Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-08-26

TsHEART'S CONTENT, Aug I0.-7Ine
British war steamers Terrible and Ga
1atea, arrived at st. Johns, n. f at 9
O'Clock Thursday evening, the 10th.
The steamship Great Eastern return
led to Sheerness OH the 18th inst. Capt,
Napier reports as follows:
The cable parted on the I'd inst. at
noon, in 1850 fathoms of water. 1t
was then grappled for three different
times and raised 1000, 900 and 600
fathons Respectively. Each time the
graphing broke, but the cable remain
ed unbroken.
The Great Eastern returned to Eng
land Cor better and stronger graphing
MIR. Marley, one of the electricians,
writes most encouragingly in regard to
the cable. He says: rza ailw aal d 4
/ We found no difficulty whatever in
rgrappling the cable even in the greatest
depth of water. AS soon as proper
tackle is prepared we will probably
commence graphing for the cable
again one hundred mics east of the
break, where the water is only 1000
fathoms deep. The buoy rides the gale
well, being fastened by pieces of con-
demned cable. i2ist g"
MIR, Cyrus w. Field is in good health
and spirits. The following is his diary:
srEAMsHfrp GREAT EASTERN, ATLANTIc OCEAN,
Lat. 81 N, rs W., Long. 80; o'clock, I
Friday Evening, August II, 1861
The steamship Great Eastern sailed
from the More off Sheerness, Saturday,
July 18th, at 1890 o'clock, and at half
past 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon,
18th, she overhauled the Caroline,
that left London on the 9Th inst. with
the shore end on board. She had been
detained by bad weather. We took her
in tow and arrived off Valentia at a.
m, of Wednesday. AS the weather
was unfayorable, the Caroline went into
Valentia Harbor, and the Great Eastern
to Beck Harbor, Bantry Bay. We were
followed the next day by Her Maiesty's
steamers Terrible and Sphynx. The
81 miles of the heavy shore end We're
successfully laid from the Caroline, tow
ed by the Hawk.
Saturday, the ODD, at @ quarter past 5
O'Clock, the splice between the main ca
BILE and the shore end was completed,
and the Great Eastern, the Terrible and
the Sphynx steamed towards New
Foundland, while the Caroline and the
1dWk W dicubitt II.
MONDAY, Oath, 2:20 a. m.-AIl went
on in the most satisfactory manner un-
til this time, when a partial loss of in
sulation suddenly showed itself. Short
! ly after this the speed of the ships were
reduced and the cable paid out more
| slowly, while tests were applied to To-
cate the fault, which was found to be in
the water, some miles astern of the
Great Eastern. At $50 o. m, the cable
was transferred to the picking-up appa,
ratus at the bows, and we began to haul
in the cable. This operation was fire.
uuently suspended for want of steam in
! the boiler attached to the picking up
apparatus, and during the day a port
able boiler was connected with the
! former. $500.
At five minutes past - o'clock the
next morning the fault was brought on
board, and found to have been caused
| by q piece of iron wire, similar to that
used IN the manufacture of the cable,
about two inches long, having been
| forced between the outer wires and
through the gutta percha into the cop
per wire. Ten and quarter miles of
cable were recovered, the fault cut out,
new splice made, the cable trans
ferred to the paying out machine at the
stern, and at 4:10 a. M, Tuesday, 25th,
all was again imperfect order, and the
fleet on its way to America, having been
detained 81 hours and 30 minutes.
At noon on Wednesday, the 25th the
Great Eastern was 178 miles from Va
lentia, and there had been paid out, in
Gliding the IL miles on the shore end,
! 1919 miles of cable. Depth of water l.
$50 fathoms. Tests very good.
Thursday, July 81, the ship ran in
the last "a hours 141 miles, and paid out
| 158 miles of cable; depth of water 2, $50
fathoms. Tests very good. .es 81 g
Friday, July %, distance made 155 IL
miles; water 1, 800 fathoms. Tests very
good. zeegT IS ba
Saturday, July 90, distance run $50
miles; cable paid 176 miles; depth OF
| water 300 fathoms. Tests very good.
At II o'clock p. M, it was discovered
that there was serious defect In the
cable, which entirely cut off commune
cation with the shore. The ship was
stopped, and the cable transferred to
the picking-up gear, which commenced
hauling it in at OLA p. m. After pick
ing up 2 IL miles of the cable the fault
came on board, and on examination
proved to have been caused by stout
piece of wire having been driven en-
tirely through the cable. The IL
miles of the cable were recovered from
a depth of 1900 fathoms. The opera
ton of picking up from the great depth
was frequently interrupted by want of
steam. { At night--being very dark and
foggy-the operation of lowering the
splice and transferring the cable to the
paying-out machinery at the stern. was
i postponed till next morning.
The Great Eastern was, by the able
management of Capt. Anderson, kept
! up all night to the cable, and so pre-
vented any strain beyond the cables
weight from coming on it. At a. m.
the splice had been successfully lowered
and the ship was again on her course.
The detention by this fault was Is hours
and Al minutes, and most anxious hours
and minutes they were. te1 f2sR
On Sunday, July 30, the distance
made was "a miles, and 81 miles of cable
were paid out; depth of water 1868
fathoms- Tests very good.
Monday, July 81, distance run 134
miles; cable paid out 258 miles; water
-1,770 fathoms. Tests very good.
Tuesday, Aug. /, distance made 155
miles: cable paid out 179 miles; water
/, 700 fathoms. Tests very good.
Wednesday. Aug. Cd. at 5:27 a. M,