The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-18
Additional News from the Tele-
graph Fleet.
Statements Of the Captain and Mate
Of the Alice Munroe.
LETTER FROM MIR. FIELD.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE AGAMEMNON.
Two Unsuccessful Attempts to Lay
the Wire.
A THIRD EXPERIMENT TO BE MADE,
&C., &C., &cs


| The Boston Courier of yesterday says the ship
| Alice Munroe, Captain Comings, from Liverpool
June II, arrived at the Boston Quarantine on Fri
day afternoon with important intelligence from the
Atlantic telegraph fleet. He fell in with two of the
ships in midocean on Sunday, June 27, and learned
from the lieutenant of the Niagara and Mr.. Cyrus
w. Field who boarded his ship, that two unsuccess
full attempts had been made to submerge the cable
| and that the feet were about to enter upon
| third experiment. We give Capt. Comings re-
| port, as follows
At sea- Sunday, June ~, lat. 50 deg.5 min north,
Ion. 80 deg Is min. west wind west, light; weather
| hazy; saw two ships heading to the eastward; on
| looking with glass found them to be the United
States steam frgate Niagara and her Britannia Ma
jestys steamship Gorgon, of the telegraphic squad
ron, and as they were lying still / at once tackled
| ship and stood towards them. At III A. NJ. was
| boarded by Cyrus W. Field, Esq, and lieutenant
| from the Niagara, from whom we received letter
| bag and the following communication
Mr. FIELDS COMMUNE ALTON.
Tho squadron had experienced very bad westher
since leaving port and sixteen days reaching their
destination that they had male two unsuccessful attempts
70 lay the cable On the 10th, when they made the
cond attempt they succeeded in laying OF forty
miles, and we're going along Sey when the commuu nc
The ships then returned to the starting point ling
70 agreemen and were waiting for the Agamemnon and
valorous to return AS they Ahoud do So new
spice would be made aud another attempt made 70 lay
| the cable.
We lost sight of the Niagara at $50 P. NJ, 9th.
| The Agamemnon and Valorous were not then in
sight, and it set in foggy soon after, do not think
| the squadron joined before the next day.
Mr.. Field seemed in good spirits and thought they
should yet succeed in laying the cable. No cause
could be assigned by those board the Niagara for
the breaking of the cable the second time, il did
| not break near the ship. The weather was fine and
| the sea smooth at the time.
The stormy weather had caused much delay and
some slight injury to the squadron One ship had
coal bunker break loose, and broke the leg of one
sailor and the arm Of another They were all well
on board the Niagara; the machinery worked finely,
| and the ship performed well in all respects.
| The weather has been very stormy and unsettled
ever since parting, sometimes blowing gale from
the westward. J. S. COMINGS,
Master ship Alice Munroe.
July 3, ls5s-Lat. 47:30 N, Ion. 47:s8W
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The above is the statement of Captain Comings
Our own reporter visited the Alice Munroe at Quar-
antine-six miles down the harbor, last night-re-
turning to the city at an early hour this morning,
bringing the following information procured from
the first mate, Mr.. John Richards
The Alice Munroe left Liverpool on the 18th OF
June three days later than the date of the sailing
Of the telegraph feet from Plymouth.
| She experienced almost constant southerly
| gales and was forced to take a much more
northerly course than she otherwise would have
done. On the morning Of the 9th, about eight
| o'clock, saw the frigate Niagara lying to in lat
52.05, long. 33.ls, and was shortly boarded by q
| boat from her, containing Mr.. Cyrus w. Field, of
New York, and lieutenant Of the Niagara. II was
| then foggy, but the weather was very calm Mr.
| Field and the lieutenant desired Capt Comings TO
| take certain letters and papers relating TO the
telegraph expedition to the United States, and
wrote one or two letters on board the Alice Munroe
during the hour or more they remained on board Of
| her. They also communicated TO Captain Co
mings and Mr.. Richards statement Of their doings
| for the past fortnight They stated that both YES
| sels-the Niagara and Agamemnon-exp experienced
the most violent southerly gales from the day they
left Plymouth and were driven as far north as ati
| tude 54-much higher than the rendezvous-thus
delaying their operations for several days. The Nj
agara behaved In all respects like thorough
| going vessel, and was none the worse for
| the storms. The Agamemnon, on the con-
| trary, suffered severely. At one time the
| commander Of the Agamemnon informed his first
| officer that they might as well prepare for a
watery grave-he had no hopes Of saving his
vessel two hours longer, 40 great her straining
But the storm subsidized at last, and the Agamcmnon
| rode out the gale. A most unfortunate accident
occurred board, however, caused by the breaking
| loose Of the "cone' which held the cable in is
position on the gun deck. The cable got adrift,"
and was pitched about the deck, undoubtedly much
| to its damage. Two hundred tons of coal also
| "got adrift" on the same deck, and caused infinite
trouble. Two seamen were injured by these acci.
| dents-one of them having an arm broken, and the
other a leg.
The two vessels and their tenders finally arrived
| ON the ground, and ON the morning Of the 2Gth
| connection Of the cable was efected-the weather
| then being sufficiently calm The paying out Of the
| cable had scarcely commenced before the wire
snapped After a few hours detention another splice
| was made, and the steamers staried-the Agamem-
non and her consort for Ireland and the Niagara and
her companion for the American coast. Signals
| were kept up between the two fleets constantly-a
message being transmitted every fifteen minutes
aud all was going well tin about forty miles had
been paid out when the electricians on board the
Niagara discovered that the current was broken.
This was OF halfpast twelve O'Clock AM. Of the
| 27th. The Niagara was Immediately put about,
| and she had already reached the mid-ocean rndez
vous at eight O'clock when she was FIRST seen by the
| Alice Munroe.
twas believed on board The Niagara that the Cause
Of the second breaking was a kink in the Agamem-
mons wire, caused by is dsarrangement during
the gale; but Of ha Mere is certainty. Nothing
was said 10 Mr.. Richards abou. The working Of the
| new brakes-probably there had been no occasion
| to put them in use.
Mr.. Fieldcould not conceal his evident downhcart-
edness he certainly had occasion for much Torbo.
ding. The theory thatJ the most propitious
month for carrying out the enterprise was entirely
Il -. H.. L.. go