The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-08-25
The atlantic Cable.---The Fatal
Break, AUGUST 2.

The following grapic account of the
last days work, and the parting of the
Atlantic cable, was brought to St. John
by the British steamer Terrible:
Wednesday, August 2, was a sad and
memorable day in the annals of Atlantic
telegraphing. After midnight the wind
arose, accompanied by heavy showers of
rain and a dense drift of fog, and increas-
ed to stormy gale to the southwest, but
the ship scarcely felt it, and went on pay
ing out the cable without let or hindrance
at rate of seven knots an hour. About
day break the wind suddenly shifted to
north-northwest, and fell into light
breeze, and at four A. NJ. the course was
altered to northwest by west, half west,
the sea falling. Morning broke beautiful
ly, and the cable ran out easily at the rate
of seven miles an hour At 5.35 A. NJ,
ships time, the paddles were stopped, and
at 5.45 the ship was stopped by orders
from the electricians. In fact, at 8 A. NJ,
Greenwich time, or minute after, whilst
the electricians were passing the first of
the half hourly series of currents to the
shore, the galvanometer suddenly detected
a flaw of electricity which indicated a Sc
rious fault; the tests gave no result as to
locality, for the fault was very varying,
but it was generally believed to be not far
from the stern of the steamship. 1t ap-
pears that while Mr.. Cyrus W. Field was
on watch in the tank, little before the
accident, a grating noise was audible as
the cable flew over the coil astern. One
of the experienced hands Immediately
said, there is 4 piece of WIRE and call
ed to the lookout man in the bows to pas
the information aft, but no notice appear;
to have been taken of the circumstance
After the ship was stopped and the re-
mainder of the flake played out piece OF
wire was seen projecting out of the cable
in the flake underneath that in which til,
fault was suspected to exist, and on on,
Of the men taking it in his fingers and try
ing to bend it down the wire broke shor
off. 1t was nearly three inches long an,
evidently of hard. ill-tempered metal
which had flown out through the thread:
in the tank. The discovery was in som,
measure relief to mems minds, that ont
certainly. and possibly the second. of tn,
previous faults might have been the resul
of accident 1t was remarked, however
that this fault occurred in the same watcl
lis all the previous ones. AS the fault Wa
too serious to be overlooked, and rs Their,
was a difficulty in detecting Its situation
preparations were made to get the pickin!
up apparatus ready. Previous to dom!
So two cuts were made in the cable. til,
first near the old splice between the mail
and the fore tanks.
The wire rope and the chain were Sc
cured to the cable forward. which Shove,
Il maximum strain of twenty-thrce and ;
half hundred weight, and ut 90 Green
wich time the cable was severed and wen
over the stern. llSG miles having bcel
paved out when the end >p!a>hcd INTO iii
water With less difficulty than Usual, il
fact with comparative facility, the cabl
was hauled in over the bows at Los \
VI, Greenwich time. 1t had been haulr
by the port side of the ship, and as tn
wind stood she driited over the course q
the cable. but came up readily, tho strai
on il, being from fifty TO iitty-iivc hmdre'
pounds. although the latter figure repre-
>cntcd the maximum only reached on on
occasion. We were, however. in nearl
two thousand inthoms water, but it W..
considered favorable circumstance tina
we had not got a few miles further, as W
should have then been i'll the very deepcs
part of the Atlantic plateau.
As far Is could be a>ccrtained, the shi
was now over gentle elevation, on tn
top of which there was only 1850 tathon
OF water. The picking up was, as usua
exceedingly tedious, and one hour an
lorty-six minutes elapsed before one mil
was on board. Then one of the engine
eccentric gear got out of order, so that
: man had to stand with hand-spike, aiC
ed by "a wedge of wood and elastic ban
to assist him. Next, the supply Of steaI
failed, and when the steam was got up
was found that there was not water cnouS
in the boilers, and so the picking up cease
altogether. Then occurred the great mi:
6 fortune. Lunch was Just over-some ha
6 left the table. Others were about leaving
The scientific gentlemen had rather cheer
ed us by a startling hypothesis, viz:
prediction that the fault was only 81
miles away, and SO ere dead night-fall W
mi ght hope to have the fault on boarc
make a new splice. and proceed on on
way to Hearts Content, geographical
about 600 miles away. Suddenly MI
Canning appeared in the saloon-hi> MAJ
ner told all-hc said, Its all overt
gone then fastened onward to his cal
in. Mr.. Field, ere the thrill of surpris
and pain occasioned by those words ha
passed away, came from the companion
way into the saloon, and said with con
posure, admirable under the circumstance
though his lip quivered and his cheek W.
blanched, 8 The cable has parted and ha
gone overheard" All were on deck in
moment, and there indeed a glance revea
ed the truth
| will now endeavor to explain to yo
how the fatal accident occurred. sa
fatal, for, although as l write, we al
drifting down upon the spot in the hope ,
| LII L i Il Il