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HISTORY
OF THE
ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH
Y, 
HENRY M. FIELD, D.D.'Tis not in mortals to command success;
But we'll do more, Sempronius-we'll deserve it."
ADDISON'S CATO.
NEW-YORK:
CHARLES SCRIBNER & CO., 654 BROADWAY.
1866.




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by HENRY M. FIELD, in the
Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District
of New-York.




PREFACE.
MANKIND worship success but think too little of
the means by which it is attained. What toil and
patience have gone before; what days and nights of
watching and weariness; how often hope deferred has
made the heart sick; how year after year has dragged
on, and seen the end still afar off-all that counts for
little, if the long struggle do not close in victory.
And yet in the history of human achievements, it is
necessary to trace these beginnings step by step, if we
would learn the lesson they teach, that it is only
out of heroic patience and perseverance that any
thing truly great is born.
The object of this volume is to record the history
of a great enterprise, which, after many disappointments, seems at last to have touched its hour of triumph. It is a work which has cost its projector twelve
years of constant toil, and more than fifty voyages,
of which two thirds have been across the Atlantic,




iv                  PREFACE.
and the rest to Newfoundland; and which has been
pursued in the face of a thousand difficulties, and,
what was harder still, of a public incredulity, which
sneered at every failure, and derided the attempt as
a delusion and a dream. Against such discouragements nothing could avail but that faith, or fanaticism,
which, believing the incredible, achieves the impossible. The story of such an enterprise deserves to
be told. The relation of the writer to the principal
actor in this work, has given him peculiar facilities
for obtaining information on all points necessary to
an authentic history; but he trusts it will not lead
him to overstep the strictest limits of modesty. His
object is not to exalt an individual, but to give a
faithful record, that shall bear in every line the stamp
of truth; and to do justice to all, on both sides the
Atlantic, who have borne a part in a work which will
do so much to link together two great nations, and to
promote the peaceful intercourse of mankind.
NEw-YORK, August, 1866.




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
DISCOvERY OF THE NEW WORLD, BY COLUMBUS. RELATIVE POSITION
OF THE TWO HEMISPHERES.  NEAREST POINTS-THE OUTLYING IsLANDS, IRELAND AND NEWFOUNDLAND. FIRST SUGGESTION OF A
SHORTER WAY TO EUROPE.  LETTER OF BISHOP MULLOCK.  THE
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. LABORS OF MR.
F. N. GISBORNE. FAILURE OF THE COMPANY.
CHAPTER II.
MR. GISBORNE COMES TO NEW-YORK;  IS INTRODUCED TO CYRUS W.
FIELD, WHO CONCEIVES THE IDEA OF A TELEGRAPH ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. IS IT PRACTICABLE? TWO ELEMENTS TO BE MASTERED,
THE SEA AND THE LIGHTNING. INQUIRIES ADDRESSED TO LIEUTENANT
MAURY AND PROFESSOR MORSE.  ANSWER OF LIEUTENANT MAURY.
VISIT OF PROFESSOR MORSE. MBR. FIELD DETERMINES TO EMBARK IN
THE UNDERTAKING.
CHAPTER III.
EFFORTS TO ENGAGE CAPITALISTS IN THE ENTERPRISE. PETER COOPER,
MOSES TAYLOR, MARSHALL 0. ROBERTS, AND CHANDLER WHITE. COMMISSION SENT TO NEWFOUNDLAND.  THEY OBTAIN A NEW CHARTER
FOR THE NEW-YORK, NEWFOUNDLAND, AND LONDON TELEGRAPH COMPANY. RETURN TO NEW-YORK. THE CHARTER IS ACCEPTED, THE
COMPANY ORGANIZED, AND THE CAPITAL RAISED.
CHAPTER  IV.
THE LAND-LINE BEGUN IN NEWFOUNDLAND. IMMENSE, UNDERTAKING.
FOUR HUNDRED MILES OF ROAD TO BE BUILT. TWO YEARS OF LABOR.
FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAY A CABLE ACROSS THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE,
IN 1855. FAILURE. SECOND ATTEMPT, IN 1856, WHICH IS S2dCESSVUL.




vi                     CONTENTS.
CHAPTER  V.
THE DEEP-SEA SOUNDINGS. THE OLD METHOD OF BALL AND LINE.
MASSEY'S INDICATOR. INVENTION OF LIEUTENANT BROOKE. CRUISE
OF THE DOLPHIN IN 1853, AND OF THE ARCTIC IN 1856.  THE
BRAVE LIEUTENANT BERRYMAN. SOUNDINGS BY COMMANDER DAYMAN,
OF THE BRITISH NAVY, IN THE CYCLOPS, IN 1857. THE BED OF
THE ATLANTIC, DEPTHS IN DIFFERENT PARTS. THE TELEGRAPHIC
PLATEAU. SUBMARINE MOUNTAIN OFF THE COAST OF IRELAND.
CHAPTER VI.
MR. FIELD GOES TO ENGLAND TO ORGANIZE THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH
COMPANY. CONFERS WITH JOHN W. BRETT.  SEEKS COUNSEL] OF
ENGINEERS AND ELECTRICIANS. RESULT OF EXPERIMENTS. APPLIES
TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR AID.  LETTER FROM THE TREASURY.
ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH, MESSRS. BRETT, BRIGHT, AND
WHITEHOUSE TO FORM A COMPANY.  THE ENTERPRISE BROUGHT
BEFORE THE BRITISH PUBLIC. CAPITAL RAISED AND COMPANY ORGANIZED. CHOICE OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CONTRACT FOR THE
CABIDE.
CHAPTER VII.'MR. FIELD RETURNS TO AMERICA. STARTS IMMEDIATELY FOR NEW.
FOUNDLAND.  RETURNS AND GOES TO WASHINGTON, TO SEEK AID
FROM THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. OPPOSITION IN CONGRESS. THE
CABLE AMONG THE POLITICIANS. DEBATE IN THE SENATE. SUPPORT
OF MR. SEWARD AND MR. RUSE. BILL PASSED.
CHAPTER VIII.
RETURN TO ENGLAND. THE NIAGARA-CAPTAIN HUDSON. THE AGAMEMNON. EXPEDITION OF 1857. SAILING FROM IRELAND. SPEECH
OF THE EARL OF CARLISLE. THE CABLE BROKEN.
CHAPTER IX.
PREPARATIONS FOR A SECOND EXPEDITION.  MR. FIELD IS MADE THlE
GENERAL MANAGER OF THE COMPANY.  MIR. EVERETT AND THIE
PAYING-OUT MACHINE. THE VALOROUS TAKES THE PLACE OF THE
SUSQUEHANNA. THE SQUADRON ASSEMBLE AT PLYMOUTH. THEY GO




CONTENS.                         1ii
TO SEA, JUNE 10. HEAVY GALE. TIIE AGAMEMNON IN DANGER OF
BEING FOUNDERED.  THE CABLE LOST THREE TIMES.  THE SHIPS
RETURN TO ENGLAND.  MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS. SHALL THEY,
ABANDON THE PROJECT? ONE MORE TRIAL.
CHAPTER X.
THE SHIPS SAIL ON A SECOND EXPEDITION. THEY MEET IN MID-OCEAN.
SUCCESSFUL VOYAGE. CABLE LANDED IN IRELAND AND NEWFOUNDLAND.
CHAPTER XIL
NEWS OF THE SUCCESS. GREAT EXCITEMENT IN AMERICA. POPULAR
ENTHUSIASM. CELEBRATION IN NEW-YORK AND OTHER CITIES.
CHAPTER XII.
SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE CABLE.  REACTION OF PUBLIC FEELING.
GRAVE SUSPICIONS OF BAD FAITH. DID THE CABLE EVER WORK?
DECISIVE PROOF.
CHAPTER XIII.
ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE THE COMPANY. PROFOUND DISCOURAGEMEET. IT
APPLIES TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR AID, WHICH DECLINES TO GIVE AN
UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE. FAILURE OF THIE RED SEX TELEGRAPH.
SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS.  CABLES LAID IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
AND TIIE IPERSIAN GULF. EFFORTS TO RAISE CAPITAL IN THE
UNITED STATES AND *IN ENGLAND. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NEXT.
FIVE YEARS.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE ENTERPRISE RENEWED. PROPOSALS FOR ANOTHER CABLE. GREAT
IMPROVEMENT ON THE OLD. GENEROUS OFFER OF THE MANUFACTURERS TO TAKE HALF THE CAPITAL. THE WORK BEGUN. THE GREAT
EASTERN AND CAPTAIN ANDERSON. THE WHOLE CABLE SHIPPED ON
BOARD IN THE SPRING OF 1865. EXPEDITION IN JULY.




Viii                     CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XV.
RESULT OF THE EXPEDITION OF 1865. CONFIDENCE STRONGER THAN
EVER. INSTANT RESOLVE TO RAISE THE BROKEN END OF THE CABLE,
TO COMPLETE IT TO NEWFOUNDLAND, AND TO LAY ANOTHER LINE.
NEW SHARES ISSUED. METHOD DECLARED UNAUTHORIZED BY LAW.
FORMATION OF THE ANGLO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY. CAPITAL
RAISED.  NEW  CABLE MADE AND SHIPPED ON BOARD THE GREAT
EASTERN.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE EXPEDITION OF 1866. VICTORY AT LAST.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
CHIAPTER  I.
DISCOVERY OF THE NEW WORLD, BY COLUMBUS. RELATIVE POSITION OF
THE TWO HEMISPHERES. NEAREST POINTS-THE OUTLYING ISLANDS,
IRELAND AND NEWFOUNDLAND. FIRST SUGGESTION OF A SHORTER WAY
TO EUROPE. LETTER OF BISHOP MULLOCK. THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
COMPANY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. LABORS OF MR. F. N. GISBORNE.
FAILURE OF THE COMPANY.
VWHEN Columbus sailed from the shores of Spain,
it was not in search of a New World, but only to find
a nearer path to the Old.  He sought a western passage to India. He had come to the belief that the
earth was round; but he did not once dream of another
continent than the three which had been the ancient
abodes of the human race-Europe, Asia, and Africa.
All the rest was " the great deep."  Hence he believed
that he could sail direct from Spain to India; that over
that space, covering, as he then supposed, one third of
the round globe, the billows rolled without a shore.
No undiscovered continent existed even in his imagine
1*




10   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ation. Nay, after he had crossed the Atlantic, and
descried the green woods of San Salvador rising out
of the Caribbean Sea, he thought he saw before him
one of the islands of the Asiatic coast. Cuba he believed was a part of the mainland of India; iayti was
the Ophir of King Solomon; and when, on a later
voyage, he came to the broad mouth of the Orinoco,
and saw it pouring its mighty flood into the Atlantic,
he rejoiced that he had found the great river Gihon,
which had its rise in the garden of Eden! Even to
the hour of his death, he remained ignorant of the real
extent of his magnificent discovery. It was reserved
to later times to lift the curtain fully from the world
of waters; to reveal the true magnitude of the globe;
and to unite the distant hemispheres by ties such as
the great discoverer never knew.
It is hard to imagine the darkness and the terror
which then hung over the face of the deep. The
ocean to the west was a Mare Tenebrosum-a Sea of
Darkness, into which the boldest voyagers feared to
venture. Columbus was the most daring navigator of
his time. Ie had made voyages to the Western Islands, to Madeira and the Canaries, to Iceland on the
north, and to the Portuguese settlements in Africa.
But when he came to cross the sea, he had to grope
his way almost blindly. But a few rays of knowledge
glimmered, like stars, on the pathless waters. Hence,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   11
when he sailed on his voyage of discovery, he directed his course, not west, but south. A chart, made by
the eminent Italian geographer Toscanelli, represented
the eastern coast of Asia as lying opposite to the western coast of Africa.  Hence Columbus first sailed along
the latter as far as the Canary Islands, and thence bore
away for India!
From this route taken by the great navigator, he
crossed the ocean in its widest part. Had he, instead,
followed the-track of the Northmen, who crept around
from Iceland to Greenland and Labrador; or had he
sailed straight to the Azores, and then borne away to
the north-west, he would much sooner have descried
land from the mast-head. But steering in darkness, he
crossed the Atlantic where it is broadest and deepest;
where, as submarine explorers have since shown, it
rolls over mountains, lofty as the Alps and the Himmalehs, which lie buried beneath the surface of the
deep. But farther north the two continents, so widely
sundered, incline toward each other, till the bold headlands of Newfoundland stand over against those of Ireland, even as the white chalk cliffs of England gleam
across the Channel from France.
As the island of NEWFOUNDLAND is to stand in the
foreground of this history, it is in place here to speak
of'its geographical position and its importance, It
holds the same relation to America that Ireland does




