The New York Herald Newspaper, May 30, 1858, Page 1

THE “YORK HER WHOLE NO. 7940. —— THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. ‘The Coiling on the Agamemnon’ and Nia- gara—Scenes and Sights among the Cable Men—New Mlustra- tions—The New Machinery The Latest Particulars, &o., ao, ao. Speelal Correapoadence of the Herald. Puymoums, Eogland, April 16,'1868. Bocial Arpects of the Work—the Ward Room Ovil and the Hold Ooil—What @ Coiler Looks Like—Artisti: Genius Displayed im a Cable Circus—The Emblems of the Blick Hand—The Electrician's Office General Appearance of ‘Thvngs there—The Mechanical Arrangements on the Nia gara— The Cable Guards, dc , dc , ée. ‘The coiling of toe cable on the Agsmomnon and Niagara 4 still goirg on, with an cecasional interruption, and if we maay jac ge from prea nt appesrance, there is every pros peet of our being able to start on our trial trip about the makidie of ihe next month. We bave at present six hua- dred miles of the deep sea line om board, and the Aga- meomnon bat about as much more. This has been aecemplished in a little more than & week, aad shows what can be dove in an emergency. The coilers up to the present time have been employed enly during the day; and as the whole leng:h of cable which is yet to be placed on the two ships is twenty one bundred miles, or a little over, tem hundred each, the task ean be accompliabed in a fortnight, at the very least, by ‘working the men night and day. From all this you may see that these same cable coilers are wonderful fellows in their own particular line, and, I may add, the cablecircus 4 the acene of performances as imteresting, as ¢xtraordi- rary and as amusing as that in which both men and horses are the actors. I know there are sceptics who will sneer at such an assertion, and who imagine that where ‘there Is so mush tar there can be little or no social enjoy- ment; but they are like all other unbelievers—they have ne heart or soul for anything; and what ether men would find pleasure in has no allurement or interest for them, Dut ie a dull, unmean'ng blank. So much for the sceptic; and now for ibe sights and scenes among the cable men. ‘The wardroom circus ts situated on the main or berth @eck, aud ws generally an object of the greatest inte- rest te visiters. On either side of it ie @ narrow peseoge, which was formed by cutting off about vene-half of the officers’ rooms. The privacy of “both these miniatore apartments is secured by meeps of © canvass wall, behind whieh, as benind a ste, or Jain, all those changes i fhe persmmal aD. ance of the Cceupant are effected which tramst~ns the natural into the civilized man, Here N6 ~aaxes his totlet, and here in thls 16 room —S*VE ‘by ten—he has his iibrary of half ‘a denen yolume”,, his wardrobe and all the other etceteras ‘which make up the domestic part of an officer’s world on whiptoard. It requires mo ordinary amount of genius to economize the little epace in which he is cooped, ‘ama when nearly one half the room is cut away, he ie ‘prodigy indeed who can successfully manage with the other balf. Every morning about seven o'clock the cable coilers commence operations, and from that hour till six in the evening they never cease their working. There are two watches of thirty men each, who relieve cach other every four bours, and who are under the supervision of se- veral directors or superin‘eedents. When the first of these watehes took porsession of the circus and began .their work, their uniform of duck was al- most as white as snow, but hardly three days elapsed Defore it became as black as mourning weed, with here and there @ patah of white gleaming through. “fhe Knights of the Black Haod,”’ as the oollers have beea dubbed, rather like this ooange, and never omii an oppor ‘tanity to improve upoa it. Thus the backs of all of thom are marked with the armorial bearings of their knightaood, she sign macual of their title to xobility. The emblem js stamped upon the wooden wall of ihe cirons, among an array of artistic decorations aad embellishments such as the world bas rarely, if ever witnessed. Tae star span gled banner is repeated aguin and again, with e patriotic persistency that never tires, while whole flocks of Ane- rican eagles are soaring on tireless wing. These extraor- @ipary exnibiticns of artistic skill are got up without the sid of Drueh, pencil,or any of the ususl instraments known to the world of art, and are, therefore, to be re. garded with still more connideration on that ao- count. fhe foreGnger of the right band is em ployed as a substitute for the pencil, the brush and the crayon, while the well tarred palm of the left answers allthe purpores of a palette. With such facilities as there present you would be astonixhed at the new wonders that areevery day created within the circumference of the cable circus. Some of the artists devote their atten: thon to illustrations of animated natare, and the specimens they give of the