The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-09-04
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THE AIIANI1c cABLE.

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THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
Notwithstanding the minute details which have been
published of the accident by which the laying of the At
antic telegraph cable brought TO abrupt and un-
fortunate termination there still remains one very inn
poItn point 10 be settled without full explanation OF
which the public win not and ought not 10 be satisfied
II Is not sufficient know that the cable broke under
extraordinary pressure owing 20 what seems 10 have
been the negligence Of the who had charge OF the
brakes at the time of the accident and il is emnenty
proper and due TO the people OF both nations most mme
datey interested in the Of the enterprise that
full and satisfactory report the matter should he pub
lished without delay Ii appears, from the documents
furnished by the telegraph company to Captain Hudson,
which published in the Herald of Monday in our
correspondent highly account that Mr. Charles
T. Bright invested with supreme authority and con-
troll over the entire undertaking. All the response
bty rests upon his shoulders, and submit that il is
his duty to make full statement TO the public of the
accident and its immediate cause
On the most important points not particle Of light
has been thrown either by the English journals by the
official report of Mr.. Field Even the correspondent of
the Herald, though he has followed up all the movements
OF the enterprise, from first to last with fidelity and
inueness not equaed in any other journal either in
this country in Europe fails 10 give the required in
formation in regard to the accident and the particulars
attending it, from the fact suppose. that II occurred
at clock in the morning, when all on board except
those engaged in paying out in managing the ship
were asleep in their berths. Not a syllable has been
whispered about it by any who present at the
moment when the cable parted. This is singular and
looks mysterious OF the insinuation thrown out
by the minor Journals that the cable was broken by
sign upon discovering that there not enough On
board to reach Newfoundland will not be believed by
the public IL any such thing attempted 1t would
hardly be done when less than three hundred miles from
the starting point and before the deepea portion of the
voyage fully tested II appears from the despatch
received at the Navy Department from Captain Hudson
that Mr. Bright personally experimenting the ma
chinery when the accident occurred and for aught we
know to the contrary, his might have been the hand
which applied the brakes. The machinery, we are in
formed wis his invention and trust that he
not like so many inventors too confident OF the periec
ton of his work II is admitted at all hands that
the deficiency OF his machine and want of foresight in
applying it, the accident is due.
Mr. Bright may be very skilfu engineer, but he is
evidently not nautical man, and knows nothing of the
effect which the motion of ship in heavy sea may
have machinery. If he does we hardly know how to
account for the sness exhibited in applying the brakes
with full power at the moment when the strain on the
cable almost the utmost it could bear Indeed, Mr..
Bright does not attempt to shift the responsibility
on other heads for he states In communication to Cap
tain Hudson that he does not consider the fracture of the
cable to be in the least degree attached to any one con-
neced with the ship.
Another extraordinary event in the history of this
petition has also been passed without any attempt at
explanation 1t will be remembered that the day before
the cable parted the continuity was interrupted for two
hours and half During that interval the electric cur
rent refused to pass to the coast of Ireland back to the
Niagara The scientific board took counsel, and
decided that the putta pecha had worn OF portion OF
the wre and that the insulation hopeessly destroy
ed 1t actually agreed upon to cut the cable and
turn to England when suddenly, if by magic, the
continuity restored, and messages began to flash
along the WIRE Among the wise heads which surround
ed the machine that day there who furnish
theory upon which to account for this phenomenon
If submarine line is subject to such eccentrcities as
this its value will be materially decreased.
The public mind will not he content until the fullest
official statement Of how and why the cable broke pub
shed At present it is not satisfactorily accounted for
Mere generalities and bald facts not sufcentthe
public want the particulars. Let us have more light
Meantime we hope sincerely that the enterprise will
not be put off till next year The directors met the
10th nit decide whether the attempt shall he renewed
in October postponed to next There is ample
time between that date and the first of October to
,cure the additional cable necessary and thoroughly
fit the paying out machine, doing away with the brakes
altogether. With five hundred additional miles Of cable,
well-tested machine, competent chief engineer and
the experience of the past trial. have every confidence
/ in its success There only three months in which
attempt to lay the cable can be safely madoJune
August and October and the latter month is just ia
vorabe for the undertaking either of the others Tho
weather in that month is usually mild and genial and
according to experience some of the peasantest and
best transatlantic voyages have been made at that
We see no reason why the expedition should be post
poped and we oppe that the directors should have
solved to defer it. the disappointment and regret will be
universal.