The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-24 00:00:00

ATLANTIC SUBMABINE TELEGRAP.N.

All the details connected with the manufacture
and stowage of the cable are now completed, and
the conclusion of the arduous labour was celebrated
yesterday with high festivity and rejoicing. All
the artisans who have been engaged upon the
great work, with their wives and families, a large
party of the officers, with the sailors, from the
Agamemnon, and a number of distinguished scien-
tific visit irs, were entertained upon this occasion at
a kind effete champetre at Belvidere-house, the seat
of Sir Culling Eardley, near Ei ith.
An immense marques was pitched on the lawn
in front of the house, under which a sumptuous
cold collation was provided for the 850 visitors of
all ranks who were invited to share in the rejoic-
ings of the day. The dinner took place at two
o'clock, Sir. Culling Eardley presiding as chairman.,
The invites guests were crated .at a semi-circular
table, which ran round one side of the marquee ;
the sailors and artisans at smaller tables at right
angles with the principal one.
At the conclusion of the dinner the usual loyal
toasts and speeches expressive of the amity and
cordial feeling which exists between this country,
and America followed, and were most enthusias-
tically received.
After the dinner the bands played a well chosen
selection of hornpipes, polkas, Jec., which brought
out the agile capabilities of the Blue Jackets in a
strong light, and made a most amusing portion of
the day's proceedings. Sir Culling Eardley was
busy always and everywhere looking after the com-
fort of his guests, and the day passed off without
a single contretemps to mar its general hilarity.
After this brief notice of the gala, it may not be
out of pace to say a few words regarding its great
occasion, the cable itself, and the arrangements for
submerging it.
The Agamemnon is still moored off the wharf at
Glasse and Elliot's yard, though this afternoon,
with the ebb of the spriog tide, she commences her
voyage to Sheerness. There, too,
her compasses
will be adjusted, as she is too deep in the water to
be swung at Greenhithe. At present she has any-
thing but a sightly aspect, the great deadweight of
the cable and the rather ponderous appliances fbr
paying it out having altered her trim appearance
for the worse. To approaeh her from tb• yard is
neither an easy nor a cleanly task, and the visitor,
however cautious, will ascertain beyond a doubt
that the old maxim that one cannot touch pitch
and not be defiled is strictly true with regard
to tar. The wire, as we have already explained
in previous notices, has been wound over
the flowing stages from the wharf into the hold
of the vessel. The machine by which this was
done registered each fathom, furlong, and mile as
it passed, while the usual apparatus was em-
ployed to test the integrity of the c nducting wire.
This test, however, would only show when the con-
ductor was severed, and not un'il the time for its
committal to the deep arrives will it be seen whether
it has been so attenuated in certain portions as to
part during the process of paying
out. From the
small machine on deck it was wound at once to the
hold, where it lies in one stupendous solid coil 45
feet in diameter, and nearly 14 feet high. It is
beautifully arranged here, laid coil. over coil with
the most perfect accuracy, and every precaution
taken to guard against a " kink" or fault occur-
ring in the paying out. Its being ranged in one
mass will much facilitate the operation of submerg-
ing. On board the Niagara, we believe it is stowed ,
away in three coils, a decidedly objectionable ar-
rangement, but one which it was impossible to a ..id.
While looking at the ponderous mass on board the
Agamemnon, one cannot fail to be struck by the
heat of the place in which it is stowe I away, a heat
which might excite well founded fears as to its in-
fluence on the gu to percha. If we are not misin-
formed, the heat of the sun destroyed many miles of
the wire by melting out the gut'a percha while the
cable was lying in Glasse and Elliot's yard. Pro-
per precautions should be taken to avert ri&k from
this point. We have already explained, how the
cable is coated with closely woven spiral wires, to
prevent damage to the core in Paying out ; but, in
consequence of the two halves having been made at
different places—one at Birkeehead, by Messrs.
Newall ; theother at Greenwich, by Glasseand Elliot
—a most egregious blunder has been committed. It.
will scarcely be credited, but it is nevertheless true,
hat the twist of the spiral wires of the Birkenhead
half is inexactly the opposite direction to the twist
of the wires in the half made at Greenwich. Thus,
when joined in the centre of the Atlantic they will
form a right hand and a left band screw, and the
tendency
and
of
exposeeach the c re.
will
twist, By
attaching a solid
weight to the centre joining it is hoped this diffi-
culty and danger may be overcome, but none
attempt to conceal that the mistake is much to be
regretted. We are informed that Messrs. Glasse
and Elliot bad nearly 100 miles of their portion of
the cable completed before Messrs. Newall com-
menced theirs, and that therefore the fault rests
with the firm which began last.
usedinpaying out the cable
engineers as very ill-adapted
looked
datuupsotno
bbye
is Thealso alop
to its purpose. With a ceble of such extreme light-
ness and no strength, and attached to a vessel like
the Agamemnon, the slightest possible check or
hitch occurring would part it like a thread. The
friction drums should therefore have been of the

