Year: 1866

THE NEW ATLANTIC CABLE.


During the last few days the Telegraph
Construction and Maintenance Company,
have begun in real earnest. Little bad been
done since the return Of the expedition in
August last, as there was no reason why the
cable should be ready very much sooner than
it will be needed. The Great Eastern still
lies at her moorings in the Medway, with
the remainder Of last years cable on board,
and this will be again used during the pres
ent year, when that part Of the cable which
will then have enjoyed twelvem6nth's rest
on the bed of the Atlantic will be grappled
for. Capt. Anderson will once more have
charge Of the big ship, and he will again
have the invaluable assistance of Mr.. Hal pin,
the chief officer. Mr.. Canning and Mr..
Clifford will be, as in last summer, in charge
Of the laying of The cable, and Mr.. De Sauty
will be again in charge of the electrical de-
partment. Thus, so far as skill goes, there
is everything in favor of the success of the
expedition, which will set sail in the begin.
ming of June, bearing with it the good wish
es Of all Europe.


AS at present arranged, the Great Eastern
will carry the new cable, will lay it to New
foundand, will there coal, and return to the
mid Atlantic, where she will, with her con,
sorts, grapple for the lost end, the locality
which can be ascertaned within a quarter
of mile through the observations taken
last summer by Capt. Anderson and Capt
Moriarty. 1t is not intended that the part
of the old cable which now lies in the Great
Eastern's tanks shall be again slowed in her
hold on the outward trip. 1t will be carried
in another vessel until it is needed.


The graphing will be done in this way;
Three vessels, including the Great Eastern
will be provided with graphing apparatus
Last year, it may be remembered, the crap.
ping was done with makeshft appliances
In fact, the graphing lines were only buoy
ropes, and the swves which broke while the
cable was being hauled up were never in.
tended to bear any such strain as that to
which they we're subjected. In the new
graphing tackle there will be no swivels;
perhaps even no shackles. Each line will be
if possible, in one piece, certainly not in
more than two, joined together by strong
shackle. There is, therefore, little fear that
if the cable is grappled, Of which there can
be no reasonable doubt in the mind of any
one conversant with the subject; it will be
brought to the surface. And there is more
probability of this because the cable will be
grappled in three places, at intervals of about
two miles. One vessel will grapple, and, if
necessary, cut her end by means of steel
blade set in the graphing iron; the middle
ship will haul up, and the third vessel will
also raise the cable to lessen the strain.-
There will, therefore, be three bights on the
cable, or two bights and an end, and this
end will be prevented from slipping by the
formation Of the graphing iron, in which
the cable will be jammed. No one connect
ed with the project appears to entertain the
slightest doubt about the success of this sec.
ton of it. When the end is recovered and
a message sent through to Valencia, as a
test of the electrical condition, the splice
will be made with the cable now lying in
the Great Eastern, and then all will be plain
sailing, except in case of another accident
similar to that of last year, when all would
have to be done over again; but this would
be the worst damage. If one graphing is
successful, there is no reason why second
should not be, and even third and fourth,
if it should come to that. The laying of the
old cable may therefore be considered cer'
tainty, so far as anything about cable laying
can be certain. But hope deferred will pro
badly not make sick the hearts Of sharehod
ers beyond next July.


The new cable, which is to be laid first, is
very different in appearance from that OF
1865. That was black, but not at all come
ly. This is fair to see, in'point Of color, but
rough wthal, and fbrey-to coin word for
the occasion. But, save that, there is no
dark composition soaked into the Mannila
hemp which forms the covering of the outer
wires, this cable is identical with the last.
So far, however, as strength goes, the new
cable will bear a strain Of from Is cwt. to
ton more than that of last year; and, as is
obvious, this additional strength may make
just the difference between breaking and
holding, if it should unfortunately be ncces.
sary to haul back to the ship at any time.
The reason why it is possible to dispense
with the composition for coating is that in
the new cable the outer or protecting wires
are galvanized. About $50 miles of the
new cable have been already made, and
when all the machinery is set to work, as it
soon will be, the manufacture will proceed at
the rate of 100 miles per week. BY work.
ing overtime the immense speed could be
nearly doubled; but, Of course, overtime will
be avoided if possible. In all departments
of the machinery the capacity has been
much increased since last year. For instance
there are double the number of tanks which
hold the core of the cable; and there is one
new machine which alone turns out four
miles per day of completed cable.


London Herald, Feb. Is.


D1DN'T CoMpREHEND.-A day or two
since young lady from the country rode in
to town to do "little shopping" and after
hitching her horse on the square, entered
one of our most fashionable dry'goods es-
tablishmeuts and seated herself on stool
near the counter. "to wait her turn" A