12   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
to Europe. Stretching far out into the Atlantic, it is
the vanguard of the western continent, or rather the
signal-tower from which the New World may speak
to the Old.
Nor is it without other claims to importance, which
ought to be recognized. In extent, it is equal to England. Is it not surprising that an island large enough
for a kingdom, lying off our own coast, should be so
little known? And yet the reason is obvious. It lies
out of the track of European commerce. Our ships,
though they skirt the Banks of Newfoundland, pass a
few leagues to the south, and get only a distant glimpse
of its rocky shores. Even what is seen gives the country rather an ill reputation.  It has a rock-bound
coast, around which hang perpetual fogs and mists,
through which great icebergs, breaking from the
Northern Sea, drift slowly down, like huge phantoms
of the deep, gliding away to be dissolved by the warm
breath of the Gulf Stream. The remembrance of
these chilling fogs and threatening icebergs makes the
voyager shiver as he recalls that dangerous coast.
Sailing west from Cape Race, and making the circuit of the island as far as the Straits of Belle Isle,
one is often reminded of the most northern peninsula
of Europe. The rocky shores are indented with numerous bays, reaching far up into the land, like the
fords along the coast of Norway; while the large




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   13
herds of Caribou deer, that are seen feeding on the
hills, might easily be mistaken for the flocks of reindeer that browse on the pastures and drink of the
mountain torrents of ancient Scandinavia.
The interior of the island is little known. It is uninhabited and almost unexplored. It is a boundless
waste of rock and moor, where vast forests stretch out
their unbroken solitudes, and the wild bird utters its
lonely cry. Bears and wolves roam on the mountains.
Especially common is the large and fierce black wolf;
while of the smaller animals, whose skins furnish material for the fur-trade, such as martins and foxes,
there is the greatest abundance. But from all pests of
the serpent tribe, Newfoundland is as free as Ireland,
which was delivered by the prayers of St. Patrick.
There is not a snake or a frog or a toad in the
island!
Yet, even in this ruggedness of nature, there is a
wild beauty, which only needs to be "clothed upon"
by the hand of man. Newfoundland, in many of its
features, is not unlike Scotland, even in its most -desolate portions, where vast fields of rock, covered with
thick moss, remind the emigrant Scot of the heather
on his native moors. In the interior are lakes as long
as Loch Lomond, and mountains as lofty as Ben Lomond and Ben Nevis. There are passes as wild as
the vale of Glencoe, which make one feel that he is in




14    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the heart of the Highlands, while the roar of the to)r
rents yet more vividly recalls the
Land of the brown heath and shaggy wood,
Land of the mountain and the flood.
Yet in all this there is nothing to repel human habitation. By the hand of industry, these wild moors
might be transformed into fruitful fields.  We think
it a very cold country, where winter reigns over half
the year, as in Greenland; yet it is not so far north as
Scotland, nor is its climate more inhospitable. It only
needs the same population, the same hardy toil; and
the same verdure would creep up its hill-sides, which
now makes green and beautiful the loneliest of Scottish
glens.
But at present the country is a terra incognita.  In
the interior, there are no towns, and no roads. As
yet, almost the whole wealth of the island is drawn
from the sea. Its chief trade is its fisheries, and the
only places of importance are a few small towns,
chiefly on the eastern side, which have grown up
around the trading posts. Besides these, the only settlements are the fishermen's huts scattered along the
coast. Hence the bishop of the island, when he
would make his annual visit to his scattered flock, is
obliged to sail around his diocese in his private yacht,
since even on horseback it would not be possible to




HISTORY OF TIHE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   15
make his way through the dense forests to the remote
parts of the island. Indeed, it was this circumstance
that first suggested the idea of cutting across the island
a nearer way, not only for the people themselves, but
for communication between Europe and America.
It was in one of these excursions around the coast
that the good Bishop Mullock, the head of the Roman
Catholic Church in Newfoundland, when visiting the
western portion of his diocese, lying one day becalmed
in his yacht, in sight of Cape North, the extreme point
of the province of Cape Breton, bethought himself
how his poor neglected island might be benefited by
being taken into the track of communication between
Europe and America. He saw how nature had provided an easy approach to the mainland on the west.
About sixty miles from Cape Ray stretched the long
island of Cape Breton, while, as a stepping-stone, the
little island of St. Paul's lay between. So much did
it weigh upon his mind that, as soon as he got back to
St. John's, he wrote a letter to one of the papers on
the subject. As this is the first suggestion that I have
found of a telegraph across Newfoundland, I here give
his letter in full:
To the Editor of the Courier:
SIR: I regret to find that, in every plan for transatlantic communication, Halifax is always mentioned,




16   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPII.
and the'natural capabilities of Newfoundland entirely
overlooked. This has been deeply impressed on my
mind by the communication I read in your paper of
Saturday last, regarding telegraphic communication
between England and Ireland, in which it is said that
the nearest telegraphic station on the American side is
Halifax, twenty-one hundred and fifty-five miles from
the west of Ireland. Now would it not be well to
call the attention of England and America to the extraordinary capabilities of St. John's, as the nearest
telegraphic point?  It is an Atlantic port, lying, I
may say, in the track of the ocean steamers, and by
establishing it as the American telegraphic station,
news could be communicated to the whole.American
continent forty-eight hours, at least, sooner than by
any other route. But how will this be accomplished?
Just look at the map of Newfoundland and Cape Breton. From St. John's to Cape Ray there is no difficulty in establishing a line passing near Holy-Rood
along the neck of land connecting Trinity and Placentia Bays, and thence in a direction due west to the
Cape. You have then about forty-one to forty-five
miles of sea to St. Paul's Island, with deep soundings
of one hundred fathoms, so that the electric cable will
be perfectly safe from icebergs. Thence to Cape North,
in Cape Breton, is little more than twelve miles. Thus
it is not only practicable to bring America two days




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   17
nearer to Europe by this route, but should the telegraphic communication between England and Ireland,
sixty-two miles, be realized, it presents not the least
difficulty. Of course, we in Newfoundland will have
nothing to do with the erection, working, and maintenance of the telegraph; but I suppose our Government will give every facility to the company, either
English or American, who will undertake it, as it will
be an incalculable advantage to this country. I hope
the day is not far distant when St. John's will be the
first link in the electric chain which will unite the Old
World and the New.                   J. T. M.
ST. JOHrN's, November 8, 1850.
This suggestion proved to be seed sown on good
ground, since out of it in a great measure sprang the
first attempt to link the Island of Newfoundland with
the mainland of America. For about the same time,
the attention of Mr. Frederick N. Gisborne, a telegraph operator, was attracted to a similar project.
Being a man of great quickness of mind, he instantly
saw the importance of such a work, and took hold of
it with enthusiasm. It might easily occur to him
without suggestion from any source. He had had
much experience in telegraphs, and was then engaged in constructing a telegraph line in Nova-Scotia.
Whether, therefore, the idea was first with him or with




18    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the bishop, is of little consequence. It might occur at
the same time to two intelligent minds, studying the
public good, and be alike honorable to both.
But having taken hold of this idea, Mr. Gisborne
pursued it with indomitable resolution.  As the labors of this gentleman were most important in the
beginning of this work, I am happy to bear the fullest
testimony to his zeal and energy. For this purpose, I
quote from a letter written by Mr. E. M. Archibald,
now' British Consul, at New-York, and formerly Attorney-General of Newfoundland:
"It was during the winter of 1849-50; that Mr.
Gisborne, who had been, as an engineer, engaged in
extending the electric telegraph through Lower Canada and New-Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia, conceived the project of a telegraph to connect St. John's,
the most easterly port of America, with the main continent. The importance of the geographical position
of Newfoundland, in the event of a telegraph ever being carried across the Atlantic, was about the same
time promulgated by Dr. Mullock, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Newfoundland, in a St. John's newspaper.
"In the spring of the following year, (1851,) Mr.
Gisborne visited Newfoundland, appeared before the
Legislature, then in session, and explained the details
of his plan, which was an overland line from St. John's




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   19
to Cape Ray, nearly four hundred miles in length,
and (the submarine cable between Dover and Calais
not having then been laid) a communication between
Cape Ray and CGape Breton by steamer and carrierpigeons, eventually, it was hoped, by a submarine cable
across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Legislature encouraged the project, granted ~500 sterling to enable
Mr. Gisborne to make an exploratory survey of the proposed line to Cape Ray, and passed an act authorizing
its construction, with certain privileges, and the appointment of commissioners for the purpose of carrying
it out. Upon this, Mr. Gisborne, who was then the
chief officer of the Nova Scotia Telegraph Company,
returned to that province, resigned his situation, and
devoted himself to the project of the Newfoundland
telegraph. Having organized a local company for the
purpose of constructing the first telegraph line in the
island, from St. John's to Carbonear, a distance of sixty
miles, he, on the fourth of September, set out upon
the arduous expedition of a survey of the proposed
line to Cape Ray, which occupied upward of three
months, during which time himself and his party suffered severe privations, and narrowly escaped starvation, having to traverse the most rugged and hitherto
unexplored part of the island.* On his return, hav* " On the fourth day of December, I accomplished the survey through
three hundred and fifty miles of wood and wilderness. It was an ar



20    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ing reported to the Legislature favorably of the project,
and furnished estimates of the cost, he determined to
proceed to New-York, to obtain assistance to carry it
out.           Mr. Gisborne returned to St. John's in
the spring of 1852, when, at his instance, an act, incorporating himself (his being the only name mentioned in it) and such others as might become shareholders
in a company, to be called the Newfoundland Electric
Telegraph Company, was passed, granting an exclusive
right to erect telegraphs in Newfoundland for thirty
years, with certain concessions of land, by way of encouragement, to be granted upon the completion of the
telegraph from St. John's to Cape Ray.  Mr. Gisborne
then returned to New-York, where he organized, under
this charter, a company, of which Mr. Tebbets and Mr.
Holbrook* were prominent members, made his financial arrangements with them, and proceeded to England to contract for the cable from Cape Ray to Prince
Edward Island, and from thence to the mainland. Returning in the autumn, he proceeded in a small steamer, in the month of November of that year, 1852, to
stretch the first submarine cable, of any length, in
duous undertaking. My original party, consisting of six white men,,were exchanged for four Indians; of the latter party, two deserted, one
died a few days after my return, and the other,' Joe Paul,' has ever
since proclaimed himself an ailing man."-Letter of Mr. Gbisorne.
* Horace B. Tebbets and Darius B. Holbrook.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPI.   21
America, across the Northumberland Strait from Prince
Edward Island to New-Brunswick, which cable, however, was shortly afterward broken, and a new one was
subsequently laid down by the New-York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company. In the spring
of the following year, 1853, Mr. Gisborne set vigorously to work to complete his favorite project of the
line (which he intended should be chiefly underground)
from St. John's to Cape Ray.  He had constructed
some thirty or forty miles of road, and was proceeding
with every prospect of success, when, most unexpectedly, those of the company who were to furnish the
needful funds dishonored his bills, and brought his
operations to a sudden termination. He and the creditors of the company were for several months buoyed
up with promises of forthcoming means from his NewYork allies, which promises were finally entirely unfulfilled; and Gisborne, being the only ostensible party,
was sued and prosecuted on all sides, stripped of his
whole property, and himself arrested to answer the
claims of the creditors of the company. He cheerfully
and honorably gave up every thing he possessed, and
did his utmost to relieve the severe distress in which
the poor laborers on the line had been involved."
This is a testimnony most honorable to the engineer
who first led the way through a pathless wilderness
But this Newfoundland scheme is not to be confound




