Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-08-25
The Failure of the ATLANTIC Gable.

Mr. Cyrus W. Field puhlishc, his diary Of
event, on board tire Great Eastern. from
which wcex,ract the portion, referring to
the brea., OF tie cable.
SATURDAY. 211u.-Djstanre run. 100 miles
I cable payel out l76 m'ics water 1900 faith
oms test, very good.
AZ 80 Z. VI. II was discovered that there was
serious fault in the cable. which entirely cut
Oft communication with the shore The shin
I was stopped and the cable transferred 10 the
I pcAing up gear, and commenced hauling in at
/ IA + VI. After picking up two and "A half
/ miles II cable the fault came on board and on
/ examination proved 10 have teen caused by a
stout piece Of wire having been driven entirely
| through the cable. The . miles Of cable were
recovered from a depth Of 1900 G,thums
A. $40 \. VI. the splice had been successfully
lowered. and the ship was gam ON her course
THURSDAY, 2D-At - A. VI. on resumine
the insulation tests it was discovered that there
was partial loss ofinsulation. The ship was
soon afterwards stopped and the cable transfer
red 10 the picking up gear at the boom. The
operation If hauling IN commenced By noon
the engine usal for picking up stopped for want
OF water for a considerable time. Two miles
had teen recovered and the cable was cut to see
whether the fault had come on beard.
At about 1880 p. VI. the cable caught and
chaied IN the mouth Of the haWser pipe and wa
with considerable difficulty removed, and
l23J parted on board where it vas injured and
just behind the shoppers, and N a moment the
end disappeared IN the water. Distance run
last q hours, ll6 miles cable payed out, 1872
mies-recovered two miles depth water. 10
90 fathoms. Total distance from Valen,ia,
1908 miles. Total distance 10 Hearts Content,
rv.rH.
miles-Cqusl TO II per cent Of slack.
q Seemed toward Valentia about II miles and
comm, n eel dragging for the cable Thursday ;at
y VI, It being evident from the strain the
grapnel had caught the cable, began 10 haul in,
and At ll.50 A. VI. when 100 fathoms of Crap
mel lope hsd been got on board, shackle broke |
near the ship, and 1900 fathOms Of rope sank |
with the cable to the bottom of the Atlantic A |
buoy was lowered with 24O0 fathoms OF cable.
and mushroom TO hold It, and mark the SPOT. /
During the operation of backing up the machine |
~ gave way. Ii is supposed that tooth broke ,
of by the strain, and this getting in between
tae spur wheel, smashed the latter This acct
dent happened twice, and the operation OF haul
ing in had to be performed by the capstan
Friday, Saturday and Sunday weather unfa
vorable for recovering cable.
MONDAY, 1TH.-LOwered another grapnel at
II 10 p. NJ, commenced dragging for cable
at IN the evening began TO haul in, and con-
.inued TO do 50 slowly all night.
TUEsdAY, oTH.-At 80 A. NJ 1000 iaihoms
II graPnel rope hauled in, when shacklss broke
ust inside the ship. Lost in this attempt 1900
sihoms OF rope. second buoy lowered 10
marx the spot The balance of this day and all
II the next was fully occupied in having new
haekles made for the hauling in Of the rope,
altering the capstan and making preparations
or another attempt 10 recover the cable Had
he Apparatus been ready, the weather OH
Wednesday was much too rough 10 attempt any
peraiions. The two buoys rode out the gales
Il this detph perfectly.
THURSDAY l0TH.-At A. NJ. began 10 lower
rapnel, aud al % had out 2.460 fathoms, all [
hat was left on board the vessels, and commence i
d dragging for the cable. and continued 10 do a
D until the evening. when we began to haul in 4
owly. q
FRIDAY. liTn.-At A. VI. finished hauling
the 1850 faihoms o; rope. when the grapnel
lme up foul with its own chain. At III A. NJ
sgan TO loser the grapDsl again, and AS soon as !,
the 2, AGO faihoms pay ed out. commenced =
raging until 8 90 z. Nj, when we began to "
,ul in slowly Ii was evident, by the great u
rain, that the grapnel had caught the cable. y
I Z 7. ", when 40 fathoms had been recov- =
ed. the rope parted. As there was not sufii- al
rnt rope on board the Great Ess,ern TO resume IA
apneliing, 1t was decided that the Great East n
n should return at once to England. D