Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-08-13
The Atlantic telegraph Cable.


Atlantic Ocean so that Continents can hold
converse together, is rapidly progressing in
England. Twelve hundred miles of the
magnetic cable had been slowed away on
the Agamemnon at the latest date, to make
room for which all her guns had been taken
out except two small ones on the upper
deck. The immense coil of tarred rope
rises up below the surface Of the water to
the underside of the deck of the ship
The cable weighs about one ton to the
mile, making twelve hundred tonsinthe coils.
The Agamemnon left Greenwich on the
oath of July for Sheness to have her CON-
passes adjusted, after which she would pro-
ceed direct to Cork.
The mode of laying the cable has been
changed. Instead of commencing in mid
ocean and laying each way, it is purposed
to submerge the whole cable in continuous
line from Valentia Bay, in Ireland, to New
foundland. The Niagara, to lay the first
half the end then to be joined to the other
half on board the Agamemnon,' and reeled
off to the coast of Newfoundland. During
the whole process the ships are to remain
together and give whatever assistance is
required. Constant communication is to
be kept up with the coast of Ireland during
the progress Of the work, and the wire is
to be carried at once from Killarney to
Valentia Bay, so as to connect with the
British and Irish telegraph lines.
The London Observer gives the follow
ing very interesting account of the Gable on
the Agamemnon, and of other matters per-
tanning to the grand enterprise of the age /:
There are more than 200 flakes or layers
of the coil, one above the other, and the
huge coil following the form of an oval or
circle, as the shape of the ships hold re-
quires, and varying in its diameter from
forty-four to fifty feet, is already about
eleven feet thick, and at every beat of a
pendulum an electric spark is flashed
through every inch of that solid compact
mass. The huge thing lives, and every
throb of its electric pulse is marked by the
DETECTION ofa tiny, delicate needle on
dialplate. From the immense batteries of
Mr.. Whitehouse, the electrician of the COM
pany, an amount of electric fluid is every
moment sent on its circling mission of
1900 miles, which, if discharged at once,
would under certain electric conditions of
the atmosphere, and below thunder cloud,
form lightning flash of the most terrific
power. But trained by man, this concen-
trated essence of the thunderstorm passes
on its unseen path, does
the bidding of his taskmaster in DETECTING
the small needle which keeps watch for its
arrival, and completing its mysterious cir
cult, returns obediently to the cell whence
it first issued forth.
Some time since it was thought that the
fluid would be so much retarded in its way
through great lengths of wire, that it would
be impracticable to apply electricity to the
communication between England and
America. This was a point most material
to be decided, and a number of experiments
we're most carefully made to ascertain the
speed of the electric current. Professor
found that it travelled 2SS, 900
niles in second, or more than ten times
he length girdle round the earth. 9th
r experiments fixed its speed at 1851
niles per second. In the currents of cleo
rieity sent through the 1900 miles of rope
low on board the Agamemnon, and partial
y on shore, Mr.. Whitehouse has not been
lble to mark any appreciate speed of this
mysterious agent. 1t might be thought
he electric messenger, having to run its
ound through the myriads of circling and
concentrated coils of rope, might not be
lble to travel SO quickly as long a straight
Dad. But gradients and curves are un-
,nown to this bright Ariel who asks only
he one favor, that he should be kept from
oming in contact with the base earth while |
mployed in the service of the Prosperos
Tho direct his actions.
All doubts with respect to the retarda-
ion Of the electric current are set at rest,
nd an extensive series of experiments have
hown that ten words may be whispered
nder the Atlantic, from Ireland to New
every minute, or 14,4OO words
er day. The cable will be delivered in
he first instance out of the hold of the
nip through trumpet-mouth tube, eleva-
ed about thirty feet above the top of the
one around which the rope is coiled. 1t
ill then pass over and under a series of
or grooved wheels, where the
mount of adhesion or friction of the rope
ill be regulated so as to counterbalance
he weight of the cable in suspension in the
ater, and will thus afford perfect control
yer its delivery. AS in some parts the
epth at which the rope is to be laid will
e rather more than two miles and half,
lere would be in the process of paying
ut probably twice that extent of cable held
suspension, and as this weight in the
ater is IA cwt. to the mile, the necessity
adopting due preeaution against the
lble running away too quickly will be evi-
ent, and the machinery for providing
yainst this contingency is of the most
owerful description.
Arrangements are also made in the event l
any accident, for cutting away the cable
I'd securing the end of it to large buoys {
ted with mirrors, and provided with sew {
al miles of ordinary rope, and an auxilia- T
steam engine is fitted up on board, to
employed in hauling in the buoy ropes a
hen it is desired to take possession of the I
le again. The batteries to be taken on |
ard for signalling through the cable I
nile in progress of being submerged, are J
most extraordinary power. The zinc I
ates employed weigh three tons, and with t
e boxes and the acid together, it is up t
Irds of five tons. That battery of very Z
nsiderable power will be required for the II