Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-09-07

of the cable as fast as we could; for although we
might have been satisfied with three miles when We
started, now that had got that would not be
content tlll We reached four or five. The only ob
lection &c this was that it might bring too great
strain upon it, and that in our impatience to get
through with our part of the work we might lose
the cable-a catastrophe, the very dread OF which
haunted us ike nightmare. True, the strain at
the present rate, as appeared from the indicator,
did not exceed four hundred pounds, while the ca
bic, as bad been proved by the experiment in Va
lentla Bay, was capable of bearing strain OF three
and bali tons
Il has just been proved, from a calculation of
she distance run and the amount of cable paid out
that there is at present reason to fear that we
shall not have enough The ship is thirty -Eiae miles
from the point which the shore end of the cable
was landed, while the number laid does not
exceed forty lone, showing that only two miles more
than the actual distance traversed have been ex-
pended.
FOURTH DAY, AUG. 9rH.
| The Eow familiar sound Of the paying-out ma
chine, which never except when there Is
! something wrong with the cable, kept on through
the whole night without interruption, and was the
/ first thing that greeted our waking senses. We
were doing wonders, and so long the brakes
were not applied the machine showed no signs of
! hating in its work at our mess table it was the
principal subject of conversation, and all were of
the opinion that the laying of a cable across the
Atlantic not only feasible, but that 1t would be
| accomplished IN ibis present month OF august, anu
/ by tue ships Niagara and Agamemnon. There
were sOme it is true, who thought that there might
! be a difficulty when came to the great depths
and that the increased weight and strain which
| would then be brought upon the cable cable, with
the pitching and rolling of the ship in a heavy sea,
might be more than it could bear; but, after all,
there little danger to'be apprehended from this
! if the brakes were not put on, for it observed
that when they were employed for the purpose of
checking its speed, they very frequently stopped
! the wheels from turning, and brought upon it the
strain produced by the speed of a vessel, strain
which would part the strongest cable ever made,
it parted the shore cable but a few days
ago, and only short time after got out OF
! Doulus Bay. Those brakes, In fact, the only
things that we have to dread, and if they
overheard, there is difficulty, so far as ex-
| pernce has yet proved, in the way OF successful
accomplishment of this enterprise.
We are in high humor at the progress have
| already made, well the fine weather we have
had, and being on the second coil of the deep
! line which put on the berth deck are now look
| ing forward to the time when shall get rid of
| that too. The coil which had been formed on the
spar deck, and the last mile OF which was paid out
at quarter to eight o'clock this morning. contain
! ed one hundred and thirty miles, which, with the
| ten miles of heavy shore cable, made one hundred
and forty, or about One-ninth of the whole amount
on board.
The greatest depth over which we had
! passed four hundred fathoms, but tomorrow
|
| sand tathoms OF water, or somewhat over two miles
This will test the practcaby of laying in great
depths, and settle forever one of the most serious
questions to which this enterprise has given rise It
| Is supposed by some, in opposition to the tele
graph plateau" theory of Lieut.. Maury that the bot
| tom of the ocean, instead of being of one uniform
! level between Ireland and Newfoundland has the
same Impressions and heights, the same abrupt de-
clvtie and mountain ranges, which are to be found
J upon the surface of the earth.
During the day signaed the squadron
! by small flags that call right" which meant
that the cable going safely, that the CONT
auiLy perfect, and, in a word, that get
ting along well, if not better, than could be ex
pected. They We're satisfied, and during the re-
mainder Of the day kept on their westward course
without interruption, while we pursued ours stead
ily paying the cable at the rate of from five to
six miles per hour The electricians said the ca
! bic was in good working order and messages We're
sent through it to America by the officers of the
! Niagara to their friends and relatives all of whom
will doubtless have received them before we reach
| the other side OF the Atlantic. There is evidently
determination not to let it remain idle for want of
work, and the operators have enough to do if they
! get through the pile of manuscript which lies on
their desk before morning.
| FIFTH DAY-AUGUsT TO-
| There was pretty heavy sea on during the whole
of this day, and it evident that there had been
! a gale somewhere in the immediate vicinity judg.
| ing from the size of the waves. The rate of pay
| ing out varied from four and half to six knots
hour and the cable came up from the coil easily
as if the ship were only making two knots. 1t is
! certainly wonderful cable and those coils are adj
mirably adapted to the work. There WIS it must
be confessed, prejudice agaiost them at first and
| when they suggested the best form that
could be devised, some objected to them, on the
| ground that hey would be so liable to kink. This
| opinion has now been proved to be erroneous and
| those who opposed the circles are convinced by
practical demonstration that they were the best
! forms that could be adopted.
About eleven o'clock the Agamemnon signalled
to us, desiring TO know if we had any news, through
the cable, from the East Indies part of the Brit.
ish domInions which at this particular time excites
the most painful interest throughout En- gland. We
| replied that we had not. There were, we under
stood, some on board who had relatives there and
who naturally felt anxious to hear about the condi-
ton OF things in that country. At this time we were
! in 2, 90 tathOms water, aud the cable going
| out lii magnificent style. There were none of those
sudden alarming runs which had been predicted for
US when our ship should come TO the great depths,
aud had we not known from the chart OF the sound
| Jugs where were, we could not have told the
difference, far its effects upon the line were
concerned. We could partly tell the strain by the
angle which it made with the water while the epe ed
at which it went out was marked upon an indica-
tor, connected with the machinery. The strain was
shown more accurately by another Indicator 50
that could tell the exact number of pounds II
ly exceeded three hundred, except when the brakes
were put on, and then it was increased to fifteen
ana twenty hundred, and sometimes more In al
cases, however, IL would do 10 take the indica-
tor al a true guide, the pitching of the vessel
produces a strain which is not alwnys if il is ever
correctly marked, upon IT,
There great deal Of excitement created by
the cable getting of the wheels twice this evening
but fortunately was put again without ny 9TH
er accident. IL was 10 a considerable extent rep
etition OF the same that took place when the
cable broke of the coast OF Ireland The shin was
backed Immediately, tue cable released from the
strain, and In five minutes, which seemed so many
hours, it was put on the wheels again. When the
order was given TO the engineer to go ahead slow "
t is impossible 10 describe the scene which follow
ed-the relief from a feeling Of terrible suspense
and painful excitement to which every one was
wound up, the warm aud hearty congratulations that
were iuterchanged, and the eagerness with which
we still continued 90 watch the wheels fearful of
repetition of the accident. The engineers kent
near the machine, ready in case of emergency to
go over the work again but fortunately there was
call for their services in the same way this night
after the second catastrophe
| The throwing OF the cable of che wheels was
caused by the accumulation of tar 10 the sheaves.
| which nOt so deep and so vide as experiences
has proved they should have been The tar which IA
pressed out OF tue iron protecting wire as the ca
BILE passes over the wheels, sticks in the sheayes
until il gathers IN some parts ia large Jumps which
become hardened by exposure TO the air The ef-
feet Of this Is TO throw tue cable Of altogether as
occurred in the two cases just mentioned.
| We had hardly recovered from the alarm created
BY these accidents when the whole ship was thrown
into another state OF excitement by the report that