Year: 1865

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.