
sent arrangements the vessels leave the Sound to-morrow
evening, and get with all speed into deep water. Directly
they are out of "soundings" (meaning in about 2,000
fathoms) a piece of waste cable will be passed from the
Agamemnon to the Niagara, and a splice made. Only
this experiment can teach practically the best method
of effecting the important junction when in the middle
of the Atlantic. The cable will then be sunk from both
vessels, and, after a variety of experiments have been
made as to its strength, by means of running out, &0.,
the " reeling irs" machines e ill be set to work to at-
tempt to coil it up again. This latter portion of the task;
though not altogether impossible, is so full of difficulty
that but little hopes era entertained of recovering the
piece with which the experiments ere made, and which,
to the length of some 30 t r 40 miles, will, there is
little doubt, remain as a permanent ornament to the
bottom of the Atlantic. The loss of the piece, however,
is of no consequence, since, apart from the practical
value of the results it will furnish, it can have no other
use. It is a portion of the coil lost in the attempt of
last year, and which was so injured in linteing up from
1,000 fathoms as to become, electrically speaking, of no
further value.

This txperimental trip (which is likely to last about
six days) finished, the vessels return at once to this
pert, and when the ships fill up with teal and hater
the Agamemnon wilt receive her last coil cif 95 mil s
(making up the total quantity on board t f both,
exclusive of the shore ends, to 2,966), and, the final
prepantions being completed, the squadron;,will sail
for the great undertaking about the sth of June. Our
readers are of course aware that the cable will be sub-
merged by both ships from the centre of the Atlantic,
instead of commencing from the Irish coast as was the
case last year. There are many strong reasons is favour
of the present plan, which is the original one, and which
though abandoned for a time, was warmly advocated
last year, by Mr. Bright, the engineer of the company.
The chief advantage, of course, is, that by laying from
the centre by both ships the whole operation can be
finished in half the time, and therefore at half the risk
from bad weather which it would otherwise incur. ree
plan, however, is not without serious risks of its own,
but the manner in which these are to be met has not as
yet been finally decided upon. The Niagara will be
given an advantage over the Agamemnon of some 60 or
100 miles; that is, the junction of the wires will nut be
made exactly midway between Valentia and Newfound-
land, but at the distance we have mentioned nearer to
the American shore. No attempt will be made to effect
the splice until the weather is fair and the barometer
rising, Once, however, that the centre piece is resting
on the bottom, both vessels part and make all safe speed
to their respective shores. The rate at which the cable
will be lowered out will not be allowed much to exceed
five knots per hour. During the whole process, of
course, signals to ascertain the perfect continuity of the
coil will be passed from ship to ship, and all questions
and answers regarding the rate of speed and state of
weather with which each vessel meets kept regularly re-
corded. As regards the chances of bad weather, the
most careful and elaborate investigations have been
made on this subject by Lieutenant Maury, of the
United States' navy, and therefore, as far as human
foresight and science can go, the risks have been at least
foreseen, and therefore partly guarded against. Ac-
cording to this officer and to the statistical tables
of the Washington Observatory, where the whole
subject of the frequency of gales, fogs, ice, and
lightning in each month for the whole North
and South Atlantic has been, compiled from up-
wards of 260,000 days of observations, it seems
that in the months of January and February that
part of the Atlantic that lies between England and
the United States is the stormiest known sea in the
world, and that along the telegraphic route there always
occur at least five, and perhaps 10 gales of wind during
the January of every year. In the summer season the
part of the Atlantic to be traversed by the paying-out
steamer going west is almost entirely exempt from gales.
On the contrary, along the eastern (European) half of
the route there occur annually en the average at least
two or three gales in the months of June or July. There
is, however, scarcer), any chance of gales in the month
of August, except in approaching the Irish coast, when
the chances of encountering one are about as 3 to 30.
On the other hand, the steamer going west with the
cable, though much less likely to encounter a gale, has
to contend with almost as great dangers from fogs and
ice. For ice, it appears from the logbooks for some 830
summer voyages between Valentia and Newfoundland,
that 1 in 10 report meeting it June, 1 in 24 in July, and
1 in 33 in August. Thus, according to the relative fre-
quency of gales and fogs along the whole route in the
month of June, it seems that the English vessel risks,
encountering five gales and no less than 22 fog beefier,
for June is the foggiest month in the year in the North
Atlantic. The American ship has the chance of meeting
two gales, but no fewer than 37 fog banks, as well as the
chances of ice, which is always met with in her route,
but much less frequently on the English side of tue
ocean. Calculating these dangers, therefore, by the

time whit tho whole expedition will be at sea, the
chances v, rill stand pretty nearly—for the English ship
tbreee ga. and 12 fog banks, for the American one
gale and 23 fog banks as well as ice. On the whole,
therefore , the dangers may be fairly considered ag nearly
equal. E nch country, then, shares equally in the honour
and clang ,or of completing this gigantic undertaking—to
England 6 elongs the glory of having conceived this glo•
rious etrter, prise, of having advanced it with her wealth.
and sciei tot ), and rendered it practicable through her
manufac' ;ut ing skill.

PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY.
The A t.lautic Telegraph squeeiron sailed on their experi
mental t r ip thii afternoon, for the purpose of testing ma-
chinery md rehearsing various operations connected
with thf, ) Paying of the cable.

They n .ached the offing at 10 minutes past 5 p.m.,
and stea r< ►ed in line fur the south-west in the following
order : 4 'xiorgon, Valorous, Agamemnon, and Niagara.
The sq uadron will return to Plymouth on Thursday,
June 4'h, previous to its final departure to lay the cable.