slightest kind consistent with preventing a " rush,"
and in fact only sufficit nt to ease it over gently.
that the machinery
►of all this, and its
Yett
bit e is
usedno exaggerationrteovsearys e
massive aspect strikes dismay into every well-wisher
to the scheme. Some of the first engineers of
and have expressed
the day consider it too heavy,

five times. These will be worked by a small engine
placed immediately beneath, so that, if nece.sary, a
portion of the cable can be hauled in again and the
kink or fault remedied. The machine which works
this can also be made to turn the wheels over which
the cable passes, if their friction should be thought
too much for its strength ; but, though this will
lessen the strain in paying out, it increases the ri-k
from a sudden lurch of the vessel, when the cable
must either run rapidly or part altogether. Strong
breaks are attached to the wheels of the. paying out
machinery, which act powerfully, though very
slowly. But, with the friction we have mentioned
on the wheels themselves, the breaks are never
likely to be resorted to. Of the auxiliary engine for
hauling in we need say nothing except that we sin-
cerely hope its services may never be required.
After passing off the wheels the cable runs in a
protracted groove along the quarter deck over a
large wheel at the stern of tire vessel. This
wheel has a very deep trumpet-shaped groove, and
all arotmd it is carefully finished off, and woodwork
placed so that not an angle is in the way. The
screw of the Agamemnoh is also caged in to pre-
vent any chance of the wire fouling it. In case of
a strong stern wind before which the vessel would
pitch too heavily, or a gale blowing, a simple but
very ingenious apparatus is provided to suspend the
process of submerging till more favourable oppor-
tunities occur. Two wheels similar to that at the
stern, are fixed one on each side of the bows of the
vessel. In case of a strong wind only a powerful
wire rope of great length, and capable of bearing
a strain of 10 tons, will be fastened to the coil,
which can be revered and allowed to sink as near

the bottom of the ocean as the length of the wire
mooring-rope will permit. The Agamemnon will
then turn head to wind, and, steaming against it,
take off any undue strain upon the electric cable
itself, and so remain until moderate weather allows
the operation to be continued. The wire rope,
with the cable attached, can then be hauled in, the
cable carefully re-joined, and the submerging gone
on with •as_ before. Should thasquadron meet with
very severe weather, and it not be considered pru-
dent to retain the cable enl on boar 1 at all, the
wire rope -will be attached as before, and the
end of that secured again to an immense buoy.
The whole can then be let adrift, to bob about as
the winds and waves may choose, the vessels re-
maining as near to the buoy as possible. In order
to assist them in finding it again immediately the
uppermost end of the buoy will be fitted with
four powerful reflectors placed under a flag, so
as to be plainly visible amid the dark expanse
of waters,- even at a considerable distance. The
buoy once picked up, the wire rope can be wound
in, and with it the electric cable at its end.
The buoys are capable of supporting a weight of
seven tons—of course much greater than they
will ever be required to bear, and are so placed
at the sides of the Niagara and Agamemnon as
to be launched clear of the ship in an instant.
As we have said, the Agamemnon leaves Green-
wich to-day, and after the adjustment of her
compasses proceeds at once to Queenstown, where
the other vessels composing the squadron—the
Niagara, Susquehanna, and Leopard, will also
rendezvous. During the trip from Sheerne.s to
Queenstown experiments will be made by laying
down about 20 miles of cable, in order to wet-
tain that everything is in good working condition.
By this means the stiffness of the paying out
gear, of which considerable distrust is enter-

