Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-12
Short History of the Atlantic Telegraph
EnterprIse.

In the year 1856 Cyrus W. Field visited
England, The result of his visit was the
formation of the Atlantic Telegraph Company,
with capital G35O,OOO, for the purpose of
connecting Europe with America by a subma-
rine telegraph cable. In August 1857, an at
tempt was made to lay down the Atlantic Sub
marine Gable, resulting in disastrous failure.
The cable was $500 miles in length, weighing
nearly one ton per mile, capable of bearing
direct strain of over FIVE tuns without fracture.
The centre of the cable was formed by seven
fine copper wires, twisted into cord l-l6 of an
inch thick. This strand was coated with gutta
percha, forming small rope 3-S of an inch
thick then coated with hempen Irvine twice
soacked in pitch and tar lastly, an external
sheathlng of Is iron wires, each wire being
strand of seven finer wires, making in all 126
wires.
The submersion was commenced on the 5th
August, 1857 There were present the six
steamers, Niagara. Agamemnop, Leopard, Sus-
quehanna, Willing, and Mind, intended to as
sist in various parts of the operation. The ca
BILE came up from the hold of the ship, around
a central block, 50 to the open space apove
decks it was there wound round grooved
sheaths, geared together by cogs, and firmly
planted on girders. Thence it passed over q
fifth sheath, out over the stern into the sra,
sinking by its own weight. A trifing accident
happened on the 9th this was repaired, and
on the llth, $50 miles (statute) had been sub
merged. The engineer here concluded that
there was too much " slack " in the cables
course, and some modification in the machinery
was consequently made. This appears to have
been badly attended to by subordinate. The
cable snapped, and thus ended the attempt of
1857.
1t having been concluded from Lieut.. Maui
RVS calculations that the average state of the
weather was much better on the Atlantic in the
early part of summer, it was decided this year
to make the attempt of laying the cable in
June. 1t was also thought best to begin the
submersion in mid-ocean and pay out towards
either shore, Accordingly the telegraph fleet,
consisting of the United States steam frgate
Niagara and her Majestys steamers Agamem-
non, Valorous and Gorgon, left Plymouth on
Thursday, June TO- 1858. The Niagara had
$50 tuns, and Agamemnon 450 tuns coal, and
each about 1890 nautical, or little less than
1900 statute miles of cable on board. The
weather, at first favorable, became unusually
/ IL, hot tbo
commence operations until late on the 25th of
June.
The first splice was made between the Niagara
and Agamemnon on the morning of Saturday,
the 26th of June, and after each ship had
payed out about three miles the cable broke on
board the Niagara, owing to its overriding and
getting off the pulley leading on to the ma
chine. Both vessels put about and returned, a
halfpast seven. The paying out proceeded beau
tifully until carly on Sunday morning, when
the signals suddenly ceased. The cable was
cut, and the Niagara repaired to the rendez-
vous. The cause of the rupture was equally
mysterious to those on board the Agamemnon,
and no satisfactory conjecture has since been
made.
The cable was again spliced on the 2Sth, and
the steamers parted. Everything worked beau
tifully during that night and the next day,
but at o'clock P. NJ on the Goth, the an
nouncement of g no signals " was made on
board the Niagara. At the time 142 miles of
cable had been payed out. 1t was subsequent
ly ascertained that the cable parted, for some
reason unknown, about six filthoms from the
stern of the Agamemnon. About 400 miles of
cable were lost during these trials, the effect of
which upon the public confidence in the final
success of the undertaking Yves most depress-
ing.
But the managers continued indefatigable
The fleet sailed second time from Queenstown
on the 18th of July, joined the cable on the
10Th, and on the 9Th of August the world had
news of SUCCESS.
The cost of the telegraph cable has been nut
down as follows
Price deep-sea wire per mile sooo
Price spun yard and iron wire Der mile oes
Price outside tar per mile, %
Ao''i p'f m'ie' s4S5
F For 10 I9V w; hsq as. $l,2l2,5oo
For % miles shore ends, $3.50 per mile n GA
ro'ai cost sl25s,25o
The Democrat il the title of a new weekly
paper soon to DO published at st. Albans, Vt,