The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-08-29
Diary OF Cyrus w. Field.
New YoRK. Aus


Diary Of Cyrus w. Field.
! New YORK, Aug. IL.
The following is Mr.. Cyrus w. Fields
diary: Steamship Great Eastern, At
lantic Ocean, north latitude 81 deg. 25
min., West Long, 20 deg.
Six o'clock, Friday eve'g Aug. IL,
1865. The steamship Great Eastern
sailed from the More, off Shearess, Sat
urday, July 18th, at 1890 o'clock, and
at half past two o'clock on Monday af-
ternoon of the 18th, she overhauled the
Caroline that left London on the 5th
instant with the shore end on board
She had been detainedby bad weather.
We took her in tow and arrived off
Valentia at 6:45 A. NJ. of Wednesday,
AS the weather was unfavorable, the
Caroline went into Valentia harbor and
the Great Eastern to the haven at BAN
try Bay, followed the next day by the
government steamers Terrible and
Spynx. The 27 miles of heavy shore
end were successfully laid from the
Caroline, toward by the steamer Hawk,
on Saturday the 22d, at quarter to
five. The next afternoon the splice
between the main cable and the shore
end was completed, and the Great
Eastern, Terrible, and the Sphynx stea-
MED towards Newfoundland, while the
Caroline and Hawk returned to Valen-
tia. All went on in the most satisfac-
tory manner until 2:20 A. NJ, on Mon
day the oath, when partial loss of in
sulation showed itself. Shortly after
this the speed ofthe ships was reduced,
and the cable paid out more slowly,
while tests were applied to locate the
fault, which was fornl to be in the
water some miles asterpn th6lGe Swat yweat
transferred so the picking up apparatus
at the bow and we began to haul in ca
bic. This QGDration was frequently
suspended for want of steam in the
boiler attached to the picking up apara-
tus, and during the day portable
boiler was connected with the forrner.
At five minutes past 8 o'clock the next
morning, the fault was brought on
board and found to have been caused
by piece of iron wire similar to that
used in the manufacture of the cable,
about two inches long, having been
forced between the outer wires and
through the gutta-percha into the cop
per wire.
Ten and quarter miles of cable
ere recovered, the fault cut put and q
new splice made. The cable was re-
transferred to the paying out machine
at the stern, and at 4:l0 A. NJ, Tuesday,
the 9th, all was again in perfect order,
and the fleet OH its way to America,
having been delayed tbirty-seven hours
and fifteen minutes. At noon, on
Wednesday the cath, the Great Eas-
tern was l73 miles from Valentia, and
there had been paid out, including the
II miles on the shore end, 100 miles of
cable. The depth of water was one
thousand seven hundred and fifty faith
oms, tests very good.
Thursday, July 27-The ship ran in
the last twenty-four hours l4l miles,
and paid out l5S miles of cable
Depths of water, 2,lGo fahomss, tests
very good.
Friday, July 2s-Distance made,
1861 miles; cable paid out, ia miles
water, $50 fathoms; tests very good.
Saturday, July 99.-Distance ran,
1G0 miles; cable paid out, l7G miles;
depth of water, 1900 fathoms; tests,
very good. AT l2,O6 Z. NJ, it was dis.
covered that there was serious fault
in the cable which entirely cut off COM
munications with the shore. The ship
was stopped and the cable transferred
to the picking up gear, which commen-
ced hauling in at HAP. NJ. After
picking up two and half miles of ca
BILE, the fault came on board, and on
examination it proved to have been
caused by d short piece of wire having
been driven entirely through the autta
perch covering and copper wire. THE
two and quarter miles Of cable were
recovered from a depth Of 300 faith
oms. The operation Of picking up
from this great depth was frequently
interrupted by want of steam. At
night, being very dark and foggy, the
operation of lowering the splice and
transferring the cable to'the paying out
machinery at the stern Was postponed
until tho next morning. The Great
Eastern was by the cable management
of Captain Anderson, kept up all night
to the cable, and this prevented any
strain beside the cables own weight
coming on it. At 8 10 A. NJ, the splice
had been successfully lowered and the
Ship was again on her course. The
detention by this fault Was eighteen
hours and forty-fours minutes, and
most anxious hours aud minutes they
were.
On Sunday, July 80, the distance
made was twenty.four miles, and thir-
ty-seven miles of cable then paid out |
Monday, July 3lst Distance made,
1874 miles; cable paid out, III miles;
water, l,770 fithoms--tests very good |
Tuesday, August lst: Distance made,
l55 miles; whter 100 fathoms-tests
very good.
Wednesday, August I'd: At 5:27 A.
NJ, on rcsuming the insulation tests, it
was discovered that there was par