The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-28
1ne Accident % the AtlansAe Cable Fhs


Cau.s.
Az 40 event Of ucdeIn tines was watched With
more ssrnsst anxiety throughout the whole civil
lid world than the Isying Of tie telegraph
cable In the bed Of the Atlantic, the temporary
failure to accomplish II has produced regret as
deep as ii is universal. II was, perhaps, too
much TO expect tina. tie first essay to perform 80
serious pnd wonderful o feat should b. attended
with success; yet there is no doubt that the high
est anticipa.ions were entertained, both here and
in Europe, that at this time the connection be-
/. tween the two continents would have BEEN &c
curely established.
The precautions adopted against danger on
board the vessels employed the presence OF
saaons OF The most distinguished character, and
o. engineers of great skill aud experience seem-
ed to warrant the highest hopes that nothing
would initiate against the safe performance OF
the task. In fact, The experiments which pre-
ceded the sailing Of the squadron Of themselves
gave promise that nc danger wss lurking in the
future which could 70! be amply guarded ag ainst.
1t will be remembered that the only accident
which occurred during these experiments, as
stated b. the HERALD's special correspondent,
was the breaking of the cable by the sudden ap
plicaton Of tbs brakes. So obvious was the
danger resulting from the use of these brakes
that it was resolved not 10 apply them during
the voyage, except in case of great erner
gency. Yet strange to say, We fad that
r2on the first apparent difficulty arising
from the slsckening of the Niagara's speed
In heavy swell, some over anxious or nervous
engineer puts on the brakes; when at once the
same thing occurred n hich had twice previously
happened during the experiments in the Channel
the cable snspE-leaying three hundred and
Thirty I've miles Of il at the bottom OF the ocean:
a hundred miles of which is in two thousand
fsthoms water.
This, though disastrous and discoursgiug at
the outset Of the expedition furnishes no cause for
despair Of the ultimate success Of the underiak-
ing. 1t only shows want of providence, and an
extraordinary disregard of the mouitons of pre-
vious experience. If the speed Of the vessel had
been increased instead Of the descent of the cable
being suddenly arrested, there is every pToba-
bility that the fee. would be at this hour in New
foundlaI,d, aud the greatest feat ever attempted
would have been triumphantly accomplished
AS far back as the 18Th of May last we pub
lished in the HERALD a statement derived from
Lieutenant Brooke, Of the United States Navy.
the inventor Of the apparatus for deep sea sound
ingz, which fully explains the cause of the late
unfortunate accident and in which suggestions
were thrown out how such contingency as has
just occurred could have been provided for. And
we think by referring to the facts there assumed
we will see at glance the reason why the Mag
ara's cable broke.
II was shown that The character Of the curve
which the cable wouid take on its way to the bot
tom would depend on the velocity OF it, descent
and on the speed Of the ship; and the Importance
of the nature Of that curve, and the influence it
had in producing the late disaster, viii appear, as
we proceed, by reference to the annexed diagram.
If the cable, when extended horizontally upon
the water sank faster than The ship ran, the con-
vexity Of its curve would he towards the bottom;
the upper portion, nearly vertical, would descend
more directly, and therefore more rapidly, to-
wards The hoitom-ihe lover portion would, con
sequently, be deposited in waves or in wave lines
upon the bottom. But If the cable sank slower
than the vessel advanced, its curves would, of
course, be wholly different. Now, looking at the
diagram, we will perceive that If the cable is
suspended vertically from the stern Of the steamer
at point /, with its lower portion lying on the
bottom at o, and the vessel then noves Of at an
ordinary rate Of speed the resistance Of the water
will cause the cable TO assume the curve marked
from o to 2, with the concayi:y towards the
bottom.