22   HISTORY'OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ed with that of the Atlantic Telegraph, which did not
come into existence until a year or two later. The
latter was not at all included in the former.  In
deed, Mr. Gisborne himself says, in a letter referring to his original project: "My plans were to run
a subterranean line from Cape Race to Cape Ray,
fly carrier-pigeons and run boats across the Straits of
Northumberland to Cape Breton, and thence by overland lines convey the news to New-York." Though
he adds: " Meanwhile Mr. Brett's experimental cable
between Dover and Calais having proved successful,
I set forth in my report, [which appeared a year after
his first proposal,] that'carrier-pigeons and boats
would be required only until such time as the experiments then making in England with submarine
cables should warrant a similar attempt between Cape
Ray and Cape Breton."'  But nowhere in his report
does he allude to the possibility of ever thus spanning
the mighty gulf of the Atlantic.
But several years after, when the temporary success
of the Atlantic Telegraph gave a name to every body
connected with it, he or his friends seemed not unwilling to have it supposed that this was embraced
in the original scheme. When asked why he did not
publish his grand idea to the world, he answers: " Because I was looked upon as a -wild visionary by my
friends, and pronounced a fool by my relatives for re



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   23
signing a lucrative government appointment in favor
of such a laborious speculation as the Newfoundland
connection. Now had I coupled it at that time with
an Atlantic line, all confidence in the prior undertaking would have been destroyed, and my object defeated."  This may have been a reason for not announcing
such a project to the public, but certainly it was not a
reason for not imparting the secret confidentially to his
friends. A man can hardly lay claim to that which he
holds in such absolute reserve.
However, whether he ever entertained the idea of
such a project, is not a matter of the slightest consequence to the public, nor even to his own reputation.
Probably hundreds had a vague notion that such a
thing might come to pass at some future day, just as
many believe' that flying-machines will yet navigate
the air. Ten years before, Professor Morse had expressed, not a dreamer's fancy, but a deliberate conviction,
founded on scientific experiments, that "a telegraphic
communication might with certainty be established
across the Atlantic Ocean;" so that the idea was not
original with Mr. Gisborne, nor with others who have
seemed anxious to claim its paternity.
It is a curious part of the history of great enterprises, that the moment one succeeds, a host spring up
to claim the honor. Thus when, in 1858, the Atlantic
Telegraph seemed to be a success, the public, knowing




24-  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPII.
well who had borne the brunt and burden of the undertaking, awarded him the praise which he so well
deserved; but instantly there were other Richmonds
in the field. Those who had had no part in the labor,
at least claimed to have originated the idea  Of
course, these many claims destroy each other. But
after all, to raise such a point at all is.the merest trifling.
The question is not who first had the " idea," but who
took hold of the enterprise as a practical thing; who
grappled with the gigantic difficulties of the undertaking, and fought the battle through to victory?
As to Mr. Gisborne, his activity in the beginning of
the Newfoundland telegraph is a matter of history. In
that preliminary work, he bore an honorable part, and
acquired a title to respect, of which he cannot be deprived. All honor to him for his enterprise, his courage, and his'perseverance 1
But for the company of which he was the father,
which he had got up with so much toil, it lived but a
few months, when it became involved in debt some
fifty thousand dollars, chiefly to laborers on the line,
and ended its existence by an ignominious failure.
The concern was bankrupt, and it was plain that, if
the work was not to be finally abandoned, it must be
taken up by stronger hands.




CHAPTER II.
MR. GISBORNE COMES TO NEW-YORK.  IS INTRODUCED TO CYROS TY.
FIELD, WHO CONCEIVES THE IDEA OF A TELEGRAPII ACROSS TIIE ATLANTIC OCEAN. IS IT PRACTICABLE? TWO ELEMENTS TO BE MASTERED,
THE SE& AND THE LIGHTNING. INQUIRIES ADDRESSED TO LIEUTENANT
MAURY AND PROFESSOR MORSE. ANSWER OF LIEUTENANT MAURY.
VISIT OF PROFESSOR MORSE.  MR. FIELD DETERMINES TO EMBARK
IN THE UNDERTAKING.
MR. GISBORNE left Halifax and came to New-York
in January, 1854.   Here he took counsel with his
friend  Tebbets  and  others;  but  they  could  give
him  no relief.  It was while in this state of suspense
that he met, at the Astor House, Mr. Matthew  D.
Field, an engineer who had been engaged in building railroads and suspension-bridges at the South and
West. Mr. Field listened to his story with interest,
and engaged to speak of it to his brother, Cyrus W.
Field, a merchant of New-York, who had retired from
business the year before, and had spent six months in
travelling over the mountains of South-America, from
which he had lately returned. Accordingly, he intro



2 X   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
duced the subject, but found his brother disinclined
to embark in any new undertaking. Tholgh still a
young man; his life had been for many years one or
incessant devotion to business. He had accumulated
an ample fortune, and was not disposed to renew the
cares, the anxieties, and the fatigues of his former lifi.
But listening to the details of a scheme which had in
it much to excite interest, and which by its very difficulty stimulated the spirit of enterprise, he at length
consented to see Mr. Gisborne, and sent to invite him
to his house. Accordingly he came, and spent an
evening describing the route of his proposed telegraph,
and the points it was to connect.  After he left,
Mr. Field took the globe which was standing in the
library, and began to turn it over. It was while thus
studying the globe that the idea first occurred to him,
that the telegraph might be carried further still, and
be made to span the Atlantic Ocean. This idea, as
will soon appear, was not original with Mr. Field,
though he was to be the instrument, in the hands of
Providence, to carry it out. It was indeed a new idea
to him; but it had long been a matter of speculation
with scientific minds, though their theories had never
attracted his attention. But once he had grasped
the idea, it took strong hold of his imagination, and
led him to entertain the Newfoundland scheme, as preliminary to the other. Had the former stood alone,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   27
he would never have undertaken it. Hie cared.little
about shortening communication with Europe merely by a day or two, by relays of boats and carrierpigeons I But it was the hope of further and grander
results that inspired him, and gave him courage to
enter on a work of which no man could foresee the
end.
But so vast an enterprise was not to be rashly undertaken. There were scientific problems involved, which
could only be solved by scientific men, and perhaps
not even by them; which, it might be, could only be
answered by the final test of experiment. Before
giving any'definite reply to Gisborne, Mr. Field determined to apply to the highest authorities this side
the Atlantic. The project of an Atlantic Telegraph involved two problems: Could a cable be stretched across
the ocean? and if it were, would it be good for any
thing to convey messages? The first was a question
of mechanical difficulties, requiring a careful survey of
the ocean itself, fathoming its depth, finding out the
character of its bottom, whether level, or rough and
volcanic; and all the obstacles that might be found in
the winds that agitate the surface above, or the mighty
currents that sweep through the waters below. The
second problem was one less mechanical, but more
purely scientific, involving questions as to the laws of,electricity, not then fully understood, and on which




28   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC. TELEGRAPH.
the boldest might feel that he was venturing on uncertain ground.
Such were the two elements or forces of nature to
be encountered-the ocean and the lightning. Could
they be controlled by any power of man?  The very
proposal was enough to stagger the faith even of an
enthusiast. Who could lay a bridle on the neck of the
wild sea? The attempt seemed as idle, if not as impious, as that of Xerxes to bind it with chains. Was
it possible to combat the fierceness of the winds and
waves, and to stretch one long line from continent to
continent?  And then, after the work was achieved,
would the lightning run along the ocean-bed from shore
to shore? Such were the questions which have puzzled many an anxious brain, and which now troubled
the one who was to undertake the work.
To get some light in his perplexity, Mr. Field, the
very next morning after his interview with Gisborne,
wrote two letters, one to Lieutenant Maury, then at
the head of the National Observatory at Washington,
on the nautical difficulties of the undertaking, asking
if the sea were itself a barrier too great to be overcome;
and the other to Professor Morse, inquiring if it would
be possible to telegraph over a distance so great as
that from Europe to America?
The mail soon brought an answer from Lieutenant
Maury, which began: "Singularly enough, just as




HISTORY OF TIER ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIH.   2 
I received your letter, I was closing one to the Secretary of the Navy on the same subject." A copy of
this he inclosed to Mr. Field, as giving his matured
opinion.  It has since been published.  We give the
greater part of it, to show the conclusions to which,
even at that early day, scientific men were beginning
to arrive:
" NATIONAL OBSERVATORY, t
WASHINGTON, February 22, 1854.
" SIR: The United States brig Dolphin, Lieutenant
Commanding O. FI. Berryman, was employed last summer upon especial service connected with the researches
that are carried on at this office concerning the winds
and currents of the sea. tier observations were confined principally to that part of the ocean which the
merchantmen, as they pass to and fro upon the business of trade between Europe and the United States,
use as their great thoroughfare.  Lieutenant Berryman
availed himself of this opportunity to carry along also a
line of deep-sea soundings, from the shores of Newfoundland to those of Ireland. The result is highly
interesting, in so far as the bottom  of the sea is concerned, upon the question of a submarine telegraph
across the Atlantic; and I-therefore beg leave to make
it the subject of a special report.
"This line of deep-sea soundings seems to be decisive of the question as to the practicability of a subma



30    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
rine telegraph between the two continents, in so far as
the bottom of the deep sea is concernied. From Newfoundland to Ireland, the distance between the nearest points
is about sixteen hundred miles;* and the bottom ot
the sea between the two places is a plateau, which
seems to have been placed there especially for the purpose of holding the wires of a submarine telegraph,
and of keeping them out of harm's way. It is neither
too deep nor too shallow; yet it is so deep that the
wires but once landed, will remain for ever beyond the
reach of vessels' anchors, icebergs, and drifts of any
kind, and so shallow, that the wires may be readily
lodged upon the bottom. The depth of this plateau is
quite regular, gradually increasing from the shores of
Newfoundland to the depth of from fifteen hundred to
two thousand fathoms, as you approach the other side.
The distance between Ireland and Cape St. Charles, or
Cape St. Lewis, in Labrador, is somewhat less than
the distance from  any point of Ireland to the nearest
point of Newfoundland. But whether it would be
better to lead the wires from:Newfoundland or Labrador is not now the question; nor do I pretend to consider the questionas to the possibility of finding a time
* From Cape Freels, Newfoundland, to Erris Head, Ireland, the distance is sixteen hundred and eleven miles; from Cape Charles, or Cape
St. Lewis, Labrador, to ditto, the distance is sixteen hundred and one
miles.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   31
calm enough, the sea smooth enough, a wire long enough,
a ship big enough, to lay a coil of wire sixteen hundred
miles in length; though I have no fear but that the
enterprise and ingenuity of the age, whenever called
on with these problems, will be ready with a satisfactory and practical solution of them.
" I simply address myself at this time to the question in so far as the bottom of the sea is concerned, and
as far as that, the greatest practical difficulties will, I
apprehend, be found after reaching soundings at either
end of the line, and not in the deep sea.
" A wire laid across from either of the above-named
places on this side will pass to the north of the Grand
Banks, and rest on that beautiful plateau to which I
have alluded, and where the waters of the sea appear
to be as quiet and as completely at rest as it is at the
bottom of a mill-pond. It is proper that the reasons
should be stated for the inference that there are no
perceptible currents, and no abrading agents at work
at the bottom of the sea upon this telegraphic plateau.
I derive this inference fromn a study of a physical fact,
which I little deemed, when I sought it, had any such
bearings.
"Lieutenant Berryman brought up with Brooke's
deep-sea sounding apparatus specimens of the bottom
from this plateau. I sent them to Professor. Bailey, of
West-Point, for examination under his microscope.




