The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-08-24
7 HE DISPAT CH
TUBS lAY MokNINo. .......... Auansr ). ,,.a
00VBT ~. teG&
The Ocean Telegraph-The Lanains z
Ofthe Cable


fuhs sAY MakNtNG............. "A UGUsT n. ,eta
Ane ocean TeieGraph-The LAnaia r
Ofthe Cahle.
-----------
us otrespondents OF the New York preas, on
board the have furnshed detailed accom-
of The vovaye ~ tha N,.r... - ~.
,a.,n, az. a.,,. 80. u ..s pta2foss o
s sa''' ''o'n usy 70 oay. ~ wss. ~ may
oe imagined, wofk OF much anxiety, aud every
movement was watched with intense interest
every operatf,u ,ertor,rea r,,h ~. u-...... -.
I, -. .ot an ~. .htn. -. -. =
- >'., '.e ."ip' 's sa'eiy sncnored 10
if'a'ts nay, tnat tnose engaged In the labor we're
relieved from their fear for its safety Tho work
of landing the cable 10 graphically descrshas h.,
an,r..rncssnt ~ ,,,a .,tIa~n,a W
" ~ 'ne ioiiowing
sAfse.'
Before ths landing OF the cable, Captain Hudson
nosiced'the Captains OF the Gorgon and Porcupine
aod ABOUT nve O'Clock the boats Of the NIAGARA
we're ranged 10 regular line. and connected with
q ahawaer, TO row that on which the cable was
ooiled to the landing place. The telegraph a.s
vas displayed from the mizen truck, while the
hns'ish nag =" noisted atfhe tore, and the Amer
ican al the mixen peak. similar compliment
was paid to the American nag by the Britain yes.
sells; and soon alter our boats pushed OF from the
ship we observed others coming from the valorous
and Porcupine to participate In the consummaiion
Oh the great WORK. All tue cincers OF the Niagara
with the exception Of those on watch on the ship
were in the boats, the crews Of which Numbered
altogether about sixty men. These, with tha
crews from the British ships, and al, the Of
hcers, English and American, made a total of
about one hundred men. The demonstration was
certainly anytbibg but q pageant, for there wers
none of those accessaries which make up what Ia
generally understood by the word, but there could
be none who we're imbued with a hie her nprec;.
ton of the character of the occasion, nor who
we're better qualified to do IL honor; and IL il
doubtful whether the presence of tbousa nds
would have added anything to its Importance or
soiemnity. IL would be u difficult matter for ona
who has seen nothing but civic prccessions 10 form
an idea of that which attended the last act in the
com pietion of this enterprise The scene thu cir
cumstapces, all copspired to render il totally
different from any celebration the world has syay
seen.
When the boats arrived at the landing the off,
GERS and men junped ashore, aud Mr. North Fir AZ
Lieutenant of the Niagara, presented Capt Hud.
.on with the end of the cable Captain Otter ~
tho Porcunine, and Commander Daymap of the
dorgou, now took hold of it, and all the ofic.rs
and men following their examples a procession was
formed along the line. As the cable was covered
with tar the handling of it was rather ohieetiona
Bile, but there were meme who, under the ciren,n.
stances, refused to take q part In the lauding.-
There some, it is true. who would not at frst
put their bare bands to it, aud who sought TO pro
tect them with gloves or by covering the cable
with moss. This movement, however, was rather
unpopular; so the gloves were taken off, and al
though part OF the adhered to the cable there
wac little of 1t used afterwards The road or patb
over which we had to take the cable was a mos,
primitive affair. 1t led up the side of hill a con-
pie of hundred feet high, and had been cut ont o,
the thick forest Of pines and other svergreens In
some places the turf which Ia to bs found here on
the tops Of the highest mountains was so sof wi tn
recent rains that you would sink to your ankles in
it. TIE road maker or makers, whoever thew
had evidently done all In their power at the
short notice they had, to make it passable and il
is enough to say they succeeded to that extent al
though We could not help wishing that thew had
not placed the stepping stones SO far apart And
had been a little more liberal in the use of tim
Der. Well, it was up this road We had to march
with the cable, and splendid time we had IL
was but reasonable to suppose that the three can
tains Who headed the procession, would certainly
pick out the best parts, and give the advantage
of the stepping stones but appeared all the same
to them, and they plunged into the boggiest and
dirtiest arts with recklessuess and indifference
that satisfied us they were about the worst pilots
We could have bad on land, despite their we'll
known abilities as navigafors.
This memorable procession started at quarter
to six O'Clock, and arrived at the telegraph station
about twenty minutes after. The ascent of the hill
was the worst part of the journey, but when we
got to the top the scene which opened before us
would have repaid us for journey of twenty miles
over still worse road. There beneath us lay the
harbor shut by mountains, except at hs entrance
from Trinity Bay, and there. too, lay the steamers
of the two greatest maritime nations in the world
On every side lies an unbroken wilderness, and il
We except the telegraph station at which we will
soon arrive, not single habitation to tell that man
has ever lived here.
Never such a remarkable scene presented
since the world began. Even now. at the very
point OF its realization it does not seem as if the
work In which we have bts engaged has been &C.
complished Looking back on the past, the seven
long days Of anxiety and suspense appear but AZ
one. and 1t is almost impossible for the mind to
comprehend the great fact that the cable Is really
laid. 1T would seem like dream, were it not for
the visible, palpabie evidence which we now hold
in our hands, the electric chain which binds the
two worlds together No, it is not q dream, but a
great reality, the announcement of which will
startle the ineredulous and unbeleviDg of both
continents The continuity, without which the
cable would be utterly valusless, Is perfect now
as IL ever was Mr.. d. LswS and Mr De Sanity,
the two chief electricians wh6 have accompanied
us from England, have "tasted" the current. and
about doGen others at the head of the procession
have done the same thing. The writer himself is
a witness on this point and will never forget the
singular acid taste which it had Some received a
pretty strong shock-so strong that they willingly
resigned the chance OF repeating the experiment.
About twenty minutes afer we started from
the beach We reached the station OF the Atlantic
telegraph on this side OF the ocean, where We
fonnd some halt dozen OF the Inmates awaiting our
arrival. The station is large frame building two
stories high, and eight windows wide On the
frat door 10 kitchen, an office aud sitting
apartment, dignifed with the title OF parior. The
door opens the side OF the house, and there is
means of exit from the front for the simple reason
that the first story is eight or ten feet Fl ON the
ground: This singular arrangement is explained
by tie fact that the building 10 situated on the side
Of hill. and that there is considerable differ
ence between the height OF the 'front.' and BACK
walis The second story is divided into sleeping
apartments separated by single corridor, and the
whole establishment will lodge about dozen per
sons. beginning has been made in the clearing
away OF the forest In the immediate vicinity OF the
house, and In the course OF year they viii have
as pleasant and as comfortable dwelling perhaps
as any 10 Newfoundland. II u should NOT nave an
the lnxuries OF clsl,zed iiie. ~ 'ne aetaps , ol
domestic life at the telegraph station more VIII be
said hereafter Meantime We must continue the