feathered tribe and other forms of ani- mal life are without parallel in the works of Audubon, Cuvier or any of the great naturalists, There are horses ‘and deer such as Rosa Bonheur or Landseer never dream. ‘ed of, andprobably never could with all their wealth of ius imagine, Doge of the most remarkabie dimen- os, Home With elepharts their backs and others with eagles, attract the admiring gaze of the spectator ‘and share the praise with tom cats, whose belligerent character is indicated by the swelled tall and the raised back, infallible proofs of feline antagonism. Then there impoesible for ordinary minds to follow. No matter how much critics, however, may differ in to the quality or the trathfulness of these works of art they must Unpleasant work! Why there never was work which was performed with greater alacrity and hae oy 8 eager were the men in regard to it, and #0 willing were to offer their services, that the demand was mole for volunteers the whole ship's crew came for. ‘ward, and some difficulty was found ia the selection of the necessary force, Every mile that is collet, instead of ‘wearying, appears but to give renewed atrongth to the ‘and at the end of every four hours’ watch they ‘as fresh and vigorous as when they com- day, too, they have tow jokes, new yaros, |, Hew Joe Milleriams and a whole budget the jocular and hamorous lie. *o ex- point that an old joke is E j Ei z i 2 7 SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 30, 1858. boarded up. A narrow passage en either side is the only ome of 44 to the fore part of the ship, where the cooking for the jain, officers amd men is Carried on, and ceor from tellens that interesting pretude to a more interesting Yee tp But the way up to this it, that is to this coil, is the easiest part dim daylight which givam from the this cone, dowo through of the sone of the circleon she orlop deck, down of the coil at whica we are now eadeavoring comes the deep sea lice, bI as the in« ite, and as it is havled down it is packed flakes by the thirty men who sit around the circle our Garé as you look, and you have below you s Boe! bich necromancer’s craft never equalled; yes in po agp ean nr —_ oe wors of his magic a imsignificant, ougn, wire ae i laid on the bottom of the great deep, the subtle messenger of man, with a speed that outruns the in bis course, and with which thought it- self would run an unequal race. This is the necromancy of serence, the creation of haman gealus, the very climax of homan invention. Let your bearing return, and listen— that bearty lang) Toitich img as jovial and as ous Ubroat. Havirg given full liberty to of your senses, vou must now make another @o doub'e duty. You must open your eyes and be just as wide awake as it is possible for you to be. Descenoing about ten feet we reach lop dock circle, a, which is almost similar to ¥ above. Ap. other descent— fourteen —and we stand ‘Dpon the top flake of the coil, the hold co1!, the largest ip the ship, which ie ¢ contain four hun. éred miles of the co sea line, We are now twelve feet below the water level, and m the lowest point of the p vesse] which it is poesible fer us to reach. An immense cone, larger thaa any we have yet seen, stands in the centre of the circle like the peak of ap extinct volcano. Around us is the magic, the necromentic circle, who BO more nor no less than thirty “Knights of the Bana ”’ bearing the device upon Joacks, breasts and which attests tbeir position on board ship as unmisiake- bly ae the red cross di ished the crussder from bi Baracenic foe. They are out of the reach of day- ight, and all =the can ficd places s to enable them to coil as neatly, as and as succersfally as those ip penines eee detwoett whom and themselves thore is conside-able rivalry. the coils are apart and thelr title 10 Khighth Si, 3 +d take as much pride in thelr work would be a {a ducite Y palm. ‘They led, jue credit must be given to Ur. the sail. . Webber the gunner; Capt. Kell; . Goodrich, 's mute, for thelr careful ‘and attentive supervision at the extreme end of the dock yard. up temporarily, as after the departure of the expedition it will return to its original condition of a storehouse. Here the electricians have been din experimenting with the twenty-one hundred and odd miles of cable which were shi, ped from the Niagara and Agamemnon last and coiled in an immense water tight tank. The res their experiments ha: understand, been most satis’ac- tory and gratifying; and although a greater speed in the tranemiesiop of mersages will doubtless be attained hero- after, the rate which have reached will place oar of 2 F Atlantic Telegraph among most profitable enterprises ever undertaken by capitalists. In my last letter I in- formed you that Ln Md telegraph about one word a mipate, but I sbould bave stated that no abbreviations contractions were made in this estimate, and use of such as would not interfere with the 5 Eg 4 i rae i g 4 E which they per of