Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-26
PROGRESS OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH

The London Times o. the 5lh inst says: Since our
last notice of the progress Of this great undertaking
with the exception of short interval of forty houra
last Monday and Tuesday, the work has advanced in
cessss.!y day and night. The "strand," "closing
and ",eryrr" machines which revolve with such az.
tonishine rapidly, crd whose noise can bs heard
even TO tine centre of tho river. have done their work
we'll and spun additional 500 miles Of csble Nearly 9Ou
miles are now completed, aud At least l,2OO would
have been ready could the wire drawers have sup
plied wire as fast the machines consume It. But
that unfortunately has not been the case for the
daily consumption of fine wire hes been greater than
ali the wircdrswsfouf England could furnish and the
consequence is that less ready ior shpment than w
| wished or anticipated
The making of the two shore ends Of the cable is
| we'll advanced Those portons-namely, for Ten
miles from the Newfoundland and fifteen miles from
the Irish shores-are being manufactured OF immense
strength in order to resist the action OF The waves
over rocks and danger from yessc!5, a.c.)- &c
They are made of 10 No. u:.cs, forming cable one
and half inches in diameter, and weighing e'out
SIX tons to the mile. The size of the wires used 10
these end. gradually dminishes as deep water 10
reached so thet It tapera dc%n where It joins 10 the
diameter cs the main portion Of the cnhs These No
wires ara welded on to No 2, which, in turn, are
ioined to No 3, and so on, rs shallow weer and lla'
bility 10 accident are decreased.
At these ends the gutta perchH and Sewing OF
creased and tared hemp are also made pToPortlonay
thicker, to lessen the chance OF accident from COM
preston of the outside iron casing
TLc manufacture Of the centre portion OF The cable
has also been begun In order 10 aVoio rlsk ro Tue
first strain at starting, about five sS miles OF the
centre will be made Of the strongest steel wlre In
place of twisted strands, the cable will here be bound
with IS No. Is solid wires OF STEEL 80 that this part OF
the telegraph will it is asserted bear STRAIN OF IL
tons with safety, nearly twice the amount OF dead
strain that is likely 10 upon it at the first out
set.
The preparations for shipping the cable are nearly
finished and the operation OF transferring the ponde-
rous coils from the factory to the hold Of the Aga
memnon, will, commence on Tuesday or Wednesday
next. Workmen from the dockyards are now en-
gagged in laying down moorings for The Aghmem'
non, which will arrive off Glasse and Elliott 8
tomorrow saturday. morning. No less than len
anchors have been fixed 10 secure her from motion
while this important work is going forward. From
the factory to the side o the ship ten barges Will be
moored stem and stern and along these the cable
will be slowly wound by twelve horse power en-
gne.
II will be slowed away in the hold in one tremen-
dous coil, fortyfve feet in diameter, and nearly
twelve feet high. No vessel better suited than the
Agamemnon for this purpose could be found in the
navy. ,
the United States Frigae Niagara is not 10 take the
other half of the cable, manufactured by Ne"ali AT
Birkenhead. At first there were some douots as 70
whether il was worth while to make certain aitera
tions in the vessel which necessary in order TO
eyoid risk in paving out the coil. But this question
has been definitely decided, and either last night or
this morning the Niagara quilted the Thames for
Portsmouth dock yard, where some OF her stsncons
will be taken out and her fine wsrd room not little
di.6pured to accommodate her long passenger.
This vessel is undoubtedly not 30 we'll suited for
the work as the Agamemnon, and on board OF ner the
cable will have to be piled in two or three coils, tore
and att, an arrangement which would have been bet,
,ar avoided, if il were possible Both at Brkenbead
and at East Greenwich the manufacture OF the cable
at one end will be continued, while the other end is
being shipped. In fact, both firms will work up to
the last moment, in order that in paying out across
the Atlantic liberal allowance may be made Tor
slack without fear of running short. The Susque-
hanna will accompany the Niagara, and We belleye
the Leopard goes with the Agamemnon All the
vessels will rendezvous at Cork harbor, when III Ine
fnal arrangements will be made ss 10 starting. Inc
Cycops is now out in the Atlantic taking soundngs
along the proposed deep sea.route