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Leader (1850-1860), 14th August 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 798

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      The Cherbourg Fetes. The Events Attendin...

      " At eleven o ' clock in the morning , tlie Emperor and Empress went to hear mass at the Church of the Trurity . Their Majesties were received at the entrance of the building by the Bishop of Coutances , surrounded by his clergy . After mass , the Emperor and Empress , followed by all the Imperial cortege , proceeded to the Place Napoleon , to inaugurate tie equestrian statue of Napoleon I ., wlich took place In the presence of an immense crowd . On the arrival of their Majesties , the sheet which covered the statue was removed , amidst the most enthusiastic cries of ' Vive l'Empereur ! ' ' Vive Napoleon I . !' * Vive Napoleon III . ! " while at the same moment salutes -were fired from all the vessels in the harbour and from the forts . The Emperor , observing vound the statue a number of persons wearing the St . Helena medal , invited them to approach to the foot of the platform . Each of them had in his hand a wreath of immortelles or of

      laurel , and they advanced with the loudest acclamations to the place assigned to them . As soon as silence was restored , the Mayor of Cherbourg ascended the steps of the platform and delivered the following address : — ' Sire , —Cherbourg is , of all the towns of France , that which is most indebted to the I mpire . The history of its renovation is written at full length in the special decree of the 6 th of June , 1811 , which your Majesty has authorised to be placed beneath the pedestal of this monument . It is also from the Imperial era that may be dated the vigorous impulse given to these prodigious ¦ works , before which the imagination remains confounded , and the importance of which can only be characterised by these memorable words , — " I have resolved to renew

      at Cherbourg the wonders of Egypt j I have already raised nay pyramid in the sea , and I will also have my Lake Mceris . " Towards the limits of the horizon rises majestically that pyramid , standing on its firm foundation in the midst of the waves , the fury of which expires at its feet . lake an advanced sentinel it doses and . defends the magnificent roadstead , in which © ur navy will at all times find an ample shelter . TThanks to you , Sire , our Lake Mceris now also exists . Only a fev hours ago , in sight of your Majesty , the sea , amidst the applause of the whole of Trance , broke into tbat immense dock , hollowed out of masses of rock which seemed to defy all the efforts of human perseverance . But if it belonged to you , Sire , to complete the

      vast projects of the mighty founder of your dynasty , it belongs likewise to the town of Cherbourg—and it is an honour which your Majesty will permit it to claim . —to raise , as an imperishable testimony of its gratitude , a statue to the memory of its immortal benefactor . Hence-Forward , therefore , we may here show with pride in . one place the venerated image of the hero , and in another the most gigantic work of ancient aud modern times , carried on and terminated in the glorious reigns of Napoleon I . and Napoleon III . Confounding thus in one and the same idea both our reminiscences of the past and out impression of the wonders which we have just " witnessed , let us sum up our sentiments in the national cry of Vive VEmpereur ' /

      " The Emperor made the following reply : — ' Gentlemen , —In thanking you on my arrival at Cherbourg for your cordial address , I told you that it appeared to be my destiny to see accomplished in peace the great designs - which the Emperor had conceived during war . In fact , not only have those gigantic works of-which he conceived the idea been completed , but , in the moral order of things , the principles which he sought to enforce by means of arms now triumph through the simple effect of reason . Thus , one of the questions for which he struggled the most energetically—the freedom of the seas , which ratines the rights of neutrals—is solved by common accord ; eo true is it that posterity always takes on itself to realise the ideas of a great man . But ,

      while rendering justice to the Emperor , we must not forget in these places the persevering efforts of the Governments which preceded and followed him . The first idea of the creation of the port of Cherbourg dates back , as you well know , to him -who created all our military ports and all our fortified places—Louis XIV ., seconded by the- genius of Vauban . Louis XVI . actively continued the works . The chief of my family gave them a decisive impulse ; and since that time every Government has looked on it as a duty to follow his example . I thank the town of Cherbourg for having erected a etatue to the Emperor in the place for which he felt so much solicitude . You have wished to render homage to him who , in spite of continental wars , never lost sight of the importance of tho navy . Neverthelesswhen there ia

      , - now inaugurated at the same time the statue of the great captain and tho completion of this military port , public opinion feels no- alarm ; for the more powerful a nation is the more it is respected , and the stronger a Government , the more moderation there ia in its councils , and the more justice in its resolutions . The repose of the country , consequently in not risked to satisfy a vain pride , or to achieve an ephemeral popularity . A Government which is founded on the will of the masses is not the slave of any party ; it does not make war , except when compelled to do so in defence of national honour , or of tho great interests of the people . Let us , therefore , continue to develop in peace tho different resources of France ; let us invlt * foreigners to come and inspect our works ; list them como as friends , and not us rivals . Let us show them that a

      nation in which unity and confidence prevail resists the passions of a day , and , being under self-command , enly obeys the dictates of honour and of reason . ' " The speech -was received with loud acclamations from the thousands of persons assembled . The Emperor then descended the steps of the platform and distributed decorations to some soldiers , sailors , custom-house officers , and civil functionaries , who were presented to him . After this ceremony , the troops , the crews of the fleet , and the in arino infantry and artillery who had been stationed round the place filed off before their

