The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-02 00:00:00

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE

We learn that her Majesty's ship Agamemnon
left Sheerness at 5 20 a.m. on Friday, for Liver-
pool, and may therefera be expected here hourly.
She has been specially fitted for carrying and lay-
ing the Atlantic Telegraph cable, and is as well
suited for the purpose as if she had been expressly
built with that object. Her engines being situated
nearer to the stern than is usual enables the cable
to be stowed almost amid-ships so as to preserve
the trim of the vessel. A large hold, capable of re
ceiving the cable in one coil, of the form which has
b< en found by experience to be the beat, has bet n
cleared out, and a flooring laid over the kelson.
The size of the division of the hold fitted for the
cable is about 50 ft. square, and the coil of 1,250
miles of cable will be about 11 ft. high. At present
she draws only 19 ft. of water, her armament and
superfluous stores having been removed ; when
the cable is on board this will be increased to
25 feet. A guard, or cage, of wrought-iron
his been placed over the propeller, so as to
avoid any chance of the cable getting foul of it.
The machinery for paying out the cable, which is
being made at Manchester, is of the most complete
character, providing for every possible emergency ;
the precise strain borne by the cable, the exact
amount delivered, the rate at which it is payed off,
and other important partculars, being indicated
during the whole process. The peculiar arrange-
ment of the apparatus is such as to provide for
every contingency which experience has pointed
out as possibl to occur in the paying out of either
lieht or heavy cables. Frigates' masts have been
fitted to the Agamemnon, in place of the heavier
gear usually carried by her, to render her more
suitable for the operation. ler engines, which are
by Penn, are considered to be equal, if not superior
to anything afloat. They are nominally of 800-
horse power, but have been worked up to 2,250.
This power will not be needed in this case, for it is
now to be expected that thC cable will be laid at more
than four to five knots per hour. 1,100 miles of
the cable have now been completed by Messrs.
Newell and Co., at Birkenhead, out of the 1,250
miles to be made there. This is laid in four coils, of
abaut 25 feet diameter, and will be shipped in suit-
able vessels and coiled into the Agamemnon, iu the
Sloyne. Much as it is to be regretted that Liver-
pool has not heed favoured with the anticipated I
visit of the United S'ates' steamer Niagara, origi-
nally intended to take on board the cable at Birken-
head, it will be seen from the foregoing that the
stelden derangement of the plans previously de-
signed is not likely to cause delay in carrying out
this great enterprise, through the measures which
are being so promptly taken by the Government to
provide an additional ship to compensate for the
very great disappointment which has been so gene-
rally felt at the p?culiar construction W.. the
Niagara unfitting her for this particular
service, although so splendid a specimen of naval
architecture in other ways. Mr. Chas. Bright, the
engineer of this great undertaking, has b.-en in
Liverpool during the last week making the necessary
arrangements for coding the cable on board of the
Agamemnon. She will lie in the Sloyne, in thise-
quence of her breadth not allowing her to enter the
Birkenhead Dock, and the cable will be carried to
her in other vessels. Mr. Bight expects that his
plans will allow of the Agamemnon leaving here
on tile 15th July, to meet the other ships at Cork
on the 18th, so that we may expect the cable to be
laid in the fist week in August, which is the period
of the year most free, on the average, from wind
and fog, and therefore best calculated for the com-
pletion of the undertaking.—Liverpool Albion.

A FEMALE IRISH PREACHER-A RIVAL
TO MR. SPURGEON.

(From tAe Ferinanafill Mail.)
A correspondent, in whose truthfulness we can
rely, sends us the following ;--cc On passing
through the townland of Drumereen, in the neigh-
bourhood of Ballinamallard, on Sunday, the 21th
inst., my attention was attracte 1 by large
crowds of very respectably-dressed people—young
and old—winding their way towards a green field
contiguous to the road. Curiosity led me to inquire
the nature of such a demonstration, and I was in-
formed, that a female was to preach there that
evening. My curiosity being stilt excited, I ac-
cordingly waited, and I thank my God, was one of
the fortunate spectators on the occasion. Precisely
at 4 o'clock in the evening, a young female, whose
name I understood to be Elizabeth M‘Kinny, from
the neighbourhood of Fintona, in the county of
Tyrone, emerged from the house of Mrs. Beatty,
who very kindly granted the field on the occasion,
and ascended a rustic platform erected for the pur
pose, and after the usual preliminaries of singing
and prayer, this young female, unadorned with
anything but the visible grace of God, quoted her
text from the 2d chapter of St. Paul's Epistle r o
the Ephesians, and Bth verse—'For by grace are
ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves ;
it is the gift of God'—and there preached to a dis-
cerning assembly of at least 3,000 persons au elo-
quent and most impressive discourse, for the space
of an hour and a quarter. She had preached ouce
before in Ballinamallard Primitive Methodist
Chapel, and lectured once in Lowtherstown, within
the last six months. It appeared that all persons
who could avail themselves of the opportunity, for
five or seven miles round the country, were there.
I could observe them from the neighbourhood of
Tempo, Lisbellaw, Enniskillen, Kesh, and Trillick ;
and although the great muttitude was composed
of Presbyterians, Protestants, and a very large
number of Roman Catholics, yet nothing could
exceed the good conduct and becoming de-
meanour of all parties ; the only breath that could
be heard was an occasional burst of thanksgiving
to God, and admiration of the visibly Divine
inspired preacheress, for I learned she was no other
personage than the youngest daughter (about 2d or
22 years of age) of a small farmer in the county I
have already mentioned, and only attended anrl
preached on this occasion by the special invitation
of the Primitive Methodist body in this neighbour-
hood, amongst whom she is, in a spiritual view, an
extraordinary ornament. She was very plainly
attired. Her hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes, are
almost white, and which, together with a rather
pale but a good-featured countenance, give her, on
the whole, the appearance of one who had received
a commission from on High. I understand she has
had very many invitations to preach from different
Parts of the country, and even from Scotland. She
accepts no earthly fee or reward for her trouble,
and states that it is in obedience to an answer to
her prayer, about 12 mouths ago, she is thus,
prompted to act,

This day closesthis period within which English
sculptors can send in models for the great monument to
the Duke of Wellington. Foreign artistes are allowed
to send in up to June 25. The models will be shown
to tho public carly is July,