American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-09-18
LAYING of the TELEGApH CABLE,

A correspondence of the New York
Herald Whites to that paper as follows
BURLINGTON. Aug. 81, 1857
"Gentleman-- Would no, the Difficult.
ty that has for the time prevented the
laying Of the Atlantic Telegraph ca.
BILE have been easily Iemedied had there
been al attachment of small buoys a,
intervals, say Of so miles along the Gu
BILE
"These buoys could have been a,
tached by copper or otherwise, giving
sutiicient play for the swell Of the sea;
and when the break took place, the yes.
sells might have returned to the last
buoy. and securing The bio oxen end, spill,
eco 1t and gone on wilh.thoir work
This idea may have suggested itself to
the directors and been rejected as not
being practicable but we do no, see
what objection there could be to it.
A correspondents Of the Nor folk AR,
gus makes the follwing .judicious com
menls GU the foregoing:
Fearing that those entrusted with The
laying of the cable, for the wan, of a
illtie common sense which they have
already displayed, might adopt he ab
surd suggestion, | ask through yonr col.
umns to show how impracricable is the
Idea, aud propose plan both sinpls
and sure.
| will first suppose that the cable
| breaks at tho distance OF fifty miles
from the buoy in a dark stormy uig ht.
when the waves would sweep buoy, ca.
bic and all. far away, where il would
take forty fleets To find it, Every one
knows who is acquainted with the sea,
how difficult ii Isl" fnd single Object
in 'he open ocean.
| He says the buoy would be attached
by wires, giving sufficient play for tho
swell oftho sea. This ol course would
let the cable be entirely immersed in
| water, and in case If n break tho insidu
! OF The cable would be wet with water.
which suppose i, is desirable to avoid
to prevent its rusting and co,roding.
Having pointed ont The strong ohiec-
tloist To the proposed plan, will show
! how these objections can be avoided -
| mere are five steamers employed in
laying this cable. the Niagara, Susauc.
| hanna, Agamemn"n, Cycl"ps, and tho
Leopold. Now let the Niagara with
The cable on board, commence TO Law
out al the end of say ten o. twenty miles
let one Of the other steamers take tho
| bite CT the cable aud hold il above wn.
ter til! the Niagara has laid on, twenty
miles. then another ono of the steamers
| takes the bite Of the cable, and holds il
IN the same manner until twenty or more
miles are laid out, in the meantime tho
first steamer that has held the cable bs,
drorpcd it and returned to the Niagara
ready to take her turn again when 10.
! CURED.
ShonId the cable break, the Niagara
| goes back to the vessel that has the bite
of the cable, spices it ADORE water,
where it is perfectly dry and again com.
monces I" lay il out At the time tho
cable breaks, or when il is desired tn at
the steamer that holds it should drop
1t and return to the one that is laying it
out, signals can be given by firing a gpn
IN The daytime. or by rockets a, night
The distances at which the vessel. sho'd
DO apart when the bite of the cable is
let go into the sea, must be regulated
by the weather aud other circumstan.
ces.
Had this simple plan boon adopted in
the late unfortunate attempt to lay the
cable. we would ere this. have received
telegraphic news from Europe by way
OF the bottom Of the great deep. ..