The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-09-05
THE ATLANTIC cABLE--oFFIcIAL REPORT OF
THE ACCIDENT

THE ATLANTIC CABI.E--oFFIcIAL REPORT OF
THE ACCIDENT
The suboned official report Of the accident to the At
antic cable appears in the London Times of the goth
LoSDos, August Is, 1851
TO he Directors Of tie Atlantic 7tLegrafh Company:
GENTLEMEN forwarded by the Leopard brief state
OF the circumstances attending the fracture Oh inc
cable on the morning of the 18th inst and have now
lay before you the full particulars connected Win the
expedition.
After leaving Valencia the evening OF the It'll in
slant the paying of the cable from the Niagara pro-
gressed most satisfactorily until Immediately before the
mishap.
Az the junction between the shore and the smaller
cable about eight miles from the starting point, it
necessary - stop to the splice This success
fully effected and the end OF the heavier cable lowered
by hawser until il reached the bottom, buoys being
attached at short distance apart to make the place OF
union
BY noon of the sth we had paid out 40 miles of cable
including the heavy shore end exact position at that
time being in lat $40 SO SO" NJ long Ito l9 l5 W. and
the depth Of water according to the soundings taken
by the Cyclops whose nearly followed, ninety
fathons.
Up to A. D. m, ON that day, the egress of the cable
had been sufficiently retarded by the power necessary to
keep the machinery in motion at rate little faster
than the speed Of the ship but the water deepened
necessary to place some further restraint upon IL
by applying pressure the frcton-drums in connexon
with the paying out sheaves and this gradually and
cautiously increased from time to time the speed of the
cable, with that OF the vesel
the soundings, showed to be requisite.
BY midnight eghty-fve miles had been safely laid ;
the depth of water being then little than 200
tathoms.
At in the morning of the 9th we had finished the
deck coil in the afterpart of the ship having paid out
100 miles. The change to the coil between decks for
ward safely made.
BY noon we had laid 1856 miles of cable, the Mia
CARA having reached lat so deg III min 40 sec N long
10 deg 10 min 20 sec W. and the depth of water hav
ing increased to 40 fathoms
In the evening the speed of tho vessel raised to
five knots per hour had previously kept down the
mt from three to four knots for the small cable and two
for the heavy and next the shore wishing to get the
and machinery well at work prior to attaining the speed
which had anticipated making.
BY midnight 1879 miles had been laid.
At four clock in the morning of the 10th the depth
of water began to increase rapidly from $50 fahoms to
l,750 in a distance Of eight miles Up to this time
cwt strain suficed to keep the rate of the cable near
enough to that of the ship but the water deepened
the poporonate speed Of the cable advanced and it
necessary augment the pressure by degrees until in the
depth of TOO fathoms the indicator showed strain of
is cwt, while the cable and ship were running 81 and
knots respectively
At noon on the 10th we had paid out 255 miles of
cable the vessel having made IA miles from shore be-
ing then in latitude so deg. ~ min so sec. NJ long
I6 deg. Is sec W. AT this time experienced an
increasing swell followed later in the day bya strong
breeze
From this period, having reached 2, 900 fahoms
ter 1t necessary to increase the strain to ton, by
portion to that of the ship.
At six in the evening difficulty through the
cable getting out of the sheaves of the paying out
chine, owing to the tar and pitch hardening in the
grooves, and splice of large dimensions passing
them This rectifed by fixing additional guards and
softening the tar with oil.
1t necessary to bring up the ship, holding the ca
bic by shoppers until 1t again properly disposed around
the pulleys. Some Importance is due to this event
showing that is possible to lie to in deep water with
out continuing to pay out the cable point upon which
doubts have been frequently expressed
Shortly after this the speed of the cable gained cons
eably upon that of the ship and up to o'clock while
the rate Of the latter about knots by the log the
cable running out from 81 to st knots per hour.
The strain then raised rs cw but the wind and
increasing, and current at the time carrying the
cable angle from the direct line Of the ships course
II was not found sufficient to check the cable which
at midnight making % knots above the speed Of the ship
and sometimes mperiling the safe uncong in the hold
The reardng force therefore increased at o'clock
to amount equivalent to 80 cwt and then again. in
consequence of the speed continuing to be than it
would have been prudent to permit to 35 cwt BY this
the rate of the cable brought little short of
knots at which it continued steadily until 345, when it
parted the length paid out at that time being 1886 miles
had up this time attended personally to the regula
ton of the brakes, but finding that all going well
and that il being necessary that should be temporarily
away from the machine to ascertain the rate of the ship
and to how the cable coming out Of the hold and
also to visit - electrician the machine for the
left in charge of mechanic who had been engaged
from the first in its construction and fitting, and
quaintel with its operation.
proceeding to the fore part of the ship when
heard the machine stop Immediately called out to
the brake md reverse the engine of the ship but when
reached tho spot the cable was broken
On examining the machine, which otherwise in
perfect order found that the brakes had not been
leased and to this to the handwhee of the brake being
turned the wrong way may be attributed 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
before unusually sudden
descent Of the ship temporarily withdrew the pressure
from the cable in the but owing to entering the
deep wafer the previous morning. and having all hands
ready for any emergency that might there the chief
part Of my staff had been compelled to give in at night
through sheer exhaustion and hence being
ed obliged for the time to leave the machine with
out it proves sufficient intelligence to control it,
perceive that the next occasion it will be needu
from the wearing and anxious nature of the work. to have
three separate relays of staff and to employ for attention
to the brakes higher degree of mechanical skill
The origin Of the accident doubt the amount of
retading strain put upon the cable, but bad the machine
been properly manipulated at the time it could posi-
bly, have taken place
It has been suggested cause of the failure that the
machinery is too massive and pondcrous My experience
of It's action teaches otherwise For three days. in shall
low and in deep water well In rapid transition from
to the other nothing could be perfect than
its working and since it performed its duty smoothly
and efficiently in the smaller depths where the weight of
the cable has less ability to its friction and
sistance 1t scarcely be said to be heavy for deep
water where 1t necessary for the increased weight
cable to restrain its rapid motion by applying to it
siderable degree Of additional friction. Its action was
cot nj rartc Y