The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-27

oae abreast Of us, working both boilers and the hull
II the Sphinx appeared above the horizon astern Of u.s.
THURSDAY, July q.
In the night the wind came round little me ships
course was N W. Y W. The sea was scarcely felt
Dy the Great Eastern but still high and adverse enough
% cause tie electricians, who had been on board the
Niagara 70 remark that the operation OF paying out
,abis from her would have been practicable under
he same circumstances AT half past eight M, the
total distance run was 500 mes-irom me las. splice
235 miles showing an average speed or 6.S7 miles an
hour Of cable paid outtotai loss OF caDie on drecon
from straight line 80 per cent on the whole distance
ner cent The cable continued to run with the most
Der ect regularity In depth Of two thousand fahoms
striking the water distance OF 2l3 feet from the stern
confident hopes were now entertained sna' sno a.or
Sar nsvnS ont the cable from the fore tank
WAS PREPARED and the frame work OF the runners and
smts of observations gave the ships position latitude
81 "a N, longitude 10 w. distance run since yes c
terday i42 miles; whole distance from valentis szo
miles The Terrible with both boilers going and top
gallant masts down. kept on our port BEAM inc SPHINX
when last seen had down t0pmasts made no marx
could RIM on to her rendezvous il tho wind lasted ~
probably her coal would DO exhausted Tnsre was no
aerat on in the wind or the course OF the sup CURING
the dav The signalling between the ship ana the enoro
on without hndrance and 70 the satisfaction Of the
electricians An observation taken by means OIL tne
Pole star at II NJ gave our latitude ss % SS average
speed six KNOBS u r,v oa
All during the night tho work went on smoothly:
the Insulation nSssss1S ~ W. ia run one
hundred and nineteen miles, paddle working 6.76 and
screw q7 36 revolutions Sky clear Sphinx not vsble
tuda az Is distance run 1856 miles distance from
Hearts Content 1850 miles Cable running out ~ me
rate of seven niles an hour Total number OF revo n9
tons of paving out machine at halfpa eight,
Sesssrdss noon SsSs nautical miles q cable bed
paid out s, IN wssr nsys being s
The terrible was sgnaed to prevent any vessel crossing
the course Of cable assrn and replied that she would
do 80 IL possible She steamed round our starDoard
ouartUr and remained throughout the day.
SATURDAY, July 90
Happy is tho nation which has got no history. When
morning seemed as II the DAY would pass WIN
gear worked away. the donkey engines travelled, tho
tests answered from end to end dep called to shore
which gave delightful anguor to mems thoughts was
some excitement 70 conjecture why the Terrible had
vanished clean out sight during the night although she
came up sturdy again In the morning and took up her
station on our starboad quarter All through the twelve
hours from midnight TO noon the cable glided at some
what than ~ Y fsn NIX
same norhwesey breeze ahead keeping up the draught
in our boilers Tho day was gray and misty but we were
arrival al Hearts Content and to indicate easy con-
fdence that the present was fair gauge Of the
future In the night we had passed over two
thousand four hundred faihQms deep and at nine A. H.
were In two thousand fathoms only At our posi-
ton was latitude So SO 80 longitude ~ 40 distance from
vaentia six hundred and thrtyfo and quarter miles,
Distance to run one thousand and twenty three miles,
About ton minutes past O'clock ships time, there
was slight comm0tion and excitement Id the neighDor.
hood OF the testing ROOM and soon WIN eleas
ouickuoss indeed the engines stopped and the snip
ceased to Up swarmed at the ominous quiet all
the lazy life of tho floating city and buzzed about the
Hfaujt,-far worse "dead earth"-total and complete
destruction the insulated channel 80 that its subtle
current rushed from some gaping wound into the sea-
and was lost the great Of the world to
be heard of more At $780, Greenwich time, the opera
tor in tbs testing ROOM who watching the passage Of
current the light on the index suddenly fly beyond
che limits there being just 1894 miles Of cable out and
the tests up to tho very instant being most satisfactory
The electricians at once In consultation; but the
could DO no doubt as to the only course
TO DO pursued Su, In order 70 make as.