      Majesties amidst loud cries of * Vice VEmpereur " ' Vive Vlinperatrice P l Vive le Prince Imperial V Their Majesties returned at half-past twelve to the Prefecture , and after a . breakfast , to which the Emperor invited the chiefs of the army and navy and the principal civil functionaries , their Majesties proceeded to the dockyard stairs , and embarked in the Imperial barge to proceed on board the Bretagne . At two o ' clock , that vessel , with their Majesties and suites on board , got under weigh and left the harbour , under a salute from , all the ships and forts . "

      798 The Le A De It. {No.J^ A|I^St 14, 18...

      798 THE LE A DE It . { No . J ^ A | i ^ st 14 , 185 8 .

      The Atlantic Telegraph. Aw Interesting A...

      THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH . Aw interesting account of the expedition of the Agamemnon , one of the vessels engaged in laying down the Atlantic cable , has been given by the Daily News correspondent , who writes : — " The rendezvous was reached on the evening of Wednesday , the 28 th . of July , just eleven days after our departure from Queenstown . The rest of the squa . dron weie in sight at nightfall , but at such a considerable distance that it was past ten o ' clock on the morning of Thursday , the 29 th , before the Agamemnon joined them . We were , as usual , greeted by a perfect storm of questions as to what kept us so much behind our time , and learned that all had come to the conclusion that the ship

      must have got ashore on leaving Queenstown Harbour . The Niagara , it appeared , had arrived on tie rendezvous on Friday night , the 23 rd ; the Valorous on Sunday the 25 th ; and the <} orgoh on the afternoon of Tuesday , the 27 th . The day was beautifully calm ,. ' so " . no" time was to be lost before making the splice ; boats were soon lowered from tlie attendant ships , the two vessels were made fast by a . hawser , and the Niagara end of the cable conveyed on board the Agamemnon . About halfpast twelve o ' clock , the splice was effectually made , but with materials very indifferent . Instead of carefully rounded semicircular boards which had been used to enclose tie junctions on previous occasions , it consisted merely of two straight boards nailed oveT the joining ,

      with the iron rod and leaden plummet attached to the centre . In hoisting it out from the side of the ship , however , the leaden sinker broke short off " , and fell overboard , and there being no more convenient weight at hand , a 321 b . shot was fastened to the splice-instead , and the whole apparatus was quickly dropped into the sea without any formality , and , indeed , almost without a spectator , for those on board the ship had witnessed so many beginnings to the telegraphic line , that it was evident they despaired of there ever being an end to it . The stipulated 200 fathoms of cable having been paid out to allow tbe splice to sink well below the surfa . ee , the signal to start was hoisted , the hawser cast loose , and the Niagara and Agamemnon started for the last time

      for their opposite destinations . For the first three hours tho ships proceeded very slowly , paying out a great quantity of slack , but after the expiration of this time the speed of the Agamemnon was increased to afcout five knots per hour , the cable going at about six , without indicating more than a few hundred pounds of strain upon tbe dynanometer . Shortly after six o ' clock , a very large whale was seen approaching tho starboard bow at a great speed , rolling and tossing the sea into foam all around ; and for the first time we felt tho possibility of the supposition that our second mysterious breakage of the cable might have been caused , after all , by one of these animals getting foul of it under water . It appeared as if it were making direct for the cableand great was tho

      , relief of all when the ponderous living mass was seen to slowly pass astern , just grazing the cable where it entered tho water , but fortunately without doing any mischief . All seemed to go well up to about eight o ' clock ; the cable payed out from tho hold with an ovenness and regularity which showed how carefully and porfeotly it had been coiled away ; and to guard against accidents which might arise , in consequence of tlio cable having suffered injury daring the storm , tho indicated strain upon tlie dynanometer was never allowed to get beyond 17001 bs ., or less than one quarter what tho cnble is estimated to benr . Thus far everything looked

      promising of success . But in such a hazardous work no one knows what a few minutes may bring forth , for soon after eight an injured portion of tho cable was discovered about a mile or two from the portion paying out . Not a moment was lost by Mr . Canning , tho engineer on duty , in sotting men to work to cobble up the injury as well as time would permit , for tho cable was going out at such a rate that tho damaged portion would , bo paid overboard in less than twenty minutes , and former oxperience had shown us that to chock either tho speed of the shi p or die cable would bo in all probability bo attended by the most fatal rosults . Just beforo tho lapping tras flniehed , Professor Thompson reported that the

