Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-09-03
The Atlantic Telegraph Cable.

An article in the London Daily News thus
explains the breaking Of the cable:
"On Monday evening August 10, heavy
swell set in and powerful undercurrent was
experienced This increased through the
night of Monday and the early morning of
Tuesday. At about half-pasb three on Tues
day morning, it was found that though the
vessel was only making some three OF four
knots an hour, the cable was paying out FIVE,
six, and sometimes even seven knots. At this
rate, it was obvious than the quantity of wire
on board would be exhausted before the New
foundland shore was reached, 1t became ne
cessary to tighten the strain on the cable, and
this was accordingly done till the pressure
reached 5000 pounds. This was at a quarter
to four on Tuesday morning. There was q
heavy swell at the moment that the full in
creased power was put on the brake; the stern
OF the Niagara was low down in the trough Of
the sea. AS she rose on the back of the waves
the extra strain thus occasioned was more than
the-s strength of the cable could bear, it gave
way under the pressure, and, parting at some
distance from the ships stern, it sunk down
like lead through the mighty waters on that
portion of the telegraphic plateau between
ireland and Newfoundland, where the Allan
tic reaches its maximum depth of not less than
1000 fathoms At the time Of the severance,
| the Niagara had made from 260 to $50 miles
IN direct course from Valentia harhor, and
the length of cable that hdH been let 90 was
about $50 miles, x x The general
opinion among those most qualified to form a
Judgment, appears to be thai we have learned
enough in this first essay toIrender the success
OF the next attempt morallycertain Twoim-
poHtant points have been deeisvely set at rest
by what has been already achieved. The I'M
paraleed length Of the cable, and the vast
depth to which it was sunk. have presented no
obstacles to its telegraphic working. Until
the final disaster occurred, messages were
dashed with the most perfect success along the
2,5OO.miies Of wire, portion of which was
>uhmurged to the depth of very nearly two
miles in the ocean. Another point relates to
the rate at which the cable can be paid out
Ii has been conclusively proved that there is
no obstacle to laying down at the rate of five
miles per hour in the greatest depth of water
that exists on the proposed line of submersion
The principal defect appears to be in the pay
lng-out gear the machinery by which the
cable is delivered from the ships deck into the
ocean. Another difficulty to be overcome in
sinking cable of such lepght to a depth SO
great--a difficulty which has probably been
more fully demonstrated by the results of this
experiment than it could have been by pre-
vlous calculations the great force of the
under current While the direct course of the
Niagara was only about $50 miles, the expend-
iture of cable was about 3S0--a difference
which could scarcely have been accounted up
on. In the next venture every circumstance
Of this kind will be taken fully into calculation
the mechanism for passing the cable into the
water will no doubt receive all those improve
ments of which it is susceptible, and, if the
time be so fortunately chosen as to secure
three weeks of favorable weather--a circum.
stance by no means immaterial--there can be
no reason whatever for despairing of ultimate
success"