The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-07
The Atlantic Telegraph.
from the London Times, June 20.

At length all the preparations con-
nected with the final departure of this
great telegraphic expedition are COM
pleted. On Wednesday, the Amethyst
left the telegraph works with the last
length of 245 miles of the cable on
board, and on Saturday the coiling of
this in was begun. This work will pro-
baby last till the 22d inst, when the
Great Eastern will have in her as near
Iy as possible, 1000 tons of cable, or, in
Guiding the iron tanks which contain it
and the water in which it is sunk about
5000 tons in all. In addition to this she
has already 1000 tons of coal on board,
and 1900 tons more still to take in. This
additional weight, however, will not be
added until she leaves the ldedWay,
which she will do on the morning of the
oath, for the More, when the rest OF the
the Goals and special stores will be put
on board, and these will bring her mean
draupht down to 1921 feet. Her total
weight, including engines, will then be
rather over 2l,000 tons, stupendous
mass for any ship to carry but well
within the capacity of the Great East
ern. of which the measurement ton
mage Is 24,OO0. Her way out from the
More will be by Bullock Channel, which
the Admiralty are having carefully buoy
ed to avoid all risk in those shallow wa
tiers, Before the following Spring tides
GET in. about the 9th or 18th of July, the
Great Eastern will start for Valentia.-
There she is expected to arrive about the
eth or 10th, and there she will be met by
the twoships Of warappointed to convoy
her-the Terrible and the Sphinx. Both
these vessels are being fitted with the
best apparatus for deep sea soundings;l
with buoys and means for buoying the
end of the cable, If ever itshould become
necessary; and with Bollen's night-light
naval SIGNALS. with whichthe Great Eas-
tern is likely to- be supplied. To avoid
oil chance Of accident, the. big chip will
not annroach the Irish coast nearerthan
% or IS miles, and her stay off Va!entla
will be limited to the time occupied in
making splice with the massive shore
end. which for length of % miles from
the coast, will be laid previous to her ar
rival. This monstrous shore end, Will. IN
il the heaviest and strongest piece OF
cable ever made, will be despatched In a
few days; and be laid from the head Of
inlet near Cahirciveen out to
the distance we have stated, where the
end will be buoyed and watched by' the
ships of war till the Great Eastern herself
comes I'D. Some idea of the strength and
solidity of this great end may be guessed
by the fact that its weight per mile
IS very little short of half the weight
Of an ordinary. railway metal. For
the shore end at Newfoundiand only
three miles are required, and this short
LENGTH will be sent in the Great East
ern1 When once the splice is made
from the great cable ship to the English |
shore end-an operation which will |
consume about five hours-the work of |
Iaying the cable will instantly COM
mence. BY that time every mile of the
cable in the three tanks viii have been
Joined up, and at stated hour, morning
and evening, series of signals will be
sent through the cable to the land at
Valentia, and thence to London, giving