twenty words, the Fenders of the Hrnau can s calculation of the yearly receipts of the o: = at D jess : oad, jemporary one, ard is not Mlied up with that obich migte imlor ether ginduadiiien, tere ory for the operstins of the sary o 0 pany are most liberal in furnishin, workshop is net open t every juirer after ecientific knowleoge, and even ibe conspicuses paris of ihe building informing Une publ conspicuons bi ing public generally nd toaividuais ts parteaior that they are not permitted to enter, but there are some daring who atill venture on the forbidden ground. ‘Ores objects which strike the visiter on are a pumber of buge glass veascls filed with sul uric ack, and @ large #4] Sooeees of all Eg sf a second sory is occu, and his aeeistants, are constantly employed, and are under the supervision of Mr. Desanty. who ‘was on the Niagara duriug the Ist expedition. whole twenty-six hundred and ood miles, & portion of which is now lying in the tant, aol the remainéer on the Agamemnon ap’ Niagara, are coa rected wi'h the batteries, so that @ constant current is ception of mresages, as if the line were actually laid acrees the Atlantic and in successful operation. Commer cial repor\s, political and other intelligence, are sent from one to the other, and translated from the Long of electrici'y into tho English on the same printed for that are to be weed her . Thus one electrician forms the otbor that the money market is in a more baoy- ‘ant condition than it was the day before (The day on which be sent this despatch be received his saary.) Pro- vi ug bog kinds = abundant, with a downward ten- dency. goods found purcbasers on more liberal nm, end se ily were cheering. But time brings « ‘ge in money market—there isa tigbtness in the fanas, and everything else is affe ted by the change The machivery is bog Be gy and will be down bere and placed on board the ship in about @ fortnight, #0 as to enable the vessels to start on the trial trip the 20» of pext month —the time appotated THE COILING PROCESS ILLUSTRATED. As & groat deal of importasce is properly attached to the process of coiling, there is no part of the work which receives more care and attention, and which demands the exercise of a larger degree of vigilance. Some idea of it may be formed when it is known that every mile, every yard, every foot of the cable is Iaid down with ss much precision, as much regularity aod as much neatmess as thread ls wound upon a spool. The way the work of coil- ing is performed ie exhibited im the following drawing, which was mace on board the Niagara, and which pre sents an accurate and lifeiike representation of the ecene:— A A A~The cable payers. ty Parwage outaige of the cable C—bol er over which the cable passes, Here the collers are represented at work , while the man- ner in which the cable is drawn on board is also shown. The coiling is commenced on the outer edge of the cirons, or circle, and approaches nearer to the cone as each round is laid, until the cone is finally reached. Thus the first flake i Inid, and flake muoceeds flake till the coil ls finished—that is, till it is carried as noar the beams of the deck sa possible—until, in fact, the apace between the top of the coil and the deck beams is in sumicient to ailow the contiuancs of the work. Fach meseures from three to four miles in length, according to the diameter of the circus, and the number of flakos varies from one to two hundred, according to its height On the Niagara « force of one handred and twenty cadic coilers was organized, and these were divided into two equal one gang for the forward and the other for the cols. Bach of sixty is next subdivided into two watches, who rolieve each other every four hours. Ry this a time on one coll, and of these one or on deck hauling the cable inboard over the rollers. One of these rollera ie placed over the hatchway immediately over the cones, so that It ia drawn with the groatest case into the circus below. Ax it is thus the cable mon on deck, it is seized b; around the circle with It, paying out of the cotlers by an clone ae ible. with which {t i covered as a protection agai adds to ite flexibility, and helps to keep it in ite place when oncs laid. Fach fiske is as it were glved together, but not so firmly as to prevent ite ucotling without difioulty, when the process of paying out has commenced. — The effect is rather bone! ola) then otherwine, aa there is no danger on account of this adhostvences of its being unocolled faster than it is ‘wp out over the sbip’s stern, and consequent'y less Nabitity to kunkimg. Under each flake are pla sed thio, lath like boards, at intervals of seven or eight feet apart, t> \ prevent the of one flake sinkiog through the intersbees of the coil and becoming con‘ounded wit. tne one imme: iately below. Every precaution. ag has been stated, is tak an to secure the proper performence of this part of the work Each bg of coless bas a foreman, and each foreman an