The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-10 00:00:00

his labours is the highest attestation to the singular ability
with which he discharged the arduous and responsible task,
which the directors of the company, with full confidence in
his skill and judgment, unhesitatingly confided to him.
From this gentleman I have received some details respect-
ing the operations on board the Agamemnon, and of the
results of those on board the Niagara; and although these
details have now been deprived of much of their interest,
save to scientific men, yet I have no doubt that a brief nar-
rative of the I roceedings will be acceptable to your readers.
Your are already aware that this squadron left Queens-
town for the appointed rendezvous in tend-ocean, on the
17th of July. Her Majesty's ships Gorgon and Valorous
started early iu the morning, and the Niagara at seven p.m.
The Agarnetunon was delayed some time in waiting for
Professor Thompson, who had charge of the electrical
apparatus on board. The outward voyage was not marked
by any feature of interest. It is sufficient to say that the
weather was favourable, and that the Valorous, Niagara,
Gorgon, and Agamemnon. arrived at the rendezvous on the
23,11, 26 11, and 28th respectively. The sea was then
quite smooli, and the weather, though dull, prornisal to be
fine—a promise which unfortunately was not realised,
thereby enhancing considerably the difficulties of the
undei taking. On the morning of the 29th, everything
being in readiness for the commencement of operations,
the cable was paid out from the Niagara and conveyed
in the bpats of the Valorous to the Agamemnon' where
it was rebelral on board at 11 o'clock a.m., local
I at. 52.8, long. 32.27—the distance at this time from
White Strand Bay, Valentia, where it was intended to
laud, being 815 pantie 1, Mg 2-10ths statute miles. The
operation of splicing ha, lug been effected on board the Aga-
tticumon, and a sufficient length of cable having been
veered out to make the quantity for each vessel equal, the
ships started for t.,eir respective destinations at hal• past
three Greenwich ti tie. Fur two or three hours the Aga-
memnon proceeded eery slowly, at a ra'e not exceeding two
knots an h iur, paying out during that time a large quantity
of " slack"—with the view of allowing the surplus to reach

the bottom without being subjected to any strain. At ten
minutes past five o'clock, about two hours after the starting
of the expedition, the ships had each paid out ten miles of
ceble, th ugh not more than eight miles apart. At half-
past six the speed of the ships was increased gradtiedly to
about 4 knots, and at eight o'clock to about 5 knots. Up to
this time, and for more than three hours subsequently, every-
thing went on favourably. The machinery worked with
great smoothness, and the cable was veered out with remark-
able freedom and ease. At five minutes past ten, however,
the first hitch took place. It was one of a very serious na-
ture, and for some time was a source of the greatest anxiety
to Mr. Bright and everyone on board. It was discovered
that the piece of cable close up to the cone in the centre of
the coil had been nipped by one of the crossed batons that
defended the leading in part of the coil. Mr. Bright sur-
mises that this injury had been occasioned by the shifting of
the coil during the tremendous storm which prevailed during
the previous attempt to lay the cable. The moment the dis-
covery was made, and it was not a second too soon, Mr.
Bright set about remedying the defect with characteristic
promptitude and pesence of mind. Your readers will at once
see that the danger was imminent. The ship was running at
the rate of five knots an hour, the cable being paid out with
considerable rapidity. To stop the pae ing out would have been
to cause the instant parting of the cable, and to diminish the
speed of the ship would scarcely have diminished the danger.—
The unrolling of a few mere coils, and the broken part of
the cable would have descended iuto the sea, and the opera-
tion should have been commenced de novo. The greatest
rapidity, as well as the most perfect coolness and self-pos-
session, were therefore requisite in the remedying of this
defect. It was necessary that the injured piece should be
cut out and a new splice made. During this operation
the cable was veered, but as slowly as possible, and, most
fortunately, the new joint was completed in the very nick
of time, one turn of the coil only remaining to b.: wound
ofF before the nipped part would have been submerged.
The first difficulty having been thus sati-faeterily over-
come, Mr. Bright and his assistants breathed more freely,
and at twenty minutes, past eleven the speed of the
ship and the veering Out of the cable were proceeded
with at the former rates of speed. All went oa favour-
ably until noon tLe ► ext day, the 30 h ultimo' w! en it
was found that the dis acre made good by the Agamem-
non was ninel- eight mile 4, the distance from Valentia
being 718 nautical miles—let. 52 24 N, long. 29 50 W.
On the 30th a fresh breeze swung up from the east, which
was dead a-head of the ship, and c :used a large consump-
tion of coal. The barometer began to fall, and by evening
of that day the wind and sea had risen cousiderebiy. Not-
withstanding the bad weather, the ship proceeded without
hitch or impediment of any kind recurring in the laying of
the cable; and at noon on the 31st it was f fluid that since
noon on the previous day 113 miler had been run by the
Agamemnon. All this time the motion e,f the vessel con-
tinued to increase very much. As she pi•clied and fell again
in the trough of the sea, the drums of the paying out
machinery had a tendency to stop, and it wan necessary that
men should be constantly on the watch to provide against
any contingency of this kind. I may he e mention that
it had been arranged before the starting of the expedi-
tion that should the cable Pa' t before 150 nautical
miles had been run out from the Niagara and the
Agamemnon, the ships were all to return to Queens-
town. As the critical time approached the greatest
anxiety was felt by all on board the Agamemnon, anti
their relief was proportionaeelygt riesat
'a'and
minutes ttheir
ei
past thopeswo on
ultimate success higher, when, at
the 30th, the Agamemnon signalled that her allotted portion
bad been safely paid out, and received from the Niagara at
half-past three on the same day the welcome signal that a
similar result had been achieved.
A noon on the Ist of August 120 miles hail been run out
since noon of the previous day, the weather still continuing
very bad, and the state of time sea giving rise to no small
amount of apprehension. On the 2d of August 127 addi-
tional wiles bad been paid out—the distance from Valentia
then being 351-6 miles. For a short time a Circumstance
occurred which caused a great deal of alarm and consterna-
tion. The signals from the Niagara suddenly ceased, and
were not resumed for half an hour. During this period ef
suspense the !topes of success, which had been most sanguine,
completely vanished, and a feeling of intense despondency
prevailed.
ailed It was feared that the cable had parted from the
Niagara, and men began almost to despair of the project, or
at least to shudder in anticipation of the renewal of the
same weary work in which they had been so long engaged.
Again, however, the signal was given from the Niagara; it
was established that the communication was unbroken, and
the hopes of all ou board rose to the highest point. On the
3d of August the Agamemnon •had run 134 2 miles since
the naon of the previous day—the distance from Valentia
being diminished to 217 miles, and the ship at the time being
in lat 52 213 N, long 16 40 W. At six o'clock on the evening
of the 3d, when, according to the charts, with Captain Da3-
roan anti Captain Berrymauee soundings, the depth of the
ocean was decreasing from 1,700 fathoms to about 409
fathoms, the speed of paying out began to diminish, and the
cable was consequently allowed to run free for a short time,
From this time the water began to shoal rapidly. At noon
on the 4th the Aeamemnen was but eighty-nine and a half
miles from Valentia, the depth r f water beieg about
200 fathoms. The weather which, from the 30th ultitno,
had continued bail, now began to improve, and the sea
became comparatively calm. At eight p.m., on the
4th, Caetain Aldham proceeded in advance in the
Veit:trout to make out the Foze Rock—a ledge outsido the
Illasqu3tS to the southwest unprovided with light or buoy.
At elev in the sight of the upper light of the Skelligs caused
a thrill of delight to pervade every one on board the
Agamemnon was approaching the completiou of her