Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-12-10
THE RETURN OF THE NIAGARA.

The arrival OF the Niagara Will revive the
interest in the telegFaphic scheme lately nearly
extinct. A new expedition will sail with the
spring, and, in view of this, an analysis of the
canse of the recent failure, and the chances
of future success, is not inappropriate.
The first cause of the failure was the change
of pan by which beginning was made at the
eastern terminus instead of in the middle of
the ocean. BY starting in mid Atlantic the
difficulties of the enterprise are gradually over
come as the vessels near the shore. The
cable is laid from deep water into shoal, as
cending instead Of descending, the mountain
sides that divide the deep from the shoal wa
ter-a material advantage.
The immediate cause of the loss Of the
cable was the injudciouS application of the
brakes while the Niagara was in motion, the
responsibility of which rest on the engineering
department Those on board agree that the
brakes were suddenly applied, without stopping
the ship, bringing the immense strain caused
by her motion while in a heavy sea, to bear
upon the cable, which parted instantaneously
That it was not parted by its own weight is
evident, for supposing the the depth to have
been double what it really was, and the cable
suspended not in water but in open air, the
strain would not have tested its sustaining
power by one third. \ distinguished person
on board, intimately connected with the tee-
graph Company, alljrms that the process Of
laying the cable was going on as successfully
at the time of the rupture as previously.
1t has been iasinuated that the loss is partly
attributable to the currents, but their defect
ing power must have been very trihing for
over that very spot the hemp sounding line of
the Arctic, weighing fifty pounds to one hun
dred fathoms, sunk to the bottom, even with
out the assistance cf any weight-a phenome-
non that could only have happened in still wa
ter This was confirmed by the Cyclops'
soundings, Immediately after the parting of the
cable, when her line sunk undefectcd by any
current to a depth of two thousand fathOmS.
If the loss Of the cable was not oCcasioned
by either the strain, by its weight, or by cur
rent, but simply by the miscalculation of those
Oh board to decide on whom the OnuS of re-
sponsbty falls becomes a delicate task, which
we will not attempt 1t is enough to affirm
that it cannot be traced any of our officers,
the entire care of the cable lying wholly be-
yond their province, and resting with the COM
panys engineers in charge of Mr.. Bright
There is discrepancy in that gentlemanS Off
cia account and the atlirmatiOnS OF those on
board, on the very material point whether he
was or was not at the brake at the time.
Aside from this, the responsibility of the
loss of the cable rests in no small degree with
those who advised the adoption Of the present
apparatus for checking the payng-out of the
cable Before the sailing of the expedition,
the London Times devoted a whole column to
show that it was too cumbrous and heavy for
the management Of a slender wire not thicker
than Il mans finger. Other experiments have
proved this. On the steamer Arctic, a sound
ing cable, as heavy when suspended in the wa
ter as the Atlantic cable, is managed with a
single drum six feet long with all the ease of
a spool of thread The truth Of this is now
felt by the company, who have resolved to
abandon it and substitute a lighter arrange
ment for the coming season at the cost of
97, 500.
Although the loss of the cable can in no
way be attributed to either the the Niagara
or her officers, still it is a source of regret that
it occurred on board of our vessel She is,
doubtless the most suitable vessel allOat for
that special purpose. The disposition Of the
cable was faultess neither causing her to pitch
nor liable itself to kiab as it uncoiled itself
from the immense mounds 1t will be remem-
bered that this tendency to twist in paying ont
was considered by many a, difficulty that
no ingenuity could overcome The experience
ofthe Niagara shows that, if properly slowed,
this sort of danger does not exist.
OF the plans Of the coming year we have
been able to learn something. Under what
socver management the attempt is made, the
plan of starting in the middle the ocean will be
observed. The reason of the change of plan
was the knowledge that if any rupture had
&c oh / .ntlI
not have been known from which vessel to at
tempt to repair the damage ; but the practical
difficulties of reeling in the cable are so great
that this imaginary advantage has been given
over
The amount of available cable will next
wear be increased to 5000 miles, or double
the distance from Trinity Bay to Valentia, to
allow for the slack line needed as an offset
against the inequalities Of the bottom, the de-
Elections Of the currents and the general waste
nseparable from the laying OF these subma-
rine cables Whatever remains will be useful
for the secondary submarine lines from the
head of Placentia Bay to NoVia SCOTIA dis
tance of some 600 miles.
1t is to be presumed from the fact of the
expensive machinery connected with the laying
of the cable being still on board, that the Nj
agara will be again used for telegraphic pur
poses during the coming year. The action of
the Secretary, however, is immaterial to the
success of the scheme, as the English govern
ment has offered the loan of another vessel
in her place, should ours, from motives of
economy, decline. 1t is to be hoped that ma
tonal generosity will prevent the entire surren-
der of the whole enterprise into British hands
In laying the cable from the middle of the
ocean, the Agamemnon should take the east
ern and the Niagra the western part of the
line, the difference in the speed and power OF
the two vessels being about an offset against
the force of the winds and easterly currents