The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1857-09-03


!, 600 days in order to ascertain the precise
time Of the year most favorable for the
prosecution of the work. The result o.
the inquiry was that if fogs were the only
obstacles, the Winter months would be
better than the Summer months if the ice
were the chief danger. August would be
best month; and if storms were the most
dreaded, then the month Of June. Ia.
king ice, fogs and storms all into consid.
Grafton together, Lieut. MAuRY came te
the conclusion that ssbetween the Goth oil
July and the 10th of August both sea and
air are usually in the me st favorable con
dition for the laying down of the wire
All the contracts and appointments of the
Company were accordingly made, with a
view to the completion of the work with.
in the period named But they have moi
been wholly successful. 1t will be the Sd
Iof August before the work of laying
the cable will be commenced. The line
over which the vessel will proceed while
dropping the cable will be, as nearly as
possible, the arc of the great circle which
lies between the mid entrance of Trinit Y
Bay, Newfoundland, ,and the mid. entrance
OF Valentia Harbor in Ireland. Thelength
Of the arc is 1884 GILES, and its central
point is in latitude $50 4 n, and in lon
! gitude 32o SO w. The maximum speed
of the vessels, while paying out the ca
BILE, is estimated at five miles per hour,--
but probably 100 miles day is quite as
much as they will be able to accomplish
The goth of August. therefore is quite as
early a day as their arrival on the West
ern Coast can be anticipated, even if they
should suffer no detention from storms.-
AS you already know, the cable is 800
miles longer than the route upon which it
is to be laid; this provision has been made
purely as precautionary measure,--in
case any portion of the cable should re-
quire to be cut away, &c. 1t is undoubt-
edly ample for all contingencies which are
at all likely to arise,
! The machinery for paying out the ca
BILE has been very carefully adapted to
meet all the service that may be required
of it,-in calm and in storm,-and is in
tended to give the most complete control
and mastery of the cable under all cir
stances. The controlling machine, as it is
styled, stands behind the mizen- mast and
occupies the whole deck. -Four cast iron
sheaves, or cylinders, about five feet in
diameter, are ranged in line with one an
other, fore and aft. The first, commenc-
ing forward, is single grooved; the second
and third are double grooved,:. ). and the
fourth is single grooved The cable as it
comes up from the hold of the ship, pass
cs over one ofthe grooves in the second
drum, then under it back wards and
over and around the first single drum
j
groove in the second, then it goes direct
ly across to one groove in the third, fol-
lowing but small arc in its periphery
thence the last single drum. aid down
ward around this back to the preceding
double one, and, finally. over the unoc.
cupied groove in that to a tJM grooved
drum, standing out upon ridgid arms over
the stern, from which it is dropped into
the sea. The grooves in all these drums
are exactly adapted, in size and form, to
the cable. The passing and repassing Of
the cable over them serves to afford frie-
ton surface for controlling the velocity Of
the rope in passing out. But additional
checks for this purpose are provided.
The four drums are so connected by
gearing that their motions are exactly CO.
incident the motion of any one of them
involving corresponding motion in all the
rest Upon two of the shafts, moreover,
friction -brakes-the same in principle as
those used upon railroads; -are applied,
to control the velocity of the drums, and
to these, which are worked by screw, is
attached balance, which will indicate
the precise amount of strain thrown upon
the cable at any moment. The screw is
worked by crank. at which will be sta
toned an officer whose duty it will be to
watch the balance and regulate the fric-
ton of the brakes accordingly. In the
electricians department. there. will be
signals every second, by electrical cur
rents, passed through the entire length OF
the cable, from the ship to the shore. At
the side of the vessels, there are also pat
ent logs, hanging down into the water'
with vanes and wheels, turning faster or
slower, according to the velocity with
which the ship drags them through the
water. One of these wheels has been so
arranged as to make and break an elec-
trio circuit at every revolution, and record
upon the deck of the ship, by the appara'
tus providedfor the purpose, the speed ol
the vessel A bell will also sound upon
every raSSacra Nf tho a1ccfrJC current