Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-28
Arrival OF the Frigate Niagara at N. r
INTERESTING sTATHMrNT on MIR. FIELD.

INTERESTING STATEMENT OF Mr.. FIELD.
The Y. ?. frls,.A Niagara arrived below
New York on Wednes5.t tnotning, and
shortly thereafter. Cyrus W. Esd 5]tb the
telegraph engineers, arrived II tie s;sy in
steam tug. The Tribune has lie follow
ing interesting particulars of the cable lay
ing gathered from conversation with him !:
Mr.. Field describes the feeling which
pervaded all on beard the Niagara while the
cable was being laid, al che Of the most in
tense excitement. Every man excited HIM
self to the utmost to achieve success in the
work. Throiighoat the six and half days
the most perfect silence aid attention per-
vaded the tnsn, lest single moment Of
negligence should destroy tie cable. On
the first day after the paying out began it
was found that the cable was being laid out
at rate which in proportion to the distance
run, would if continued have defeated the
enterprise. -,
This was owing to tie fact list tic cable
on The Niagara Fad CAUSED So much local at
traction as to seriously derahge tie cohtas-
SEES, rendering it impossible to steer the ship.
Next day the commander Of the Qorgoh BE-
ing appraised Of the fact. ran ahead of the
Niagara, steering in the most direct course
for Trinity Bay. This he contihued to do
day and Mig lit until they arrived, never leav-
ing the desk except for fet7 moments, and
verifying his position BY repeated obaerts-
ton Of the sun, moon and stars. TO his a.
gency therefore the success Of the achieve
ment is greatly indebted.
Mr. Field landed near the telegraph sta
ton, Trinity Bay at 2 O'Clock in the morn
ing, and walked to the house, half mile
distant, through the wilderness, not per-
son being visible Old the beach. At the tel
egraph house he found tie OPERATORS from
London fast asleep, bit none Of them ex
pecting that the enterprise would sacceed,
Indeed they had not t,hpacked their trunks,
anticipating that Id week or two they would
be ordered back I'd London.
The reason why signals and not words
were sent through the cable, as it was being
laid, is that on the previots attempt the
clerks INDUCED in irrelevant conversation,
which distracted their attention from duty,
at time when the slightest Obstruction
might be fatal to tho work. The Directors
therefore ordered that signals only should
be sent through the cable from ship to ship.
Both vessels had Greenwich time and the
electric current played to and fro between
them for ten minutes each way.
The signals showed that on the first day
the speed Of the Agamemnon slightly ex-
ceeded that Of the Niagara, but on the sue
ceeding days they went at the same pace,
there never being more than twenty miles
difference between them When the sable
was landed at both ends, Mr.. Field applied
his tcngue to The 6td and received the Cheer
ing information that the Insulation vas per-
feet, in shock that nearly threw him over
The reason why messages were not trans
mitted earlier, was from the fact that all the
apparatus at both ends was new and untried,
and required great deal of care aud skill
to adjust