Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-19

being wholly rree from SAM ana graVei, ~ 10
argued that there are no currents sweeping
this part of the oceans bed. The depth is
also highly favorable, being only two thou
sand and eighty fathoms at the deepest point
These governments also detailed national
vessels to lay down the cable The Company
thus avoided this great expense, excepting
only one steamer. The feet thus detailed
consisted as follows:
l. The u s. steam frigate Niagara, Cap
tain Hudson, to lay the half of the cable from
Ireland.
2. The U. S. steam frigate SuSquehanna,
Captain Sands, to attend upon the Niagara.
3. The Z. S. steamer Arctic, Captain Berry
man. to make further soundings on the coast
of Newfoundland
4. The Telegraph Company's steamer Vic
toria, Capt. SIuyter, to assist in landing the
cable at Newfoundland.
5. H. NJ. steamer Agamemnon, Capt Nod
dali. 10 lay the half of the cable on the Amer
lean sile.
8. Fl. NJ. steamer Leopard. Captain Vain
wright to attend upon the Agamemnon.
7. Fl. NJ. steamer Cyclops. Captain Dap
man. TO go ahead of the steamers and keep
the course.
8. The steamer Advice, Captain Raymond,
to assist in the landing of the cable at Va
lentia.
The engineers and electricians of the Com
pany, Prof Morse, Mr.. Bright. Prof ThOmp-
son, Mr.. J. c. Laws, Mr.. Appold, Mr.. Amos.
Mr.. Woodhouse Prof. Whtehouse, Mr. Can
ming. Mr.. De Sanity and Mr.. Clifford. were
divided between the two principal steamers,
for the purpose of conducting the paying out,
and directing the operation of the complicated
machinery. The force on board the Niagara
consisted of 287 officers and men, 67 men in
the Engineer corps, and so in the Marine
guard, making a total of 404. The force on
the Agamemnon was slightly larger.
The Company next solicited the advic of
that modern Neptune, NJ. F. MAURY, as to the
best time for laying the cable, and as an evil
dence of the extraordinary accuracy of his
research. we subjoin an extract from his re-
ply. He wrote:
Nevertheless, the enterprise upon which
you are engaged is an important one. Good
weather for il is very desirable, nay, almost
Indispensable; and these barometric anomalies
are very suggestive. Perhaps it would be
wise for the steamers not to join cables until
after the 10th of Jnly. think between that
time aud the 10Th Of August the state of both
sea and air Ii usually in the most favorable
condition possible; and that IS the time mn IN
UeStigatiOns indicate us the most favorable for
laying down the wire. | recommend it, and
wish you good luck"
These preliminaries being settled, the com
pany proceeded to contract for the necessary
cable, and by July, 1857, Messrs. Glass Eli
oft x Co., of England, the contractors, had
completed $500 miles of tested cable, ready
for the vessels which were to lay it. The ca
bic consisted of seven copper telegraph wires,
covered by three coats of gutta percha, those
in turn by six strands of yarn, aud upon the
outside eighteen strands composed of seven of
the best of charcoal iron wires. The whole
was ll-l6ths of an inch in diameter, weighed
1860 pounds to the mile, and was capable of
sustaining six miles of its own length, if sus-
the smaller wires required in the manufacture
of one mile of cable was l26 miles. so that
81 900 miles were used in the composition of
5000 miles of cable prepared for the attempt
of the present year. 1t had been determined
that Valentia Bay, on the Southwest coast of
Ireland, and Trinity Bay, Newfoundland,
should he the termni of this great ocean line
of telegraph. And it was resolved after
much debate, that the paying out of the cable
should begin at Valentia Bay, from thence-to
md-ocean paying out the cable on board the
Niagara, and paying out the AgamemnOn's
share on American side.
All being in readiness, the feet sailed from
Plymouth England about the LIST of August
1857. and on the evening Of the 9th the shore
end for Valentia Bay was landed with formal
ceremonies, in which the Lord Lieutenant the
church dignitaries, nobility and gentry of Ire
land, in large numbers participated. On the
morning of the 9TH the feet set SAIL and ev-
erything went on well till the fifth day out,
the 1lth, when, by application of the brakes,
at the wrong time, so great a strain was put
on the cable that it broke. 1t was found that
1874 miles of cable had been payed out, leaving
on board the vessel 1917 miles, or a surplus
of 2O7 miles over the distance between the
terminus at ireland and Newfoundland; but
this was deemed an insufficient quantity with
which to proceed to IA second to trial at once;
and the feet returned to Plymouth, where the
cable was unsbipped and packed away in tar,
pitch, linseed oil and beeswax. And thus
ended the first attempt. IL is well remem-
bered how universal was the regret over the
failure. The actual cost of the cable had
been 1885 per mile, which made a total for
the $500 miles. of Sl.2I2,500 which was in
creased to 81 ,25S,250, by extra cable for the
shore ends. The finances of the company
'peculations were rife and popular through
put the world, that the project was wholly
mpractcable and futile and that any further
attempt would prove failure. The company.
was of course, much dsheartened; but Mr..
FIELD infused into it some of the sanguine
nope which he himself felt; and it was re-
'olved to order 1000 miles more of cable,
with view TO proceeding with another trial
n 1853. An increase of the capital stock of
he Company was asked for, and granted by
Parliament, to the extent of an additional
million dollars. Mr. Field, during the winter,
vas made manager and general agent of the
company. He procured, by consent of the
United Statco Government. for his Chief En-
yiueer, Mr. NJ. f. Everett, of the L. s. Corps
# Engineers, who proceeded to make most
,aluable improvements 10 the paying out ma
,knery, as did the electricians in their appa-
'atus. The Niagara and Agamemnon were
again detailed for the service, together with
he British steamers Valorous, Gorgon and
Porcupine, the Susquehanna having been
withdrawn, on account OF the yellow fever.
which attacked her officers and crew while ON
service ig the West Indies last spring.