39    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
This he kindly gave, and that eminent microscopist
was quite as much surprised to find, as I was to learn,
that all those specimens of deep-sea soundings are filled
with microscopic shells; to use his own words,' not a
particle of sand or gravel exists in them.' These little
shells, therefore, suggest the fact that there are no currents at the bottom of the sea whence they came; that
Brooke's lead found them where they were deposited
in their burial-place after having lived and died on the
surface, and by gradually sinking were lodged on the
bottom. I-ad there been currents at the bottom, these
would have swept and abraded and mingled up with
these microscopic remains the debris of the bottom of
the sea, such as ooze, sand, gravel, and other matter;
but not a particle of sand oil gravel was found among
them. Hence the inference that these depths of the
sea are not disturbed either by waves or currents.
Consequently, a telegraphic wire once laid there, there
it would remain, as completely beyond the reach of
accident as it would be if buried in air-tight cases.
Therefore, so far as the bottom of the deep sea between
Newfoundland, or the North Cape, at the mouth of
the St. Lawrence, and Ireland, is concerned, the practicability of a submarine telegraph across the Atlantic
is proved.
"In this view of the subject, and for the purpose of
hastening the completion of such a line, I take the lib2*




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   33
erty of suggesting for your consideration the propriety
of an offer from the proper source, of a prize to the
company through whose telegraphic wire the first message shall be passed across the Atlantic.
"I have the honor to be, respectfully, etc.,
"M. F. MAURY,
"Lieutenant United States Navy.
" Hon. J. C. DOBBIN, Secretary of the Navy.
The reply of Professor Morse showed equal interest
in the subject, in proof of which he wrote that he
would come down to New-York to see Mr. Field about
it. A few days after, he came, and saw Mr. Field at
his house. This was the beginning of an acquaintance
which soon ripened into friendship, and which henceforth united these gentlemen together in this great
achievement. Professor Morse, in conversation, entered at length into the laws of electricity as applied to
the business of telegraphing, and concluded by declaring his entire faith in the undertaking as a practicable
thing; as one that might, could, and would be achieved. Indeed, this faith he had avowed years before.
In a letter written as early as August tenth, 1843, to
John C. Spencer, then Secretary of the Treasury, Professor Morse had detailed the results of certain experiments made in the harbor of New-York to show the
power of electricity to communicate at great distances,
at the close of which he says -in words that now seem




34   HISTORY OF TEIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
prophetic  "The practical inference from thi' law is,
that a telegraphic commuinication on the elec tro-magnetic
plan may with certainty be eslablished across the A tlantic
Ocean'! Startling as this may now seem, I am confident
the time will come when this project will be realized."'
It was the good fortune of Mr. Field-at that time
and ever since-to have at hand an adviser in whose
judgment he had implicit confidence. This was his
eldest brother, David Dudley Field. They lived side
by side on Gramercy Park, and were in daily communication.  To the prudent counsels, wise judgment,
and unfaltering courage of the elder brother, the Atlantic Telegraph is more indebted than the world will
ever know, for its first impulse and for the spirit which
sustained it through long years of discouragement and
disaster, when its friends were few. To this, his nearest and best counsellor, Mr. Field opened the project
which had taken possession of his mind; and being
strengthened by that maturer judgment, he finally resolved that, if he could get a sufficient number of capitalists to join him, he would embark in an enterprise
which, beginning with *the line to Newfoundland, involved in the end nothing less than an attempt to link
this New World which Columbus had discovered, to
that Old World which had been for ages the home of
empire and of civilization. How the scheme advanced
through the next twelve years, it will be our province
to relate.




CHAPTER III.
EFFORTS TO ENGAGE CAPITALISTS IN THE ENTERPRISE. PETER COOPER,
MosEs TAYLOR, MARSHALL O. ROBERTS, AND CHANDLER WHITE. COMMISSION SENT TO NEWFOUNDLAND.  THEY OBTAIN A NEW CHARTER
FOR TIlE NEW-YORK, NEWFOUNDLAND, AND LONDON TELEGRAPH COMPANY. RETURN TO NEW-YORK. THE CHARTER IS ACCEPTED, THE
COMPANY ORGANIZED, AND THE CAPITAL RAISED.
AND so the young New-York merchant set out to
carry a telegraph across the Atlantic Ocean  The design had in it at least the merit of audacity. But
whether the end was to be sublime or ridiculous time
alone could tell. Certain it is that when his sanguine
temper and youthful blood stirred him up to take hold
of such an enterprise, he little dreamed of what it
would involve. He thought lightly of a few thousands
risked in an uncertain venture; but never imagined
that he might yet be drawn on to stake upon its success the whole fortune he had accumulated; that he
was to sacrifice all the peace and quiet he had hoped
to enjoy; and that for twelve years he was to be
almost without a home, crossing and re-crossing the
sea, urging his enterprise in Europe and America.
But so it is, that the Being who designs great things




3i6   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
for human welfare, and would accomplish them by
human instruments, does not lift at once the curtain
from the stern realities they are to meet, nor reveal
the rugged ascents they are to climb; so that it is only
when at last the heights are attained, and they look
backward, that they realize through what they have
passed.
But could he find any body to join him in his bold
undertaking? Starving adventurers there always are,
ready to embark in any Quixotic attempt, since they
have nothing to lose. But would men of sense and
of character; men who had fortunes to keep, and the
habit which business gives of looking calmly and suspiciously at probabilities; be found to put capital in
an enterprise where, if it failed, they would find their
money literally at the bottom of the sea'?  It seemed
doubtful, but he would try. His plan was, if possible,
to enlist ten capitalists, all gentlemen of wealth, who
together could lift a pretty heavy load;'who, if need
were, could easily raise a million of dollars, to carry
out any undertaking.
The first man whom he addressed was Mr. Peter
Cooper, who was then and is still his next-door
neighbor.  Here he found the indisposition which
a man of large fortune-now well advanced in lifewould naturally feel to embark in new enterprises.
The reluctance in this case was not so much to the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   87
risking of capital, as to having his mind occupied with
the care which it would impose. These objections
slowly yielded to other considerations. As they talked it over, the large heart of Mr. Cooper began to see
that, if it were possible to accomplish such a work, it
would' be a great public benefit. This consideration
prevailed, and what would not have been undertaken
as a private speculation, was yielded to public interest.
The conference ended by a conditional agreement.
Mr. Cooper would engage in it, if several others did.
In the end, as we shall soon see, he became the President of the Company, and as such has remained to
this day.
The early accession of this gentleman gave strength
to the new enterprise.  In all the million inhabitants of the city of New-York there is not a name
which is better known, or more justly held in honor,
than that of Peter Cooper.  A native of the city,
where he has passed his whole life, he has seen its
growth, from the small town it was just after the Revolution, and has himself grownv with it. Beginning with
very small means and limited opportunities, he lias
become one of the great capitalists of the New
WTorld. But many who thus rise to wealth, in the
process of accumulation, form penurious habits which
cling to them, and to the end of their days it is
the chief object of life to hoard and to keep. But




38   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Mr. Cooper, while acquiring the fortune, has had also
the heart, of a prince; and has used his wealth with a
noble generosity. In the centre of New-York stands
to-day a massive building, consecrated " To Science and
Art," on which he has already expended six hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, and which he has made a
free gift to the city. His object was to benefit the
poor but respectable young men and- women of NewYork. Remembering his own limited advantages of
education, he desired that the young men of NewYork, the apprentices and mechanics, should have
better opportunities than he had ever enjoyed. For
this he endowed courses of lectures on the natural sciences; he opened the largest reading-room in America,
which furnishes a pleasant resort to a thousand readers
daily; while to help the other sex, he added a School
of Design for Women, which sends forth hundreds
well fitted to be teachers, and some of them artists;
and who go forth into the world to earn an honest living, and to bless the memory of their generous benefactor. This noble institution, standing right in the
heart of New-York, will remain, long after its founder
has passed away, his enduring monument.
Yet while doing so much for the public, those who
see him in his family know how he retains the simple
habits of early life-how, while giving hundreds of
thousands to others, he cares to spend little on himself;




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   39
how he remains the same modest, kindly old man; the
pure, the generous, and good. The accession of such a
man to the head of the new Company was a benediction.
It brought a blessing with it; and if in future years a
hundred cables should link the New World to the
Old, it will be a pleasant remembrance that the beginning of the enterprise was connected with that honored name.
Mr. Field next addressed himself to Mr. Moses Taylor, a well-known capitalist of New-York, engaged in
extensive business reaching to different parts of the
world, and whose daily observation of all sorts of enterprises, both sound and visionary, made him perhaps a severer judge of any new scheme. With this
gentleman he had then no personal acquaintance,
but sent a note of introduction from a fiiend, with a
line requesting an interview, to which Mr. Taylor replied by an invitation to his house on an evening when
he should be disengaged.  As these two gentlemen
have since been very intimately associated, they recur pleasantly to their first interview.  Says Mr.
Field: " I shall never forget how Mr. Taylor received
me. lie fixed on me his keen eye, as if he would
look through me: and then, sitting down, he listened
to me for nearly an hour without saying a word."
This was rather an orninous beginning. However, his
quick mind soon saw the possibilities of the enterprise,




40   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH,
and the evening ended by an agreement-conditional,
like Mr. Cooper's-to enter into it.
Mfr. Taylor, being thus enlisted, brought in his
friend, Mr. Marshall 0. Roberts-a man whose career
has been too remarkable to be passed without notice.
A native of the city of New-York, (though his fathei
was a physician from Wales, who came to this country
early in this century,) he found himself, when a boy of
eight years, an orphan, without a friend in the world.
From that time he made his way purely by his own
industry and indomitable will. At the age of twenty
he was embarked in business for himself, and his history soon became a succession of great enterprises.
If we were to relate some of the incidents connected
with his rise of fortune, they would sound more like
romance than reality. He was the first to project those
floating palaces which now ply the waters of the Hudson and the great lakes. lie was one of the early promoters of the Erie Railroad. When the discovery of
gold in California turned the tide of emigration to
that coast, he started the line of steamers running to the
Isthmus of Panama, and controlled largely the commerce with the Pacific. Thus his hand was felt, giving
impulse to many different enterprises on land and sea.
His whole course has been marked by a spirit of commercial daring, which men call rashness, until they see
its success, and then applaud as marvellous sagacity.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHT              4 [
Mr. Field next wrote to Mr. Chandler White, a personal friend of many years standing, who had retired
from business, and was living a few miles below the
city, near Fort Iamilton, at one of those beautiful
points of view which command the whole harbor of
New-York.  He too was very slow to yield to argument or persuasion.  Why should he-when he had
east anchor in this peaceful spot-again embark in the
cares of business, and, worst of all, in an enterprise the
scene of which was far distant, and the' results very
uncertain? But enthusiasm is always magnetic, and
the glowing descriptions of his persuader at length
prevailed.*
There were now five gentlemen enlisted; and Mr.
Field was about to apply to others, to make up his
proposed number, when Mr. Cooper came to ask why
five would not do as well as te~n? The question was no
sooner asked than answered. To this all agreed, and
at once fixed an evening when they should meet at
Mr. Field's house to hear his statements and to ex* Although it is anticipating a year in time, I cannot resist the pleasure of adding here the name of another eminent merchant, who afterward joined this little Company, Mr. Wilson G. Hunt. Mr. Hunt is
one of the old merchants of New-York who, through his whole career,
has maintained the highest reputation for commercial integrity, and
whose fortune is the reward of a long life of honorable industry. He
joined the Company in 1855, and has been a strong and steady friend
from that day to this.




