Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1865-07-27
What the Cable is made of, and How and
When it Will be Laid
From the London Times

1he present Atlantic caoie is Just twenty
three hundred nautical miles, or in rougl
numbers about twenty-six hundred miles long
The central conductor is composed of sever
fine copper wires. twisted into one complett
strand, which Is insulated with Chattcrtoll'
patent compound. Outside this come four
distinct layers of gutta percha. each also insu.
lated with the same material that encloses the
conductor. Outside tie gutta percha again
are wound eleven stout iron wires, each oi
which before being twisted on, is itself care
fully wound round with strands of hemp sosked
with tar Thus, then. there are no less than
twenty-five thousand miles of copper wire in
tho conductor about thirty five thousand miles
of iron wire in the outside covering. and up
wards Of four hundred thousand miles Of
strands of hemp-more than enough in all to
Cd t@enty-four tifhes round the world. The
cable has been made on an average at the rate
Of Seventy miles per day complete, and in some
days its outside covering of hemp and iron has
been overlaid at the rate of ore hundred aud
seventy-three miles dag though not fatL-
om or a foot has been manufactured without
every part being kept under constant test for
conductivity' and insulation and to this
hour it is as regularly tested rs it was year
ago when the first mile was twisted. In
strength the cable is equal to bearing strain
OF seven and three quarter tons, while its
specified gravity is so low that it can with
safety be depended on to support eleven miles
of its length in water. 1t has been made mile
by mile. joined mp in long lengths of seven
and eight hundred miles, and shipped on board
the Great Eastern into three enormous tanks
The first will bold coil Of six hundred and
thirty miles Of cable, the second one of eight
hnndrcd and forty, and the third one of eight
hundred and thirty. Five hundred miles have
still to be slowed away on board, and it will
take fortnight to complete this work though
the last mile of the cuil will come through tho
machines of The telegraph works, Mt three
o'clock on Mold.y next All three tanks are
kept filled with water. and when erch ia stor-
ed with cable as WE'LL the ends Of the wire
will be joined up. and constant system of
eignals kept through every part from the mo-
ment the expedition starts till the cable is laid
The mere cable however is Tut an item in the !
mass Of heavy weights the Great Eastern will !
have to carry on Ji,is OCCASION Her draught
Of watel will be rather over than under thirty.
feet, and all told her weights when starting
from Vaentia, will come near the strtendous
mass of eighteen thousand tons They are
ALL however, slowed high and so according to
present rrrdng ngenents it is believed that the
Great Eastern will start in the very early part.
of July. and certainly, if possible, not later
than the 10th
With her will also sill her Majesty's shfb
Terrible, aud another paddle wheel steam
fr'gate ct great power not yet chosen, but
,shch, like the Terrible, will give towing aid
TO the Great Eastern in case of mishaps to
h-r machinery, either screw or paddle Every ,
are has been taken to get these Sfgifes pto :
he highes. state Of good working order but
t cannct be denied that the very possibility of I
teir breaking down is looked upon with ,
something like anxiety. They will certainly /
lot be overtasked, as it is intended, if posi- r
'le not to lie. the vessel 20 beyond a speed of
tx knots, minimum Of velocity which it will
,e difficult to keep to if steer&ge way is wanted /
quickly. and which will, We think, be abso-
.itcly impossible to retain in a scaway. On i
his OCCASION however, the middle of July is h
hoscn as being thought even more favorable i
n point of weather than the middle of June, Il
Ihen the last Agamemnon cruise was COM d
lenced. Captain Anderson, we believe, is C
q favor OF starting towards the early part of Il
uly. and his long experience in command of I
ne China has very properly iniuced the di- l.
sc,crs to give every weigh; to his opinion d
II addition to Captain Anderson. all the Off o
era connected with the ship, with the excep- 81
on Of thief engineer haye been chosen from q
ID Cunard service. With ordinarily fair
Gather, and stcaming at the rate of six kuots
is exI ected that the voyage from Fa,crtia D
the Bay of Hearts Contert in Newfound- ii
nd will Gccipy from twelve to fourteen days SC
lrinp every hour of which regulor cOIrmu- =
ca'ion will be kept up with England re