The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-02
Tine Atlantic TeIerraDn Fxpedition.

4AO
Correspondents Of the London Times
BY the time this notice reaches the pub
lie the Great Eastern will probably have
begun her eventful voyage. At dsybresk
tomorrow, the anchor will be raised, and
under easy steam the monstrous vessel
will make the best of her way to falen-
tia All that the experience of previous
attempts could suggest all that the most
earnest and painstaking foresight could
anticipate, has been done everything now
rests with the weather. In the four great
divisions N which the success OF the I'M
dertaking may be said to turn-nAmely,
the cable itself, its stowsge, the ship, and
its engines, nothing apparently has been
overlooked. r
As regald s the cable, It's various lengths
are now and have been for some days past
Joined up, and twice every day, morning
and evening" messages are sent through.
LAST week experiments were tried with q
variety of instruments TO ascertain the
highesE rate Of working speed with q low
battery power. The best of these instru-
ments was, it is said, one invented by MIR.
Marley, with which it was found easy TO
work through the whole length Of 500
miles aI an average rate of shout fonr
words q minute. at this speed the signals
were remarkably clear and distinct, and it
is still claimed that it is possible to devise
instruments which can raise the rate from
four words o minute to as high IS eight or
even ten. = This, however, remains to be
proved. Yl-i9c l91sf-- 80
% The Insulating properties Of the gutta
pereha sre always increased by external
compression. When sunk in the tremen-
deus depths beneath which the cable is to
be submerged, it is calculated that the
weightlof water shove it will give 8 pres
sure Of about two and three quarter tons to
the circular inch. Under this enormous
weight the bulk of Insulating core will
probably be reduced one-third, and, in fact,
80 compressed on all sides as TO most ma
terislly improve both "conductivity" and
insulation. -." .''
Such aids to signaling excellence, when
coupled with the benefit which the cable is
certainly TO derive from the u~nvSrying
temperature at the bottom of the ocean,
are likely TO do mere towards increasing
the rate st which messages can be sent,
than any instrument which has yet bean
brought forward. During lifetime Ct pay
ing out, signals Will be sent to Valentis, for
every fifty miles of cable sunk, and for
every fifty miles the Great Eastern uns.
Thus it viii be perfectly easy for the pub
lie to follow her course on the map, and
know precisely by the difference between
the distance trsversed and the length of the
length of the cable sunk, the amount of
slack that is being Fsid out.
This slack, as it is called, will afford the
best index to the state OF the weather and
49, - =, .hTak che nuoaE E.akarp ia do
ing her work. No less than thirty-three
per cent. of the entire length Of the cable
has been allowed for 6 sck, or waste, as we
may better call it. If all goes well, not
more than ten per cent. of this will be used
but, on the other hand, with bad weather
or irregular going of the Great Eastern,
every coil will go over the stern to the very
last mile. So far as regards the cable.
As concerns the Great Eastern herself
Captain Anderson and his officers have
taken every possible ~precaution as to her
stewsge and general equipment From out
side she seems, at the first glance, to be
AIsrmingly deep in the water. 1t is, how
ever, less her actual depth which creates
this unpleasant impression than the appear
ance she presents of Hssgging" smidships.
Of course this awkward and most unpless-
ant appearance is merely an optical delusion
no doubt created by her deep trim sstern.
There is q difference of nearly five feet
between her trim fore and aft. Astern
she draws thirty. five feet of water, while
under the bows it is only thirty. Levels
have been carefully taken to ascertain if
any DETECTION was ~perceptible under the
ponderons weight she bears. No sign of
change, however, has been observable. Be-
fore any of the cable was coiled on board,
400 tons of water were pumped into the
aftermost compartments of the ship, and
100 tons into the compartments most for
ward. Under these weights at har extram-
tiles the Crest Eastern detected nearly
an inch and a hall, recovering herself dir
ectly the water was pumped out
This proof of strength is, of. course, very
satisfactory. It would have been more so
however, if the test strains employed bore
a clnsar r~alatinn tn the enormous weights
which she has now on board. All told,
the Great Eastern will leave the Thames
with rather more than 25, 900 tons In her,
a burden almost as great as the whole fleet
with which Nelson fought the battle of
Trafalgar could have carried. All the
weights are slowed as high as possible to
lcountersct to the utmost the Great East
ems most unpleasant tendency to fail.