a3- eistant. The foreman inspecia each layer or flake, while the essietaat follows close upon the heeis of the payer and seee that the men pack the cable closety The payer bimeeit 19 ove of the coilers, esot coiler taxing b's turn of bavling down and trotting round the circus every twenty minutes or balf an hour, by which ume it is eap- posed his arms will be pretty weil tired. From twe to two miles and a half of cable is coiled in am hour, and fiom firy to sixty miles, when the wen’ are obliged to work vijbt waa day. tne kperling position ip which the cotlers are placed would seem to indicate that they are ovgaged devotional | exercises, but they are supposed to be routing just at this articular time, bay been seated for some two hours fore they change provided with @ seat Of the most primitive description— ain block of wood hollowed at the top so a3 ig recopta :le for tha: parti:ula> part of the cor pereal system which is to be deporited thereom. Others are less primitive, and occasionally assume the form of a stool of the most lowly dimensiors, tha’ the coiler m: Dot bs obliged to stoop to much. Bat after all, there Ter Mule stooping, as-eaon man ie. obt to bend bat opee every time payer e round circus, The work is not therefore very heavy, aod the coilers make it more a labor of pleasure than mnraniog sian. are dressed wm aregular uniform of duck, which is in glariog contrast to the tarred cable, the frequent contact with which does not tend to improve its color. As their hands are not exactly in state of cleaulin in which a man would sit down to diaper, and as the tar makes them somewhat sticky, they are supplica with oi] to Jubricate them about once @wery two hours. The collers appear to hike Se ae when a de- mand was made for volunteers among crew of the Niagara about twice the number required offered their’ services. The time certainly seems to pase pleasantly enough with them, and as the foremen are not over strict ‘with them, they bat and joke away to their hearts’ con. tent. Tedious and all as the process may appoar, it is not at all mopotonous to those engaged at it, and who are jast 1 aaa fourteenth hundred as they were at the ret. . SECTION OF THE NIAGARA, SHOWING THE STOWAGE OF THE COILS IN THE FORSPART OF THE BHIP. The following engraving, representing the coils in the forepart of the ehip, is intended to show their exact propor- tion, and is according to a scale of twenty-five feet to an inch :— ‘The base of the coil in the hold, it will be perceived, ts not 20 regular and does not cover so much space as thet of ‘any of the others, on account of the censtruction of this partof the ship. The height from the floor to the deck above affords a for the oolling of the cable, large space ‘ing a4 has been described alread. ecessary (0 call attention to THE CABLE SHIPS—THE AGAMEMNON. ‘There is perhaps no vessel in the British navy better adapted for the coiling and paying out of the cable than the Agamemnon. Her massiveness and great strength, as well as the peculiar advantages which she posseazes for the stowage of the great sea line, wore her chief recommendatioms. Last yoar, the whole 1,250 miles which constituted her part of the cable were coiled in the forward bold, and it was feared at the time that she would be seriously damaged by the strain produced by so much dead weight in one part of the ship. A report was circu. lated then that she was “bogged,” which, when translated into common English for the unlearned in nautica’ waters, signifies that she had broken ber back, and was in an ‘unfit state to go to sea. This report was, however, asoer tained to be without |, and the ship was found, on in’ Wy eeaworthy condition. Whatever a eases Sat a aeny , 0 be in perfect! pprehension may s%!! will be removed by the fact miles will be cotled in the fore bold, and that tho ipto two separate coils, oe of the folio wing plan of the 8 xlp placed on tng 375 will be tormed and stowage of the cable, te : & & i i i ihe fore spar and oct daysg) %0 11) Sl “HBax] pee » 107 pal 4: aa} — or 0 4290 aa" — ¥. ‘The proportiers of the ship, as given in the fc aon sTAVINg, are proserved as exactly and accurately aa it is Pporeibie to do ao, the ecale being 46 fect to ao inch, The whole weight of the oable is thrown on the forepart of the vease!, between the fore aud main masts; the machinery, st-res, and coal being in the after , keep ber on an ee!, and thas rye that ness Which is so in the work abe has 10 With cable, and all her sea stores on board, the non will at 27 feet, which will bring the water line almost the cable guard attached to the s\ern. An accurate idea may be formed of the way in which the Pr coils by reference to ibe the letier A will be first Coll to coil Is not sash « py effect the greatest cate, it certeinly requires somewba’ more and canticn, but ts Dot attended with canger to the safety of the vad v. After the first coil A 7is exhansted, the line is taken from the coil