Washington telegraph., 1865-07-26
THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH AND IT'S

COMPLETION IN ENGf.AND-On Monday.
May 29th, the last mile of the great nerve
which is to connect the Old with the
New World was completed, and wound
through the last of the covering machines
in Eng land, in the presence of a large
number of distinguished electricians, en-
Gineers, merchants, and in word all the
leading scientific gentlemen, including
the Directors of the Telegraph Maint.n.
ance Company l
Only one machine had half mile to
complete-that is 20 say, to case the core
with MIR Wright's most ingenious and
simple patent of wire inclosvd with
strands of hemp, which form the outer
covering When all the visitors were
assembled this was started, and the core
wound regularly and slowly through the
centre of the machine, which, revolving
at great speed, completed the outer case
of hemp and iron When the last portion
OF the cable had passed from the machine,
and the end was held out by the acting
superintendent, the persons present gave
hearty cheer III evidence OF their salts
faction of the completion so far of this
great undertaking, Working Ia hours
day, each machine was able to cover
four miles an hour; the average rate of
manufacture for the four machines EN-.
ployed being about II miles per day.
As the cable was drawn ont the ma.
cline it passed through gnase, which
compressed it firmly, aud then out of the
manufactory away to the tanks, where it
was lied under water, and eve~v change
in its electrical condition noted will. i
care and minuteness that have certainly
never yet been applied to any other ca
Bile. From first to las, indeed, it has
been subjected to a se.ies OF the most
searching electrical tests, the standard of
insulation being z fixed at resistance per
nautical mile equal to 100, 100000 Of
olemens units, at temperature of rs
degrees-a standard wholly unprecedent
en in any former work OF the kind In
actual practice these tests. great as they
We're, Lave been considerably exceeded.
AID the present Atlantic cable has come
out successfully from Il Ser es of trials
of the most crucial character.
Toward, five o'cl ok on Monday the
las. few IA hons of the great coil began
70 he drawn into the machine, and in a
few minutes after the end was wound up
s-lf-acting bell rang to give netice that
the machine was empty. and almost at
the same moment the end came down OH
the tank, and the last coil of the cable
was slowed away. The next great OBJ
Ject of interest was he inspection of the
paying out apparatus. which has been
already fixed up, aud, by means of an
endless band, kept con-tan.ly running.
hs present cable is just 300 nautical
miles. or about 2,70p common mil
The central conductor is composed of
seven iino copper wires twisted into one
complete strand, which is insulated with
Chaitc. tons patent compound. Outside
this are four distinct layers of gutta-pcr-
cha, each al inahiatei with the same
mat~ria. which enclos ; the conductor
Outside thu gutta- percha again are wound
| | stout iron wires. each of which before
being twisted on, is itself carefully wound
rOnnd with strands. of rope soaked with
tar. 1t is slowed away iii three boilers;
the first contains $50 miles of cable, the
second $40, and the third one of $50.
All the tanks are Ike filled with water,
aud when each is slowed with cable a.
we'll, the ends oil the wire will be joined
up, and constant system of signals kept
through every part from the moment the
exp tion starts till the whole cable is
laid. The weight of the tanks. with their
contents. including the water, is 5 600
tons. The Gr"at Eastern viii draw 80
feet when starting from Valentia. and
will come near the s.upendous mass of
5000 tons.