Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1858 — The Telegraph Fleet, [ARTICLE]

The Telegraph Fleet,

The letters received from the Telegraph Fleet furnish the following particulars: B&ston, July 7. The Niagara and Agamemnon expcienced the most violent southerly gales from the day they left Plymouth, and were driven as fur north as latitude fifty-four—much higher than the rendezvous—thus delaying their operations for several days. The Niagara behaved in all respects like a thorough seagoing vessel, and was none the worse for the storms. The Agamemnon, on the contrary, suffered severely. At one time the commander of the Agamemnon informed his first officer that he had no hopes of seeing his vessel two hours longer, so great was her straining; but the storm subsided at last, and she rode out the gale. A most unfortunate accident occurred on board, however, caused by the breaking loose of the connections; that held the cable in its place on the gun deck, and the cable got adrift and was pitched about the deck undoubtedly much to its damage. Two hundred tons of coal got adrift on the same deck, and caused infinite two seaman were injured bv the accident, one having an arm and the other a leg broken. The two vessels and their tenders finally arrived on the ground, and on the morning of the 26th ult. a connection of the cable was effected—the ■weather then being sufficiently culm. The paying out had scarcely'commenced before the wire snapped. After a few hours detention, another splice was made, and the steamer started—the Agamemnon and her consort for Ireland, and the Niagara and her companions for the Ainer can coast. Signals were kept up between the two vessels constantly, a message being transmitted every fifteen minutes, and all was going on well, till about forty miles had been 'paid out, when the electricians on board the Niagara discovered that the circuit had been broken. This was at half past twelve A. M. on thes3F7th. The Niagara was immediately put about, and had already reached the mid ocean rendezvous, when, at eight o’clock, she was first seen by the ship Alice M unroe. It was believed on board the Niagara that the cause of the second breaking was a kink in the Agamemnon wire, caused by the disarrangement during the gale; but of this there s no certainty. Nothing is «aid of the working of the new brakes; probably there had been no occasion to put them in use. The Alice Alunroe parted company with the Niagara shortly after noon on the 27th, and lost sight ot her about four o’clock. The Agamemnon had not then come in sight. The officers of the Niagara had hoped that her consort would arrive in time to make another trial that day; but as the weather was foggy, though calm, it is not probable that anything was done. On the 27th matters were quiet and favorable; but after that there was another succession of heavy southerly gales, and the weather on the banks, as experienced by the Alice Munroe, was exceedingly rough.