tained, will he accurately tested, and the amount
of risk known which the scheme will have to en-
coniter in mid ocean. These trials, however, are
to be strictly private, and none but those actually
connected with the operations about to be under-
taken will be allowed on board. After taking
in coa's at Queenstown the four vessels will
start together for Valentia Bay. It has been
thought advisable to alter the arrangement
by which the cable was to have been joined
in mid-sea, and the Agamemnon and Niagara
then make the best of their way to shore—the for-
mer to America and the latter to Ireland. Now
the plan is, to submerge the whole cable in a con i-
nuous line from Valentia Bay to Newfoundland.
The Niagara will lay the first half from Ireland to
the mildle of the Atlantic ; the end will then be
joined to the other half on board the Agamemnon,
which takes it on to the coast of Newfoundland.
During the whole process the four ves,els will re-
main together and give whatever assistance is re-
quired. While it is being laid down messages will
be sent back to the coast of Ireland reporting each
day's progress, and, if necessary, of course, each
hour's. Scientific men look forward to the result
of the undertaking with the deepest interest, as
some wonderful electrical phenomena are certain
to be observed during the process of submerging.
Those most nearly interested in the plan are san-
guine as to.all being successfully completed within
a month, and the state of the markets at New York
known every morning throughout England. Most
earnestly do we hope that their fullest expectations
may be realised, though it is useless attempting to
conceal that the risks of failure to the present plan
are many and most serious. —Times.

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

(Front the nines.)

The lonian Islands have b3en virtually in the
possession of England for half a century. They
are supposed to constitute a Republic under British
protection, but their affairs are, in reality, admini-
stered directly by the Lord High Commissioner.
The islands are of the highest value as naval poQi-
Cons, and Corfu commands completely the Adriatic
and the Levant. The lonians have even less than
the small share of good qualities which falls to the
lot of the Mediterranean populations. We need
not enlarge on a fact pretty well known, that our
Consulates in every region where the Cephaloniotes
and Cortuotes wander are sufficiently employed
with their evil doings, in which they only find
rivals in their fellow-subjects, the Maltese. Yet
everywhere they receive protection, as much as
they demand and more than they deserve. Since
the Peace of 1815 they have been well and kindly
governed ' • the taxes are little or no.hing, the pre-
, sexce of the garrisons brings money into the islands,
and the prosperity of the people is greater than that
of any neighbouring community. The lonians
had the blessing of good government at a time
when the mainland was drenched with blood, and
, when Greece was still a Turkish province. It was
!impossible for the most ingenious hater of this
I
country to, point to any real grievance, while the
benefits conferred by the British occupation were
constant and undeniable. The system of adnii
nistration might, then, have been wisely continued,
and the mutterings of restlessness end discontent
disregarded by a nation which governs successfully
I men of all races in every quarter of the globe.

But the mania for constitutions was too strong
for the good sense of the Government. Under
Lord Seaton's commissionership parliamentary
government was granted to the islands, and all
the innate mischievousness and turbulence of the
national character showed itself at once. Of course,
the Constitution is an absurdity. The islands are
our military posts, and must be governed accor-
dingly ; and the arliament can never be anything
but a means for a few unquiet and malicious
spirits to show their hatred of this country, and
their sympathy with its enemies. Frequently the
language used by the wretched upstarts who call
themselves representatives of the people has been
so seditious with respect to England, so insolent
and gross towards the Queen and the Comniss.oner,
that the session has had to be summarily closed.
It is, indeed, said that Sir T. Maitland, the cele-
brated " King Tom" of these islands, once closed
the session in his shirt, having been surprised in
bed with the news that a seditious proposal was
about to be carried. What was called a free press
has been used to vilify the English Government,
to rouse the discontent of the population, and
preach the necessity of being attached to the Greek
kingdom under the protection of Russia. Sir
Henry Ward, however, showed himself capable of
dealing with them. The wholesome severity with
which he punished the attempt at insurrection in
Cephalonia had for a time the best effect, and I
mode of treating his " Parliament" was equally
wise. The Chambers were never allowed to sit.
They assembled, he made a speech, an address was
moved, to which an insolent amendment was al-
ways carried, and then the Lord High Commis.