The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-09-10
Caas~ ~ the Accident - the Atlantic !,
Cahle.


The New York Herald publishes Gall
account Of oil that transpircd on hoard the
Niagara, from which tn editor draws thu
following conclusions
One hct has been established by this
attended though Il was with hilure---
and that Ia, no obstacle exists 10 the success
fal laying Of Transatlantic cable equal 70
the realization Of every hope entertained In
cgard 10 II, except . trifIing dcilcieucy In
the machinery usca Ia paying out the line,
which = listn time and ; little prudence,
aided BY !he. exneriease ,aash.seJ. s,sn- .s,e.
late unsuccessful trial, cannot easily remove.
II will l,e sesu ffom the statement Of our
correspondent that the accident 10 attribut.
able alone 10 the impmlectin Of the ma
chine used 10 paying ont the cable. especial
ly to tho brakes, which oil parties engaged
In the work pronounce not only worthless
but mischicvous. At the moment whom the
cable psrted pressure Of three thousand
pounds was sudlonly put upon Il by per.
son temporarily substituted lor the engineer.
who was compelled to retire from exhaus-
tion and this, too, while The stern Of the
weasel was down In tho trough Of the ~ In
one Of those heavy swclls, the magnitude Of
which any one who has crossed tho Atlantic
must be acquainted with. In addition 10
the enormous strain already on The cable,
miles of which must have been q that mo.
ment In suspension, with Y pressure upon Il
which Il was never calculated 10 s,,stain, tho
application OF tho brakes was necessarily
'ruinous. II was shown by the indicator.
which worked with remarkable accuracy,
that three hundred pounds was the ordinary
strain on the cable ia liz descent; aud which
WAS, in all previous trials, Increased ut farth-
eat. by the application Of the brakes. 10 NJ.
teen hundred or two thousand pounds. II
need not elicit any surprise, then. that the
incautious application Of strain Of three
thousand pounds ShouId cause this cable to
snap.
II Is satisfactory 10 know that the expc.
rimei't has proved, k,yond controversy. the
fact that i Is quito possible TO lay the cable
between the two continents. and that with
u few improvements in the machinery usssl
to pay out the line tl.e mode adopted Il pre-
cisely The oDe to carry Il out successfully,
Daring the whole period OF tho Niagaras
voyage. In which three hundred and thirty.
five nautical miles of cable were laid down,
the electric current was transmitted to the
Irish coast. thus establishing the perfection
Of the insulation, and proving beyond qucs.
ton that neither the depth Of the water nor
thu length Of the cable WAS nm obstacle 10
the transmission Of messages. II nothing
Else was gained by the first trial. this fact Is
oil mpor,an, 10 the future chances Of sue
ccsr.
The cbief engineer Of the Niagara was Of
opinion that Oh" speed Of The steamship
should have been decreased when tl,c strain
on the cable became apparent; but We think
b. was Mistaken for IL IL evident that, nc.
cording TO their own showing, there was an
immense length Of cable then in suspension.
upon which the pressure must have been
almost incaIenlabIc. anI IN that case the nd
vance Of the weasel, added 70 n judicious usc
Of the breaks 10 prevent the cable running
ont sou-szs., rnas' hare h,Apel.1 ,'cisxit
the floating portion oi the cable ON the bot.
tom. and thus relieve il from the strain
which unbappiIy i appears il was unable 10
sustain.
Every fact developed by the first attempt
nj laying the cable only goes 10 prove the
practicabIity Of bringing the enterprise toa
successful conclusion; and whether the un.
dertakiDg be renewed this year or next. we
may calculate on establishing u telegraphic
between the Old and the New
World, aud that before long