The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-09-05
DAILY DISPATCH.
SATURDAY MORNING. SEPTEMBER 5. 1851.
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The Ohhcial Account of the Bre X.
ing OF the SUBJ Marine Cable..In-
terestfng Statement.

iantic Telegraph Company took place In Iondon on
the isth ult, whom official communication WA.
received from Mr.. Chss. T. Bright their agent. Civ
ing minute account of the laying of the cable and
! its parting. Mr.. Bright says, that after leaving
'aentia, on the evening the eth August. by noon
Of the Sth they had laid 40 miles of the cable by
o'clock, on the morning of the 9th, 100 miles. and
by midnight of that day, 1se miles. He adds:
AT o'clock in the morning fthe 10TH the depth
OF the water began to increase rapidly from $50
iathons TO 100, In a distance Of eght miles lin
10 inns tune seven cwt. strain sufficed to keen the
rate OF the cable near enough to that of the ship:
out as the water deepencd the proportionate speed
oi the caoie advanced and ii necessary to aug
ment the pressure by degrees until in the depth of
LOO fathoms the indicator showed o strain of Is
cwt while the cable and ship were running 5lI
and knots respectively,
At noon on the 10th we had paid ont 2,5 ,,;ias M
cable, the vessel having made pa miles from shore
being then in lat. SO deg, q min 80 Sec N, long
| 10 deg, OO min., Is sec. W. At this time we eX-
perienced increasing swell followed later in the
day by strong breeze
From this period, having reached 1000 fatuoms
water, 1t was necessary to increase the strain to
ton by which the rate of the cable was maintained
| in due proportion to that of the ship
| At in the evening some difficulty arose through
the cable getting out of the sheaves of the prynr
out machine, owing to the tar and pitch harden
ing In the grooves, and splice of large dinen-
stons passing over them. This was rsctified by
hxing additional guards and softening the tar and
| oil.
| 1t was necessary to bring up the ship, holding
tho cable by shoppers until it WAS again properly
disposed around the pulley Some importance il
due to this event, as showing that 1t 10 possible to
lie to in deep water without continuing to nav our
tue cable-a point upon which doubts have been
| frequently expressed.
Shortly after the speed of the cable gained con-
sderably upon that of the ship and up to Q O clock
while the rate of the latter was about 3 knot. Inv
the log the cable was running out from So to So
| Enn mar hnnr T1a u4,a =
cwt: but the wind and sea increasing and cnr
rent at the same time carrying the cable at An an
gle from the direct line Of the ships course IL was
not found sufficient to check the cable, which was
| at midnight making 213 knots above the speed of
the ship and sometimes imperiling the safe uncoil.
ing in the hold.
| The retardng force was therefore Increased at .
o'clock to an amount equivalent to 30 cwt, and
then again, IN consequence of the speed contipu-
ing to be more than ii would have been prudent to
permit, to IS cwt. BY this the rate of the cabl,
WAS brought TO little short of FIVE knots at
which it continued steadily until 3:45 when il
parted, the length paid out at that time being 35
miles.
| had up to this time attended personally to the
regulation OF the brakes bat finding that all was
going on we'll, aud that it being necessary that
| should be temporarily away from the machine to
sscertsin the rate of the ship, and to see how tn,
cable was coming out of the hold and also to visit
the electrician, the machine WAS for ths moment
left in charge of mechanic who had been engaged
from the first in its construction and fitting and
was acquainted with its operation
| was proceeding to the fore part of the ship
| when heard the machine stop; immediately
called out to the brake and reverse the engine
OF the ship, but when reached the spot the cable
was broken.
On examining the machine. which was otherwise
IN perfect order, found that the brakes had not
been released, and to this to the haudwleel Of
| the brake being turned the wrong way may he at
tributed the stoppage and the consequent fracture
of the cable. When the rate of the wheels grew
slower as the ship dropped her stern in the swell
the brake should have been eased; this had been
done regularly before whenever an unusually sud
den descent Of the ship temporarily withdrew the
pressure from the cable in the sea, but owing to
our entering the deep water the previous morning
| and having all hands ready for any emergency
that might occur there, the chief part of my sta
had been compelled to give in at night through
sheer exhaustion; and hence, being shorthanded
was obliged for the time to leave tho machine
without, as it proves, sufficient intelligence to CON
troll it.
perceive that on the next occasion it will be
needfnl, from the wearing and anxious nature of
the work to have three separate relays of staff aud
to employ for attention to the brakes higher de-
gree of mechanical skill.
The origin of the accident was no doubt the
amount of retarding strain put upon the cable. but
had the machine been properly manipulated at the
time ii could not possibly have taken place.
1t has been suggested as cause of the failure
that the machinery is too massive nd ponderous
My experience of its action teaches otherwise For
three days, in shallow and deep water as we'll as
in rapid transition from to the other. nothing
could he more perfect than its working; and since
II performed its duty so smoothly and efficiently in
the smaller depths, where the weight of the cable
had less ability to overcome its friction and resis-
tance, il scarcely be said to be too heavy for
deep water, where it necessary for the in
creased weight Of cable to restrain its rapid motion
by applying to considerable degree of additional
friction. Its action was most complete and all
parts worked well together. l see how it can be
improved by modification in the form Of sheave,
by an addition to the arrangement for adjusting the
brakes and some other slight alteration; but with
proper management, without any change whatever
| am confident that the whole length of cable
might have been safely laid by it, and it must be
remembered, as IA test of the work which it has
done, that, unfortunate rs the termination TO the
expedition is, the longest length of cable ever laid
has been paid out by it, and that in the deepest wa
ter yet passed over.
After the accident had occurred soundings were
| taken by Lieutenant Dayman, and the depth found
to be 2 900 fathoms.
1t will be remembered that some Importance
was attached TO the cables in the Niagara and Aga
memnon being manufactured in opposite lays. l
thought this q favorable opportunity to show that
practically the difference was not of consequence
in affecting the junction in midocean. We there
fore made splice between the two vessels, and
several miles were then paid out without diff
Guilty.
MIR. Bright expresseslthe opinion that the cable
under water be recovered at small cost, and
asks permission to proceed with the work. He is
fully confident of the of the plan, if again
undertaken in October. The London Times of the
10Th, says:
With regard 10 future operations during the pre-
sent year. the directors had the advantage of Capt
Harrisons great knowledge of the state of the
weather, fogs, ice &C.. in the North Atlantic. and
his experience enables him to say that the month Of
Ototer and the frSt portion Of the month Of Nouen
6er more particularly Osa the equnoctiai gales hare
been sees, are usually free from any state Of sea or
h. M