Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-07-28
From the. New York Enquirer.
Failures of tho Atlantic Cable E.terpriss

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Failures Of tho Atlantic Cable Enterprise
The psIticuiars Of the failure of this last
attempt to lay the Atlanr;c Telegraph cable,
as far as they were known IL Ergisnd at the
time of the sailing of tho North Star, ere far
from satisfactory. leaving the cause Of tie
failure altogether matter Of conjecture -
The London Times. in an article on the sub
iecs of the failure, says, that if the people of
the Niagara had simply stated that the break
age was not on their side and that al they
knew about it was the cessation of the signals
from the il AgaBemnon, we should naturally
have concluded that it vas at the latter ship
When. however. they add to this, that the
electricians on board had experimental Oh the
broken cable. and had thereby arrived at the
conclusion that the breakage must have been
at or near the AgamemnoD, they take the
matter altogether out Of the depth of the un-
learned public and leave US to Imagine or
suspect anything we please. with regard
to the mechanical difficulties anu to :he pro-
visions made against them continues the
Times, ut cannot be said that this trial was
hopeful one Two ships gave double
chance of failure. Each was evidently une-
quail to its moiety OF the work having neith-
er proper storage room for the cabl nor for
the proper quantity of coalr The niagara
left cur shores SO deep in the water as to ex-
cite misgivings in all who saw her and then
we were told that though the Agamemnon
looked better, she ship OF less tonnage
The paying ou'. the tackle and the break
were proved with success which the seien-
tiiic alone could appreciate. The speculation
was that just now we should probably have
the Atlantic at its ealnest, which, as it turns
out, has not been the case. To ju gc from
tfl,py apff H.
our shores, the Agame.Enon and the Niagara
filled with their huge freight that the gi.
gantlc coils spread from the hold into every
sunroom, gangway, ana cabin, We were re-
lying to much on the favor of the elements,
and laying ourselves at the mercy Of their ca
price. 1t is prem, ature, indeed TO say thai
We have been beaten by the elements: but
the next attempt ought to combine every pre-
caution suggested by the past" The Times
concludes its article with the suggestion that
the Levlathau should be the sole vessel with
which to conduct the next experiment. inas-
much as nobody really expects much from a
heet oi four ships sailing cut 10 redczvous in
the middle Of the Atlantic to iay down one
cable. all the ships being coDf.ssedly over
tasked, and ali OF them reckoning lpon good
weather and other favorable circumstances:
and inasmuch the Leyiathan is the cnly
vessel afioat capable of doing the work Of tie
four, and reducing their hazardous and com,
pick process to that unity and mplcity v hich
is IN accordance with the undertaking The
heeathg Post Of this city, also, on Monday
last, made similar suggestion in reference
to the l-eviatlan, taking the following grounds:
~ cattle cojird cannot Da uncoiled without
kinks Therefore the cable must he n eIed to
be laid. The necessity for two vessels 10 Law
the cable. Quodruples (and more) tic risk Of |
accident. Therlf4re tl2 cable must be laid
fron. cac snip The reyaso 10 Eugand is |,
easier. shorter, and safer than the voyage |
fam Euglaad; ;aerefuEc the vessel with the /
caLia ztnald start from this side, There is |
one vessel ene, che Only, Of tonnage and room
sufficient - cary tue whole cable. - wit: |
tne Leviaihara. Therefore. the catie, if ever
laid At al, must D, s;owed on succession of
reels IN h. I.eriatha,l, aud tle ..Levi.tuan
must sail from our oTn shores " There isl
Z great deal to bc said in favor
ot this Suggestion, ,,.Ils almost simultaneously
nsie both here and in EpglaUd, and a more !
Iavorabia consideration. than has yet been !
paid to it, Is also due to Prof. Morses opin- |
on that the cable On board the company's |
steamers is much too heavy, and that of |
Is weight, or less Ii. ght be laid ard worked |
Although two failures stare Us
n the face, it is not in the nature of things. I
hat this great enterprise should lack another |
and yet another trial. each failure olicitug
lew suggestions for consideration, and setting I.
new lessons to be learned, until even failure /
tself shall bring fiual success. The news of
he second failure did not. we see, reduce At |
antic Telegraph Stock in London to any
where near the neighborhood of cypher. or
even nominal value, the quotation icing e300 I.
10 800 The mind and power of time is
this great undertaking, and |
wind and wave will have to rise higher and /
electric cables more of an impossibility |
for The ocean, than they have yet done. be-
fore the Atlantic Telegraph is abandoned |
There is yet hope and there will yet be more
work and more scieoce without falterirg. to |
have that hope realized.