New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-11

The new direct cable is under the control
OF two ditfsrent corporations, one called the
American Atlantic Cable Company, organ
lied under the laws of New York, and pos
sessing certain privileges under an act
passed by Congress in 1867; the other helm g
known as the Direct United States Cabls
Company, Limited, which is an English or
ganzation. AS the American company had
the exclusive privilege, rnder the act of
Congress OF 1867, to lay, land and operate
cables on the Atlantic coast of the United
States tor twenty years, a correspondence
was opened between the two companies, and
the rights of the American concern were
combined with the abundant resources of
the English institution.
On February.S. 1873. an agreement was
entered into with the Messrs. Slemens
Brothers, of Ems land, for the cunstructi, II
and laying OF the cable, which was TO be
1900 nautical miles in length. The price to
be paid for constructing, laying and lending
the cable, and its maintenance in good
working order for thirty days after its com
pletiOn was to be sl,21l 600, or about
$4,000 goo. For the purpose of laying the
cable the steamship Faraday was also built
as the only vessel fitted tor the work, TIE
Great Eastern, was controlled by the rival
cable comI Ianies.
The task of laying the cable was begun
on the sixteenth of May, 1874. On the thir-
ty first of that month the Faraday, accom-
panied by her consOrt, the AmbassaC or
cast anchor near Nova Scotia to lay the of
shore cable from Torbay to Rye Beach, New
Hampshire. 1t was not until the fourteen til
OF July, after many mishaps to the Faraday
and Ambassador, that this part of the task
was compile tt4d. A shore.end was next laid
out from Torbay and buoyed at sea, to be
ready for splicing to the deep sea section.
The laying OF the latter was begun in the
eally part of September, 1874 near the
Irish coast, aud on the fourth. when
$50 knots had been paid out, the cable
snapped and sunk in 2570 fathoms of
water. Recovered after couple of davs'
search, the steamers went on with the,
cable, only to lose it again about
800 miles out. For several days thereafter
the steamers endeavored without success to
recover the lost wire, until from want of
coal and other requisites they were obliged
expedition again started, this time accom-.
panied by the steamer Dacia; but it was the
second day of November before it was
picked up by the Faradsy. About the end
OF the same month, and when not very far
from tue shore end at Newfoundland the
cable was gain lost, recovered, and buoyed
to await the return of more moderate
weather. In April last. the work was re-
sumed, and on the ninth of June last was
finally completed without any unusual mis-
hap.
The cable worked well for about two
weeks, and then suddenly failed to trans
init messages. The cable had parted not
far from the Irish coast, and early in
August the Faraday started out again 10
mend the break She was compelled to re-
turn for graphing irons and other supplies,
and it was not until the thirty first ultimo
that she succeeded in picking up the east.
ern end. Unfavorable weather retarded
her operations, but it would appear that
she has at last succeeded in picking up
the American end, and connecting The two
portions.
There are now five different cables con-
necting the Old Woeld and the New. The
first was finished in 1866. from Ireland TO
and is 1896 miles IN length.
The second cable, completed in 1869, runs
from Brest, France, to Duxbury, Massachu-
setts, via st. Pierre, being generally known
as the French cable, and is 1880 miles in
length. The third and fourth cables were
completed in 1873 aad 1874 respectively,
running from Valtn;ia. Ireland, TO New
loundland, each being 1900 miles in length.
The new cable, being 5000 miles in length,
g longer than any of the others except the
French oable.-PAiiadelpAia Telegraph.