B, throng the hatches of the spar, main and berth deck s, ite course beieg regnlated by the iroa row or fair-leaders through which it paases, and which prevent its Furging. These tair-ieasers are different from represented in another ergravicg ia thus being fastened to ‘be hwicher. and capnct of course be raised or lowered, The sneav.s (db b) ab the bow (only on» of whith, how. ever, jp vinble) aye intended to be used only in cases of ¢rergenoy, and it ix very doubtful that they will be re quired tall. Should the ships be caught in a gale blow. ing divectly on thir course it ig iatended to face the storm, to take the cable from the mem fheave and place it over one those the bow. Ry so dowg the beaiway and speed of the thip can be better regulate. ane con rolled than #hea scudowg before the gale. Tow fact ix so obvious that it yequires DO explanath But there i cae poimt whiob it Would be wrong to overlook, aad which is of the greatest importance in this cmaeetoa Tt may be very eary to speak of traveferring the cable from the stern to the bow, Dut it will be foved to bo rather difficult under the cir- cometacces hich the vessel is placed, and it 1s doubt ful whether it ean be accomplished atall. Ia view of thir fact there reems but one course to purswe, aud that ie to out the cable, attach it to a buoy capanle of resisting eight of five tons, and leaving it until such time as the atber moderates, and the s Hp an return, pick itup agein, make the splice and continue the work which is ‘thus temporarily interrupted It is to he hoped that no such emergency will ever arise, and that both the sheaves on the bow and the buoys will no} be needed. Tae part of the illus ration representing the paying out machine is necessarily on such & limited scale as to render cy a tempt to give the detail altogether imoossivle. It is, how. ever, illustrated in another part of article, and will oo with a full description, under the appropriate ead, THE NIAGARA. The principal features of the following {llustration, showing the manner in which the cable is coiled on the Niegara, and the location of the coils aud maobinery, are already familiar to the readers of the Hsxavp, but so many changes have been made as to justify its re-publi- cation with the alterations — [Ztcece%e Sieovene ORLOP DECK | dana gevonce feneenee, i & =| DIMENSIONS OF COILS. At first view there appears to be very slight difference Detween the two cable ships, but it will be seen that the number of coils om board the Niagara is about double the several hundred miles. Tho strain on this part of the therefore, will not be so great, and she will con be betier able to withstand the pores y bed a i 3 [ : | i § 8 it 238 > i 35 # 2 i 2 & i 3 z y purpore— ¥ which the lim y being the Orst, the rest following ui the ‘ast (F) is reached. of the ehip are made the centre of the cable that when the ge Hd eesée nl i be employed in Iaying the cable. prevent it from coming in contact with the screws, which case it is almost needless to add the cable would be broken. Lavt year they were secured to the eteros with trovg iron bars, which it was supposed would withatand the premure of Freistance of the water whon the ship was underway. This, however, was proved by experience to be a falinciour idea, several of the bare hay yielded and broke onder the pressure. In view of this fact Mr. Pyerett decided on adootirg another style of goard, which would answer the same purpose, and which would also be free from the difieulty to whick other was subject. A glance at the engraving will ‘& correct idea of the former and of that which has adopted Tix is & moveable guard, and can be raised or lowered by means of the chains by which it is suxpended. The hinge ()) is secured by ® brass plate, which is fastened to the side of the ship with twelve bolte, The advantage of this moveable guard will he readily ap- preciated be raised to such a height when neces sary as to entirely clear it from the water. Then should icebergeor other obstractions render it necessary to back the ship, the guard can be immediately lowered, and lowered toench @ depth as to prevent cable from being injored or breken by the eorew. fhe isngth of the guar from tbe binge (5) to the outer line (4) is 27 feet, ‘and ite greatest diameter ath wart ships is 22 feet 6 imohes. When being hauled up, the extreme end (d) will clear rudder iron (a) two fest. The stern sheave (c) over which the cable russ in ite course before it reaches the water, is about four and a half feet ter, and the ie at least five inches deep. keeps the cable from surging and working out T00Ve. The fotlowing engraving presents the stern sheave or wheel on a more aaraee ‘poale.