Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-31
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

vi HdugnG tnat just at this m0meut SO grieVos
the American public as the recent disastrous
termination of the effort to lay teiegraphic
cable across the Atlantic. With one accord allin
this country deeply regrstits failure. The ques-
ton now is, will a subsequent effort prove more
successful? Weaeknowledge scepticism on that
point We have read closely all explanations
and apologies for the failure, without rising from
their perusal better informed or satisfied man
upon the subject. Indeed, the only paper upon
1t so far falling in our way that seems to us to
throw light upon it, is an article from the New
York Commercial Advertiser appended hereto.
1t goes to show that there is what strikes US as
an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the
eventual triumph of the enterprise, and is of
interest, because embracing solid information
upon the subject on which it treats;
at will be conceded, we presume, that the
most favorable time for the operation of laying
the cable Is past for the present year. This viii
De strong argument for the postponement until
next Summer. But such postponement involves
good deal. Ii is not likely that either the Eng
lish Government or own will permit their
respective vessels TO lie idle for twelve months
We imagine the Niagara and the Agamemnon
will have to be released the cable will have to-
be unshiPPed and the expedition disbanded, and
lmpediments may arise in the meantime to its
Resembling on the same Grand. Such consd-
erations may influence the directors of the COM
pany to resolve upon an immediate renewal Of
the attempt Notwithstanding the season has so
far advanced. The next mail from England will
probably bring us their decision, and it will be
looked for with no ordinary interest
The first intimatiOn of the disaster was given
In 4 Geographic despatch from Valentia, dated
Aug. IL. The operators there having found all
communications with the vessels had suddenly
cut of, instituted series of experiments, which
at once told them with singular accuracy not only
the nature of the accident, but the distance from
the coast at which it occurred; and the details
the substance Of which has been published in the
Commercial, were subsequently published in a
Liverpool paper of the 18th inst A portion of
account we here reproduce:
:. H. M. s. Leopard, Capt. Wainwright, arri-
we'd at Portsmouth on Friday evening, 14th Aug I;
and reports that the Atlantic telegraph cable was
broken at 34 o'clock on Tuesday morning, the
1lth inst, after having paid out successfully 335
nautical miles of cable. The last one hundred
miles OF 1t In water over two miles in depth and
the greater part Of this at the of rather more
than five knots an hour. At the time the accident
occurred there was heavy swell on, the Niagara
going at the rate of four knots per hour, and as
the engineer found that the cable was running ont
In too great proportion to the speed Of the ship
he considered Ii necessary to direct the brakes To
De apPhed more firmly, when, unfortunately, it
parted at some distance from the stern of the ship
Inc Agamemnon. Niagara, and Susquehanna are
to remain short time where the cable parted to
Try some experiments in the deep water of that
part OF the Atlantic, (2,0N fathoms which il Is
considered will be of great value to the Tele-
graphic Company, and then all 90 to Plymouth
The other portions Of the article from which
the above Is extracted are comments upon the
SUBJECT, and are only important as supplying in
ternal evidence that the whole article was written
by an agent or director of the company or some
one equally interested in the success of the enter
Prise Viewed in the light of this verv evident
fact the words we have italicised should be care
fully weighed. Ii will be seen that the assigned
cause OF the accident is the engineers application
Of the brakes. The engineer found that the
IN Tn N
TO the speed of the ship, and he considered it,;
&c. We suspect that this statement does not tell
inc whole OF the truth. 1t is not very probable
that at any time within the first three hundred
and fifty miles of the trip, the regulation of
the speed of either ship or cable would be left
10 the sole responsiblity:Of the engineers
and II is still less probable that such would be
the case when the ship had entered upon the
most peIlIous part of the experiment, the deepest
part OF the ocean, where everything would de-
pend upon the utmost care and watchfulness. No
one can suppose for moment that everything
would then be left to the Unaided Judgment and
sole responsibility of the engineer without
casting rejection upon all who Were entrusted
with the important and hazardous ENTERPRISE
The idea is preposterous. The account is evil
IDENTIFY one sided and partial.
Examining what IS told in the light Of COM
mon sense, IT is tolerably certain that the brake
was aPpiled after consultation for the purpose of
breaking the cable and that this was necessary in
order to save the remainder. The cable was 90
ing al too great speed in proportion to that of
four knots an hour, while the cable was coursing
on the coil or reel al the rate of more than five
knots Of course it is to be supposed that a re-
duction of the ships speed had first been tried as
a remedy for this running away of the cable and
tried in vain; and the alternative of breaking the
cable was adopted "a last resort; the plain Eng
llsh and undisguised truth probably being that a
strong, cross, unde-ocean current was running off
with the cable al the rate Of five or six knots an
hour. This view of the case is conf rmed by the
fact that IN going over the last thir.y-fve miles
ne Inn hrsd mill q 10
run out.
Beside it was often announced that every
provision had been made to render the mere
breaking OF the cable very serious matter
Buoys were to be attached at certain distances so
that the end of the cable could be recovered and
a reunion of the strands effected. There must
nave been therefore gIaver causes for the aban-
Comment OF the enterprise than the simple parting
OF the cable; that per Sc. with the Preparations,
appliances and contrivances made and adopted
In view OF that anticipated contingency, would
not have induced gentlemen energetic and so
committed 20 the enterprise, to abandon il in
despair and to return home with the brand of
failure stamped upon them. The fact almost
certainly is that il became clear to all the gentle
men engaged in the expedition, that the greater
part OF the cable would have been run away with
b. the current, even had the vessels remained
stationary, and that without some material change
OF plans, all nope OF the cable lasting to anything
near the end Of the trip was given up, even IL the
cable could be deposited at all"
hc iHtc' lclcIlcu 10 was the civil enOl-
neer OF the company-not the engineer of The Nj
dgard.-Ed.
Is GROWING SUNFLOwERs A PREVENTIVE
FOR TIE AGUE AND FEvER?-A correspondent,
recollecting Lieut.. Maury's learned disauisi-
ton to prove that ague and fever may be pre-
vented by growing sunfowers in localities
affected by that miasmatic disease, and that,
believing in his theory, its author or defender
has essayed to carry it into practice-writes us
as follows:
Editor Of the Star: There was published some
Time ago. perhaps year, article in the National
lnteiIigencer. written either by Lieut. Maury or
some one else, in which was given an account of
means proposed by Lieut. M. for keeping off
chiils from persons living at the Observatory or,
Indeed, at any place where these troublesome Wis.
ltors afe apt to make their appea rance. This
remedy was very simple, being nothing more nor
less than planting near such unhealthy spots a
patch OF suntower or other vegetable of luxuriant
ana rapid growth, TO act as an absorbent of the
poisonous miasma supposed to cause the ague
Some one. wishing to improve upon Lieut. Nj =
plan, proposed eEorer as a simple and cheanpr
substitute for the sunfower; it being supposed
aI..