Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-07-23
.g<,,.v,ic TeIcrrapb Cable Failure.

eztIautic Telegraph Cable Failure.
The receipt of the news of the break in the
I AtIaIisse cable in London affected the stock
materially. The fIOOO shares of the Company
receded from f6O9, at which they had been
nOminaIly quoted, to f2OO. The Times says
the latest price seemed to be about f2O0 to
s4OO. The value of the cable actually lost is
stated to be about f25,OOO The weather in
the Atlantic and Irish channel has this year,
most unfortunately, been the toughest ever
known in June.
The London Times suggests that the Leviathan
should be employed in the next experiment to
Law the cable, and for reasons similar to those
suggested by the n Y Post. The Leviathan
is as vet only shell, and she could be fitted to
carry any length of cable required in the
best shape for paying out, as well as coal for
slow triP.
The Cork Reporter of the 9th inst. supplies a
more detailed account of the future:
"The Niagara and Gorgon, attached TO the
squadron for the laying Of the Transatlantic
cable. arrived at Queenstown at an early hour
that the object of the expedition has for the
present failed, and we shall now give our read
ers such particulars Of the events which oe-
CURED in the course of the undertaking as we
have been able to collect The Agamemnon
and her tender the Valorous, and the Niagara
and her tender the GOrgon, sailed from Ply
mouth on the 10th Of June; each of the vessels
carving about 500 miles Of the cable, with
new and improved apparatus for paying it out
which il was calculated would have Showed
for any strain or unequal motion of the SHIPS
as abe very speed of the vessels regulated by
automatic arrangements the rate al which the
coil was to be discharged. After having been
three DAYS at sea the expedition was oyertaken
by fearful gale, which continued without in
tsrmission for nine days. On the seventh day
of this heavy weather the ships, which eontin-
ued to keep together, had to part company, and
the Agamemnon was obliged TO scud before the
wind for thirty-six hours; her Goals got adrift.
and coil of her cable shifted, so that her cap
tain for some time entertained serious appre-
tensions for her safety, and from the immense
strain her waterways were forced open, and one
of her ports was broken. Two of the sailors
were severely injured, and one of the marines
lost his reason from fright. Yet such the
consummate skill good seamanship and intre-
pid;ty of her commander, Capt Priddie, that he
was enabled to bring her to the appointed rem
devious, lat 50 deg. . min, long. 80 deg, Is
min. The Niagara rode out the storm gallant
", having only carried away her jibbOom and
one wing OF the hgure-head, the great Ameri-
can eagle.
"All the vessels having at length arrived at
their central point of junction, the first splice
of the cable was made on the Goth After hav-
ing paid out two and a half miles each, owing
TO an accident on board the Niagara, the cable
parted The ships having again met, the
splice was made good, and they commenced 10
give out the cable second time; but after they
had each paid out 40 miles it was reported that
the current was broken, and no communication
could be made between the ships. Unf0rtu-
naiely in this instance, the breakage must have
OccG5red at the bottom, as the electricians, from
the fine calculations which their sensitive in-
struments allow them TO make, were able to
declare such to have been the fact, even before
the vessels came together again. Having cast
off this loss, they met for the third time and re-
covered the connection Of the cable on the 2sth.
They then started afresh, and the Niagara hay-
ing paid out over $50 miles of cable, all on
board entertained the most sanguine anticipa-
tions Of success, when the fatal announcement
was made upon Tuesday, the 29th, at p. N
that the electric current had ceased to flow
As Iue Necessity OF tue pIulcGL AOE
the present was now only too manifest, it was
considered that the opportunity might as well
be availed of to test the strength of the cable.
Accordingly, this immense vessel, with all her
stores, DC +, was allowed to swing to the clbles
and, in addition, strain of four tons was
placed upon the brakes, yet, although it was
blowing fresh at the time, the cable held her as
if she had been at anchor for over an hour,
when a heavy pitch Of the sea snapped the
rope, and the Niagara bore away for this port.
Before starting, an arrangement was made that
should any accident occur in giving out the ca
ble before the ships should have gone 100 miles,
they should return 10 their starting place in
mid-Ocean; but that in case that distance should
have been exceeded before any casualty should
happen, they should make for Queenstown. In
accordance with this understanding, the Mag
ara, having made l09 miles before the mishaP,
returned to this port. Upon her hOmeward
way she must have passed the Agamemnon,
but owing to the heavy fogs which prevailed
for the greater portion of that time, she missed
seeing or gaining any tidings of her.
AS the Agamemnon has not yet arrived, al
though her destination as directed towards
this shore, it is conjectured that she might not
have delivered the arranged quantity of coil at
the time of its failure, and may have eOnse
quently returned to their pace Of meeting,
which will unavoidably protraet the suspense
which must necessarily be felt as, until she be
spoken with, nothing definite can be learned as
TO the occasion of this diSsster. The two prin-
cipal electricians, Dr. Sauty and Mr. Lawes, on
board the Niagara, are inclined to believe that
the accident occurred on board the Agamem-
non, which, as it would only implicste faulty
arrangement of some of the apparatus, would
still leave hope of the ultimate success Of the
undertaking; whereas, if the separation has Oe-
CURED at the bottom, its effect will be greatly
to damp, if not deter, the enterprising spirit of
the Directors from persevering in this gigantic
project. Should nothing be heard of Eer con-
sort, the Niagara will, after eosling, proceed to
her ocean station, having still on board about
1900 miles of the cable, which, supposing that
the other vessel had retained a similar amount,
would still permit Of the junction being CON-
pleted, and allow 80 per cent for casualties-
In this last trial some 500 miles ofthe rope was
lost and when II Is calculated that 1t is roughly
estimated that the value of the cable is about |
fI00 a mile, it will be seen that the sacrifice |
up to the present has not been 50 extensive as
might AT first sight have been supposed.
Ned Wade among his Constituents.
PnxEsyILLE, July 22d, 1883.
You. Mr Editor, need not be told that "a NED |