Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-08-13

inch in diameter, and is formed Of one
straighty drawn wire, with six others twis-
ted round il. The strand when subjected
to strain will strech twenty per cent of its
length without giving away, aud il is coat.
cd with gutta perch and tarrcd to insulate
and preserve IT,
Tho first attempt TO lay the Ocean Gable
was mado in August 1857, Twelve huud-
red and fifty miles wore coled in the Aga
memnon, and the other half in the Niagara,
the weight being about twelve hundred tons
on each vessel. August 5th, the end Of
the cable was landed at Valencia, and
made fast with pomp and ceremony. The
telegraphic fleet bore away for tho Western
World, but on tho llth, after the Niagara
had successfully paid out 9S5 nautical miles
The cable broke. II gavo way under the
pressure applied, some distance from the
ships stern, and sunk 10 the bottom at
depth Of 1000 fhthoms. The disappoint.
mcnt was universal, but faith in. final sue
cess was not much shaken.
| The Directors Of the Atlantic Telegraph
Company Mt once commenced operations
for second Expedition. Plans were dis
eusscd, and its was decided to splice the ca
bic in mid-occan; to provide greater
length; to improve the paying out ma
chinery, and TO commence earlier in the
season. Seven hundred miles of new ca.
bic were provided, and on tho 18th Of Nav,
1858, the length of cable on the Agamem.
non was ,494 miles, and on the Niagara,
1910 making total Of 1904 miles
The 10th Of June the squadron sailed from
Plymouth for the rendezvous in mid-ocean.
Storms and bad weather delayed operations
so much that the first splice was not made
till the 26th of June. Only two miles and
forty fathoms had been run out, when the
cable was thrown Off the wheel in the at
tempt TO shift the Niagara's portion from
one groove to another, and coming in con-
tact with the tar-scraper it was severed
The samo day new splice was made
When forty-two miles and three hundred
fathoms had been paid out from the Mag
ara, and about the same from the Agamem-
non, the electricians reported that the con-
tinuity had ceased. A third splice was
made the evening of Jsnc 2sth, and at 9
O'Clock the night Of the 29th, communica-
tion again ceased, and at IL p. NJ, the Nj
agara ceased paying out The aggregate
of cable lost in tho expedition was about
800 miles. Both ships returned to Queens
town, the Niagara arriving July 5th, the
Agamemnon week later.
Tho Directors Of the Company in Eng
land hold a special meeting and resolved to
make another attempt. The Expedition.
again sailed from Queenstown, July 18th,
and at noon August 5th, the country was
startled with tho unexpected intelligence
that tho Submarine Cable had been sue
cessfully laid. Such is succinct history Of
the Land and Atlantic Telcgraphs, CON
densed from a long and minute account in
the New York Times of Saturday. Clev.
Leader.
A despatch from Mr.. Field confers upon
the Niagara tho honor of having laid both
ends of the cable. lie says:
"The cid of the Atlantic Gable was
landed on tho Irish shore from the Niagara
on the 5th Of August, 1857, and the other
end from the same vessel on the 5th of Au. |
gust 1858. The heavy shore end laid from
Valentia by the Niagara last year still re-
mains, and was to be spliced on to the main
Cable, so that both ends of the Cable have
been actually laid by the Niagara"