The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-23

From the London Times, July o.l


The of the failure thus far we cannot even con-
lecture. The American ship brings the home and
if its people had simple stated that the breakage was not
on their sde and that all they knew about it the
cessation OF the signals from the AgaMemnon we should
naturally have concluded that it at the latter shin
When however they add TO this that the electricians on
board had experimental on the broken cable and had
thereby arrived at the conclusion that the breakagc must
have been at or near the Agamemnon, they take the
matter altogether out of the depth Of the noarncd pub
nc and leave us to imagine or suspect thing please
II 1t Is possible to measure over approximately the
length of wire by electrical experiments at one end
then We have nothing to do but wonder the progress
of science and art But wait for further information
particularly from the people board tho Agamemnon
The electrical conditions Of the problem being known
this is only mechanical question: with no other chances
OF uncertainty than those Of ordinary maritime char
acter, winds, waves CURRENTS md what may be called
the deepsea anchorage which the cable had to rest
With regard, then, to the mechanical difficulties and to
the provisions made against them bo said that
this trial was very hopeful Two ships gave a
double chance Of failure Each was evidently unequal
to its moety of the work. having neither proper sowage
room for the cable for the proper quantity of coils
The Niagara left shores deep in the water as to
excite misgiyngs in all who her and then we were
told that though the Agamemnon looked better, she
was, In fact, a ship of less tonnage N I'm
The paying out the tackle and the brake had been
proved with success which the scientific alone could ap
prcoiate The speculation was that Just we should
probably have the Atlantic at Its camest which, as it,
turns out has not been the To Judge the pic
ure OF tho expedition it sailed from shores the
Agamemnon and the Niagara filled with their huge
freight that the gigantic coils spread from the hold into
every gunroom, gangway, and cabin, we Were relying
too much on the favor of the elements and LAYING our
selves at the mercy Of their caprice 1t is premature in
deed, to say that we have been beaten by the elements
but the next attempt ought to combine every prcaution
suggested by the past ~ Naa
suggestion has been made several times in these col
umns, and seems to us worth considering The Ieva-
than is as yet only shell. Excepting that 1t has not
even its engines board, it is exactly that state
to which, at great difficulty and COST the Agamemnon
and Niagara have been reduced for this service In the
Leviathan any length Of cable that could possibly be
qured could bc held and slowed in the manner most con-
venent for paying out The pitch of that huge vessel
will he quite nconserabc in the roughest es and the
strains the cable will therefore be uniform Sufficient
length may be taken board for the lavish use of
the cable to twice the distance from ono shore to
the other. ilis Etal is z. atsit9 81 t8sH 9A Z
1t is plain we must not be stngy of material If we n
to succeed The ingenious writers who enlightened the
public on the wonders of the deep tell that currents
carry the cable miles out of the ships course before
touches the bottom that, freely payed out the
cable probably hangs in fesoons from submarine
mountain top to another and that IL tile cable h
50 fortunate as to escape the sharp edge of prccce
suspension between two distant points may stretch
1t beyond ts strength If this be 3d. the moro cable we
have, within reason, the better. uAiH 81 h--a
No ship afoat but the Levathan could carry ample &
supply for the whole distance. 1t alone could carry Goals
sufficient for paying out the whole cable the rate Of
iyc four and three miles hour, if necessary and
could Afford in the midst of the process to make
any delays that might be thought advisable Whatever
be thought of this suggestion feel sure that no
body really expects much from fleet of four ships sail
ing out to rendezvous In the middle of the Atlantic to
lay down cablcal the ships confesscdy
and all of them reckoning upon good weather and other
favorable circumstances There is unity and simplici-
ty about the undertaking which i'll accord with 10 com.
plcx and hazardous process ~ ~ Ii f9Rt ltifm.