42   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
amine the charter of the old company, find out what it
had done, and what it proposed to do, what property
it had and what debts it owed; and decide whether
the enterprise offered sufficient inducements to embark
in it. Accordingly they met, and for four nights in
succession discussed the subject. It was in the diningroom of Mr. Field's house, and the large table was
spread with miaps of the route to be traversed by the
line of telegraph, and with plans and estimates of the
work to be done, the cost of doing it, and the return
which they might hope in the -end to realize for their
labor and their capital. The result was an agreement
on the part of all to enter on the undertaking, if the
Government of Newfoundland would grant a new
charter conceding more favorable terms. To secure
this it was important to send at once a commission to
Newfoundland. Neither Mr. Cooper, Mr. Taylor, nor
Mr. Roberts would go; and it devolved on Mr. Field
to make the first voyage on this business, as it did the
more thIn fifty voyages- since, either to Newfoundland, or across the Atlantic. But not wishing to
take the whole responsibility, he was accompanied
at his earnest request by Mr. White, and by Mr. D. D.
Field, whose counsel, as he was to be the legal adviser of
the Company, was all-important in the framing of the
new charter that was to secure the rights of the Comnpany. Says the latter gentleman, in an account given
afterwards:




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   43
"The agreement with the Electric Telegriaph Company, and the formal surrender of its charter, were
signed on the tenth of March, [1854,] and on the fourteenth we left New-York, accompanied by Mr. Gisborne. The next morning we took the steamer at
Boston for Halifax, and thence, on the night of the
eighteenth, departed in the little steamer Merlin for
St. John's, Newfoundland. Three more disagreeable
days, voyagers scarcely ever passed, than we spent in
that smallest of steamers. It seemed as if all the
storms of winter had' been reserved for the first month
of spring. A frost-bound coast, an icy sea, rain, hail,
snow and tempest, were the greetings of the telegraph
adventurers in their first movement towards Europe.
In the darkest night, through which no man could see
the ship's length, with snow filling the air and flying
into the eyes of the sailors, with ice in the water, and
a heavy sea rolling and moaning about us, the captain
felt his way around Cape Race with his lead, as the
blind man feels his way with his staff, but as confidently and as safely as if the sky had been clear and
the sea calm; and the light of morning dawned upon
deck and mast and spar, coated with glittering ice, but
floating securely between the mountains which form
the gates of the harbor of St. John's. In that busy
and hospitable town, the first person to whom we were
introduced was Mr. Edward M. Archibald, then Attor



44    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ney-General of the Colony, and now British Consul in
New-York. -He entered warmly into our views, and
from that day to this, has been an efficient and consistent supporter of the undertaking. By him we were
introduced to the Governor, (Kerr Bailey Hamilton,)
who also took an earnest interest in our plans. He
convoked the Council to receive us, and hear an explanation of our views and wishes. In a few hours
after the conference, the answer of the Governor and
Council was received, consenting to recommend to the
Assembly a guarantee of the interest of ~50,000 of
bonds, an immediate grant of fifty square miles of
land, a further grant to the same extent on the completion of the telegraph across the ocean, and a payment of ~5000 toward the construction of a bridlepath across the island, along the line of the land
telegraph."
This was a hopeful beginning; and, though the
charter was not yet obtained, feeling assured by this
official encouragement, and the public interest in the
project, that it would be granted by the colony, Mr.
Field remained in St. John's but three days, when
he took the Merlin back to Halifax on his way to
New-York, there to purchase and send down a steamer
for the service of the Company, leaving his associates
to secure the charter and to carry out the arrange.
ments with the former company. To settle all these




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   45
details was necessarily a work of -time. First, the
charter of the old " Electric Telegraph Company " had
to be repealed, to clear the way for a new charter to
the Company, which was to bear the more comprehensive title of " New-York, Newfoundland, and London."
This charter-which had been drawn with the greatest
care by the counsel of the Company, while on the
voyage to Newfoundland-bore on its very front the
declaration that the plans of the new Company were
much broader than those of the old. In the former
charter, the design was thus set forth:
" The telegraph line of this company is designed to be
strictly an' Inter-Continental Telegraph.' Its termini
will be New-York, in the United States, and London,
in the kingdom of Great Britain; these points are to
be connected by a line of electric telegraph from NewYork to St. John's, Newfoundland, partly on poles,
partly laid in the ground, and partly through the
water, and a line of the swiftest steamnships ever built.from
that point to Irelanzd. The trips of these steamships, it
is expected, will not exceed five days, and as very little
time will be occupied in transmitting messages between
St. John's and New-York, the communication between
the latter city and London or Liverpool, will be effected in six days, or less. The company will have likewise stationed at St. John's a steam yacht, for the purpose of intercepting the European and American steam



46    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ships, so that no opportunity may be lost in forwarding intelligence in advance of the ordinary channels of
communication."
But the charter of the " New-York, Newfoundland,
and London Telegraph Company," which was now to
be obtained, began by declaring, in its very first sentence: "Whereas, it is deemed advisable, to establish
a line of telegraphic communication between America
and Europe, by way of Newfoundland." Not a word
is said of fast ships, of communications in less than six
days, but every thing points to a line across the 6cean.
Thus one section gives authority to establish a submarine telegraph across the ocean, from Newfoundland to
Ireland; another section prohibits any other company
or person from touching the coast of Newfoundland or
its dependencies [which includes Labrador] with a telegraphic cable or wire, from any point whatever, for
fifty years; and a third section grants the Company
fifty square miles of land upon the completion of the
submarine line across the Atlantic.
In other respects the charter was equally liberal. It
incorporated the associates for fifty years, established
perfect equality in respect to corporators and officers,
between citizens of the United States and British subjects, and allowed the meetings of the stockholders and
directors to be held in New-York, in Newfoundland,
or in London.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   47
To obtain such concessions was a work of some difficulty and delay. The Legislature of the province were
naturally anxious to scan carefully conditions that
were to bind them and their children for half a century. I have now before me the papers of St. John's
of that day, containing the discussions in the Legislature; and while all testify to the deep public interest
in the stupendous project, they show a due care for
the interests of their own colony, which they were bound
to protect. At length all difficulties were removed,
and the charter was passed unanimously by the Assembly, and confirmed by the Council.
This happy result was duly celebrated, in the manner which all Englishmen approve, by a grand banquet given by the commissioners of the new Company,
to the members of the Assembly and other dignitaries
of the colony. The report of that dinner is now before me in the St. John's papers; and it is gratifying
to perceive how heartily the enterprise was welcomed
by all classes; and how fond were the anticipations
of the increased intercourse it would bring, and the
manifold benefits it would confer on their long-neglected island., No sooner were the papers signed, than the wheels,
so long blocked, were unloosed, and the machinery
began to move. Mr. White at once drew on New.
York for fifty thousand dollars, and paid off all




48   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the debts of the old company. A St. John's newspaper of April 8th, 1854, amid a great deal on the
subject, contains this paragraph, which is very significant of the dead state of the old company, and of
the life of the new:
" The office of the new Electric Telegraph Company
has been surrounded the last two or three days by the
men who had been engaged the last year on the line,
and who are being paid all debts, dues, and demands
against the old association. We look upon the readiness with which these claims are liquidated as a substantial indication on the part of the new Company
that they will complete to the letter all that they
have declared to accomplish in this important undertaking."
In tile early part of May, the two gentlemen who
had remained behind in Newfoundland rejoined their
associates in New-York, and there the charter was formally accepted and the Company organized. As all
the associates had not arrived till Saturday evening,
the sixth of May, and as one of them was to leave
town on Monday morning, it was agreed that they
should meet for organization at six o'clock of that day.
At that hour they came to the house of Mr. Field's
brother, and as the first rays of the morning sun
streamed into the windows, the formal organization
took place. The charter was accepted. the stock sub



BISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   49
scribed, and the officers chosen. Mr. Cooper, Mr.
Taylor, Mr. Field, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. White were
the first directors. Mr. Cooper was chosen President,
Mr. White, Vice-President, and Mr. Taylor, Treasurer.
This is a short story, and soon told. It seemed a
light affair, for half a dozen men thus to meet in the
early morning and toss off such a business before breakfast. But what a work was that to which they thus
put their hands I A capital of a million and a half of
dollars was subscribed in those few minutes, and a
company put in operation that was to carry a line of
telegraph to St. John's, more than a thousand miles
from New-York, and then to span the wild sea. Well
was it that they who undertook the work did not then
fully realize its magnitude, or they might have shrunk
from the attempt. Well was it for them that the veil
was not lifted, which shut from their eyes the long
delay, the immense toil, and the heavy burdens of
many wearisome years. Such a prospect might have
chilled the most sanguine spirit. But a kind Providence gives men strength for their day, imposes burdens as they are able: to bear them, and thus leads
them on to greater achievements than they knew.




CHAPTER IV.
rRE LAND LINE BEGUN IN NEWFOUNDLAND. IMMENSE UNDERTAKING.
FOUR HUNDRED MILES OF ROAD TO BE BUILT. TWO YEARS OF LABOR.
FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAY A CABLE ACROSS THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE,
IN 1855. FAILURE. SECOND ATTEMPT, IN 1856, WHICH IS SUCCESSFUL.
THERE iS nothing in the world easier than to build
a line of railroad, or of telegraph, on paper.  You
have only to take the map, and mark the points to be
connected, and then with a single sweep of the pencil
to draw the line along which the iron track is to run.
In this airy flight of the imagination, distances are
nothing. A thousand leagues vanish at a stroke. All
obstacles disappear.  The valleys are exalted, and the
hills are made low, noble bridges span the mountain
streams, and the chasms are leaped in safety by the
fire-drawn cars.
Very different is it to construct a line of railroad or
of telegraph in reality; to come with an army of laborers, with axes on their shoulders to cut down the
forests, and with spades in their hands to cast up the
highway. Then poetry sinks to prose, and instead of




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   51
flying over the space on wings, one must traverse it
on foot, slowly and with painful steps. Then nature
asserts her power; and, as if resentful of the disdain
with which man in his pride affected to leap over her,
she piles up new barriers in his way. The mountains
with their rugged sides cannot be moved out of their
place. The granite rocks must be cleft in twain,
to open a passage for this boasting hero, before he
can begin. his triumphal march. The woods seem to
thicken into an impassable jungle; and the morass
sinks deeper, threatening to swallow up the horse and
his rider; until the rash projector is startled at his
own audacity. Then it becomes a contest of forces
between man and nature, in which, if he would conquer, he must fight his way. The barriers of nature
cannot be lightly pushed aside, but must yield at last
only to time and toil, and "man's unconquerable will."
Seldom have all these obstacles been combined in a
more formidable manner to obstruct any public work,
than against the attempt to build a telegraph line
across the island of Newfoundland. The distance,
by the route to be traversed, was over four hundred
miles, and the country was a wilderness, an utter desolation. Yet through such a country, over mountain
and moor, through tangled brake and rocky gorge,
over rivers and through morasses, they were to build
a road-not merely a line of telegraph stuck on poles,




52   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
but " a good and traversable bridle-road, eight feet
wide, with bridges of the same width," from end to
end of the island.
But nothing daunted, the new Company undertook
the great work with spirit and resolution. Gisborne
had made a beginning, and got some thirty or forty
miles out of St. John's. This was the easiest part
of the whole route, being in the most inhabited region
of the island. But here he broke down, just where it
was necessary to leave civilization behind, and to
plunge into the wilderness.
Intending to resume the work on a much larger
scale, Mr. White, the Vice-President, was sent down
to St. John's to be the General Agent of the Company; while Mr. Matthew D. Field, as a practical engineer, was to have charge of the construction of the
line. The latter soon organized a force of six hundred
men, which he pushed forward in detachments to the
scene of operations.
And now began to appear still more the difficulties
of the way. To provide subsistence at all for man
and beast, it was necessary to keep near the coast, for
all supplies had to be sent round by sea. Yet in following the coast line, they had to wind around bays,
or to climb over headlands. If they struck into the
interior, they had to cut their way through the dense
and tangled wood. There was not a path to guide




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   53
them, not even an Indian trail.  When lost! in the
forest, they had to follow the compass, as much as the
mariner at sea.
To keep such a force in the field, that, like an army,
produced nothing, but consumed fearfully, required
constant attention to the commissary department.
The little steamer Victoria, which belonged to the
Company, was kept constantly plying along the coast,
carrying barrels of pork and potatoes, kegs of powder,
pickaxes and spades and shovels, and all the implements of labor. These were taken up to the heads
of the bays, and thence carried, chiefly on men's
backs, over the hills to the line of the road.
In many respects, it had the features of a military
expedition. It moved forward in a great camp. The
men were sheltered in tents, when sheltered at all, or in
small huts which they built along the road. But more
often they slept on the ground. It was a wild and
picturesque sight to come upon their camp in the
woods,-to see their fires blazing at night while hundreds of stalwart sleepers lay stretched on the ground.
Sometimes, when encamped on the hills, they could be
seen afar off at sea. It made a pretty picture then.
But the hardy men thought little of the figure they
were making, when they were exposed to the fury of
the elements. Often the rain fell in torrents, and the
men, crouching under their slight shelter, listened sadly




