Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-06-15
ITom &c london Ilmel. MaI sd.

&C., &C. ,a 4-=7-az ~ T
Prom the London Times May 50. 80
Yesterday the last mile of this great ca
bic was completed, and wound through
the last of the covering machines, in the
presence Of large number of distinguish.
ed visitors who had assembled 10 do
honor to the occasion. Beyond the record
ing the fact Of its completion, very little
took place at the works of the Telegraph
Company yesterday to call for special rel
mark. All the most distinguished elec+
tricians and engineers, and sIl the LEADING
scientific gentlemen who have so LONG
watched and aided TO tbeutmostl Of ,theit
power the promotion of this great scheme
were present, together. with all, or uearl6
all, the directors of the Telegraph, MsIntet
nance Company, MIR. Glass, as usual. fet
ceiving the VISITORS AS a mere sightothere
Was very little to be Witnessed-much less.
In fact than might have been. seen at the
works any day this tWelVemonth past
Only one machine had half mile TO CONT
plete,-that is to say, to case the core with
Mr.. Wrights most ingenious -and simple
patent OF wire enclosed with strands of
hemp which form the outer covering I
When all the visitors were assembled this
was started, and the core wound regularly
and slowly through the centre of the ma
chine, which, revolving round at great
speed, completed the outer case of hemp
and iron. Working at fourteen hours 4
day each machine is able thus to cover four
miles an hour, the average rate of
manufacture for the fpprT machines
having been about seventeen miles
per day. As the. cable is drawn ont
of the machine it passes through a guage,
which oompressess s-it firmly, ard then ont
of the mandatory, away to the tanks.
where il is coIIed under water, and eEerv
change in its electrical condition noted With
care and minuteness that have certainly
never been applied to any other cable.-
From first to last, indeed, it has been sub.
jeoted to series Of the most searching elec-
trical tests, the standard of insulation be
ing fixed at q resistance per nautical mile
equal to 10000, 900 of Siemen's units, at
a atemperatnfe of 20 degtees-a standard
wholly unprecedented in any former work
OF the kind. In actual practice these tests,
greatas they were, have been considerably
exceeded, and the present Atlantic cable
bas come out successfully from 8, series, of
trials of the most crucial character The
results which have been obtsined have
been due mainly to the searching iuvestf-
CATION into the qualities of Insulating sub
stances which Is now practicable by means
of the beautiful mirror galVauometer of
Professor Thompson. Another ofthe tests
employed was soaking separately each joint.
ottbe gutta-percha covering for twenty
four hours in wsrm water previous to pass.
ipg the electric current through: A third,
and perhaps the most trying and continu.
Gus test, was that Of allowing no part, Of
the cable to be out of the water, except
while merely IN traHSitu from one reservoir
TO the other; and in connexion with this it
msy be mentioned that the wrApping of
juteYarn, which forms the padding, around
which the external wires are spun, instead.
of being soaked in tar, as in other cables,
which has the effect OF temporarily stop-
ping up ndConCeNliDg minute flaws has
been simply tanned to preserve it from
decay, thus admitliug the water to search
out every part of the cable, and keep it, in
fact, constantly surrounded with wrap
ping of wet yarn.a ag 8 .s-t.l, q
ToWards five O'Clock yesterday the last
few fathoms of the great coil began to be
drawn into the machine, aud 10 few min
utes after the end was wound up self
acting bell rang to give notice that the
machine was empty, and almost at the
same moment the end came down into the
tank, and2the last coil oft cable was
slowed away. fhe next great object !of
Interest WAS, the inspection of the paying
ont apparatus, which has been already
fixed up, and, by mesns of an endless
band kept constantly running. This bean
tiful machine is an improved and extended
copy, as far as general principle is con-
cetned, of that used on board the Aga
memnon during the FIRST memorable at.
tempts. Its improvements and modifica.
tions, however, are very great. Though
stronger and muoh larger, It'll very much
lighter, being almost entirely Of wrought
iron. 1t has six leading wheels, round
which the cable passes In deep grooves
before reaching the main wheel or drum,
from which it will be finally submerged.
Each groove in these six wheels is SUR
mounted by what It termed jockey-pul-
ley-that ia to say, . solid wheel, which
keeps the rope ihoWnG in 1.-The groove and
prevents it over riding or getipg out, of
place. The main drum is about seven feet
in diameterJ and ID" paying. out will have
three coils of cable around it, with a gntd-
iug piece of wrought iron pressing on them
sideways to keep Them comPPctly together.
As tho friction ON the Sghider is great
and constant, q duplicate is provided in
case Of heating, which can .be put in gear,
with the rest of the machinery without the
slightest stop on any part. "A second drum
has also been fitted IN case of anything
going wrong with the first. Each of these
drums is fitted with q distinct set of simple
and most ingenious brakes, ainJented. by
Mr.. APPoldfOr the first expedilion9 The
ordinary condition of these brakes fS 70
maintain sufficient check upon the drum,
to keep'A strain Of say 80 cEt. or 40 cWt.
upon the rope goWiug out, 6nt it constAAt'
ly happens that q sudden rise Of The s6ip's
stern from wave giysshthe cable . strain
that requires the instant remoVAl of the