The Portland daily press., 1866-06-08
The Atlantic Cable.
[From the London Times Of Nav 24th.l

[From the London Times of May 24th.l
On Tuesday last about 900 miles of the ne w
Atlantic telegraph cable had been safely stow
ed away in the tanks on board the Great East
ern. The receiving hulks, the Amethyst and
the Iris, are constantly plying between the
ship and the Company's works at Greenwich,
and about sixty miles of the cable are safely
slowed away every twenty four hours. The
Amethyst brings about 900 miles of the cable
each time, and the Iris 24O. The coiling is
continued throughout the day and night. The
cable itself is slightly different from The old
one. Instead OF the protecting iron wires be-
ing covered with tarred hemp to preserve them
from the effect of the sea water, the iron wires
have been galvanized, and ordinary Manila
hemp has been used for the outside covering.
This win enable the water to penetrate the
fbres, and SO greatly increase the insulation
of the cable. :.
The breaking strain is about ton greater
than the old cable, and its weight about 3
cwt. in the mile less. Nine hundred miles of
the old cable were left on board so that the
whole quantity to be taken out will be 2.7OO
mites less Notwithstanding the vast stowaqe
capabilities of the Great Eastern. it is found
that she will not be able to receive this enor.
NOUS bulk, and the company have therefore
chartered the Midway, a screw steamer be-
longing to the British and American Steam
Company, to take portion on board.
Several improvements to facilitate the work,
have been made during the past winter. Mr..
Willoughby Smith, the experimenting cleo
trician, has so far improved the testing appar-
atus that messages can be transmitted through
the wire with an inch of the copper conduct
or exposed, whereas last year, it will be re-
membered that small piece of wire thrust
through the cable SO much damaged the insu-
lation as to produce very serious effects.
Steam power has been applied to the pay
1ng-out machinery, so that in case a fault is
discovered in the cable after it has been sub
merged the machinery can be reversed and
used for the purpose of winding the cable in
board again. A large crinoine guard is being
made to prevent the cable coming in contact
with the screw. The breaking strain of the
graphing gear last year was about ten tons:
this year it will be thirty tons. 1t is proposed
that each of the three ships shall be fitted
with this apparatus, and that as soon as one
OF the ships shall grappie the cable the others
shall take up position of mile or SO apart.
and by graphing it in three different parts SO
spread out the strain on the cable as to give
greater security both against the breakage of
the cable and the gearing. The paddle-wheels
have been disconnected so that in case of its
being necessary to pick up the cable again,
and strong wind be blowing at the time. the
WORKING OF only one paddle-Yheel will keep
Ine heau OF tne snip well up. to the wind
During the time the ship has been in harbor
Captain Anderson and the officers on board
have invented a set OF large diamond-shaped
brushes, made partly Of small wires and part
ly of very stiff fbres, such as those used in or
binary brushes, which, worked by machinery
on deck, will clean the bottom of the vessel
and remove accumulations without taking her
into dock. 1t is not intended that the Great
Eastern should this time receive the whole of
her Goals on board in the Midway, as it is
feared that the extra weight of cable on board,
added to her usual complement of Goals, would
render it unsafe to take her out in the drauqht
OF water at the entrance to Sheerness harbor.
1t has therefore been decided to finish coaling
at Beerhayen. According to present arrange
mcnts advantage will be taken of the spring
tide ON the 29th of June to get the ship out Of
the harbor. In day or two afterwards she
will start for Beerhaven, and remain there for
about fortnight, when she will again start to
lay the cable. ditsra aoas pa.