Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-18
Cyrus Fields Diary.
NV YoRK, August 1.-THE following
10 Mr.. Cyrus Fields diary:


ErHAMsHIP GREAr EAsrKAz, ATLANTIC ocx1H,0
kosTE LAT SIC zs'. WEsT. Lose. $50.
Friday Evening, AGG. IL, 1856
The steamship Great Eastern sailed
from of the Neuse Saturday July 18th,
at $50 o'clock, and at halfpast two on
Monday the llth she overloaded the
Caroline which left London on the 5th
inst, with the shore end on board. She
had been detained by bad weather. We
took her in tow and arrived off Valencia
at Gas A. NJ. of Wednesday. As the
weather was unfavorable the Caroline
went into Valencia harbor and the Great
Eastern into Birkhaven, Botany Bay.
Was followed the next day By her
Msjesty's steamers Terrible and Sphynx.
Twenty miles of the heavy shore
end were successfully laid from the
Caroline, towed by the steamer Hawk,
on Saturday the I'D, at q quarter past
5 o'clock. The next afternoon the splice
between the shore end and the main
cable was completed, and the Great
Eastern, Terrible and Sphynx steamed
towards Newfoundland, while the Caro-,
line and Hawk returned to Valencia.
All went on in the most satisfactory
manner until Monday, the Oath, when
partial loss Of insulation showed itself
Shortly after this the speed of the ship
was reduced, aud the cable paid out
more slowly, while tests were affixed to
locate the fault, which was found to be
in the water, some miles astern of the
Great Eastern. At $50 AM. the cable
was transferred to the picking-up appa-
ratus ct the bow, and it begun, 70 haul
in the cable. This operation was FREE
queRlly Suspended by want of water in
the boiler attached to the picking-up
apparatus, and during the day porta
BILE engine was attached, and ct half
past eight o'clock next morning the
fault was brought on board and found
to have been caused by piece of iron
wire like that used in the manufacture
Of the Cable having been forced between
the outer wires and through the gutta
percha into the copper wire. Ten and q
quarter miles of cable were recovered,
the fault cut out and q new splice
made, the cable re-transferred to the
paying out machinery At the stern, and
at 4:l0 A. NJ, Thursday, 18th, all was
again in perfect order, and the feet on
IT'S way to America, having been de-
tanned 81 hours and so minutes. At noon
on Wednesday, the Great Eastern was
ITS miles from Valencia, and there
had been paid out, including q miles
shore land, 1893 miles of cable--depth Of
water 1850 fathorls-tssts very good.
Thursday, July 27-The ship ran in
the last "a hours l4l miles and paid out
l5S miles cable; depth of water also
talhoms; tests very good.
F'idAy, July % Distance made
1854 miles; cable paid out TIA miles;
depth Of water, 1850 fathoms; tests very
good.
Saturday, July 2e-Distance made
100 miles; cable paid out, lie, miles
depth of water 1900 fathoms; tests very
good.
at 1906 PM it was discovered that
there was q serious fault in. the cable,
which entirely cut OF communication
with the shore. The ship was stopped,
and the cable transferred to the picking
up gear, which commenced picking up,
at o:I5 Pm. After picking mp two and
| half miles of the cable, the fault came
on board and proved to have been
caused by q strong piece OF wire having
been driven through the cable. Two
and half miles OF cable we're recover
ed from 8 depth Of ], 800 fathoms The
operation of taxing up from this depth
was frequently interrupted by want Of
steam. At night, being very dark and
foggy, the operation of lowering splice
aud transferring to the paying-out ma
chine at the stern was postponed until
next morning. The Great Eastern, By
the able management of Capt. Ander son,
was kept up all night to the cable, q nd
so prevented any strain beyond the ca
bic own weight coming on it At s: lC
AN. the splice had been successfully
lowered, and the ship was again on hel
course. The detention by this fault wal
seventeen hours and twenty.four min
utes. r'fk.Es#
On Sunday, July 30th,. the distances
was "a miles, and 81 miles of cable psiC
out; depth $50 fathoms, tests very good
Monday, 3Ist, distances run, I32 miles;
cable paid ont 15S miles; water, ITO
fathoms; tests very good Tuesday
Aug. lss, distance l5s miles; cable paic
out. I79 miles; water, 1.709 fathoms
tests very good. Aug. ID, 5:27 A M
on resuming insulation tests, it was dIs
covered that there was partial loss o
insulation. The ship was stopped, anS
the cable was transferred to the picking
up gear. The operations Of hsulinl
commenced at noon. The engine use'
for picking up stopped for want OF va
: ter for a considerable length Of time
Two miles had been recovered and the
] cable was cut to see if the fault has
come on board.
At 1890 P. NJ, the Cable caught ant
chsfed on the mouth of the horse pipe
and was with considerable difficulty re-
: moved, and at I2.S5 it parted on boSrc
where it was injured just behind ID
: shoppers, and in 9 moment disappeared
in the water. Distance run in the las