Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-26
How the Cable was Laid.

cable was being laid, as one of the most in
tense excitement. Every man eXerted himself
to the utmost to achieve success in the work
Throughout the six and half days the most
perfect silence and attention pervaded the men
lest q single moment of negligence should de-
stroY the cable. On the the first day after
the paying out began it was found that the
cable was being paid out at rate which in
proportion to the distance run, would If con
tnued, defeat the enterprise. This was owing
10 the fact that the cable on the Niagara had
caused so much local attraction as to seriously
derange the compasSes rendering it impossible
TO steer the ship Next day, Commander
Dayman of the Gorgon. being apprlSed of the
fact, ran ahead of the Niagara steering in the
most direct course for Trinity Bay. This he
continued to do day aud night until they ar
rived, never leaving the deck except for few
moments, aud. verifying his position by repeat
ed observations of the Sun, Moon and Stars
When his arduOus task was accomplished
his eyes were swollen and sufnsed with blood
from long loss of sleep and he was almost
Frustrated from the immense fatigue which he
had undergone Without his assistance the
cable would have been exhausted long before
the niagara reached land, ana to his agency
therefore the success of the achievement is
largely indebted
On Wednesday morning, Aug 1 ,at o'clock
land appeared to the \ w about 80 miles
distant An hour later the Agamemon signal.
ed that she had paid ont S26 miles of cable,
heing precisely the same quantity as that laid
from the Niagara. At u p NJ, Her majes-
tvs steamer PorcuDine hove in sight, aud Capt
Otter her commander, who had for some
weeks been engaged in surveying Trinity Bay
ard the Bay of Bulls Arm, boarded the
Niagara to pilot her into the harbor At
P H. Capt Outer reported the Telegraph Sta
l9 miles off There had been payed out from
the Niagara 985 miles, II fathons
As it v Oud have periled the safety Of the
cable to have waited for daylight before re,
suming operations, the steamer was kept right
on through the night Captain Otter, who is
a skilfnl pilot, is also very prudent man. An
ticpating that the Niagara might arrive in the
night he had caused boats to he stationed up
the bay, along the course laid out for her, aud
at signal the men in them kindIcd blazing
torches, and people along shore lighted huge
bonfires TO guide the mariners on their way.
The Niagara, guided by her care nj pilot
steomed slowly up the bay, and at l-2 O'Clock
on the morning OF Thursday, August 5th, she
teen fathoms of water, having succeeded in her
share of the great undertaking. She had
payed out 1913 miles, and telegrnphc signals
were constantly flowing through the entire
length.
Mr. Field landed near the Telegraph Station
Trinity Bay, at , o'clock in the morning and
walked to the Station House. half mile dis
tant, through the wilderness, not person
being visible on the beach. At the Telegraph
House he found the operators from London
fast asleep, not one Of them expecting that
the enterprise would succeed Indeed they
had not unpncked their trunks, anticipating |
that in week or two they would he ordered |
back to London; the Station House was un-
finished, work upon it had ceased, aud none Of
the instruments had been prepared for Use
The aStoniShment of the operators when they
learned that the cable was laid, may be con
celved. At 2 % A. u. signal received
from the Agamemnon stating that she had pay
ed ont | .0l0 miles of cable Mr. Field then
teegraphed to the associated Press the glad
tidingS of success.
When diy hroake. the boats were all lower
ed and 1900 fathoms Of cable were carried
ashore First Lieutenant James H. North
handed the shore end to Capt. HndSon, who
placed it on the beach. a procession was
then formed, headed by Capt. HUDSON and Mr.
North followed by the officers of the Niagara
Captains OF the GorgOn and Porcupine, their
officers crews, and the crew OF the Niagara
Each taking hold of the cable, they marched
up from the beach to the telegraph station
house, distance Of half a mile, where they
deposited the end of the cable. Capt. Hud-
son then offered prayer and few remarks ap-
propriate to the OCCASION when the ceremony
of landing terminated The officers and crews
then returned to their respective boats reach
ing their vessels at 6 o'clock in the morning
The Gorgon and POrcupine carried the Amer-
can flag at the FORE and the Niagara the Eng
l;Sh flag at the fore, and the Telegraph flag at
the mizZen.
The Agamemnon tcegraphed at P. NJ on
the same dav, (ThurSday, August s. that she
Ind landsd her eaG of The caJb On the an
nouncement of this fact the GorGOn fired a
salute of twenty-one guns, and her crew mount
ing the rigging, gave three hearty cheers,
which were as heartily returned from Niagara
All hands went below to rest from their
laborS
In conversation with Mr. Field, We learn
that the reason why signals and not words
were sent through the cable as it was being
laid is that on the previous attempt the Clerks
indulged in irrelevant conversation, which dis
tracted their attention from duty at time
when the slightest obstruction might be fatal
to the work The Directors therefore ordered
that signals only Shonld be sent through the
cable from ship to ship. Both vessels had
Greenwich time, and the electric current play
ed to and fro between them for ten minutes
each way.
The signals showed that on the first day
the speed of the Agamemnon slightly exceed
ed that of the Niagara, but on the succeeding
DAYS they went at the same rate, there never
heinz more than tMcnty miles difference be.