Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-07-21
The Telegraph Fleet.


The Courier Of this morning publishes
the following statement, from Mr.. John A.
Richards, mate of the ship Alice Monroe.
The Alice Monroe experienced almost
constant sOutherly gales, and was forced to
take much more nOrtherly course than
she otherwise would have done.
On the morning Of the 9Th, about Q
o'clock saw the frigate Niagara lying TO in
lat. So deg. 6 min. Lon. 3S deg. 10 miu.
and was shortly boarded by a boat from
her containing Mr.. Cyrus W. Field of N.
York, and Lieutenant Of the Niagara.
1t was then fOggy but the weather Ws
very calm.
Mr.. Field and the Lieutenant desired
Captain Cummings to take certain letters
and papers relating to the telegraph expo
dtion to the U. s., and wrote one or two
letters on board of the Alice Monroe do.
ring the hour or more they remained on
board other. They also communicated to
Capt. Cummings and Mr., Richards state.
ment of their doinys for the last fortnight.
They stated that both vessels, the Niagara
and Agamemnon, experienced the most
violent southerly gales from the day they
left Plymouth, aud were driven as far north
as lat 55 deg much higher than the rem
devious. thus OBTAINING their operations
for several days.
The Niagara behaved in all respects like
a thorough sea-going vessel, and was noOc
the worse for the storms
The Agsmemnon, on the contrary, suf'
fered severely. AT one time the comman'
der of the Agamemnon informed the first
officer that he had no hopes of saving his
vessel two hours loager, so great was her
straining, but at last the storm subsidsd,
aud the Agamemnon rode out the gale.-
A most unfortunate accident occurred on
board, however, caused BY the breaking
loose Of the cone which held the cable in
its position on the gun deck. The cable
got adrih, aud was pitched about the deck
undoubtedly much to its damage. Two
hundred tons of coal also got sdrift on The
same deck, and caused infinite trouble
Two seamen were injured by these Acti'
dents, one having an arm and the other
leg broken.
The two vessels and their tenders 6ual'
y arrived on the ground on the morning
Of the 26th. A connection vas effected,
the weather being then sufficiently calm
The paying cut of the cable bad scarcely
commenced before the wire snapped. AZ.
Ter few hours detention another splice
was made, and the steamers started-the
Agamemnon and her conSort for Ireland,
md the Niagara aud her companion fer
the American coast. Signals we're kept up
constantly between the two fleets, mes
sage being transmitted every fifteen min'
utes. and all was going on we'll until about
forty miles had been paid out, when the
electricians on board the Niagara discover.
ed that the current was broken. This was
at 1.9 past l2 o'clock P. N.
The Niagara was Immediately put about
and had already reached the mid-oceau
rendezvous. where at 8 o'clock she was
first seen by the Alice Monroe. IL was be.
lieved on board the Niagara that the cause
Of the second break was kink in The
Agamemnon's portion Of the cable, caus.
ed by its disarrangement during the gale,
but Of this there Is no certainty.
Nothing was said to Mr.. Richards about
the working of the new brakes; probably
there had been no occasion TO use them.
Tho Alice Monroe started from the Nj.
agara shortly after noon on the 9th, and
lost sight Of her at about 4 O'Clock: the
Agamemuon had not then come in sight.
The Niagara bad hope that her consort
would arrive in time TO make another tri.
al that day, but as the weather was foggy,
though calm, it is hardly probable that
anything was done on the 9Th. Two
days subsequently the weather was quits
calm and favorable, but after that, there
was another succession OF heavy southefly
gales, and the weather on the banks, as
experienced by the Alice Monroe. W. ex'
ceedingly rough. 80