The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-27

Sketch Of the Preparations for
the Departure.
THE CABLE in PERFECT CONDITION
Four Words a Minute Transmitted
Through the Coil in the Depths
Of the Monster.
Strange Appearance Of the
Great Eastern.
SEALED MESSAGE ON BOARD.
w n A S 1T?
w H At Is IT?
From the London Times, July 15.l

BY the time that this notice reaches the public the
Great Eastern will probably have begun her eventful
voyage At daybreak TO- morrow the single Trotmans
anchor which has held her safely against wind and tide
during the late weather. will be raised and under
easy steam the monstrous vessel with her ponderous
freight will be carefully navigated through Bulocks
channel 10 the open water and thence make the best Of
her way 70 vaientla seems like mere iteration TO eX
plain again all the almost endless precautions which
have on this occasion been taken TO secure success
Hull engines, stowage and fittings Of every kind have
been carefully revised, adapted or improved All that
the experience Of previous attempts could suggest all
that the most earnest and painstakng foresight could
anticipate has been done everything rests with the
weather In the four great divisions which the
cess Of tho undertaking may be said TO turn-namely
the cable itself Its stowage the ship and its engines
nothing apparently has been overlooked.
ELECTRICAL CONDITION OF THE CABLE.
As regards the cable, IL still remains in the same per-
feet state when it tested at the works, and In
fact its whole electrical condition such the largest
shareholder in the undertaking would desire for IT, Its
various lengths are and have been for some days
past Joined up, and twice every day. morning and
ing messages are sent through. The which these
occupy in transmission shows its condition to be as
nearly invariable as possible. Last week experiments
were tried with variety of instruments to ascertain the
highest rate Of working speed with low battery power
The best OF these instruments was, 1t s said one IN
vented by Mr. Varley, with which was found easy TO
work through the whole length Of two thousand Ave
hundred miles average rate Of about four words
minute AZ this speed the signals were remarkably
clear and distinct and is still claimed that is posi-
Bile 10 devise instruments which raise the rte from
four words minute 70 high eight or even ten.
This, however, remains TO be proved
POUR WORDS THE MINIMUM RATE OF TRANSMITS
Yet even in the absence Of such Instruments thero
can be doubt but that the gradually improving skill
Of tho signalling clerks, as they become more accus
tened TO work through the wire, will with the bettered
electrical condition OF the cable when at the bottom Of
the Atlantic, soon make four words minute the mini.
mum OF what be accomplished by this telegraph
The insulating properties of the gua percha always
tremendous depths beneath which the cable is 70 be sub
merged s calculated that the weight Of water above
will give pressure of about two and three tons
sh, Ifnhar hto i0bf
bulk Of the insulating core will probably be reduced
onethird and in fact 30 compressed on all sides a. 70
most materially improve both "conductivity" and In
sulation Such aids TO signalling excellence, when
coupled with tho benefit which the cable Is certain 70
derive from the unvaryins temperature at the bottom
of the ocean, likely 10 do towards ncr, asing
the rate at which messages can be sent than any in
strument which has yet been brought forward.
HOW THE PROGRESS or THE WORK NAY BE
KNOWN ON SHORE.
During the time Of paying out signals will be sent TO
Vaena for every fifty miles OF the cable SUNK and for
every fifty miles the Great Eastern Thus 1t will be
perfectly for the public 20 follow her course any
map and know precisely by the difference between the
distance traversed and the length Of the cable sunk
the amount Of slack that is being paid out This slack
as il s called will afford the best index the state OF
the weather and the way in which the Great Eastern
doing her work No less than thirty three per cent Of
the entire length Of the cable has been allowed for slack
waste, may better call II. II all goes well not
than ten per cent Of this will be used but, the
Great Eastern every coil w, 20 over the stern 10 the
very last mile So far as regards the cable.
srowAaE OF THE GREAT EASTERN.
As concerns the Great Eastern herself Captain Ander
and his officers have taken every possible pecauton
10 her stowage and general equipment From outside
she at the first glance TO be almost alarmingy
deep the water II is however, less her actual depth
which creates this unpleasant impression than the ap
pearance which she presents Of ''saggng smdships
OF course this awkward and most unpleasant appearance
la merely an optical dclusion, no doubt created by
her deep trim astern. There difference OF nearly
FIVE feet between her trim fore and az Astcrn she
draws thirty I've feet Of water, while usaer the bows
il Ia only thirty Levels have been carefully taken TO
ascertain " any detection perceptibe under the
ponderous weight she bears No sign Of change, how
ever has observable Before any Of the cable
coed board thousand four hundred tons Of water
pumped into the aftermost compartments OF the
ship, and thousand hundred tons into the
partments most forward Under these weights at her
exremites the Great Eastern detected nearly inch
nraof e ~ vsrv
satisfactory II would have boon more no, however, II
the test strains employed bore closer relation 70 the
enormous weights which she has now on board. All
told the Great Eastern will Thames with rather
more than twenty nve thousand tons In her burden
fought the battle Of Trafalgar could have earned
~-,- % CHlacfs 81 ROLL.
An the weights are slowed a. high a. possible TO
counterac the utmost the Great Easterns most un
this ship il almost immovablc IN any sea Against q
heAd wind she s certainly very steady though sne can
pitch = well a. other yessels and has IN u ne Atlantic
her bows Neverthelesa In beam sea she " particu-
larry lively and rolls Just In proportion 70 her size
easy slow and deep, occupying about fifteen seconds
TO make her do this however beam ssa Of fifteen
seconds interval between the IL necessary, and
such is In the Atlantic. Or course, all
her system Of sowage proceeds on the theory that high
placed weights will prevent her rolling The Agamemnon
slowed after tho fashion on the occasion Of the
last Atlantic expedition, and our readers Will probably
recoect that on that occasion the great battle
ship rolled as n she WAS never coming up again
ADJUSTING THE CoMPAssEs.
All the compasses on board were at nrst consider
ably affected by the magnetic influence OF the cable
Some dovated much thirty two points while Others
strange 10 say though almost similarly situated with
regard 70 tho tanks OF wire, varied as little as SIX
Every Of them has been carefully adjusted,
and every will again need rcadjustment when the
cable Is out Of the Great Eastern at Newfoundland
| ABOVE DECK.
All the running gear has been removed from the rig
gng, as 10 obviate the possibility OF anything falling
from alot into the paying.out machinery Some Of tho
yards have been lowered and scarcely spar has sails
The village Of bute and workshops has disappeared from
her decks but their places have been than occu-
pied by shanty coverings Of various kinds, leading
troughs buoy rope wheels gigantic buoys for floating
the cable at various depths from SIX hundred to three
thousand athoms and above all, the whole space Of
what other vessels would be the quartereck is
pied by the paying apparatus. The praise which
machinery has been amply indicated by s every day
| working A. far can be known from mere prelimi.
| nary trials IL is absolutely perfect
ADAPTING THE ENGINES.
Both screw and paddle engines reported to<be in
very good condition Every part Of each OF course has
been carefully ovcrbaulcd and examined. From the
L M tha A haa hoon