Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-07-29
The Atlantic Telegraph Cable---The
Shipping of the Electric Current.


Everything connected with experimenting
with the cable and the existing failure, is in
terestng, and we there ore publish the follow
ing extract from letter, dated on board the
Niagara, July s.:
June 26th, says writer to the Journal Of
Commerce we made onr stern fast to the Aga
memnon with hawzer, spliced the cable, and
commenced paying out but before 3 3 miles
mad been payed over the wheels, a riding of
two parts in one of the grooves occurred. IH
trying to adjust it, the cable was thrown from
off the wheel and parted.
The second attempt was made the same day.
Everything went we'll until we had paid out
43 IA miles, when the electricians reported
I" no signals, continuity it interrupted" We
cut the cable and stood back to rendezvous,
fully expecting to find it had been broken on
board the Agamemnon bat it proved not so.
On board of her they knew no more where it
was broken than we did This was considered
very dscouraging, and the theorists had wild
and lively time with thcY eonjectures but to
this day il remains unknown, and ever will re-
MAN, a mystery The cable may not have
been parted at all, but only the insulation of
the copper wire destroyed The effect either
way is the same The third attempt was made
on the 18th, the splice being made, and cable
commenced paying ont at 1880 p. Nj. All
went well for % l-2 hours during which We
had gone l09 miles, and expended l45 IL
miles of cable, when the electricians made a
similar report to the one above described
" no signals" We were reluctantly Obliged to
cut again, and go back to Cork as had been
rniIn tpit h..
ont accident. 1t under I00,we were to return
to our place of rendezvous over that distance
to Cork, as the British vessels would not have
coal enough to renew the attempt
Our further proceedings will depend upon
the report from the Agamemno1 and the de-
cislon of the Board of Directors.
Should the cable have parted, or the continuity
been interrupted in the same mysterious manner
as on the second Of our attempts, 1T is thought
no new effort had ought to be made with the
cable. If however, it has parted in a manner
to be accounted for, and guarded against, we
shall renew the experiment when the ships
shall have taken on board sufficient supply
of Goals
There is now, think, but little chance of
success with the cable, but doubtless the un-
dcrtaking will yet be achieved in some way.
and the experience Of this Company will not be
thrown away.
1t was noted by those who watched the pay
ing ont of the cable, that after leaving the
ship it took many turns before it reached the
water. The number of turns the cable took
opposite to the twist was eleven in the distance
of one hundred feet, which is the distance be-
tween the stern and the surface of the water.
Now, it is asked, if it takes so many turns in
hundred feet, will not the onter wires be
wholly unlaid before the cable reaches the bot
tom, and will not the whole strain be brought
upon the gutta perEha aud the conductor.
At the second break, some thought the diff
Guilty was created from the brakes the prein-
dice against which existed from the first expe-
dition, when the cable was broken by defec-
tive machinery but this part of the machine
on board the Niagara was perfect, and reaIiz-
ed all the expectations for med of it. 1t was
the belief of this class of persons that the
weights on the brakes, which never exceeded
nineteen hundred pounds. produced heavier
strain than the cable was calculated to bear.
and that it stretched until the inner core or
electrical conductor parted, thus destroying the
continuity.