      electrical continuity of the wire had ceased , but that rfT insulation was still perfect . Attention was natSrir directed to the injured piece as the probable source % the stoppage , and not a moment was lost in cuttine- tlT cable at that point , with the intention of makingI perfect splice ; but , to the consternation of all ° electrical tests applied showed , the fault to be overboard and in all probability some fifty miles from the sliin Not a second was to be lost , for it was evident that o » cut portion ' mmt . be paid overboard in a'few minutes and m tho mean time the tedious and difficult operation of making a splice had to be performed . Tho ship waa immediately stopped , and no more cable payed out than was absolutely necessary to prevent it breaking . As the stern of the ship was lifted by the waves a scene of the most intense excitement followed . It seemed impossible even busing the greatest possible ed and

      y spe paying- out the least possible amount of cable , that the junction could be finished before the part was takea out of the hands of the workmen . The main hold presented an extraordinary scene . Nearly all the officers of the ship and those connected with the expedition stood ia groups about the coil , watching (> ith that intense anxiety which is seldom seen except round foreign gamingtables ) the cable as it slowly unwound itself nearer and nearer the joint , while the workmen , directed by Mr Canning , uuder whose superintendence the cable was originally manufactured , worked at the splice as only men could work who felt that the life and death of the expedition depended upon their rapidity . But all their speed was to no purpose , as the cable was unwinding within a hundred fathoms , and as a last and desperate resource the cable was stopped altogether , and for a few

      minutes the ship hung on by the end . Fortunatelv however , it was only for a few minutes , as the strain was continually rising above two tons , and it could not hold on much longer , when the- ' splice-was-finished , the signal made to loose the stopper , and it passed overboard safely enough . When the excitement ¦ consequent upon having so narrowly saved the cable had passed away , we woke to the consciousness that the case was still as hopeless as ever , for the electric continuity was still , entirely wanting . Preparations , werei .. consequently made to pay out as little rope as possible , and-to hold on for six hours , in . hope that the fault ,- - " whatever it might be , might mend itself before cutting the cable and returning to the rendezvous to make another splice , The

      magnetic needles on the receiving- 'instruments were watched closely for the returning signals , when in a few minutes the last hope was extinguished , by .. their suddenly indicating ' dead earth , ' which tended to show tha . t the cable had broken from the Niagara , or that the insulation had been completely destroyed . In three minutes , however , every one was agreeably surprised .. by the intelligence that the stoppage had disappeared , anil that the signals had again appeared at regular intervals from the Niagara . It is needless to say what a load of . anxiety this news removed from the minds of every one , but tlie general confidence in the ultimate success of the operations was much shaken by the occurrence , for all felt that at any minute a similar accident might occur .

      ¦ " On Saturday , the 31 st July , observations at noon , showed us to be in latitude 30 deg . 23 min . If ., and long . 26 deg . 44 min . W ., having made good 120 miles of distance from the starting-point since noon of the previous day , with a loss of about ' 11 per cent , of cable . The Niagara , as far as could be judged from the amount of cable she payed out , -which , by a previous arrangement , was signalled at every ten miles , kept pace with us , within one or two miles , the whole distance across . During the afternoon of Saturday tho wind again freshened up , and before nightfall it again blew nearly a gale , and a tremendous sea ran before it from tho south-west , which made the Agamemnon pitch to such an extent that it was thought impossible that tlie cable could hold on through the night . Indeed , had it not been for tho constant enro ami watchfulness

      exercised by Mr . Bright , and tho two energetic engineers , Mr . Canning and Mr . Clifford , who acted with him , it could not have becu done at all . Men were kept at the wheels of the machine to prevent them , from stopping , as tho stern of the ship rose and fell with tho sea , for , had they done so , tho cable must undoubtedly have parted . During Sunday the sea nnd wind increased , and befora the evening it blew a sm art gale . Now , indeed , were the energy and activity of all engaged in the operations taxed to the utmost . Mr Hoar and Mr . Moore , the two engineers who had charge of tho reloasing wheels of tho dynamometer , had to keep watch , and watch alternately every four hours , anl while on duty not daring to lot their attention be removed

      from their occupation for one moment , for on tlieir releasing the breaks every time tho stern of the ship fell Into the trough of tho boa entirely depended the safety of tho cable , and tho result shows how ably they have discharged thoir duty . Throughout the nignt thera wore few who had tho least expectation of tho cnble holding on till morning ; , and many remained awalco listening for tho sound tliat all most dreaded to hear , viz . tho gun which should announce- tlio failure of all our hopes ; but atill tho cublo—which in comparison with tho ship from which it was paying out , and tlio gigantic wavos among wl » ich it was delivered , was bat a ^ mere thread—continued to hold on , only leaving « silvery phosphoric lino ui ) on tho stupendous seas aa tboy

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 14, 1858, page 798, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/ldr_14081858/page/6/