The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-20
From the ,ndon Times Of Juno 5.
THE ATLANTIC SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.


THE ATLANTIC SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.
Yesterday afternoon the Lord Mayor accompanied by
numerous party OF the corporation and civic officers paid
visit the works of Messrs Glass, Elliot, Co.'S,
where the monster submarine cable is rapidly add
vancing towards its final completion.
Since last notice of the progress of this great under
taking with the exception Of short interval OF 40 hours
last Monday and Tuesday, the work has advanced inces
sanity day and night The .'strand = closing and
serving machines which revolve with such astounding
radty and whose noise be heard to the centre
of the river have done their work we'll and spun adj
dtiona 500 miles of cable. Nearly 900 miles
completed and at least 200 would have been ready
could the wiredrawers have Supplied wire fast the
machines it, But that unfortunately, has not
been the case the daily consumption OF fine wire has
been greater than all the rcdrawes of England could
furnish and the consequences is that less ready for ship
ment than was wished or anticipated. The making of
the two soreends of the cable is well advanced Those
portions namely, for 10 miles from the Newfoundland
and I5 miles from the Irish shores being manuae-
tred of immense strength in order to resist the action
Of the waves over the rocks and danger vessels
anchors &C. They are made of IL No. wires, forming
q cable IA inch in diameter, and weighing about tons
to the mile The size of the wires used in these ends
gradually dminishes deep water reached that it
tapers down whore it joins to the diameter of the main
to No 3 which in turn joined to No 3, and SO on,
as shallow water and liability accidents decreased
At these ends the gutta percha and serving Of CREASED
and tarTed hemp also made proporonay thicker
lessen tie chance of accident from compression of the
outside spiral iron casing.
The manufacture OF the centre portion of the cable has
also been begun In order TO avoid risk from the first
strain at starting, about five six miles Of the centre
will be made of the strongest steel WIRE In place of
twisted strands the cable will here be bound with Is No.
Is solid wires Of Steel that this part Of the telegraph
WILL it is asserted bear strain of twelve tons with safe
ty nearly twice the amount of dead strain that is like
~ to come upon it at the first outset.
The preparations for shipping the cable nearly fin
shed and the operations for transferring the ponderous
coils from the factory to the hold of the Agamemnon will
commence on Tuesday Wednesday next workmen
from the dockyards engaged in laying down
corngs for the Agamemnon which will arrive off Glass
Elliot, Co.'S tomorrow Saturday morning No less
than ten anchors have been xe TO her from mo-
ton while this important work is going on. From the
factory to the side of the ship ten bagcs will be moorcd
stem and stern and along these the cable will be slowly
wound bya I2-horse-power engine 1t will be slowed
away in the hold in tremendous coil As feet in di-
ameter and nearly u feet high No vessel better suited
than The Agamemnon for this purpose could be found in
the navy
There is not the least ground for the reports that the
United States gate Niagara is to take the other half
Of the cable manufactured by Ncwa at Brkenheado At
first there doubts to whether it worth
while to make certain alterations in the vessel which
necessary in order to avoid risk in paying out the
coil But this question has been definitely decided and
either Inst night this morning the Niagara quilted The
Thames for Portsmouth dock yard, where Of her
stanchons will be taken out and her fine ward not
little dsHgurcd to accommodate her long passenger
This vessel is undoubtedly not so well suited for the
work the Agamemnon and board of her the cable
will have to be piled in two three coils fore aft
arrangement which would have been better avoided if
II possible Both at Birkenhcad and at East Green
wich the manufacture of the cable at end will he
continued while the other end is being shipped In fact
both firms will work up to the last moment in order that
npayng ont the Atlantic liberal allowance may
be made for slack without fear OF running short The
Susquehanna will accompany the Niagara and we be-
levc the Leopard goes with the Agamcmnon All the
vessels will rendezvous at Cork haIbor when the final
arrangements will be made 10 starting The Cyclops is
out in the Atlantic taking soundings along the pro-
posed deep-sea route.
Fkenhcad whore the making 100
miles had been completed at hast
probably grishci.
The oldest book in the United States, il is said Is
Bible in Of of