54    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
to the sighing of the wind among the trees, answered
by the desolate moaning of the sea.
Yet in spite of all obstacles, the work went on.
All through the long days of summer, and through
the months of autumn, every covie and creek along
that southern coast heard the plashing of their oars,
and the steady stroke of their axes resounded through
the forest.
But as the season advanced, all these difficulties increased. For nearly half the year, the island is buried
in snow. Blinding drifts sweep over the moors, and
choke up the paths of the forest. How at such times
the expedition lay floundering in the woods, or attempting still to force its way onward; what hardships and sufferings the men endured-all this is a
chapter in the History of the Telegraph which has
not been written, and which can nevwer be fully told.
But
Gentlemen of England,
Who dwell at home at ease,
and who are justly proud of the extent of their dominions, and the life and power which pervade the
whole, may here find another example of the way in
which great works are borne forward in distant parts
of their empire.
But to carry out such an enterprise, requires "headwork" as well as "hand-work."  Engineering in the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   55
field must be supported by financiering at home. It
was here the former enterprise broke down, and now
it needed constant watching to keep the wheels in
steady motion. The directors in New-York found a
daily demand on their attention. The minds which
had grasped the large design, must now descend to an
infinity of detail. They had to keep an army of men
at work, at a point a thousand miles away, far beyond
their immediate oversight. Drafts for money came
thick and fast. To provide for all these required
constant attention. How faithfully they gave to this
enterprise, not only their money, but their time and
thought, few will know; but we who have seen can
testify. In the autumn of that year, 1854, the writer
removed to the city of New-York, and was almost
daily at the house of Mr. Field. Yet for months it
was hardly possible to go there of an evening without
finding the library occupied by the Company. Indeed, so uniformly was this the case, that " the Telegraph " began to be regarded by the family as an unwelcome intrusion, since it put an interdict on the former social evenings and quiet domestic enjoyment.
The circumstance shows the ceaseless care on the part
of the directors which the enterprise involved. As a
witness of their incessant labors, it is due to them to
bear this testimony to their patience and their fidelity.
When they began the work, they hoped to carry




56   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the line across Newfoundland in one year, completing
it in the summer of 1855. In anticipation of this,
Mr. Field was sent by the Company to England at
the close of 1854, to order a cable to span the Gulf
of St. Lawrence, to connect Cape Ray with the island
of Cape Breton. This was his-first voyage across the
ocean on the business of the Telegraph-to be followed by more than thirty others. In London he met
for the first time Mr. John W. Brett, with whom he
was to be afterward connected in the larger enterprise
of the Atlantic Telegraph. Mr. Brett was the father
of submarine telegraphy in Europe, though in carrying
out his first projects he was largely indebted to Mr.
Crampton, a well-known engineer of London, who aided him both with advice and capital.  With this invaluable assistance, he had stretched two lines across
the British channel. From his success in passing these
waters, he believed a line might yet be stretched from
continent to continent. The scientific men of England
were not then educated up to that point. The bare
suggestion was received with a smile of incredulity.
But Mr. Brett " had faith," even at that early day,
and entered heartily into the schemes of MIr. Field.
To show his interest, he afterward took a few shares in
the Newfoundland line-the only Englishman who had
any part in this preliminary work.
The summer came, and the work in Newfoundland,
though not complete, was advancing; and the cable




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   57
in England was finished and shipped on board the
baik Sarah L. Bryant to cross the sea. Anticipating
its arrival, the Company chartered a steamer to go
down to Newfoundland to assist in its submersion
across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. As yet they had
had no experience in the business of laying a submarine telegraph, and did not doubt that the work
could be accomplished with the greatest ease. It was
therefore to be an excursion of pleasure as well as of
business, and accordingly they invited a large party to
go down to witness the unaccustomed spectacle.
As we chanced to be among the guests, we have the
best reason to remember it. Seldom has a more pleasant
party been gathered for any expedition. Representing the Company were Mr. Field, Mr. Peter Cooper,
Mr. Robert AV. Lowber, and Professor Morse, while
among the invited guests were gentlemen of all professions-clergymen, doctors and lawyers, artists and
editors.  Rev. Drs. Field and Gardiner Spring, with
their white hairs, were among us, and the Rev. J. M.
Sherwood; Dr. Lewis A. Sayre, Bayard Taylor, the
well-known traveller, Mr. Fitz-James O'Brien, and
Mr. John Mullaly-the three latter gentlemen representing leading papers of New-York.*  Besides these,
The letters of Mr. Taylor, which first appeared in the Tribune,
have been since collected in one of his volumes of travel. Mr. O'Brien,
a very brilliant writer, who afterward fell in our civil war, fighting
3*




58     HISTORY  OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the party included a large number of ladies, who gave
life and animation to the company.
-Well do we recall the morning of our departure. It
was eleven years ago-the seventh of August, 1855.
Never did a voyage begin with fairer omens. It was a
bright summer day. The sky was clear, and the water smooth. We were on the deck of the good ship
James Adger, long known as one of the fine steamers
belonging to'the Charleston line. She was a swift
ship, and cut the water like an arrow. Thus we sped
down the bay, and turning into the ocean, skimmed
along the shores of Long Island.  The sea was tranquil as a lake.  The whole party were on deck, scattered in groups here and there, watching the sails and
the shore.  A rude telegraph instrument furnished en*tertainment and instruction, especially as we had Probravely for his adopted country, furnished some spirited letters to the
Times. But Mr. Mullaly, who appeared for the Ilerald, was the most
persevering attendant on the Telegraph, and the most indefatigable
correspondent. He accompanied not only this expedition, but several
others. He was on board the Niagara in 1857, and again in both
the expeditions of 1858; and on the final success of the cable, prepared a volume, which was published by the Appletons, giving the history of the enterprise. This contains the fullest account of all those
expeditions which has been given to the public. I have had frequent
occasion to refer to his book, and can bear witness to the interest
of the narrative. It is written with spirit, and doubtless would have
had a longer life, if the cable itself had not come to an untimely end.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEG RAPH.   59
fessor Morse to explain this marvellous invention,
which some of us felt that we then for the first time
fully understood. All day long we lingered on the
deck, and here kept watching still as the sun went
down in the waves, and the stars began to twinkle on
the deep. It was a day not to be forgotten.
At Halifax, several of us left the ship, and came
across Nova Scotia, passing through that lovely region
of Acadia which Longfellow has invested with such
tender interest in his poem of Evangeline. Thence
we crossed the Bay of Fundy to St. John's in NewBrunswick, and returned by way of Portland.
The James Adger went on to Newfoundland, steering first for Port au Basque, near Cape Ray, where
they hoped to meet the bark which was to come from
England with the cable on board. To their disappointment, it had not arrived. Mr. Canning, the engineer who was to lay the, cable, had come out by
steamer, and was on hand, but the bark was not to be
seen. Having to wait several days, and wishing to
make the most of their time, they sailed for St.
John's, where they were received by the Provincial
Government and the people with unbounded hospitality, after which they returned to Port au Basque,
and were now rejoiced to discover the little bark hidden behind the rocks. It was decided to land the
cable in Cape Ray Cove. After a day or two's delay




0.  HIIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
in getting the end to the shore, they started to cross
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Adger towing the bark.
The sea was calm, and though they were obliged to
move slowly, yet all promised well, till they were
about half-way across, when a gale arose, which pitched the bark so violently, that with its unwieldy bulk
it was in great danger of sinking. After holding on
for hours in the vain hope that it would abate, the
captain cut the cable to save the -bark; and thus,
after they had paid out forty miles, it was hopelessly
lost, and the Adger returned to New-York.
This loss was owing partly to the severity of the
gale, and partly to the fact that the bark which had
the Sable on board was wholly unfitted for the purpose. It was a sailing-vessel, and had to be towed by
another ship. In this way it was impossible to regulate its motion. It was too fast or too slow. It was
liable to be swayed by the sea, now giving a lurch
ahead, and now dragging behind. Experience showed
that a cable should always be laid from a steam-vessel
which could regulate its own motion, running out
freely when all went smoothly, and checking its
speed instantly when it was necessary to ease up the
strain, or to pay out more slack to fill up the hollows
of the sea.
This first loss of a submarine cable was a severe
disappointment to the Company. It postponed the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   61
enterprise for a whole year. To make a new cable
would require several months. The season was now
so far advanced that it could not be laid before another
summer. Was it strange if some of the little band began to ask if they had not lost enough, and to reason
that it was better to stop where they were, than to go
on still farther, casting their treasures into the sea?
But there was in that little company a spirit of hope
and determination that could not be subdued; that
ever cried: " Once more unto the breach, good friends!"
After some deliberation, it was resolved to renew the
attempt. Mr. Field again sailed for England to order
another cable, which was duly made and sent out the
following summer. This time, warned by experience,
the Company invited no party and made no display.
The cable was placed on board a steamer fitted for the
purpose. It was laid without accident, and remained
in perfect working order for nine years.
Meanwhile the work on land had been pushed forward without ceasing. After incredible labor, the
Company had built a road and a telegraph from one
end of Newfoundland to the other, four hundred
miles; and, as if that were not enough, had built
also another line, one hundred and forty miles in
length, in the island of Cape Breton. The first part
of their work was now done. The telegraph had
been carried beyond the United States through the




62   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
British Provinces to St. John's in Newfoundland, a
distance from New-York of over one thousand miles.
The cost of the line, thus ifar, had been about a
million,-of dollars, and of this the whole burden, with
but trifling exceptions, had fallen upon the original
projectors-Mr. Field having put in over two hundred'thousand dollars in money-and Mr. Cooper, Mr.
Taylor, and Mr. Roberts each a little less. No other
contributors beyond the six original subscribers had
come, except Professor Morse, Mr. Robert W. Lowber, Mr. Wilson G. Hunt, and Mr. John W. Brett.
The list of directors and officers remained as it was
at first, except that this year, 1856, Mr. White died,
and his place as director was filled by Mr. Hunt, and
that Mr. Field was chosen Vice-President, and Mr.
Lowber Secretary. In all the operations of the Com-.
pany thus far, the various negotiations, the plan of the
work, the oversight of its execution, and the correspondence with the officers and others, mainly devolved upon Mr. Field.
And so at length, after two long and weary years,
these bold projectors had accomplished half their work.
They had passed over the land, and under the Gulf of
St. Lawrence, and having reached the farthest point
of the American coast, they now stood upon the. cliffs
of Newfoundland, looking off upon the wide sea.




CHAPTER V.
THE DEEP-SEA SOUNDINGS. THE OLD METHOD OF BALL AND LINE.
MASSEY'S INDICATOR. INVENTION OF LIEUTENANT BROOKE. CRUISE
OF THE DOLPHIN IN 1853, AND OF THE ARCTIC IN 1856. THE BRAVE
LIEUTENANT BERRYMAN.  SOUNDINGS BY COMMANDER DAYMAN, OF
THE BRITISH NAVY, IN THE CYCLOPS IN 1857.  THE BED OF THE
ATLANTIC. DEPTHS IN DIFFERENT PARTS. THE TELEGRAPHIC PLATEAU. SUBMARINE MOUNTAIN OFF THE COAST OF IRELAND.
Hark! do you hear the sea?
-KING LEAR.
WHEN a landsman, born far away among the
mountains, comes down to the coast, and stands for
the first time on the shore of the sea, it excites in,
him  a feeling of awe and wonder, not unmingled with
terror. There it lies, a level surface, with nothing that
lifts up its head like a peak of his native hills. And
yet it is so vast, stretching away to the horizon, and
all over the sides of the round world; with its tides
and currents that sweep from the equator to the pole;
with its unknown depths and its ceaseless motion; that
it is to him the highest emblem of majesty and of
power-a not unworthy symbol of God himself.




