Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-08-10
Laying the shore End OF the Attain
ale Cnbfe-A Graphic Description.
Prem The fonson Daily News. July 1s.l

Ieau Tor an artsf. Imagine TIE best OF TIE gooo
Irish scenes IN the Colleen Bs~n." or Arab
na-Pogue'-ibst Is. imagine the most lovely
scenery, the most picturesque costumes, and the
most effective groupings. placed IN splendid
natural amphitheaire, with intense human IN
tsrest as the motive power, and thoroughly i'm
ppisive enthusiasm its accompaniment. and
YOU will realize yerJ fairly what took place on
Saturday in Foilhommerum Bay. Bot before
doing this pray understand the impediments be
setting the journey thither. To sail in the Great
Eastern from. the More 10 Valentia 10 witness
The laying Of the shore end OF the Atlantic Ca
bic does not at first convey an idea Of difficulty,
or imply q notion Of adventure. But wind,
weather, The condition Of the coast, the vast size
Of one cable vessel, ard the very shaky consti-
tuition Of another. the amenities of Irish travel,
the lack Of cars, and the willy sab;erfuges OF car
men have collectively combined to make reach
ing Valentia from the Great Eastern a matter OF
more difficulty than might be supposed. First,
when che near Yslentia, in the rough
weather. the use OF the boat. sent of with so
much difficulty. was restricted 10 Mr.. Moore, the
pilot, Mr. Canning the chief Of the cable-laying
staff. and Mr.. Temple, junior, who acted as bis
aid. The waves, though both smaller and quister
than We had experienced during the hours when
the Caroline az our stern was in actual danger,
were still turbulent and threatening. and after
the boat had more than once narrowly escaped
side. Captain Anderson wisely ordered her to
push of at once, refusing either passengers or
luggage TO be got on board The Great Eastern
was then. as you know, taken into Bearhaven
for shelter, aud all who reached Valentia had to
do so from that port. Twenty 1.-Two miles in an
open boat, ana hily -four more 10 the rudest
jauntng cars over the widest and most desolaie
parts of the county Of Kerry, brought four OF
these travellers here yesterday morning. bu, some
Of the directors and their friends have not made
their appearance up to this time; some are on
the big ship stll, some yel on their way hther,
and others speeding back without seeing Valen-
tia or the real commencement OF the enterprise
at all Thus il is that OF the forty or fifty SALON
passengers who left the More in the Great East
ern, only four were present at the interesting
scene of yesterday, who we're not absolutely oc-
cupied in laying the cable
The first sight of Valentia from the land is
Disappointing. From Watervile the road is un-
interesting and dull. Large gloomy mountains
alternate with vast patches of Wild and unculti-
waited bog, while the merciles showers Of what is
surely the rainiest country in the world damp the
Iirit as they soak the body OF the traveller. Low
hanging dense clouds obscure the view. the i'm
possibility Of obtaining trustworthy infor nation
soured the mind. and the uniformly eyasve an
swers Of peasant and way side pedestran-who
might be as impenetrsbly stupid and blandly
yacGous as they pretended, but Who succeeded
in roasting the inquisitve Sassenach with con
siderable humOr and force-rrit&ted the tenn
per those who were hurredly pressing on in the
hope of arriving here before the shore end was
laid. After much modification and humblng OF
the spirit and great WEAKNESS OF the flesh, ferry
house was reached. from which at a distance of
bali a mile across the water the Island OF Va
lentia. aud the white houses and slated roofs Of
its little town were plainly visible. Two per
tectly idle steamers lay in the land locked har-
Dor. but not yestigc of either cable or cleo
triciaus. or either Great Eastern. or her heavy
supplement. the Caroline, or her guard OF honor,
the Terrible and Sphinx, her companion
steamer, the Hawk. or her messenger steam
boat. the Advice, was to be seen But for the
palpable newness OF the roughly hewn half
barked stumps OF wood supporting the single
wire which ran by the roadside along which We
had been jOited almost TO dislocation-but for
the strained air of excitement and expectancy Of
the three bare footed, bare chested shock headed
young tatterdemaons the wharf. one of
whom said OF the.od portmsnteau aud fat carpet
bag he considerably pounded on n stone-heap
and then dropped into the water hure,
Mickey, au' these are his houner's Instruments
for laying hurl"-and but for the conscientious
ness of the old bOatman, who demanded half u
crown for taking US across. while admitting a
penny to be the price 10 "our own people," but
for these trivial circumstances, there Was nothing
TO herald the mighty stride about TO be taken in
the history Of civilization, or the smeorating
effect its approaching contamination had
brought about
Once IN Valenta, however, the inquirer heard
on authority that the laying Of the shore end was
expected TO commence that morning in a bay at
the other side OF the island, and five miles from
the town, and that horse and car could be hired
as a favor for a moderate sum-ssy the prime
cost OF both-in which bis "honner would thravel
as iigant an asy az in his cradle purvided be
slipped up tinderly, and avoided prissing too hard
on the wake side Seated in this precious We
hicle which required as much trimming and
careful distribution of weight one of Series
hghtest odtriggers. our typical explorer ourueyed
along the banks of the sea channel separating
Nalenta from the mainland and running from
the bay Passing groups Of peasantry and pigs
and fowls, all strangely animated, and all jour
neying toward "the telegraph to 'Meriky. yer
bonner J. he reached nearly at the summit of
the last hill. low wooden hut painted black
and not unlike the summer establishment of
some watering place photographer. This is the
Temporary office OF the Atlantic Telegraph Com
pany Along the waste land, at some distance to
the right, are half a dozen matched bowels while
few feet from the grass grown turf wall which
divides the held containing this Office from the
elf. you look down upon the Caroline, which is
In communication with tie land by lergthy
floating bridge OF fishing boats. To the right
and left preeptous rocks rise nearly three hun
dred feet from the sea. 50 followed at each side
as 20 give TO the securely sheltered little haven,
which IL scarcely mile from end TO end. the
conformation OF n horse shoe Rugged steep.
and utterly inaccessible, save where rude and
broken path has been formed by the cable men
these cliffs are studded with Wild flowers and
ferns. aud ,ariegated by large patches Of the
brightest veTdure. whieh alternate with masses
of tangled weed and huge blocks OF slate
aud parti -colored rock Buffers Island large
grass grown strip of stony ground. stretching
from left to right. from the Ear point OF the bay
lessons the opening 20 the sea. and materially
helps 20 shelter TINS beautiful nook though, as
there is. Of course. neither land nor breakwater
between its entrance and America. it will be
readily understood that in rough weather il pre-
sents very different appearance to the one il
wore yesterday. Then all was smiling. sunny aud
calm. The spectator who, after drinking in the
beauties before him from the heights scrambled
down the rugged path and stood among the men
hauling the cable on shore. or balanced himself
one OF the cTags arrestiDg his downward path
vas, ss have said, in a magnificent natural
amphilheater, With toiing peasants. earnest
sarass. excited seamen. and eager capitalists for
his setors-pFiesis, local gentry, electricians
and leegraphlsls for his fellow lockers on and
the broad Atlantic for his stage Mr. CreswIck
never surpassed the rich hues and bright tints of
he rocks and vegetation around; Firth never
painted brighter eyes. more supple figures, or
more pictureSQuely artistic costume. than tho.a