503 
of Edinburgh^ Session 1865-66*. 
hauling machine, both strong enough, and under perfect control, the 
lifting of a submarine cable, as good in mechanical quality as the 
Atlantic cable of 1865, by a grapnel or grapnels, from the bottom 
at a depth of two miles, is certainly practicable. If one attempt 
fails, another will succeed ; and there is every reason, from dyna- 
mics as well as from the 1865 experience, to believe that in any 
moderate weather the feat is to be accomplished with little delay, 
and with very few if any failing attempts. 
The several plans of proceeding that have been proposed are of 
two classes — those in which, by three or more ships, it is proposed 
to bring a point of the cable to the surface without breaking it at 
all ; and those in which it is to be cut or broken, and a point of the 
cable somewhat eastward from the break is to be brought to the 
surface. 
With reference to either class, it is to be remarked that, by lift- 
ing simultaneously by several grapnels so constructed as to hold 
the cable without slipping along it or cutting it, it is possible to 
bring a point of the cable to the surface without subjecting it to any 
strain amounting to the weight of a length of cable equal to the depth 
of the water. But so many simultaneous grapplings by ships cross- 
ing the line of cable at considerable distances from one another 
would be required, that this possibility is scarcely to be reckoned on 
practically, without cutting or breaking the cable at a point west- 
ward of the points raised by the grapnels. On the other hand, with 
but three ships the cable might, no doubt, be brought to the surface 
at any point along the line, without cutting it, and without subject- 
ing it at any point to much more strain than the weight correspond- 
ing to the vertical depth, as is easily seen when it is considered that 
the cable was laid generally with from 10 to 15 per cent, of slack. 
And if the cable is cut at some point not far westward of the 
westernmost of the grapnels, there can be no doubt but it could be 
lifted with great ease by three grapnels hauled up simultaneously 
wire and hemp rope itself never broke, but on two of the three occasions a 
swivel gave way. On the last occasion, about 900 fathoms of Manilla rope 
had to be used for the upper part, there not being enough of the wire buoy- 
rope left; and when 700 fathoms of it had been got in, it broke on board 
beside a shackle, and the remaining 200 fathoms of the Manilla, with 1540 
fathoms of wire -rope and the grapnel, and the electric cable which it had 
hooked, were all lost for the year 1865, 
3 u 
VOL. V. 