64   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
In proportion- to its mystery is the terror which
hangs over it. A vague dread always surrounds the
unknown. And what so unknown as the deep, unfathomable sea?  For thousands of years the sails of
ships, like winged birds, have skimmed over it, yet
it has remained the one thing in nature beyond alike
man's knowledge and his power.
Man marks the earth with ruin,
His control stops with the shore.
And the little that has been known of the ocean
has been chiefly of its surface, of the winds that blow
over it, and the waves that are lifted up on high.
We knew somewhat of its tides and currents as observed in different parts of the earth. We saw off
our coast the great Gulf Stream-that steady flow of
waters so mighty and mysterious, which, issuing out
of the tropical regions, poured its warm current, sixty
miles broad, right through the cold waters of the
North-Atlantic; and sweeping round, sent the airs of
a softer climate over all the countries of Western Europe. Old- voyagers told us of the trade-winds that
blew across the Pacific, and of terrible monsoons in
China and Indian seas. But all that did not reveal
what was going on a hundred fathoms below the surface. These- old sailors had marvellous tales of Indian pearl-divers, who, holding their breath, plunged




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   65
to the depth of a few hundred feet; but they came up
half-dead, with but little to tell except of the frightful
monsters of the deep. The diving-bell was let down
over sunken wrecks,.but the divers came up only with
tales of riches and ruin, of gold and gems and dead
men's bones that lie mingled together on the deep sea
floor. Was the bottom of the sea all like this? Was
it a vast realm of death, the sepulchre of the world?
No man- could tell us. Poets might sing of the caves
of ocean, but no eye of science had yet penetrated
those awful depths, which the storms never reach.
It is indeed marvellous how little was known, up to
a very recent date, of the true character of the ocean.
Navigators had often tried to find out how deep it
was. When lying becalmed on a tranquil sea, they
had amused themselves by letting down a long line,
weighted with a cannon-ball, to see if they could
touch bottom. But the results were very uncertain.
Sometimes the line ran out for miles and miles, but
whether it was all the while descending, or was swayed
hither and thither by mighty under-currents, could not
be known.
But this true character of the ocean it was necessary to determine, before it could be possible to pass
the gulf of the Atlantic. What was there on the
bottom of the sea? for it was there the cable was to
find its resting-place. Was that ocean-bed a wide




66   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
level plain, or had it been heaved up by volcanic
forces into a hundred mountain-peaks, with many a
gorge and precipice between? Such was the character of a part of the basin of the ocean. Here and
there, all over the globe, are islands, like the Peak of
Teneriffe, thrown up in some' fierce bursting of the
crust of our planet, that shoot up in tremendous cliffs
from the sea. Who shall say that the same cliffs do
not shoot down below the waves a thousand fathoms
deep'?  And might there not be such islands, which
did not show their heads above the surface, lying in
the track between Europe and America; or perchance
a succession of mountain ranges, over which the cable
would have to be stretched, and where hanging from
the heights it would swing with the tide, till at last it
snapped and fell into the abyss below?  Such at least
were possible dangers to be encountered; and it was
not safe to advance a step till first the basin of the
North-Atlantic was explored.
The progress of invention, so rapid on land, at
length found a way of penetrating the sea, and even
of turning up its bottom to the gaze of men. To
measure the depth with something like mathematical accuracy, an instrument was introduced known
among nautical men as Massey's Indicator, the method of which is very clearly explained in an article
which appeared in one of the New-York papers, (the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   67
Times,) on the deep-sea soundings made for the Atlantic Telegraph:
"The old system is with a small line, marked at
distances of one hundred fathoms, and with a weight
of thirty or fifty pounds, the depth being told by
the length of line run out. This is, of course, the
most natural apparatus that suggests itself, and has
been in use from the earliest ages. Experience has
given directions for its use, avoiding some of the
grosser causes of error from driftage and other causes.
Yet its success in immense ocean depths is problematical, and a problem decided in the negative by many
of the first scientific authorities at home and abroad.
In the mechanical improvements of the last half-century substitutes for this simple but rather uncertain
method began to be devised. It was proposed to ascertain the depth by the amount of pressure, -or by
explosions under water, with other equally impracticable plans. At last was noticed the perfect regularity of the movements of a spirally-shaped wheel, on
being drawn through the water. Experiments proved
that this regularity, when unaffected by other causes,
could be relied on with perfect accuracy, and that an
arrangement of cog-wheels would register its revolutions with mathematical precision. Very soon it came
in use as a ship's log. So perfect was their precision,
that they were even introduced in scientific surveys.




68   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Base lines, where the nicest accuracy is required, were
run with them, and we have the highest authority of
the Royal Navy for believing that they never failed.
At this point it was proposed to apply them in a perpendicular as well as in a horizontal motion through
the water, Massey's apparatus promising to solve those
problems of submarine geography left unsolved by the
old method of obtaining depth with a simple line and
sinker, and this more especially as some causes of error,
considerable on the surface, disappear in the still water
below."
To make our knowledge of the sea complete, one
thing more was wanting-a method not only of reaching the bottom, but of laying hold of it, and bringing
it up to the light of day. This was now to be supplied.
It is to the inventive genius of a lieutenant of the
United States Navy, Mr. J. M. Brooke, that the world
owes the means of finding out what is at the bottom
of the sea.  This is by a very simple contrivance,
by which the heavy weight, used to sink the measuring line, is detached as soon as it'strikes bottom, leaving
the line free so that it can be drawn up lightly and
quickly to the surface without danger of breaking.
Below the weight, and'driven by it into the-ooze, is a
rod, in which is an open valve, that now closes with
a spring, by which it catches a cupful of the soil,
which is thus brought up to the surface, to be placed




BROORE'S DEEP SEA SOUNDING APPARATUS.
A shows the instrument ready for sounding. It is very simple, consisting only of a cannon-ball, pierced with an iron rod,
and held in its place by slings.  As the ball goes down swiftly,
it drives the rod into the bottom like the point of a spear, when
an opening at the end catches the ooze in its iron lips. The
same instant (see 13,) the slings loosen, the ball drops off, and
the nalked rod, C, with its " bite " is drawn up to the surface.








HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   69
under the microscope, and be subjected to the sharp
eye of science. With this simple instrument the skilful seaman explores the bottom of the ocean by literally feeling over it. With a long line he dives to the
very lowest depths, while the clasp at the end of it, is
like the tip of the elephant's trunk, serving as a delicate finger with which he picks up sand and shells
that lie strewn on the floor of the deep. What'important conclusions are derived from this inspection of
the bottom of the sea, is well stated by Lieutenant
Maury in the letter already quoted.
We can but regard it. as a Providential event,
preparing the way for the great achievement which
vas now to be undertaken, that a partial survey of the
Atlantic had been made the very year before this
enterprise was begun, in 1853. Lieutenant Berryman was the first who applied this new method of
taking deep-sea soundings to that part of the Atlantic
lying between Newfoundland and Ireland, with results
most surprising and satisfactory. But to remove all
doubt it seemed desirable to have a fresh survey. To
obtain this, Mr. Field went to Washington and applied
to. the Government in behalf of the Company for a second expedition.
The request was granted, and the Arctic, under cornmand of the same gallant Lieutenant Berryman, was
assigned to this service. He sailed from New-York




70   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
on the eighteenth of July, 1856, and the very next
day Mr. Field left on the Baltic for England, to organize the Atlantic Telegraph Company. TheArctic
proceeded to St. John's, and thence with a clear eye
and a steady hand, this true sailor went "sounding on
his dim and perilous way" across the deep. In about
three weeks he made the coast of Ireland, having carried his survey along the great circle are, which the
telegraph was to follow as the nearest path from the
old world to the new. The result fully confirmed his
belief of the existence of a great plateau underneath
the ocean, extending all the way from one hemisphere
to the other.
I cannot take leave of the name of this gallant officer, who rendered such services to science and to his
country, without a word of tribute to his memory.
Lieutenant Berryman is in his grave. He died in the
navy of his country, and from his ardent devotion to
her service. When, five years ago, the great civil
war which has just ended, broke out, he was placed in
a position most painful to a man of large heart, who,
loved at once his country and the state in which he
was born. He was a Southerner, a native of Winchester, Va., and was assigned to service in the South.
At the first attack on Southern forts and arsenals, he
was in" command of the Wyandotte, in the harbor of
Pensacola, in Florida. His officers, who were nearly




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   71
all Southerners, were in secret sympathy with the rebellion. Thus all the influences around him, both on
ship and on shore, were such as might have seduced a
weaker man from his loyalty. But, to his honor, he
never hesitated for a moment. IHe stood firm and
loyal to his flag. Not knowing whom to trust, he
had to keep watch day and night against surprise and
treachery. It was the testimony of Lieutenant Sleinmer, then in command of Fort Pickens, that but for
the eeaseiess exertions of Lieutenant Berryman not
only the ship but the fort would have been lost. Bat
this victory for his country he paid for with his life.
His constant exertions brought on a brain fever, of
which he died. His wife, also a native of Winchester,
when the war came near her early home, removed to
Baltimore, saying that " she would not live under any
other flag than that under which her husband had
lived and died."
It was to the honor of the American navy, to have
led the way in these deep-sea soundings. But after
this second voyage of exploration, Mr. Field applied to
the British Admiralty, " to make what further soundings might be necessary between Ireland and Newfoundland, and to verify those made by Lieutenant
Berryman." It was in response to this application
that the Government sent out the following year
a vessel to make still another survey of the same
ocean-path. This was the steamer Cyclops, which




72   eHISTORY OF THIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
was placed under Lieutenant Commander Joseph
Dayman, of the British navy, an officer who had
been with Captain Sir James Ross when he made
his deep-sea soundings in the South-Atlantic in 1840,
where he attained a depth of twenty-six hundred
and sixty-seven fathoms; and who by his intelligence and zeal, was admirably fitted for the work.
To speak now of this third survey, is anticipating in
time. But it will serve the purpose of unity and
clearness in the narrative, to include all these deep-sea
soundings in one chapter. He was directed to proceed to the harbor of Valentia in Ireland, and thence
to follow, as nearly as possible, along the arc of a great
circle to Newfoundland.  "The soundings for the first
Iew miles from the coast should be frequent, decreasing as you draw off shore."
These orders were thoroughly executed.  Every
pains was taken to make the information obtained precise and exact.  Whenever a sounding was to be
taken, the ship was hove to, and the bow kept as
nearly as possible in the same spot, so that the line
might descend perpendicularly. This was repeated
every few miles until they had got far out into the
Atlantic, where the general equality of the depths
rendered it necessary to cast the line only every twenty or thirty miles. Thus the survey was made complete, and the results obtained were of the greatest




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   73
value in determining the physical geography of the
sea.
The conclusions of Commander Dayman confirmed
in general those of Lieutenant Berryman, though in
comparing the charts prepared by the two, we observe
some differences which ought to be noticed. Both
agree as to the general character of the bottom of the
ocean along this latitude-that it is a vast plain, like
the steppes of Siberia. Yet on the chart of Dayvman
the floor of the sea seems not such a dead level as on
that of Berryman. (This may be partly owing to a
difference of route, as Dayman passed a little to the
north of the track of Berryman.) There are more unequal depths, which in the small space of a chart, appear like hills and valleys. Yet when we consider
the wide distances passed over, these inequalities seem
not greater than the undulations on our Western
prairies.  "This space," says Dayman, "has been
named by Maury the telegraphic plateau, and although
by multiplying the soundings upon it, we have depths
ranging from fourteen hundred and fifty to twentyfour hundred fathoms, these are comparatively small
inequalities in its surface, and present no new difficulty to the project of laying the cable across the ocean.
Their importance vanishes when the extent of the
space over which they are distributed (thirty degrees
of longitude) is considered."
4