— A passage is lefton either side of the wheel, s0 as to ender jt accessible woen necessary, and this is rendered recure aud sate b: strong wooden railiogs, strengthened by iron uprights, tha whole restiog or constructed upon two magtive beams, Wbieb run in on the deck of the ship, where they are firmly attached. The Agamemnon,as may be seen from the following Mustration, is provided with a guard similar to that on the Niagar por oo \ A It was intended to put a cage around the propeller, like ‘that which was attacned to the Niagara last year, but the preference was given 0 & moveabio guard, so thas in this both ships wilb be alike. THE CABLE CIRCUS, THE CONE AND FAIR-LEADERS, As the coiling of the cable is one of the moat important parta of the whole work, and as its proper performance contributes largely to the successful completion of the on- dertaking, ® detailed description of the arrangements is peculiarly appropriate here. The greatest vigilance and caution are required in the making of the coils, and in the paying out process—in fact, everything depends upon these two cesential points, and any inattention to either is fraught with the most dangerous consequences to the suc The proper form of coil was atone considerable discussion, and great differ- ipective ad- the circular was finally adopted, other form may have, it is now generally paseo ‘The circular coils are the kind used on the yon, with one trifling exce; . on the Agamemn’ holdcoll on the latter is of an oval form, but is it cable circus—or, cable tank—was perfected, be accomplished by its con. jaa to prevent the cable from Diteing prevent it from becoming entang’ ‘Then there was another and no lees essen- attended to to secure it from kinking, Seerean ortacmare bass. Now, sim to secure these ends may appear, i run take Present state of perfection ull the raving ls presented t onrrech Topreseote . re ‘and the fatr leaders:— ieee Pats HT o—Large iron rings for fair leaders and preventing Rink ne —Fnlleys with iron trieing lines for raising fair leaders. DPortlon of cone eotied B—Haiebway with the cable going up. The cone, which ocoupies the centre of the circus and coll, and is made of omc or some other hard wool, ranges, according to circam- stances, from seven to nine feet in diameter at the base, and from three to five at the top. The particular part it ig required to is to prevent the cable from be one in the contre of the circle, and to secure ita pareage through the hatchway. Tne large tron rings, or fair-leaders, which encircle the cone, are io tended to prevent the cable from kinking as it \* ao #oand. The cable pasres under these, and up een them aad the cone, and in this way any tendency which it miges otherwise have to kink is removed. Tne tair-leaders are secured by wire rope to the beams, and are capable of Deing lowered by means of pulleys, as the cable is re duced in paying out. The operative, wh is represented in the act of lowering one of the fair leaders by moans of the wire rope, stands in @ narrow pasvagoway. betworn the outer plank ing of the circus the site of the ship. THR LATEST PARTICULARS. Puraovr, May 14, 1868 A British Vesecl Granted by the Admiralty to Supply the Place of the Susquchanna—The Coiling of the Cable to be Completed in a Few Days—The Machinery in Process of Brection on the Cable Shipa—Condition of Things in the Telegraph Department and amg the Electricians, & A despatch has been received from the Seoretary of the Navy, Mr. Isaac Toucey, informing Mr. Field, the general manager of the Atiantic Telegraph Company, that he is unable to furnish a side wheel steamer as an escort to the Niagara, in consequence of the fearfal occurrsnse whith took place on the Susquebanna. On the reosipt of this communication Mr. Fisid at once applied to the Firat Lord of the Admiralty, ir John Pakingwo, for another vesse!, to take the place of that which our government intended sending. Theapplication met with afaverable andapoedy consideration, and an ana wer was sent to that gentiemio this morning informing him that the Admiralty would grant the company & vensel every way sulted to their pur pose. The ship which ie to act as the Niagara's escort has not been eelectet yet, but it ts said it will be one of the deat and moet powerfal side wheel steamors in the Brities navy. The promptness and liberality with whish th+ government has acceded to the ayp'ication of the oo pany are deserving of all praise, aod show how laterest | they feel in the successful accomplishment of the great work. ‘Their generosity in this instance will be more readily appreciated when it is knowa that they are at present chartering merchant ships to traws port their trovps to India, when they have ae much work for all their seamen as (hey are able to do, and when they are endeavoring, with but iil re quited suecess, to supply the deff tency in the force of their navy. Thie i the fourth ship they have at ready furnished, and it i mot iF they will sagply another to act asa pilot or guid 3 PRICE TWO CENTS. event of Marcio vena tiortiet one requiring to be peed in tow by her escort. The work of coiling the cable is a) noit oy noleiea, and im the course of afew days both the Niezara soa Aga- memnon