The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-06
The AtIanlie TeIegraph.

1oSLofQay 5 STEAMER brings lhbo lnt6lll-
gence of the progress of the telegraph.
The last mile of cable has been coilei in
the huge tanks of the Great Eastern, and
that vessel is on the eve of leaving the
More for the west coast Of Ireland, thence
to begin on the 9th or 10th of July her
momentous voyage to America, Nearly
all that human skill or patience could do
for the Atlantic Telsgraphhss bean done
except the lsying of the cable in its bed in
the bottom Of the ocean. Whether that is
to be accomplished this time, we shall know
in about three weeks. 1t is within the
ma -NeI1STE1sssS;lity the Path of this month
to each other across the Atlantic at light
ming speed.
The Great Eastern has in her 1000 tuns
of cable; 1900 miles In all; 800 miles
more than, with good luck, will be wanted
for laying. Add tanks and coal and en-
gines, and the burden of the big ship on
this voyage is 2l,OOO tuns, which is, 5000
less than her tunnsge capacity. For con-
voy she has two British ships-and British
only. It is stated thst our Government
was applied to for the loan of 8 national
vessel, but declined with dignity on the
ground that vessels of the United States
were still subject to restrictions in leaving
British ports. Valentia, on the coast Of
Ireland, is the starting point; Hearts Con-
tent, Trinity Bsy, Newfoundland, the des-
t~instion of the Geographic feet. But the
Great Eastern does not spproaeh Valentis
nearer han twenty-five miles, and at that
distance will splice the ocean cable with
the shore end previously laid. On this
side, the deep sea cable will reach to within
three miles of the shore, and at that point
be spliced. From V~slentiR, the shore end
will be the heaviest and strongest piece of
cable ever made, Weighing per mile about
half ss much as q railway track. 1t is 10
Do i-iA from the head of q sheltered inlet
near Oahirclve6D, Ind thA sea and buoyed
and watched by the ships of war tn The
Great Eastern comes The splicing of il
with the end Of the main cable is q matter
of five hours work, and when that is once
done the voyage of the Gable Fleet begins.
For the success of the voyage no appre-
hension whatever seems to be felt except
of 3 very violent storm. The London
Times remarks:
This latter risk is nov literally all that
has TO be feared. Everything else which
human foresight can suggest, either in ca
bic or ships, everything which long exper.
fence or scientific progress can devise, has
been provided and the success or failure of
this vast expedition is now only q question
of Weathsr. On this only doubtful point,
therefore, it is gratifying TO know that
Captain Anderson is ~ssnguine of all going
well. In his experience of many years
and hundreds OF voyages backward and
forward in command of the Cunard liners
over this very track of the Atlantic, he
states that in the early part of July 1t
never blows long or strong, and that dur
ing that time he has never even heard Of
any bad weather which could for a mo-
mont affect q vessel like the Great East
ern."
But It will not do ID be over. ssnguine
even with. this confident opinion of q capa-
BILE officer, for q
" it must not be forgotten thst, in the last
memorable expedition in the Agamemnon,
midsummer was fixed on as the time when
q storm in the Atlantic was almost impos-
sible, and the records of the Meteorological
Departments boEh here and in America.
certainly justified such an expectation, IS
they showed that for 90 years no storm
had taken place at that time. Yet it was
precisely on the 2lst Of JHne that the hur-
ricane with which the. Agamemnon and
Niagara had been battling for some days
was at its height and those on board the
ilLstowed AgEmemnon, at least, knew not
frem hour TO hour which was to be their
last" aa5L go
Recent surveys of that portion of the
bottom of the Atlantic on which the cable
is to lie have considerably diminished the
supposed difficulties of q safe submersion.
What was before thought the worst part
of the route-a sudden dip q hundred
miles west from Ireland, the water deepen-
ing in q few miles from 300 to 1000 faith
oms-pToyes to be much less PERCEPTIONS;
in fact not p~recipitous at all. Careful
sOundings over the whole distance show
instead of aclif 3 gradual slope of nearly
60 miles, with An average inclination of
not more than las feet per mile-hardly q
respectable hin. Nor is thsre any where d
bad or rocky bottom, but with the excep-I
ton Of q few miles of loose stone there is
nothing but ooze, mud, or SANDAL soft
and comfortable for the cables long sleep.
The commercial prospects of the COM
pany seem to be as fair as could be wished.
New shares are selling st premium, and
old &L000 shares, which after the last
failure had only q nominal. value, and very
lately sold for less than f200, now brings
ESQ. There can be no doubt that if the
cable is laid snd can be worked st the rate
of six or eight words 8 minute, it will prove
enormously profitable. A revenue of
81, ,OOO q year, nearly twice its whole
cost, will easily be earned, and the stock
holders seem likely to reap at last some
due reward for their enterprise, and their
unchAnging faith in final succesa-H z.
TTibEsS.
ls III