The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-09-02


to 20 abrupt and unfortunate q termination, there
still remains one very important point to be set
tied, without full explanation of which the
public will not and ought not to be satisfied
It ia not sufficient to know that the cable broke
under an extraordinary pressure, owing to what
seems to have been the negligence of the man
who had charge Ct the brakes at the time
of the accident, and 1t Is eminently proper
and due to the people of both nations
most Immediately interested in the success
Of the enterprise, that full and satisfactory
report on the matter should be published without
delay. 1t appears from the documents furnished
by the Telegraph Company to Captain Hudson
which were Published in the HERALD of Mon
day in our correspondents highly graphic &C.
count-that Mr.. Charles 7. Bright was invested
with supreme authority and control over the en-
tire undertaking. AL the responsibility rests
upon his shoulders and we submit that it is his
duty to make full statement to the public of the
accident and its immediate cause.
On the most important points not particle Of
light has been thrown, either by the English jour-
nails or by the official report of Mr.. Field. Even
the correspondent Of the HERALD, though he has
followed up all the movements Of the enterprise,
from first to last with a fidelity and minuteness
not equalled in any other journal either in this
country or in Europe, fails to give che required
information in regard to the accident and the par
| ticulsrs attending it, from the fact, we sup
pose, that it occurred at four O'clock in the
morning. when all on board, except those en-
gagged in paying out or in managing the ship, were
asleep in their berths Not a syllable has been
whispered about it by any one who was present
at the moment when the cable parted. This is
singular and looks mysterious. OF course the
insinuation thrown out by the minor journals
that the cable was broken by design, upon dis.
covering that there was not enough on board to
reach Newfoundland, will not be believed by the
public. If any such thing was attempted, it
would hagdly be done when less than three hun
dred miles from the starting point, and before the
deepsea portion of thevoyage was fully tested. 1t
appears from the despatch received at the Navy
Department from Capt. Hudson, that Mr. Bright
was personally experimenting the machinery
when the accident occuTed and, for ought we
/,
hand which applied the brakes The machinery,
we are informed, was bis own invention, and we
trust that he was not, like so many inventors,
too confident of the perfection Of his own work.
1t is admitted at all hands, that to the deficiency
of his machine and want of foresight in apply
ing it, the accident is due
Mr.. Bright may be very skilful engineer; but
he is evidently not nautical man, and knows
nothing of the effect which the motion of ship
in heavy sea may have on machinery. Ii he
does, we hardly know how to account for the
raalness exhibited In applying the brakes with
full power, at the moment when the strain on the
cable was almost the utmost it could bear. H.
deed, Mr.. Bright does not attempt to shift the
responsibility over on other heads; for nc states
in communication to Capt. Hudson, that he
does not consider the fracture Of the cable 70 be
in the least degree attached to any Que connected
uith .Le Lip.
Another extraordinary event in the history Of
this expedition has also been passed over without
any attempt at explanation 1t will be remembered
that the day before the cable parted the CONT
nuity was interrupted for two hours and q half
During that interval the electric current refused
to pass to the coast of Ireland or back to the
Niagara The scientific men on board took coun
eel and decided that the gutta percha had worn
Off portion of the wire, and that the insulation
was hopelessly destroyed 1t was actually agreed
upon to cut the cable and return to England
when suddenly, as if by magic, the continuity
was restored, and messages began to flash along
the wire. Among the wise heads which sur
rounded the machine that day are there none
who can furnish theory upon which to account
for this phenomenon? II submarine line Is
subject to such eccentricties as this, its value
will be materially decreased.
The public mind will not be content until the
fullest official statement Of how and why the
cable broke Is Tnblished. At present it Is not
satisfactorily accounted for. Mere generalties
and bald facts are not sanicient-the public
want the particulars Let us have more light
Meantime, We hope sincerely that the enter
prise will not be put off till next year. The di.
rtctors net on the 9th ult to decide whether the
attempt shall be renewed In October, or post.
poned to next summer. There il ample time be
tween that date and the first Of October to manu-
facture the additional cable necessary, and tho
roughly reft the paying out machine, doing away
with the brakes altogether. With five hundred
additional miles Of cable, q well tested machine,
a competent chief engineer, and the ex-
perience Of the past trial, we have every
confidence in it's success There are only
three months in which an attempt to lay the
cable can be safely made-June, August and
October; and the latter month IL just rs favorable
for the undertaking as either of the others The
weather in that month is usually mild and genial,
and, according to our experience, some of the
pleasantest and best TRANSATLANTIC voyages have
been made at that season. We see no reason why
the expedition should be postponed and we opine
thaf if the directors shnuld have rnsolrod 10 do