surance doubl sure II was resolved 10 the saddest ana
resorted Toto make decisive cuts in the CABLE while the
steam got up In the engines forward so as TO be in
readiness in Of need On the first cut a test was
passed through the whole length Of the cable and the
result gave dcad earth not far overheard The cable
then cut at the bottom Of the ator tank and gave
the same result third time the cable was cut at tho
tor of the after tank the test confirmed the preced
ing Indications Them while the cable out with
strain varying from esns cw s sc% Tue Tue
cable TO the wire ropes and slip overheard that
might brought over the bows and secured TO the
pickihe up machine and with trouble and hazard, and
care which cannot be imagined by one who has not wit
messed the operation, wound up again from the bed OF
he Atlantic Tas @ Of % 0n anc
ces, but tho experienced gentlemen on board
were confident than the Sailors and certainly
with wonder and alarm at the looking black
thread at which the Great Eastern seemed Juggling with
al her giant nigh. a. swell Of The SCI. r0 thus
sti-the strain at time rising to twenty -four hundred
weight which caused II TO hiss through tho water with
an edge Of foam; and when the end was let 60, and
length after length of wire rope disappeared after and
crowd Of men, hanging the Sides climbing among
boats and ladders and hauling on hawsers 70 clear the
,dao utoAo and ~lo INIT IN
mand, when fouls and bitches occurred and when tho
paddle boxes resolved to coil up everything that came
required all faith in the skill Of Captain Anderson
guiding his great ship and In the activity experience
and judgment OF Mr. Canning 70 inspire ray OF hope
again. But last the Great Eastern began TO tug away
at the wire ropo from tho bow, and tho excitement Of
the day was transferred 70 the end Of tho ship To
shorten long story, may be ct once stated that at
twenty minutes TO SIX Greenwich time, owing to great
caution and skill in managing tho ship and machinery
and perhaps wonderful luck In of universal calm
the end Of the cable hauled In the bow and the
picking up machinery began to work it back agan. This
was exceedingly anxious and trying Time The strain
on the cable cated Ut times TO be two and half
TONS but II up very easily whenever the machinery
provided with proper steam power At ten minutes
to ten NJ, by ships time Greenwich time two hours
got on board and preparations made for now joint
splice and for the transfer OF the cable 10 the paying
much anxiety aud trouble, the cable was rccoed and
were taken TO begin paying out with the early
dawn.
SUNDAY, July 80
The night and early morning were periods Of great
anxiety for Mr. Canning and his staff and for Captain An
derson and the officers Of the ship. The weather e
ceedingly thick. but II dead calm, and when tho
splice and joint made MI Canning considered Il ad
vsable to wait for CLEAN Of daylight ere ne began the
paying out Of the cable again. On the first attempt to
transfer the cable from the bow 10 the stern 1t few or
the bow drum and before IL could be stopped II was
damned in the machinery and subjected such injury
that found necessary to cut away considerable
portion and make two joints and spices Al length,
at 1913 A. NJ, Greenwich time, and 8:l0 ships time the
cable running out the stern supposed depth
Of two thousand fathoms The sight and sound of the
thus restored 10 active functions after nine
teen hours OF dreary rest most grateful all
board, and when Captain Anderson down 10 break
fast after ordeal on deck from six O'Clock yesterday
morning, all experienced sensation OF relief For,
indeed, the danger Of losing the cable by moments
neglect instantaneous accident was felt rather than
openly expressed. As Captain Anderson, whom the
difficulty Of the task Of laying the cable made consider
able impression, observed zone felt 20 powerless and
could do ltle," while the great ship and the thin
cable were adjusting their mutual relations all through
the long dark night and care weighted morning When
h.~. l.sx