New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-10
HISTORY OF THE ENTERPRISE.
Fro~ The Boston Journal, .iuS.


We compile from different sources at hand the fol-
lowing sketch of this grand undertaking. over whose
success the civilized world n nov rejoicing:
In the year 1856, Cyrus w. Field visited England.
Tie result Of his visit was the formation OF the Atlantic
Telegraph Company, with capital OF tS1o OOC, Tor
the purpose Ct connecting Europe with Amsrlca by
submarine telegraph cable. In August, leo., an st.
tempt WAS made to lay down the Atlantic Submarine
Cabls resulting in a disastrous fsilure. The cable
was OO miles in length, weighing nearly one tun per
mile, capable Of bearing direct strain OF over hve
tuns without frictvre. The center of the csoe was
formed by seven hne copper wTee twisted INTO cofd
LILO of an inch thick. Tbs strand was coated with
sntta percha, forming q small rope OF OF au inoh
thick then coated with hempen twine tWice soaked IN
pitch end ter lastly, external sheathng Of Is iron
wires, each wire ceng strand OF seven hrer wires,
making in all l26 wires.
The submersion was commenced on the jth August,
1851! There were present the elk steamers Niagara,
Agamemncn, Leopold, Susqushanna, Wiling, and
Mind intended 10 assst II various parts OF the opera
ton. Tie cable oaQe up from the hold OF the ship,
around central block 60 TO the open space above
decks; II wac tcere wound round grooved shestns,
geared together by cogs ard firmly planted on guo-
ere. Thence IL passed over ittn sheath, out over
he stern the sea, sinking BY lis own weight
rhng acc dept happened on the oh; this was re-
ps;e0, sno on ths lIth, 80 miles stltGtel had been
submerged. The engireer here coDciuds1 that there
wss too much "slack" In the cables course, and
some moe ifcation in the machinery was Consequently
made. This appesrs to have been badly attended 10
by subordinate. The cable snapped, and thus ended
tbe siteEpt OF lsJ'.
Ii having been concluded from Lieut.. Msurys CAL
cueticns tDat the average state of the weather WAS
much better tie Atiantic n the early part OK sum
ner il sss decided this year - s.temp; sying the
cable June. L. was aleo thought best TO begin the
eubsnerson in INC ocean and pay out towari eitner
stors. Accordingly the telegraph iieet coossting OF
the Urittd States steam frgate NisgiTa and her Ma
iesty's stesners Agamemnon, Ns!orous and Gorgon,
left Plymouth on Thursday, Jane 10, lSoS. TAe
Nissara Lad $50 tuns, and the Agsmennon 80 tuns
cosl and escn about UJnautcal or httle less than
/ 90 statute niles Of cable board. The weather,
al trst favorable became unusually oosterous ssthat
the feet were not ready to commence operations until
late on the 18th vi June.
Tie frs, splice Was made between ne Niagara and
Agsmeunon on the morning Of Saturday, the 18th of
June and after each ship tsd payed out about three
miles the cattle bIoke board the Niagara owing to
its overriding sad getting of the pulley esdng on TO
resn splice was made and again lowered ovsr at a.
Tie paying cut preceded beautifully until early on
Sunday mor1irg when the signals sudden'y Ceased
TIE cable xas cut and the Niagara repaired to the
resdSzyoGs Tae csrso Ct the irPtuie vas equAiy