Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-08-17
The Atlantic Telegraph.

small company formed an ASSOCIATION ioi '"e Nv"
pose of establishing Geographic communication
between America and Europe. The two Fields
and another gentleman Immediately proceeded TO
Newfoundland, and without difficulty oota'neo
q charter from the Government oil that PROVINCE
Bv the agency of Mr.. G. W. Field the whoie a
nonnt Of cspital necessary to complete the woiK
was secnred This was divided into sou shares
of 81 900 each, making an aggregate o' 10oo
900, orrnearly $1,750,00O. one hunureu alu
ono sbsres were taken in London, eighty eight
in America, etghty-six in Liverpool, thirty-seV-
On IN GLASGOW, twenty.eight in Manchester, ana
tbe remainder in other parts OF England. Inc
projectors made an agreement with the Oompa-
nv, that upon attaining success, half yearly
dividend of ten per cent. per annum on the cap
ital should first be paid to the shareholders, ana
that then one-half of any further profit should
be given them, and the other half be retained oy
the Company.
Subsequently the capital was increased to 81
SOC, 900 to meet the expenses Of the various al
attempts to lay the cable. During the last Oon-
gress a subsidy of $4,000 per annum for twenty
five years was granted to the Atlantic Telegraph
Company; and the Secretary of the Navy was
also directed to supply two national vessels to
assist in laying the cable. The British Parlla'
ment showed itself equally liberal. In comph-
ance with the instructions of Congress, the Nj
sgara and Susquehanna were deputed to assist
in the undertaking; but, after the inst failure
! last year, the latter vessel was withdrawn, ana
the Niagara has been, therefore, the only one Oh
orr national vessels that has shared in the glo'
ry of laying the cable that unites the two con-
tinents.
! The first regular attempt to lay the cable was
made in the Summer of 1857. One end was at
tached to the shore at the station in Ireland, and
the vessels started to convey the other end to
Newfoundland. Before proceeding very far the
cable broke, and the enterprise was laid over
for time. Again in the month of June OF this
wear the vessels sailed from Ireland. They
spliced the cable in mid-ocean, the Agamemnon
steering for Ireland and the Niagara for Amer
lea. But the weather was unpropitious; storms
arose, and the Agamemnon was in great peril
Three unsuccessful attempts were made, ID
the second of which forty miles of cable were
lost Both vessels returned second time to Ire
Hand. After this failure, the $1,000 shares III
the undertaking were offered for sale, in the
London market, at $3.50, and no buyers found
On Saturday the 18th Of July the Telegraph
fleet sailed q third time from Queenstown, Ire
Hand. Mr.. Field kept diary of the expedition
and brief as the entries are they are deeply In
teresting. The Niagara arrived at the rendez
yous, lat. 525, lon. 324O, on Friday morning
July % the Agamemuon arrived on the zSth
and the Valorous and the Gorgon in the meal
time. The distance to Valencia harbor was elt
nautical miles, and from there to the telegraph
house the shore end of the cable was already
laid; distance to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland
500 nautical miles, and from there to the
telegraph house at the head of Bay OF Bulls
Arm, 60 miles-rnaking in all $50 miles. The
Niagara had sixty-nine miles further to run than
the Agamemnon. Each steamer had eleven
hundred nautical miles of cable on board.
AT one o'clock on Thursday, the 29th, the ca
bic was spliced, and the vessels sailed for thor
respective destinations. At half past seven o.
clock the Same evening signals from the Aga
memnon ceased, 9ae ,hay commenced asa'n AZ
nine o'clock aud have since continued wlthonl
interruption. Day after day passed end every
thing went on we'll Icebergs were encounter
ed on the 80 and 18th Of August. Finally, at 8
o'clock, A. NJ, ou the 18th inst, the Niagara and
Gorcou made the land, and at half past i en-
tered Trinity Bay. At two, P. NJ, Mr.. Field
went ashore in q small boat and informed the
persons in charge of the Telegraph house-half
q mile from the landing-that the Telegraph
feet bad arrived, At fifteen minutes after
the end of the cable was landed and carried in
TO the house, when q strong current OF elc ,tric'
iitv was received through the whole line rom
the other side of the Atlantic. Captain Hud,
son then read prayers and made some remarks
The total amount of cable paid ont BY the Nj
asara was one thousand and sixteen miles Sly
hundred fathoms; distance run, eight hundred
land eiehty-two miles. The Agsmemnon paid
out one thousand and ten miles of cable, and
ran eight hundred and thirteen miles.
The cost of the cable laid between Ireland snt
Newfoundland is given as $1,256,250.
The cable is about two-thirds of an inch in di
ameter, and is composed as follows ;outside Gov
vering eighteen strands of seven inch wire, nex
six strands of yarn then three coats Of gutta per-
cha, and lastly the telegraph wires seven il
number. The fexibility of the cable is so great
that it is az manageable as q small rope. 1t:
weight is 1860 pounds to the mile, and it readily
sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
The Governments of the United States and
Great Britain have priority over othe. Govern
ments and private persons in the use of the Tel
egrsh. As between them messages will be
transmitted and delivered in the order of time
in which they may be rendered. The act OF
Congress granting the subsidy, stipulates that
the tariff of PRICES for the use of the Telegraph
by the public, shall be fixed by the Secretary OF
the Treasury and an authorized agent of the
British Government. The newspapers state that
the rate is 81 for each word. On the first day
the cable was announced as successfully laid,
three business messages were received at the Of
fee in New York, containing 81, 90 and 81
words respectively. The sum of S57 was paid
for the last TheNew York Herald estimates
that one column of telegraphc intelligence from
London will cost two thousand dollars.
Mr. Field announces that the Directors OF
the Company had decided that after the cable
was laid, no business messages should be trans