The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-07-30
The Atlantic Telegraph Gable.


The Niagara and the Gorgcn had returned
20 Queenstown, after three unsuccessful ut.
tcmlns to lay the cable. They reached that
port en- the morning Of Jaiy5. The Aganem.
non and Valorous had not arrived though thew
had two hundred miles start. The squadron
experienced very severe weather during tlci1
oraise. On the 18th Of June q heavy polc
sprung nls uring which they were separated.
but all mot again Mt the rendezvous, So . lat,
33 lS lon: On the first attempt about tom
anlies OF cable were lost on the secona about
aso miles. and on the 2sth the cable was again
Joined, sna about 25o miles were paid out,
when communication ceasing to be received,
'hecable wasparted, and the Niagara and the
Gorgon proceeded to Queenstown.
n "lhe paying out tackle and the break
Hai been proved, with success which the
seientffic alone e'could appreciate. The specu-
! sati2n was that just now we should probably
Have the Atlantic at its calmcst, which, as It
'fusns, out. has not been the cnse. 90 Judge
from the picture of the expedition ns it sailed
from our shores. the Agamcmnon and the Niar-
nraFsos1Eed with t!icir huge freight Tint the
gigantic coils spread fwm the hold into every
gnn%ooIn gang way, and cabin. We were rely-
Ing too much on til" favor of the elements. and
II is premature inde. d. 10 say that we have
been beaten by the elements : but the next at
tempt ought to combine every prycnulvn s,,y-
gest,-i ty the past
- suggestion has been made several times in
these columns, and seems to us worth consider.
ing. Inc ievinthan Is rs Yet only shell. Ex-
'ceptingth That IL has not even lis engines on
tOard. it is exactly in that state to which, Mt
great difficulty and cost, the Agamcnlnnn and
Niagara have been reduced for this service. In
!9nc iieviataan any length Of cable that could
possibly he required could he held and slowed
II, the manner most convenicrti Tor iuy'ing out.
The pitch OF that iruyc vessel will be quite in.
considerable IN the toughest seas, and the
strains on the cable will therefore 'be uniform.
NnfhcIent length may he taken on board for
f::ct.!cst lavish use ofthc cable, to even twice
the distance from enc shore to the other
~ Is PLAIN we must not he s,iney Of mate.
ni"I, 1t we are to succeed The ingenious wri.
tiers who enlightened the public on the won
'oeIS OF the deep tell US that currents carry the
cable miles out of the ships course before j,
touokes the bottom thnt, ever so freely ,,,,.
ca out the Cable probably hangs in fcs,uons
from one submarine mounts ain ton to another
nua' 'tkat, even K The cable is so Fortunate as to
escape the sharp eIgc Of a prccipicc mere sus.
pension between tw" distant points may stretch
II oeyond It's strength. If this be so. the more
canic we have, within reason. the better.
"No'sh'p afloat bnt the Lcviathan could car
rE ample supply for the whole distance. 1t
alone could carry Goals sufficient for paving
ont The whole cable at the rstc Of five, four. or
three miles an hour, if necessary, end could af
ford, even in the midst Of the process. to make
any delays that might be thought advisable
Whatever may be thought Of tlis suggestion,
We feel sure thut nobody really expects much
from a fleet Of four ships sailing out to rendez
Tous III the middle of the Atlantic to Law down
one ea6le-all the ships confcssedly overtask
ed and all ofthem reckoning upon good wealth
-er and other favorable circumstances. There
IS UNITY and simplicity about the undertake
-zardous process"