The Portland daily press., 1865-08-18
Y TELEGRAPH.
The Loss of the atlantic Cable-T 1a.f,.a,ccts q. -
the Diary of Mr.. Field. =
10 THE DAILY PRESS.
HEARTS CONTENT. N. F., Aug. Is. !
via Agnv Raw Auo 1T

as follows:
The cable parted Wednesday noon in 1850
latnoms of water. They grappled it at three
aiiierent times, and raised 1900, 800 and 800
fathoms respectively; each time the graphing
| broke, but ON no account broke the cable in
! graphing. The Great Eastern has gone for
more and better gear. Mr.. Marley writes me
encouracinely: he says he found no difficulty
/ in Qrappling the cable whatever, even in the
greatest depth; and that probably as soon as
| the proper tackle is prepared he win grapple
the cable 100 miles east of the break, where
the water is only 1900 fathoms deep The
buoy has rode the gale well, being fastened by
pieces of the condemned cable.
Mr.. Field is in good health and spirits. The
following is from his diary:
AStedmship Great Eastern Atlantic Ocean.
north LAT. SIPS, srest lon. 39-6 O'Clock. FIJI
day evesing, Aug. IL, S55:-The steamship
Great Eastern sailed from the More off Sheer
ness, Saturday: July 18th, at 1880 NJ At
! half past two O'Clock Monday afternoon 18th.
overhauled the steamer Caroline, that LEFT;
London ON the 18th inst, with the shore end
on board. She had been DELAYED by bad
weather. We took her in tow and arrived off
Halentia at GAS on Wednesday the 18th inst
AS the weather was unfavorable, the Caroline
went into Valentia harbor, and the Great
Eastern to Banty Bay, followed the next day
| by II. NJ. ships Terrible and Sphynx The
| twenty-seven miles of the heavy shore end
were successfully laid from the Caroline, towed
| by the steamer Hawk, ON Saturday the 22d.
| AT quarter past five O'Clock, the next after
noon the splice between the main cable and
the shore end was completed, and the Great
| Eastern, Terrible and Shynx steamed for New
| fOundland, while the Caroline and Hawk re-
turned to Valentia. ALI went on in the most
satisfactory manner until 2.20 A. III. on Mon
day, the Path, when partial loss of insulation
suddenly showed itself Shortly after this the
i speed of the ships was reduced and the cable
| payed out more slowly, while tests were ap-
| piled to locate the fault, which was found to
be in the water some miles astern of the Great
Eastern. At $50 A. NJ. the cable was trans
ferred to the picking up apparatus at the bows,
and we began TO haul in the cable. This op-
Grafton was frequently suspended by want OF
steam in the boiler attached to the picking up
| apparatus, and during the day portable boil
er was connected with the former. At five
minutes past O'Clock the next morning the
fault was brought on board, and found 10 have
been caused by piece of iron wire similar to
that used IN the manufacture Of the cable
about two inches long, having been forced be-
tween the outer wires and through the gutta
percha into the copper wire. Ten and quar-
ter miles OF the cable were recovered, the fault
1 cut out, aud new splice made. The cable
was then transferred TO the paying out ma
chine at the stern, and at 4.10 A. NJ Tuesday
the 18th, all was again in perfect order, and
the telegraph feet on its way to America, hay-
ing been detained thirty-seyen hours and fifty
minutes. AT noon ON Wednesday the 26th,
the Great Eastern was IFS miles from Valen-
tia, and there had been paved out, including
the shore end, 100 miles of the cable: depth
Of water 1850 fathoms; tests very good.
Thursday, 9th. = The ship ran the last
twenty-four hours l41 miles, and payed out
l5S miles Of cable; water 2l60 fathoms; tests
very good.
Friday, 2Sth.-Distance made, 155 IL miles;
cable payed out, TIA miles; water 1850 faith
oms; tests very good.
Saturday, 29th.-Distance run, 100 miles
cable payed out 176 miles; water 1900 faith I
oms; tests very good. At 1925 P. NJ. it was
discovered that there was a serious fault in
the cable, which entirely cut off communica-
ton with the shore The ship was stopped
and the cable transferred to the picking upa
gear, and commenced hauling at IA Pm.
