Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-07-26
The Atlantic Observation-Disclosures Of the
Second Failure.

SCOohA
A correspondent on the Niagara has furnish
ed the n. Y Times with the particulars of tha
second unsuccessful attempt to lay the Atlantic
Telegraph Cable. The journal is long and mi
tant facts The first splice was made June
26th, the fifteenth day out At Up. NJ. COM
menced paying out the cable. At 3;45 just 8
miles of cable being out, the pressure 1880
pounds, when the cable got out of one of the
grooves OF the wheel into another groove and,
before it could be liberated, it parted by being
cut by tar scraper attached to the wheel. Ca
be splieed again at 8 p NJ, and at p NJ u
miles had nun out At IL A. N. next day the
electricians reported that the continuity had
ceased. At 81 O'Clock P. M commenced haul
ing in the cable It came in slowly, the pres
sure increased to 4 1900 pounds, at which point
the cable snapped, and all except about three
fourths of mile hanging Out,was lost. The part
hauled in was very much snarled and badly
kinked. Something over 43 miles ofcable from
the Niagara was lost The Niagara and Aga
memnon were 81 miles apart
Att P N. June 2sth, the squadron again
met. At C P. NJ. another splice was made, and
the paying out was again commenced at P. NJ.
Supposed depth of water l $40 fathoms The
Niagara moved westward at 81 miles per hour,
while the cable speed was st miles per hour
Everything worked well. At 10 minutes after
p NJ. the next day, the electricians again an.
uounced that the continuity had ceased. Up
this hour, I4O miles $40 fathoms of cable had
run out The actual distance run since leaving
the AgamemnCn was I07 miles, up to midnight
June Both, speed of ship stopped, no motion
to engine, no paying oct of cable, and Niagara
riding wholly by the telegraph cable. Pres
sure applied to have cable part, but all to no
purpose 1900 pounds were applied, and the
weight of sevenal persons upon the brakes
AtI2:I3 A. N. the cable parted out from the
stern; vain attempt was made to haul it in
the axe was applied and IA miles, 500 faith
oms cable were lost This ended trial No 3.
The writer suppOses the Niagara will not
leave Cork for another trial at present, and
predicts failure should the attempt to lay the
cable be made The confidence, however, of
some few, of whom Mr.. Field is one, he says
remains unshaken We quote the interesting
conclusion Of the account
There was one remarkable circumstance at
tenuing the laying of the cable. Every time
we were prepared to splice the cable, the
weather was exceedingly fine for the purpose,
and the sea smooth and so continued until the
accident happened, while previously, and after
wards, it was rough and stormy Such was |
he case in every instance until the ships met |
again. In fact the only favorable weather we |
had was while engaged with The cable The |
Niagara lost in three trials 90 miles of cable,
7et we retul with 1850 miles of cable on |
'oard
In laying the cable every possible care and |
attention was given to the object, and every |
preventive was used to guard against accident /
,r misfortune Even the Captain and First /
Lieutenant stood watch during the process of
aying, day and night The officer of the deck
yave his constant attention TO the log ami
vas heaved every Is minutes. In the cable
ircle was stationed 20 men. Ten men were
L the paying-out machine, while another gang
vas stationed on the platform leading from cir
lie to machine. The Engineer of the Compa-
" was constantly at his post, or was relieved
= the Chief Engineer of the Niagara. ThsIe
we're also two other engineers detailed to az
ist Then there was masters mate station
d at the brake; also two gentlemen, connect
d with the company, and the general business
manager, all standing watch and regularly re-
eved; while one-half of the electricians were
onstantly on duty, in which department alone
here are persons The whole number of
ersons on board in pay of the company is %.
The scene at night was beautiful Scarcely (
word was spaken; silence was commanded,
nd no conversation allowed. Nothing was
card but the peculiar rafting of the machine
$ the cable was running out This music was
ngular, without variation; while the lights {
bout deck and in the quarterback circle-it '
as the first we paid out-gaye brillianey to s
he scene Some forty or fifty lanterns illu-
linated the decks Each time that it was an
ounced the continuity had stopped, it seemed
paralyze all who heardthe sad news.
The mode adopted by the ships in splicing =.
as this The Niagara and Agamemnon made :
lst TO each other-steIn TO stern-by hawser.
hey kept 200 fathoms apart until two miles of
lble had been paid out, (suffcient to reach the
ottom,) then cast off and pursued separate I
purses at rate generally fac miles per hour, S
hIle the the ships progress would vary from :
to A. miles per hour. You will easily i'm
yine the sea must each time have been smooth
form connection The highest pressure at a
~ time was 4, 500 pounds, the lowest 1900. c
experiments prove In two instan-
IS that the continuity or break of cable occur
d nigh to the Agamemnon, and certainly be-
1nd the splice from our ship.