The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-07-15
What the Cable is made of, and How
and When it Will be Laid.
From the London Times.

From the London Times.1
The present Atlantic cable.is just twen-
| ty-three hundred nautical miles, or in rough
numbers about tweuty-six hundred miles
long. The central conductor is composed
of seven fine copper wires, twisted into one
complete strand, which is insulated with
| Chattertons patent compound. Oustide
| this come four distinct layers of gutta per-
cha, each also insulated with the same ma
| terial that encloses the conductor Out
side the gutta percha again are wound eley-
en- stout,iron wires, each of which before
being twisted on, is itself carefully wound
round with strands of hemp soaked with
| tar. Thus, then, there are no less than
twenty-five thousand miles of copper wire
in the conductor. about thirty-fye thou
sand miles of iron wire in the out
side covering, and upwards of four hun
dred thousand miles of strands of hemp
more than enough in all to go twen-
ty-four times round the world. The
cable has been made on an average at the
rate of seventy miles per day complete, and
in some days its outside covering OF hemp
and iron has been overlaid at the rate of one
hundred and nseventy-three miles day,
though not q fathom or foot has been
manufactured without every part being
kept under constant test for /" conductlv-
ityn and insulation, and to this hour it is
as regularly tested as it was year ago
when the first mile was twisted. In
strength the cable is equal to- bearing a
strain of seven and three quarter tons,
while its specified gravity is so low that it
can with safety be depended on. to support
eleven miles Of its length in water. It has
been made mile by mile, joined up in long
lengths of seven and eight hundred miles,
and shipped on board the Great Eastern
into three enormous tanks. 2sao
The first will hold coil of six hundred
and thirty miles of cable, the second one
of eight hundred and forty, and the third
one ofeight hundred and thirty. Five hun
dred miles have still to be slowed away
on board, and it will take a fortnight
to complete this work, though the last mile
of the coil will come through the machines
of the telegraph works, at three o'clock on
Monday next. % ALI three tanks are kept
filed with water, and when each is stored
with cable as well, the ends of the wire
will be Joined up, and constant system OF
signals kept through every part from the
moment the expedition starts till the cable
is laid. The mere cable however is but an
item in the mass of heavy weights the
Great Eastern will have to carry on this
occasion. Her draught of water will be
rather over than under thirty-feet, and all
told, her weights, when starting from Va
lentia, will come near the stupendous mass
of eighteen thousand tons. They are all,
however. slowed high and so according to
present arrangements it is believed that the
Great Eastern will start. in the very early
part of July, and certainly, if possible, not
later than the 10TH, With her will also
sail her Maiesty's ship Terrible, and anoth-
er paddle wheel steam frigate of great pow
er not vet chosen, but which, like the Ter
rible. will give towing aid to the Great
Eastern in case of mishaps to her machine
ry. either screw or paddle. Every care
has been taken to get these engines into
the highest state Of good working order;
but it cannot be denied that the very pos
sibility of their breaking, down is looked
upon with something like anxiety. They
will certainly not be overtasked, as 1t is IN
tended, if possible not to let thieves go
beyond speed of six knots, minimum OF
velocity which it will be difficult to keep
to if steerage way is wanted quickly, and
which will, we think, be absolutely lmpos-
sible to retain In o seaWay. On tnlS occa-
sion, however, the middle of July is chosen
as being thought even more favorable in
point Of weather than the. middle OF June,
when the last Agamemnon cruise was COM
menced. Captain. Anderson, we believe, is
in favor of starting towards the early part
of July, and his long experience IN COM
mand of the China, has very properly lndn-
| ced the directors to give every weight to
his opinion. In addition to Captain An
| derson, all the officers connected with the
shin, with the exception of chief engineer,
have been chosen from the Cunard service.
With ordinarily fair weather, and steaming
at the rate Of six knots, it is expected that
the voyage from Valentia to the Bay Of
Hearts Content In Newfoundland will oc-
cupy from twelve to fourteen days, during
every hour of which regular communication
| will be kept up With England.