The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-08-02
The Atlantic Telegraph Cables

We chrunicled last week the successful
laying Of the fifth Atlantic telegraph cable
by the Great Eastern, and We now give a
few additional interesting particulars
The squadron consisted Of the Great
Eastern, Captain Halpin, in charge of the
expedition the Hibernia, 1000 tons, Cap
tain Cato Edinburgh, 100 tons, Captain
Manning, and Robert Lowe, 700 tons, Cap
tam I1dmarsh The last three vessels are
all screw steamships, the Great Eastern
having both paddles and screw. The cleo
trical staff was in charge Of Mr.. Laws.
Each of The four ships is fitted up with
laying machinery and picking up appa-
ratus, similar i'll general character, but
with slight variations in details in order to
meet special points as regards the build
and equipments Of the vessels. The ar
rangements ON board the Great Eastern, Of
course, serve as type for other ships.
The cable lies coiled in lengths or divi-
sions in tanks filed with water and as
each length is being laid, it passes along a
trough, guided at intervals by horizontal
and vertical friction pulleys, to the paying
out apparatus in the stern of the vessel.
This consists of a Series Of six wheels,
having V grooves over which the cable
passes, each wheel being connected with
weighted levers attached to disk wheels
working III the V grooves and acting rs
brakes Each Of the V wheels is also con
nected through its shaft with a friction
brake. The whole IF the lever brakes can
be operated simultaneously from one main
shaft if necessary. The cable, after pass
ing over this brake apparatus, takes four
turns round drum six feet in diameter,
connected with powerful strap brake, and
is passed thence to the dynamometer, by
which the strain on the cable can be ascer-
tanned at any moment Of its passage
through the apparatus.
From the dynamometer the cable passes
over grooved pulley five feet in diameter,
which projects over the stern Of the ship.
The picking-up apparatus is placed in the
bows Of the vessel, and consists Of grooved
pulleys projecting over the stern, and
coiling apparatus having two drums, each
six feet in diameter. The coiling appara-
tus is worked by small engine which
takes steam from one Of the main boilers.
A dynamometer placed between the bow
pulleys and the coiling engine completes
the picking-up apparatus, which, no less
than the payIng-out gear, is as perfect as
engineering skill, guided by past expert
ence, can render it.
The graphing ropes are of various sizes
and strengths, and are adapted for heavy
or light work. They are made of wire, the
heaviest rope being composed Of six
strands, each containing six wires, and the
lightest having three strands Of three wires,
there being two intermediate sizes.
The Great Eastern also carries eleven
iron buoys of five different sizes, ranging
from ii feet diameter by 10 feet high, to
feet 6 inches diameter by 8 feet high.
1t may here be interesting to note the
lengths Of each of the Atlantic cables
That Of 1866, which has recently broken,
is 1864 miles long, and the cable of L.
$685. miles. The French cable Of 1869,
from Brest to st. Pierre, is 2, 557 miles in
length while the line just laid is about the
same length as that Of 1865. Since the
latter cable broke, the French cable parted
208 miles from Brest in about 500 fathoms
of water The accident was repaired by
the Hibernia, length Of 100 miles having
been cut out and replaced by similar
length Of new cable.
A most interesting and &mportant work
will be the graphing for the cable Of 1865,
which broke few months since. 1t will
prove interesting. inasmuch a. it will de-
termine whether the physical condition of
. cable which has besn submerged for eight
years il such as to allow Of its being raised,
or, in other words, whether the outer COW
ering will have become 80 deteriorated that
it will no longer possess the strength neces-
sary to resist the great strain which will
be brought upon it in raising it. Of its
being found and grappled there is but little
doubt, the same thing having been accom-
plished before under less favorable circum-
stances and with wore limited experience
than I'm the present instance. The matter
derives its Importance from the fact that, if
the results are successful, it will prove
great commercial gain to the enterprising
company to whom il belongs. The cable