The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-08-17

yseiIsDs csetios, and the calculation based
upon their data made and re-made to insure |
Certainty. The result of all was unanimous |
.lsciSion that the fault was not on board. but |
in~the eighty miles of Submerged wire
When this decision had been arrived n the |
cable was at once cut on board the Great
Eastern. and the length under water tested
by Mr.. Saunders. With wonderful skill his
sssss. at once "localized, the spot whore the
fault existed-eieven miles from the stern of
the ship, and within q quarter of q mile of
where it actually was -
iesfnstantiy preparations were made for get
ting the Great Eastern round, and employing
the winding-in apparatus fixed forward spe
oially TO be used 10 case of such mishaps. 1t
was hoped, of course, that its use would new
or be required and very many believed that
whether required or not il would never ac-
CON lish what IL was intended to achieve
| The result proved the fallacy OF both hopes
and fears. The severed portion of the cable
was passed into this machine, and, the Great
Eastern streaming back over the ropes
course, the work OF resling-in at once began.
| The cable came up with singular ease The
| strain on the dynamometer of the machine
never exceeded eighteen hundred weight
which was nothing to a cable guaranteed not
to break under several tons, and equal, from
| its specific gravity, to supporting eleven miles
of its weight IN water, or thro' a deeper sea
than soundings have yet been found in the
world. As we have said, within quarter of
a mile of spot indicated by Mr.. Saunders,
the fault was found; and nothing can more
strongly indicate the endless perls with
which successful submarine telegraphy is
beset than the trivial and almost uuavoida-
BILE accident which had caused it.
AS the lengths of wire of one hundred or
one hundred and fifty miles were manufac-
tured at Messrs. Glass and Elliott's they
were taken down in barges and coilsd away
in the tanks of the Great Eastern. Each
as it arrived was of course spiiced up to tha,
which had preceded it, and this was often
done in the tank sthemselves. The Opera
ton of splicing not only means joining the
conductor, but also joining the outside wires
the junction Of the latter being made at diff
ferent lengths--the bits of wire cut out being
4 thrown away. 1t seems, however, that ONT
of these atoms of wire, about two inches long
and as thick as stout darning needle, fel
ION the coil unnoticed-as. indeed, who would
notice it, or for a moment think of the con
sequence which its disregarded presence il
such a spot might surely occasion.
The weight of the layers of cable iait
, above this fragment-as Insignificant as
!, shaving in carpenters shop-pressed i
firmly into the tarred hemp which forms The
4 outside covering of the cable. To this it ad
hered While in the tank it did no harm
but when this portion came to be paid out
the small diameter of the eight leadin
wheels which give access to the paying-ou
machine, and the weight of the jocky pulley
over these which keep the rope in it's place
a bent the stout IRON wire so sharply that
/ passed between the hemp, pierced its fou
e folds, and there remained. In this state
q was found, and instantly recognized rs
. piece of wire from spliced joint. A shor
e Icing; b of cable was at once cut out, q ne,
q splice made, vigilantly tested, and gradual
sunk. When ON the bottom it was again RI
!. tested for some hours, and the signals wer
+ shown to be absolutely perfect.
"a During al this time the Great Eastern n
q manned quietly hove TO. The sen was calm
and even the throbbing swell of the AtIanti
had died away into mere undulation OF
wave. The motion in her, therefore, wa
barely perceptible to the feeling, and Gel
tainly could not be detected by sight, save
20 watching the little arc of a circle which he
"a topmasts now and.then described. The whol
> accident caused delay of nearly twenty -fou
: hours. during which the drift of the vess,
q was almost nothing. Haa ra
N Parting of the Cable on the I'd Inst.--B Buoy
Placed to Mark the spot--Further Par
D. ticulars of the Accident Oh the goth ul
On Tuesday the 18th We published I'll
!, following telegram
> AsPY BAY, C. b., Aug. IS.
$ A large vessel hove in sight at oclcc
d this morning At this hour haif-past 9)she
i within "a miles of shore. Flags are see
l. gsily flying from her.
g HEARTS CONTENT, Aug. Ii, via
o AsPY BAY, Aug. Is.
II The schooner First Fruit from Cardiff a.
rived at Harbor Grace. N. f., this morpin.
o aud makes the following report:
# "On Aug. 6, at O'Clock in the morning
}, saw Great Eastern and the British wa
steamer Terrible. AT 6 O'Clock in the morI
ing saw the beacon buoy, with flag upo
it, marked Great Eastern and Terrible =
Were then aboui Ave miles southeast frou
the beacon buoy Weather quite fine.
About noon the Fret Fruit received in
formation of the bearings of the beacon buoy
The Terrible reported that the cable parte
on the I'd of August The position of tn
beacon buoy, by the account of the Fir.
n -.