The weekly ledger., 1857-10-03

news is highly interesting.
THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
BY the following extract of official reports
you will see that the Atlantic Telegraph cable
parted when 335 miles had been paid out.
After leaving Valentia on the eve of the
18th of August, the paying out of the cable
from the Niagra progressed most satisfacto-
rally, until Immediately before the mishap.-
At the junction between the shore and the
small cable, about miles from the starting
point, it was necessary to stop to renew the
splice This was successfully effected and the
end of the heavier cable lowered by a hawser
until it reached til bottom, buoys being
stretched at short distances apart, to mark
the place of union. BY noon on the 8th we
had paid out 40 miles of cable, including the
heavy shore end
Up to p NJ on that day the egress of
the cable had been sufficiently retarded by
the power necessary to keep the machinery
in motion, at a rate little faster than the
speed of the ship; but as the water deepened
it was necessary to place some further re-
straint upon it by applying pressure to the
friction drums, or give connection with the
paving out sheayes; and this was gradually
and cautiously increased from time to time,
as the speed of the cable compared with that
of the vessel, by the depth of the soundings,
showed to be requisite. BY midnight 80
miles had been safely laid, the depth of wa
.er being .hen little more than 200 fathoms.
At A. NJ. of the 9th we had finished the
deck coil in the after part of the snip, having
paved out l20 miles The change TO the coil
between decks to forward way was safely
made BY noon we had laid 1876 miles of
cable, the depth of water having increased
to 4l0 iathoms. In the evening the speed of
the vessel was increased to five knots an
hour. had previously kept down the rate
at from to A knots for the small cable, and
2 Tor the heavy end next the shore, wishing
to get the men and machinery well at work
prior TO attaining the speed which ! had an
ticipated making.
BY midnight ls9 miles had been laid
At A NJ. on the 10th the depth Of water
began to increase from $50 fathoms to 1870
fathoms. Up to this time cwt. strain
suffced TO keep the rate of the cable near
enough to that Of the ship; but as the wa
ter deepened the proportioaate speed OF the
cable advanced, and it was necessary TO aug
ment the pressure by degrees, until in the
debth of 1900 fathoms the indicator showed
a strain of Is cwt while the cable and
ship were running 81 and knots respect
fully. AT noon of the 10th we had paid out
l55 miles of cable, the vessel having made
254 miles from shore A this time we eX-
perienced an increasing swell, followed in the
day by strong breeze From this period,
having reached 1000 fathoms, il was neces-
sary to increase the strain to one ton by
which the speed Of the cable was main
tanned in the same proportion to that of the
ship. AT & P. NJ some difficulty arose through
the cable getting out of the sheaves, and OF
the paying machines, owing to the tar and
pitch hardening in the grooves and a splice
of large dmeutions passing over them. This
was rectifed by fixing guard and softening
the tar with oil
1t was necessary to bring up the ship, hold
ing the cable by shoppers until it was again
properly disposed around the pullies. Some
Importance is due to this event. as showing
that it is possible to lay in deep water with
out continuing to pay out cable, point upon
which doubts have been frequently expressed
Shortly after this the speed of the cable
gained considerably upon that of the ship
and up to 8 o'clock, while the rate of the
latter was about knots by the log the ca
BILE was running out from to 81 knots per
hour. A strain was then raised to 25 cwt.,
but the wind and sea increasing, and a cur
rent at the same time, carrying the cable at
an angle from the direct line of the ships
course, it was found insufficient to check the
cable, which at midnight was making -
knots above the speed of the ship, aud some
times imperilling the safe uncoilngin the bold.
The retarding force was therefore increased
at o'clock TO about equal TO 30 cwt., and
then again in consequence of the speed con-
tinuing to be more than it would have been
prudent to permit, at 35 cwt BY this the
rate of the cable was brought to little
short of s knots at which it continued stead
lily until O'Clock and 25 minutes, when it
parted, the length paid out at that time being
335 miles.
GENERAL NEWS.
The claim of Mrs Cunningham to the es-
tate of DR.. Burdell has been decided against
her. BY the Surrogate's decision, the clear
title is decreed TO the blood relations of the
murdered man, on the ground that Mrs. q.
was never married to him. She remains In
the New York Toombs awaiting her trial
for the bogus baby business.
1t is reported that proposition has been
made by the heads of the church and the
army in Nicaragua, for Gen Walker to re-
turn and take the helm of affairs. HandbllS
are being circulated in the interior OF Geor-
gia and Tennessee, inviting recruits for Mica
ragua; $25 per month and 25O acres OF land
are offered
The official returns Of the recent election
in Missouri give Stnnrt. Dem, a majority Of