will have their full com, 600 board. In my last letter I informed you that tho eatire length was twenty-nine hundred miles, but it beso deteranaed Socrease it to three thousan?, which #il! affird a2 ab m dent ep over the actual distwnce between tue two ‘ute of connection. This will give au ascars of ovep per cent, while, it may be om ere!, WA» surpt Ob the expedition of Jast year was about thirsy ver coat At that time there was mich digonssoa a to the sufliciercy of line, aad some cootended that !. would fall two or three hundred miles short of the pra.of 4 aba. Of course, the failure of the ex de 1iti00 Las lors tha q 19esion Unsett'ed, and it still remains tv be loveru'ael o>4 mach ‘Will have to be expended boyond the 1,654 wenticn! miles, n whic! appears is the distance between tae tw tele- graph ot Nowfonndiand, Tas loogth. of pew cable maaufacturet ty sapply the dofisieasy caused by the accident of last your, and als 6 supply the additicnal amount required on ths s9:0n4 asemot, ie nine hunored miles altogether. form thick ness The is mate of » uai- ith that frst manufe ot of strength as resisting a strain equal Wa welyht of five le, and can be paid out with as mush ease and freedom from kinks as the twenty one huadred wnich was dischorged from the shtys last November, and whioh has been lying in coi's in a water tight taok all wiater. Let me sey here that tae reports whica wore cirsuisted in regerd to its imperfect insa'ation, are eatirely uafounded, apd that the statement that the lnuity was lost last year and never returned up to the time the cable parted, is utteriy untrue. The conductor was always true to ite Canction: and althoagh the curreat was stopped fer about two hours by a woek battery, it retucn- ed immediately after the force of the battery bad been oe No fears need, therefore, be covertamed on 18 point. The machixery is now in process of erection on the Agamemnon and Niagara, and wilt be put up ia s>0at a fortnight. This once up, the whole twlegraph squad- ron will be ready to start on the trial trip some time apout the lst of June, which will be six or seven days later thas the time first decided upon. The details of the expedition, however, will be much better arranged 02 this occasion, and there will be no diMoulty in regard to the rules, rega- lations and sailing signals for the tset. While ali these reparations are going ov, the telegraph department have en thrown into a terrible state of conaterpation by the operations of Mr. Hughes, who hes been wonderfully ceseful with his instrumcnt in telegrap>iog no less than twenty pine hundred mi'es of the cable. It must be admitted that the spirit in which M-. Haghes has been received and treated here is most ungener us, un- coarteous avd illiberal, aud that Dr. Whitehouss, the chief electrician of the company. instead of affording bim every fuckity, as that company desired and directed, bas thrown. every obstacle in bis way. This was so ap areat at Gret that it became a matter of arsolute necrssity that the company should be applied to; but the interference of the Free eventually turned out to be ineffectual; and al- though i; was evident that Mr. Enghes could get two words and a balf per minute through the cabie with bis unim- proved and unadapted instrument, and thet with auon al- terations as were required by the new circumstances under which it was req to work, he could attaiaa ypeed four or five times greater, with a fair prospect of stil! higher Tapiiity {t became again pecessary to call for the interpo- sition of the company. Mr. Field, your correspondent, land otbers @ present when Mr. Hughes sent two aad & balf words a miaute through the con tuctor, and yet, on tbat same mornivg, on Dr. Thompson’s tnstrament or aopliance, it was found he could — eee word through it io any time. As for Dr. Waitehouse did not submit bis machine to aay experiment, the reason alleged being that he could not do anything more than he bad accomplished (a word a mioute, or, as he himself showed by experiment to Mr. Hughes, tnres levers and two fifths of a letter) until he got his new instrament down from London. What this iostrument will do, no- dody knows, but it must do a great deal t> enetaia the Doctor's sinking reputation. The following lotter and the ‘extracts it contains tells the whole story ia regard to the = which has been exhidited towards Mr. post Lonpon, May 13.1886, been favored by the Sin—The interviews with which I bav étrectors of tbe Atlantic Telegraph Comosny. ant the manner ip which they bave assured me that Professor H abould have every facility for Lager ne ye he their cable, bas impresse’ my mitpd with the conviction the ‘lirectors t bour aaa acrwomolieh Ficbly and rapidly through aesured me that our preseree, alth” bas not, by them at least, been deemed intrusive. At my > in'erview, about a werk agn. had te pleasure that up to thet time Professor Haghes bad beep aole to NT ute through the 2600 mi ea then in