The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-08-25
History OF the Fifth and Last At
tempt to Lay the Cable.

UcMPt I'D AAy LAC A1UACs
80 The Afatest -news from the Great
Eastern informs us that, after laying
1900 miles of. the cable, it parted in
latitude 51.40 North and longitude 3S
West. The following facts embrace
the history of the attempt to lay the
cable, including the details of the diff
ficulties encountered on the 2Ith and
Goth of July:
THE FIRST DIFFICULTY, AND HOW IT WAS
REPAIRED.
The Great Eastern and Caroline,
which were chartered by Glass, Elliott
& Co., and the Terrible and Sphynx,
detailed by the English Government,
and composing ..e. cable squadron,
rendezvoused at Valentia on July 19.
On the 22d, t.le Caroline succeeded,
after one mishap, requiring the under
running of the shore end, in laying
that massive cable. On the 23d, the
splice of the shore end and deep sea
cables was made on board the Caroline
and thrown overheard, the Great East
ern slowly steaming Westward. On
the morning Of the 24th, she was fnirly
under way, when defect i'll the ins'l-
lation Was discovered, and the Great
Eastern hove t., about eighty miles
from shore, in order to repair it. The
difficulty was repaired in few hours,
and proved to be as curio us as serious,
and is thus explained:
AS the lengths OF wire of 100 or $50
miles were manufactured ut MesSrs.
Glass 4 Eliiott's. they were taken
down in barges and coiled ;l%:lvi:, =.
tanks, on bdard the Great e.
Each as it arrived Was of course splice
up to that which had preceded it, .,..d
this was often cone in the tanks them
selves. The operation of splicing not
only means joining the conductor, but
also joining .lc outside wires, the
junction of the latter being made at
different -lcngtls--th bits of wire cut
out being thrown away. 1t seems.
{ however, that one of these atoms OF
wira about two inches long, and as
thick as stout d:lrnin.,. needle, fell or
the coil unnotiecd. The weight of the
layers of c.bl. laid above this frag-
ment pressed ii firmly 5nto the ts.rred
hemp which forms the outside cover
ing of the c.lbh~ To this it adhered.
While in the tank it did 10 !:1r,n; but
when this portion came to I've paid ou;,
the small diameter oi the eight leading
wheels which give access to the pay
ing ont machine and the weight of
the jockey rlleys over these. which
keeps the rope III It's place, bent til :.
stout iron wire SO sharply that it
passed between tEc hemp. pierced the
gutta percha through 1T least two or
three OF its four fulls, anal there re-
manned. In this state it w:ss fonn.,
and Instantly recognized AIS piece o.
wire from a splice juin:. \ short
length OF cAbie>w,1s 1T once cut ont, Il
new splice made, vigiluntly tested, .Il'l
gradually sunk. When on the BOTTOM
it was again tested for some Ao4r~.
and the Signals were shown to hc ali
solutely perfect.
THE ACCIDENT OF THE 2DTil LIT.
The ship AGAIN sped on ner way,
and all went well until t,c 23th uli.,
when insulation suddenly ceased
about the time that seven hundred
miles were paved out the cause ol
this defect has not yet been explained
and doubtless will not be until the
work is resumed and the cable safcl,
laid. 1t was repaired in twcnty-rro:li
hours, and the Great Eastern agail
resumed her journey. On July 30, a
a quarter past ! Il. NJ. seven hundred
and fifty miles We're paved oat, ant
on July 81, the tenth day out, hin,
Hundred miles.
fHE PARTING oF'THE CAHLE.
AL. was then going on well, bat OF
the I'd instant the vessel encountcru,
q still breeze. 1t is not positive, from
the news brought to Hearts Conten
by the schooner First Fruit, wh@...ia
1t became necessary during the CT
nuance of this unfavorablc w..iti:
cut the cable and buoy it, wuilY
vessels laid by, awaiting the return 0
favorable weather, or whether the cabl