After picking up IL miles of cable the fault
came on board, and upon examination proved
to have been caused by stout piece of wire
having been driven entirely through the cable
The IL miles OF cable were recovered from
depth of 1900 fathoms. The operation of
picking up from this great depth was frequent
| ly interrupted by want of steam. The night
being very dark and foggy the operation Of
| lowering the splice and transferring the cable
to the paying out machine at the stern was
postponed until next morning. The Great
Eastern was, by the able management Of Capt
Anderson, kept all night up to the CABLE and
so prevented any strain beyond the cables |
own weight coming upon it and injuring it,
At $40 A. NJ. the splice had been successfully
lowered, and the ship was again on her course.
The detention by this fault was IS hours and
A minutes, and most anxious minutes they
were. :. rf
Sunday, 3Oth.-Distance made, "a miles, and
oil o,,kO 30 I1a. f.,+l,
oms; tests very good.
Monday, 31st.-Distance made, 134 miles;
cable payed out, 15S miles; water ITO faith
oms; tests very good.
Tuesday, Aug. s1st.-Distance made, 1875
miles; payed out 179 miles of cable; water
1909 fathoms; tests very good.
Wednesday, 2d.-At 5.27 A. NJ, ON resum-
ing the insulation tests, it was discovered that
there was partial loss of insulation. The
ship was soon afterwards stopped and the cable
transferred to the picking up gear at the bows.
The operation of hauling in commenced at
noon. The engine used for picking up stop
ped for want of water for considerable time.
| Two miles had been recovered, and the cable
was cut to see whether the fault had come on
ON board At about 1890 P. nj. the cable
caught and chafed on the mouth of the haw-
| ser pipe and was with considerable difficulty
removed, and at 1925 it parted on board
where it was injured and just behind the
shoppers, and in moment the end disappear
ed in the water. Distance run the last "a
hours, 116 miles; cable payed out, 1872 miles.
Recovered two miles; water 1850 fathoms.-
Total distance from Valentia, 1868 miles; to-
tai distance to Hearts Content, 900 miles; to-
tai cable payed out 1872 miles, equal to ID per
| cent of stock. Steamed back towards Valen-
tia about IL miles and commenced dragging
/ for the cable. Il
Thursday, at A. NJ, it being evident from
the strain the grapnel had caught the cable,
began to haul in, and at 11.50 A. NJ, when
1 HOO fathoms of grapnel had been got on
board, a shackle broke near the ship and 400
| fathoms of rope sank with the cable to the bot
| tom of the Atlantic. A.buoy was lowered with
| 2400 fathoms of cable and mushroom to
hold it and mark the spot. During the opera
ton of picking up the machinery gave way
1t is supposed that tooth broke off by the
strain, and this getting in between the spur
wheel smashed the latter. This accident hap
! pened twice, and the operation of hauling in
had to be performed by the capstain.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday the weather
| was unfavorable for recovering the cable.
/ Monday, 7th.-Lowered another grapnel at
1910 P. NJ. Commenced dragging for the ca
BILE, and at s in the evening commenced haul
ing in, and continued to do SO slowly all
night.
Tuesday, sth.--At $50 A. NJ, 1000 fathoms
Of grapnel rope was hauled in, when the
shackles broke just inside the ship. Lost in
the attempt 1900 fathoms of rope. second
buoy was lowered to mark the spot. The bal
ance Of this day and all the next was fully oc-
cupied in having new shackles made for the
hauling IN the rope, altering the capstain and
making preparations for another attempt to
recover the cable, Had the apparatus been
ready on Wednesday, the weather was much
too rough to attempt any operation. The two
buoys rode out the gales in this depth perfect
/ ly.
Thursday, 10th.-At A., NJ. commenced to
lower the grapnel, and at S55 had paved out
2460 fathoms, and commenced dragging for
the cable, and continued to do SO till the even
ing, when we commenced to haul in slowly.
Friday, 11th.--At A. NJ, finished haul
ing in the 2460 fathoms OF rope, when the