con ation, and tt leciéed. if Tightly undereiood i, hat the for exveri ‘ore ex oeiition Fat be nak y aivsdes bes een M/ eon, White- ra o on, Mr. ‘ugbes gave up bis ‘Bat , giving the Kring rng Field intended to time the diferent tneteus et Haghes was called upon to make the fre trial ™ be put bis instrument in connection with the cable, we which 30 miles of wire had been aod POU miles, he found a far grewer and strong bad bad at ap: vious period —so much eo that he foand no rem aif worts a mine's — wae wi reat difficulty tant he through 2 0 mina. Under all the cirenmatancea | was not a ‘ul naoy arith the improvemen:s in ae20rdanse with the experiener already gained ‘We hare carefull ined from making remarks relative White sll magnets brought from 4meries, that the great retardation of the cur- rent experiepead by Prof bee arieas rather from the instruments for testing (he Our object for oy hg Aoportuaity of testing the Hi: instrument on the cable, was to ties of re. cording letters aa compared wiih o' rodured by the elect amanactor Of Increasing the rapliliy of ene t, from a fow rienon, 1 Prof. Poneto be bade sulfa psteatin itt creased in raoldity will the Hughes’ inerument print per. feotly and reliably. Iam, sir, your obedieat servant, HYD®. —y General Manager of Atlan‘ic Telegrapb> The geatieman by whom this letter was writted ie Mr. Hyde, one of the purchasers of Mr. Haghes’ patent. Ie production in the Board of Directors of the compasey cre- ted considerable surprise and excitement, aa? orders were immedia sly issued to Dr. Whitehouse bia to place the cable at the dirporal of Mr. Ei ouring a feir portion of the tive which yet remains before the departure of theexpetition. [ois will be bt hours of every twenty four—the remaining sixteen to be equally di- vided between Provessor Thompson and Dr. Whitenoure— arc it i to be presumed that the doctor will devote his of shipe’ signals. Ihave mo doubt . Hoghes is not again inter’ered with that he will sucosed in telegraphing at a still higher rate. The company un‘erstaod value cf hie operavone ine o aod | herve no doubt bes fair To im the sccowst whieh the London Times gives \n ita iaaus of the 15th, wherein it says that ‘‘with thie machine (speak ing of a Mr Henley's, a gentleman of mach detnection ip the scientific world) already eight words per miauta can be sent through the cable in ite present condition.” It be well here to remark that tno lime were vight words sent through the whole cable, and that no instrument - can be made withoat infringing on Mr. Hi z patent, cam attain more than one half the rate he bas accomp!ahed—and even what is high!y problematical SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHS. The time for recommencing the operation of sinking a telegraph cable across the Atlantic being now close at hand, a few remarks on the subject, which we g'ean from a pamphict just pudlished—the ‘Elements de Tilégraphie Sous marine’’—are not without interest. The eathor, M. A. Delamarche, is fret bydrographer to the French savy, bas had the advantage of being ally St operation of the kied alluded to of no inconsiderabie Mmoegnitade, viz , the laying of the cable petwrea fer roin and Algeria, to which corsorily alludes in potnting out the causes which ren fered it abortive: «2, the rieent ying of the cable a) né marine pe known fac. tbat mittire @ despatch through @ susmar oe « the case of wires in the open air the (rawemircion in Stantaneous, explaine it by remarkir, that the stmow phere, being a bad conductor of elect ‘city, oppones i self w the di of the fluid, witle being charged with salt, and therefor tor, tends to favor the dispersion, aystem is im pom of fact reduced to the principle of a phial. Now the suomarine cables a¢ yet laid ¢ of no very considerable length, so that the time Jost (p Lranemission i# not more than about one tenth of a esoond, Bot if we copsider # cable of 4,000 kilomotwres, like the Avantic one, or even of 1,000 kilometres, like to Algeria, We cannot bot rtrock with the eurface of such an immense Leyden jar, and with the may be produeed by the electric current and the ratucee, and on this polot we are utterly in the dark, not having any experience to guide us. Mr. who je conGcent that the laying dowo of the Atlantis cable will ii et the firmer. Now if the lose of time be prepertional to the | the total will andon! small, bot will not the lees of time in srease in larger ratiy than the length? This isthe question M. Delamarche sske, and not without reason: and it must be confessed, is the most knosty point of the problem. Another difficulty i the diameter of the oarie If the wires inside be too thick, the advan. tage to be derived from their strength will be counter. Dalanced by the'r wane of suppleness, if too thin ‘hb a want of 5 g sith Joweet fst mat taken info account. The author therefore that toe wires be strong enough to reeiet « strain {hat weight, and no more, Tn speaking of the pay! 4