The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-09-05
Laying the submarine-Cnb,e.

the Submarine Cable, from an officer on
board the Niagara, is communicated to the
Journal Of Commerce, from which we con-
dense the following: @ Il - |
On Monday the 81 Of August the ships left |
the Cove of Cork, and arrived on the 4th, in
the forenoon, at Valencia bay, and having
several miles of defective cable, began en-
perimenting with the machinery for laying
the cable, which consisted of set of wheels
with grooves and brakes, to check the wheels
when in motion. 1t did not take long to
part this experimental cable three times, and
the. result was to throw doubt over the
whole enterprise and change the hopeful glee
which animated rs all on board the Niagara
into a gloomy dependency. 1t was pain
fully evident that tho grooves or scores in
the wheels were not deep enough, as the cable
surged out of them, became jammed, and of
course parted. We also much feared the
power of the brakes, which the engineer
seemed too ready To apply. In the afternoon
we went into the bay As far as we could with
safety, and anchored one and halt mile,
from where the end Of the cable was to be
landed.
On the 5th, the end Of the large part ofthe
cable was taken on shore, W here trench had
been dug to lay it in, and posts driven TO sc
cure it To. The Lord Lieutenant Of Ireland,
tho Earl Of Carlisle, stood on the beach and
received the officers very politely; and when
the end was landed and carried up by the
Susqrehanna's and Niagara's tars. tic great
est enthusiasm prevailed among the large
concourse Of people assembled to witness the
event. Your correspondent could not join in
the hopeful throng;-his faith had been sha-
ken. We embarked ut night-it was dark
and rainy, and all looked forward 70 the NOR
row with mingled feelings OF hope Gnd fear.
7hrrsday, Aug. 6h.-Got under way at 8
a. NJ, and commenced paying out the large
cable. In less than an hour the cable slipped
Oft the wheels, jammcd and parted. Sent the
steam-tug and launches TO underrun and buoy
the end OF the cable,--this ship and the 9TH
| ers standing off and on tho harbor. At sun
rise, returned TO our former anchorage. The
| boats succeeded in getting the end, and buoy
| ing the cable.
Friday, 7M.--Sp!iccd the recovered end of
the cable with the broken epd on board. Got
under way and commenced paying out again.
The only difficulty occurred about ll.30 p.
| NJ. when the splice of the large and small
| cable was going out. IL was found defective
and luckily caught when on the wheels, near
tho stern. This difficulty was surmounted
and precautions taken to keep the cable In
| the crooves.-but there were two wheels
nearest the stern, with regard to which no
precaution was taken, and these two after
| wards gave us trouble. For the remainder
Of the day every thing worked smoothly and
confidence was in some degree restored. Sea
pretty smooth, and we were communicating
1 constantly with VnlentIa by telegraph.
Saturday, Aug sfs.-Eyery thing working
well Mt noon; had paved out 4o1S miles oi
cable, and made good n distance Of 80 miles
from the landing ut Valentia. 49,.
Sunday. dag. 9tb.-Distance made good. 81
miles; cable run o1t. IS miles; ship going
very slow. and the cable wasted by drifting.
The speed was increased To five knots, and
found the cable 60 oat better, with scarcely
any vast.
.Kndoy, Aug l0M.-Cable going out fine
ly at from tour to i've knots, ut merid. DIS
tance made good, Ill miles cable paid out,
llS1s-but little waste. In the afternoon all
continued to go well until s o'clock, when,
as splice was going over the wheels, the
cable surged ont OF the growing and put it in
imminent danger. The ship was stopped
and backed, and the cable got round the
wheel again, and all went on we'll until AS
p. NJ, when like accident occurred. 1t was
again rernedied ut 1890. The electricians
tfcpottcu tuc ObttNHUy OTUbtD. HO sIgudls
having been received for two hours and q
half.
Iaesday, dug. 11h.-Continuity was again
Established; telegraph working we'll, but at
s.45 A. NJ, the brakes 5eing applied heavily
with o strain of $500 pounds, the stern of the
ship won't down in the hollow OF the seattle
machinery stopped. and when the stern rose
on tho next sea, tie cable snapped md our
cork ,0ds all loot.
g. . III 4
than described. Blank looks and dismayed
countenanccs met one on every hand. The
unbidden tear started to many a manly eye.
The interest taken in the enterprise by all,
every one, officers and men, exceeded any
thing ever saw, and 1t is no wonder there
should have been so much emotien at our
failure. We bad laid down three hundred
and thirty four miles Of the cable, That
fact alone demonstrates the practicability ol
J laying the whole. The machinery has been
the sole cause of the failare-Its own intriu-
sic defects and the want Of due caution in
applying the brakes. Had the engineers al
lowed IL 70 run freely, some cable would have
boon wasted; but the whole would have been
laid, and England and America united.
|, That tie cable will be laid have not the
slightest doubt; but this Company mus,
manage its affairs differently, The whole
thing has been miserably botched from be-
ginning to end. There has been no fore
thought; no practical common sense--nC
head, and but little design. The Niagara was
ordered to the wrong place ut first, and nc
plans for putting the cable in had been SEN
, to America, to see il sho was fitted for tn,
work. The two halves Of the cable wer,
differently laid up-the one right handed
and the other LELAND MANI other egregioui
errors were committed. The engineer VIZ.
without any nautical experience, and ap
; parently incapable of seeing what would b,
the effect Of acheck Of $500 fbs., which might
by the momentum Of the ship, be increased u
thousands OF tons, in an instant.