Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-09-12
THE CABLE.

From the official report of Mr.. Charles T. Bright
to the Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Com.
pany, we take the following extracts, showing his
opinion of the cause Of the failure. Mr.. Bright
was engineer.in-chief of the Company.-After re.
ferring to the cable being thrown out of the grooves,
and the difficulty of replacing it, he says:
Shortly after this the speed,of the cable gained
considerably rpon that of the ship, and up to 0
O'Clock, while the rate of the latter was about 5
knots by the log, the cable was running out from
D. to 3 knots per hour. The strain was then
raised % cwt.; but, the wind and sea increasing g,
and a current at the anne time carrying the cable
at an angle from the direct line of the ships
course, it was not found sufficient to check the
cable, which was at midnight making p knots
above the speed Of the ship, and sometimes imper-
illing the safe uncoiling of the hold.
The r~etarding force was therefore increased at
2 O'Clock to an amount equivalent to 30 cwt., and
then again, in consequence Of the speed continu.
ing to be more than it would lave been prudent to
permit, to 80 cwt. By this rate the cable was
brought to a little short of five knots, at which it
continued steadily until 3:45, when it parted, the
length paid out at that time being 335 miles.
l had up to this time attended personally to the
regulation of the brakes, but finding that all was
going on well, and that it being necessary tina. /
should be temporarily away from the machine to
ascertain the rate of the ship and to see how the
cable was coming out of tho hold, and also to visit
the electrician, the machine was for the moment
left in charge of a mechanic who had been engag-
ed from the first in its construction and fitting, and
was acquainted with its operation.
l was proceeding to the fore part of the ship
when | heard the machine stop | Immediately
called out to ease the brake and reverse the engine
of the ship, but when | reached the spot the cable
was broken.
On examining the machine, which was other
wise in perfect order, l found that the brakes had
not been released, and to this or to the ~handwheel
of the brake being turned the wrong way may be
attributed the stoppage, and the consequent frac-
ture of the cable.
When the rate of the wheels grew slo ver as the
ship dropped her stern in the swell, the brake
should have been eased this had been done regu-
larly before whenever an unusually sudden de-
scent Of the ship temporarily withdrew the pres
sure from the cable in the sea but owing to our
entering the deep water the previous mornings and
having all hands ready for any emergency that
might occur there, the chief part of my staff had
been compelled to give in at night, through sheer
exhaustion, and hence, being short,handed |
was obliged for the time to leave the machine,
without, as it proves, sufficient intelligence to con-
troll it.
1 perceive that on the next occasion it will be
needful, from the wearing and and anxious nature
of the work, to have three separate relays Of staff.
and 20 employ for attention to the brakes a higher
degree of mechanical skill,
The origin of the accident was no doubt the
amount Of retarding strain put upon the cable. but
had the machine been properly manipulated at
the time, it could not possibly have taken place.
Several days will elapse before any determine.
ton will be made respecting future proceedings.