Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-09-24
The Atlantic Telegraph.
THE MISFORTUNE.

The first dispatch which announced III
breaking OF the Atlantic telegraph cable
characterized it as a misfortune. The Ne,
York Times says it was something more Gha
misfortune, and that new adjective i
wanted to express the disappointment O
the whole world from the accident. Tn
same writer says that if the engineer VIII
| checked the cable had broke his arm, Will,
doing 1t, he would have been unfortunate
but the swapping of the little cord, as i
droPPei into the ocean, needs bigger wor,
than ''untor,unate''-and that word Web
ster's unabridged does not contain.
IRISH ENTHUSIASM.
From full accounts which have been pub
llshed since our last issue, it appears that
an immense concourse of people assembled
at Falentia, to witness the ceremony o. at
taching the end of the cable to the irish
shore. The moment the cab le- boats touch
ed the land, the crowd ran forward, and
hundreds of hands seized the cable, upon
which followed scene of the widest en-
thusiasm, in which the name of America
was hailed with such cheers as made the
mountains ring.
THE FIRST BREAK.
When the Niagara was only two miles
from Valenia the cable gave way, in con-
sequence of becoming caught in the pa ying-
out machinery. The vesse! was stopped as
soon as possible; but the strain was more
than the cable could bear, although it was
calculated that in length Of two miles it
would stretch a considerable distance. The
two miles under water was safely regained,
however, and the two following days the
paying out continued in the most satisfac-
tory manner.
NOISE OF THE MACHINERY.
The name given to the paying-out ma
chine was ''the coffee MILL as its noise.
which could he distinctly heard in all parts
Of the ship, resembled that OF a mill for
grinding coffee As long as this noise was
teard ali on board were assured that every
hing was safe Although it might appear
10 have been disagreeable racket, it Is
stated that such was the intense interest of
Ill on board in the cEterpr Use, that it was
as more pleasing than the
best of music.
NEARLY A BREAK.
There was Considerable apprehension on
BOARD that when the great depths were
cached the pay n--out might not 90 on so
GvUrdbly, a. on the Ii. tn day great ex-
:itement was produced by The cable slip /
,ipg of the wheels twice during the eve
lIng-!o ID considerable extent a repetition /
,f the same scene that took place when the |
able broke of the coast of Ireland. The |
hip was backed Immediately, the cable re-
eased from the train, and in ise minutes
vas heard the order ot the engineer, $50
head slow" The engineers kept near the
machine, resdy in case of emergency TO go
Ver tie work again; but there was no fur
her d.tticuity Of his kind.
IT FAILS TO WCRK.
Soon after the alarm from the above
Mentioned accident had subsiJed, the whole
nip " as thrown into another state OF ex-
itement o. the report that the continuity
;is g3Te--tust lie cable refused any lon
vr To TRANSMIT lie electric current: in "a
ord. that al! c muEication between the
ma and the shore mad ceased, in cOnse-
uence cf some accident 10 the copper wire
r conductor. of which no one knew the
ause. The continuity was lost for more
han two and half hours, and believing
hat the three hundred miles had been laid
ha ptafn md I
nd Professor Morse, all agreed that the
My thing to b. done Was to make an effor,
D transfer the cable 10 the machine pr0vi-
ed or Winding it up. The glad news,
oSever, was soon circulated through the
e,Sei that the continuity had been resiured.
10 explanation of this could be given.
TIE FATAL BREAK.
At distance of three hundred miles from ,
re iand the cable began to pay out much too
lst for the speed o: the vessel, and it ap- .
cared that in going the next thirty-tive ,
iiIes enc hundred miles of cable was used. ,
he probability is that it encountered one :
those strong under currents which have
uused 50 much difficulty in sounding, and ,
hich, at that rate, would have used SO ,
lucn of the line that its length would not ,
ave been sufficient to reach across. There
-as surplus of but six hundred miles,
lhereas more than one thousand, probably,
ould have been needed. The brakes were I
ccordiDgiy applied with more fOrce, when !
he cable instantaneously parted, and all
as over. This was about four O'Clock in
lie morning; and five minutes after it had ,
cen announced every one was out of bed
, ascertain If II was indeed true. There
as, hos sver no reason TO uou5t: for there !
4ng ;he broken end over the stern, swing
,r loosely and there we're :he wheels, as
IotIun .es- as a rock. tie other end had
yet sunk To The bottom; tor US IL had TO
asceBd more than two miles before il
cached the plateau, it would require more
me to accomplish that. Captain Huds on,
the Niagara, says that for day after the
ibe parted The Ulcers ard men the
luadrun appeared ike household or iam- 4
Y uhich mad lost iheir best friend. 80 h
aeply interested had ali becums III the sue u
,ss of the enterprise.
SIZE OF TIE CABLE.
The Boston TrGHscriP! describe; the ca
e as lI-I6ths OF an inch in diameter /
,uut the size oi a dime The outside Is I
OF eighteen strands ot small wire; i
EXT are six strands ol yarn; next, three Il
pats ot gutta rercha. inside oi all are
ven copper wires tor telcgraPhing. The IL
rureEa,e length Of smaller wires required I
The mauCiacture u une mile ct The cable I
one hundred ard ;wt n'y-sIN :aIles. 1t :
cighs eighteen hundred Tounds to the f
IL, is quite fl,Niaie, and it was estimated n
be stro~g ,noUsh to besr in water over 4
Y miles O. lis own len. tn, If suspended b
'rtlca ly.
1t is thought that large portion of the {
st cable may be recovered. The cost Of
e cable was little mere than $4,000,
lille the whole capital of the company is e
l.750.cOO, The proportions in whirh these a
,ares have been taken srr, l0l N London, n
in America, Sc in Liverpool, 81 in Gas :
ha or