The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-09-05
Selected 5elistelIauv,
breaking Of the Atlantic Gable
-GrHphic Details by w, ii.
Russell.

breaking Of the Atlantic Gable
-GrHphic Details by w, III.
Russell.
The following is tho most interesting
part of w. IL. Russelrs description of the
Atlantic Telegraph cable:
GREAT EASTERN, August 3
A sad, memorable day in the annals of
tho Atlantic Telegraph. Lunch was over
Some had left the table, others were about
leaving. Tho scientific gentlemen had very
much cheered us by their stating that they
believed that the fault was only six miles
away, and so ere dead night.fal we might
Eope to have the fault on board, make a
new splice and proceed on our way to
Hearts Content geographically about six
hundred miles away. Suddenly Mr. Can
ming appeared in the saloon, and in man.
ner which told all, and said, It's all over.
1t is gone" then fastened onward to his
cabin. Ere the thrill of surprise aud pain
occasioned by these words had passed
away, Mr.. Field came from the companion
into the saloon, and said, with composure
admirable under the circumstances though
his lips quivered and his check was
blanched, "The cable has parted and has
gone overheard" Al were on dock in n
HloHl1llt, uuu thclo lHuSeu u S'HlCc IoNSdlcu
the truth.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
| will endeavor now to explain to you
how the fatal accident occurred. say IA
tai, for although as write we are drifting
down upon the spot in the hope of getting
hold of the cable with grapnels, | scarcely
venture to hope the attempt will be crowned
with success. Let tho reader turu his face
toward window, Imagining that he is
standing on the bows of the Great Eastern,
and then of coarse on his right will be the
st trboard and on his left the port side Of
the ship. When the cable was hauled
around on the left hand side and passed
over the four wheels, it was carried over u
drum which we must suppose to be behind
the spectators, and coiled up as fast as it
was delivered from the picking up appara-
tus; but when the engines failed to work
this apparatus, OF course the cablo re-
manned motiOness; aud as tho ship was
irifted 10y the wind from right to left and
slightly forward, at last the cable came close
up to the bow and under the forefout of the
ship. There are, at the bows of the Great
Eastern, two large hawscr holes, the iron
rims OF which project for more than foot
beyond the line OF the stem. Against one
OF them the cablo caught on the left hand
side, while the ship kept moving to the left,
and thus chafed aud strained the cable
greatly against the bow. The great East.
ern coul not go astern lest the cable should
be snapped, and without motion some way
there is no power of steerage. At this
critical moment. too, the wind shifted to
render it more difficult to keep the heal of
the ship to the cable, which then chaied 30
much that in two places damage was done
to it. 4 shacklo chain and wire rope be-
longing to one Of the cable buOys were
passed over to the cable and secured il
tight below the hawser holes. These were
hauled so as to bring the cable to the right
side of the bat, the ship still drifting to
tho left 1t was necessary to do this in
stead OF vcerlnS away, as we were near
the end of the cut of tho cable in the boat.
There is a large iron wheel with deep
groove, and the circumference technically
"AV" wheel from the groove, 10y the side
of which is "l(emitar,' or smaller wheel,
on the same "axs." The cable and the
wire rope together were coming in over the
bows aud the groove in the larger wheel,
the cable wound upon drum behind by
the machinery which was once more in mo-
tion, and tho wire ropes being taken in
around the capstan, by bars, but the rope
line, but were being hauled in with a great
strain on them at an angle from the right
hand side, so that they did not work direct
ly in the 'V' in tho wheel. Still the strain
was shown on the Indicator to be very
high, but not near breaking strain. Al last
up came the cable and wire rope shackling
together on tho " V" wheel in the boat
They were wound rouRd it slowly, wire
passing over these wheels, together, the
first damaged part being on board, when II
jar was given to the dynamometer, which
flew up from sixty hundred weight, the
highest point marked, with q sudden Jerk
three and halt inches. In the chain shackle
and wire rope chamber, as il were, up out
Of the groove on tho right hand side the
"N'of the wheel got on the"top"of the rim of
the "V' wheel. aud rushed down with a
crash on the small wheel, giving, no doubt,
a severe shake to the cable, to which il was
attached. The machinery was still in mo
tiun, and the ropes travelled aft together
one toward the capstan and the other to-
ward the drum, where, just as the cabl
reached the dynamometer, it parted, and
with one bound leaped. as il were, over
few feet of intervening space, ard splashed
into the sea.
1t is not possible for any words to por-
tray the dismay with which the sight was
witnessed and the news heard. When a
man came aft with piece Of tho inner end
lashed still to the chain, and saw the tor.
tured strands. torn wires aud lacerated
core, ,it is no exaggeration to say that strange
feelings of pity, as though some human
creature had been mutilAted and dragged
asunder 10y brutal force, passed through the
hearts of the spectators. Captain Moriarty
Waa inst cOniuu IN tha foot nf fha connau.
ion 20 put up the daily statement Of the
ships position, having had excellent obser-
vatiOns, when the news came. 81 feel said
he. I'VE will not feel much interested now
in knowing how far we are from Hearts
Content" however, it was something to
know, although it was little comfort, that
we had run precisely ll6 miles since yes.
terday. that we were ,0G2 miles from Val
entia, ESQ from Hearts Content that we
were in 81 25, long. 32 96.
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