The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-20
COMMERCIAL.
The Atlantic Telegraph.

|
The four vessels comprising the Atlantic Tele
graph Expedition left Queenstown at six O'Clock
evening of Monday, the Sd Of August, and were ex-
pected to reach valentia Bay in to commence
| operations the following morning. The Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland had arriN Ned at the starting
point of the telegraph, in order to witness the pro-
ceedings. letter in the London Times, dated
| Queenstown, July 80, says:
The entire squadron consisting of five maguifi
cent ships of WAR about to sroceed to the con
summation OF this great enterprise at this
anchored in the harbor of Queenstown They con
sist of the Niagara, Capt. Hudson: the Susquehan.
| nah Capt Joshua sands: the Againemnon. Master
| commander Neddsll; the Cycops Capt. Daymsn
| aud the Leopard, Capt. wainwright.
The Agamemnon arrived this morning only. hay
| ing been engaged during the trip from Greenwich
IN the very valuable service of testing PRACTICAL,
the form and suitability of the machinery to b.
used for paying ont the cable
Mr. G. L. Bright, engineer-in-chief to the Allan.
tic Telegraph Co. hayi.ig Joined her at that place
she bore away for the Irish cost, at 80 O'Clock, on
! Monday MOI ning.
To MIR Bright is committed the entire control and
responsibility of deposting safely in its ocean
this wondrous example of the united power OF
science and industry
During the progress of the Agamemnon to the
Downs, the mechanical appliances for regulating
the delivery of the cable into the were kept CON
tinualIy in motion by the small engine on boar.
which is connected with them; the sheaves anu
gearing worked With great facility and decision and
| 50 quietly that at short distance from them their
motion could scarcely be heard.
The strength Of the grders which carry tn,
bearing of the entire apparatus and which to ths
eye of person unskilied in the practical working
# this description of machinery may seem at Fl rs
10 be unduiy ponderous was found TO contribut,
greatly To the easy motion and satisfactory steadi
of this most important agent in the OF
the undertaking.
So the Agamemnon had passed the track
Of the Submarine Company's cable between Dover
and Calais in order 10 avoid the possibility of its
being injured by the laying or hauling up Of an
other line at right angles 10 il, the experiments
commenced. l3inch shell was attached to ths
end of spare coil Of the Atlantic cable for tne pnr
pose of sinking it rapidly with strain upon il to
the bottom, and was then cast into the sea, draw
ing after it sufficient quantity of slack to enabl.
1t to take hold Of the slack and go set the machine
ry in motion.
The paying ont then commenced at the rate of
two, three and four knots an hour respectively
The ship was stopped and the cable was hauled up
from the bottom of the with great facility by
connecting the small engine to tho driving pinion
gearcd to the shceves
when the end brought up to the surface it
was found that the shell had broken away from the
loop by which had been fastened for the pur
| of lowering it.
The cable. when recovered was found TO have
been cleaned as bright the specimens which have
been freely distributed among the friens Of the
| enterprise, and which are so generally known
| The exterio. coating Of tar had been completely
rubbed off by being drawn throush the sandy bot
tom of the sea- and attached to the iron coating OF
the cable were weeds and several small crahs
| which came mp with it 10 the surface.
| On tlse following day length Of cable was ran
out and hauled in with perfect success opposite the
| Isle OF Wigh., attached to al anchor.
| The speed was decreased, in this case, to. five
knots.
During the afternoon of the same day, a length
was run out, having fastened to the end Of II Ion
Of timber, and after having been towed with
mile aud half of cable, was coiied In again with
| success
| on Wednesday, about half way between tl.s
Lands End a.id the Coast Of Ireland, another
length was run out at the rate Of six aud hal