74     HISTORY  OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
According  to  Berryman  and  Dayman  both, the
ocean in its deepest part on this plateau, measured but
a little over two thousand fathoms, or twelve thousand
feet —a depth  of not much over two  miles.  This is
not great, compared with the enormous depths in other
parts of the Atlantic;* yet that it is something, may be
realized from the fact that if the Peak of Teneriffe were
here " cast into the sea," it would sink out of sight,
island, mountain and all, while even the lofty head of
Mont Blanc would be lifted but a few hundred feet
above the waves.
The only exception to this uniform depth, lies about
two  hundred  miles off the coast of Ireland, where
within a space of about a dozen miles, the depth sank
from five hundred and fifty to seventeen hundred and
* " The ocean bed of the North-Atlantic is a cufirious study; in somo
parts furrowed by currents, in others presenting banks, the accumulations perhaps of the d6bris of these ocean rivers during countless ages.
To the west, the Gulf Stream pours along in a bed from one mile to a
mile and a half in depth. To the east of this, and south of the Great
Banks, is a basin, eight or ten degrees square, where the bottom attains
a greater depression than perhaps the highest peaks of the Andes or
Himalaya-six miles of line have failed to reach the bottom. Taking a
profile of the Atlantic basin in our own latitude, we find a far greater
depression than any mountain elevation on our own continent. Four
or five Alleghanies would have to be piled on each other, and on them
added Fremont's Peak, before their point would show itself above the
surface. Between the Azores and the mouth of the Tagus this deocreases to about three miles."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   75
fifty fathoms I " In 140 48' west," says Dayman, "we
have five hundred and fifty fathoms rock, and in 15~ 6'
west we have seventeen hundred and fifty fathoms ooze.
This is the greatest dip in the whole ocean." " In
little more than ten miles of distance a change of
depth occurs, amounting to seventy-two hundred feet."
This seems indeed a tremendous plunge, especially off
from the hard rock into the slime of the sea.
The same sudden declivity was noticed by Berryman, and has been observed in the several attempts to
lay the cable. Thus in the second expedition of 1858,
as the Agamemnon was approaching the coast of Ireland, we read in the report of her voyage: "About
five o'clock in the evening, the steep submarine mountain which divides the telegraphic plateau from the
Irish coast, was reached; and the sudden shallowing
of the water had a very marked effect on the cable,
causing the strain on, and the speed of it, to lessen
every minute. A great deal of slack was paid out to
allow for inequalities which might exist, though undiscovered by the sounding-line.''
This submarine mountain was then regarded as the
chief point of danger in the whole bed of the Atlantic,
and as the principal source of anxiety in laying a
cable across the ocean. Yet, after all, a descent or
ascent of less than a mile and a half in ten miles, is
not an impassable grade. More recent soundings re



76   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
duce this still farther.  Captain  ioskins, R. N., has
since made a second  survey, and with  results much
more favorable. The side of the mountain, it is now
said, is not very much steeper than  Holborn  Hill in
London, or Murray Hill in New-York.*   But perhaps
the best answer to fears on this point, is the fact that in
1857, 185S, and 1865, the cable passed over it without
difficulty.  In 1857 the Niagara was a hundred  miles
farther to sea, when the cable broke.  In  1865  the
strain was not increased more than a hundred pounds.:* The following is from a recent article in the London Times:
" The dangerous part of this course has hitherto been supposed to
be the sudden dip or bank which occurs off the west coast of Ireland,
and where the water was supposed to deepen in the course of a few
miles from about three hundred fathoms to nearly two thousand. Such
a rapid descent has naturally been regarded with alarm by telegraphic
engineers, and this alarm has led to a most careful sounding survey of
the whole supposed bank by Captain Dayman, acting under the instructions of the Admiralty. The result of this shows that the supposed precipitous bank, or submarine cliff, is a gradual slope of nearly
sixty miles. Over this long slope the difference between its greatest
height and greatest depth is only eighty-seven hundred and sixty feet;
so that the average incline is, in round numbers, about one hundred
and forty-five feet per mile. A good gradient on a railway is now generally considered to be one in one hundred feet, or about fifty-three in a
mile; so that the incline on this supposed bank is only about three
times that of an ordinary railway. In fact, as far as soundings can
demonstrate any thing, there are few slopes in the bed of the Atlantic
as steep as that of IIolborn Hill. In no part is the bottom rocky, and
with the exception of a few miles, which are shingly, only ooze, mud,
or eand is to be found."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   77
Next to the depth of the ocean, it was important to
ascertain the nature of its bottom. What was it-a
vast bed' of rock, the iron-bound crust of the globe,
hardened by internal fires, and which, bending as a
vault over the still glowing centre of the earth, bore
up on its mighty arches the weight of all the oceans?
or was it mere sand like the sea-shore? or ooze as soft
as that of a mill-pond? The pressure of a column of
waster two miles high would be equal to that of four
hundred atmospheres. Would not this weight alone
be enough to crush any substance that could reach
that tremendous depth? These were questions which
remained to be answered, but on which depended the
possibility of laying a cable at the bottom of the Atlantic.
By the ingenious contrivance of Lieutenant Brooke,
the problem was solved, for we got hold of fragments
of the under-coating of the sea; and to our amazement,
instead of finding the ocean bound round with thick
ribs of granite, its inner lining was found to be soft as
a silken vest. The soil brought up from the bottom
was not even of the hardness of sand or gravel. It
was mere ooze, like that of our rivers, and was as soft
as the moss that clings to old, damp stones on the
river's brink. At first it was thought by Lieutenant
Berryman to be common clay, but being carefully preserved, and subjected to a powerful microscope, it




78    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
was found to be composed of myriads of shells, too
small to be discovered by the naked eye!::This fact alone was a revelation.  What a story did
it tell of the forms of animated existence which fill the
sea. " The ocean teems with life, we know. Of the
four elements of the old philosophers-fire, earth, air,
and water-perhaps the sea most of all abounds with
living creatures. The space occupied on the surface
of our planet by the different families of animals and
their remains are inversely as the size of the individual. The smaller the animal, the greater the space
occupied by his remains. Take the elephant and his
remains, or a microscopic animal and his, and compare them. The contrast, as to space occupied, is as
striking as that of the coral reef or island with the
dimensions of the whale. The graveyard that would
hold the corallines is larger than the graveyard that
would hold the elephants."*
These little creatures, whose remains were thus
found at the bottom of the ocean, probably did not
live there, for there all is dark, and shells, like flowers,
need the light and warmth of the all-reviving sun. It
was their sepulchre, but not their dwelling-place. Probably they lived near the surface of the ocean, and
after their short life, sunk to the tranquil waters below.
What a work of life and death had been going on for
* Maury's Physical Geography of the Sea.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   79
ages in the depths of the sea I Myriads upon myriads,
ever since the morning of creation, had been falling
like snow-flakes, till their remains literally covered the
bottom of the deep.
Equally significant was the fact that these shells
were unbroken.  Not only were they there, but preserved in a perfect form. Organisms the most minute
and delicate, fragile as drooping flowers, had yet sunk
and slept uninjured. The same power which watches
over the fall of a sparrow had kept these frail and
tender things, and after their brief existence, had laid
them gently on the bosom of the mighty mother for
their eternal rest.
The bearing of this discovery on the problem of a
submarine telegraph was obvious. For it too was
to lie on the ocean-bed, beside and among these relies
that had so long been drifting down upon the watery
plain. And if these tiny shells slept there unharmed,
surely an iron chord might rest there in safety. There
were no swift currents down there; no rushing waves
agitated that sunless sea. There the waters moved
not; and there might rest the great nerve that was
to pass from continent. to continent.  And so far as
injury from the surrounding elements was concerned,
there it might remain, whispering the thoughts of
successive generations ol men, till the sea should
give up its dead.




CHAPTER VI.
MR. FIELD GOES TO ENGLAND TO ORGANIZE THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH
COMPANY.  CONFERS WITH JOHN W. BRETT.  SEEKS COUNSEL OF
ENGINEERS AND ELECTRICIANS. RESULT OF EXPERIMENTS. APPLIES
TO THE GOVERNMENT. FOR AID. LETTER FROM THE TREASURY. ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH MESSRS. BRETT, BRIGHT, AND
WVHITEHOUSE TO FORM A COMPANY. THE ENTERPRISE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BRITISH PUBLIC. CAPITAL RAISED AND COMPANY ORGANIZED. CHOICE OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS. CONTRACT FOR THE
CABLE.
UP to this time the Telegraph, which was destined
to pass the sea, had been purely an American enterprise. It had been begun, and for two years had
been carried on, wholly by American capital. Save
the few  shares held by Mr. Brett, which are hardly
enough to be counted an exception, not a dollar had
been raised on the other side of the Atlantic. Indeed
we might add, not a dollar had been raised on this,
outside of the little circle in which the scheme had its
origin.  No stock or bonds were put upon the market; no man was asked for a subscription. If they
wanted money, they drew their checks for it. At one
time, indeed, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
of bonds were issued, but they were at once taken




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   81
wholly by themselves. It is but just that those who
thus single-handed bore the burden, and who risked
a total loss in the event of failure, should have the
honor in the event of success.
But, as the time was now come when the long-meditated attempt was to be made to carry the Telegraph
across the ocean, it was fitting that Great Britain,
whose shores it was to touch, should join in the
work. Accordingly, in the summer of 1856, after finishing all that he could do in America, Mr. Field sailed with his family for England. The very day before
be embarked, he had the pleasure to see his friend,
Lieutenant Berryman, off on his second voyage to
make soundings across the Atlantic.
In London he sought at once Mr. John W. Brett,
with whom in his two former visits to England he had
already discussed the project of a Telegraph across
the ocean, and found him prompt with his counsel
and cooperation. As we go on with this history, it is
a melancholy satisfaction to refer to one and another
worker in this enterprise, who lived not to see its
last and greatest triumph. Mr. Brett, like Berryman,
is dead. But he did not go to his grave till after a
life of usefulness and honor. He was one of the men
of the new era-of the school of Stephenson and Brunel-who believed in the marvellous achievements yet
to be wrought by human invention, turning to the
*4




82   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
service of man the wonders of scientific discovery.
He was one of the first to see the boundless possibilities of the telegraph, and to believe that what had
passed over the land might pass under the sea. He.
was the first to lay a cable across the British Channel,
and thus to bring into instantaneous communication
the: two great capitals of Europe - an achievement
which, though small compared with what has since
been done, was then so marvellous, that the intelligence of its success was received with surprise and incredulity. Many could not and would not believe it.
Even after messages were received in London from
Paris, there were those who declared;that it was an
imposition on the public, with as much obstinacy as
some still persist that a message never passed over the
Atlantic Telegraph I
This friendship of Mr. Brett-both to the enterprise
and to himself personally-remained to the last. In
every voyage to England Mr. Field found-however
others doubted or despaired-that Mr. Brett was always the same-full of hope and confidence.  Only
two years ago, when they met in London, he was unshaken in faith, and urgent to have the great enterprise
renewed. That he was not to see. But, though he has
passed away, his work remains; and whenever two
hemispheres shall rejoice over a fresh triumph of the
Atlantic Telegraph, they should remember his eminent




I-IISTORY OF TILE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHi.   Z~
services. And therefore do we pause at his name-to
lay our humble tribute on the grave of this true-hearted Englishman.
To Mr. Brett, therefore, he went first to consult in
regard to his great project of a telegraph across the
Atlantic Ocean. This was a part of the design embraced in the original organization of the New-York,
Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company;
and when Mr. Field went to England, he was empowered to receive subscriptions to that Company, so as
to enlarge its capital, and thus include in one corporation the whole line from New-York to London; or to
organize a new company, which should lay a cable
across the Atlantic, and there join the Newfoundland
line.
But before an enterprise so vast and so new could
be commended to the commercial public of Great
Britain, there were many details to be settled. The
mechanical and scientific problems already referred to,
whether a cable could be laid across the ocean; and
if so, whether it could be worked, were to be considered anew. The opinions of Lieutenant Maury and of
Professor Morse were published in England, and arrested the attention of scientific men. But John Bull
is slow of belief, and asked for more evidence. The
thing was too vast to be undertaken rashly. As yet
there was no experience to decide the possibility of a




84  HJSTORY OF TIlE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPII.
telegraph across the ocean. The longest line which had
been laid was three hundred miles. This caution, which
is a national trait of Englishmen, will not be regarded
as a fault by those who consider that in proportion as
they are slow to embark in any new enterprise, are
they resolute and determined in carrying it out.
To resolve these difficult problems, Mr. Field
sought counsel of the highest engineering authorities
of Great Britain, and of her most eminent scientific
men. To their honor, all showed the deepest interest
in the project, and gave it freely the benefit of their
knowledge.
First, as to the possibility of laying a cable in the
deep sea, Mr. Field had witnessed one attempt of the
kind-that in the Gulf of St. Lawrence the year before-an attempt which had failed. His experience,
therefore, was not very encouraging. If they found
so much difficulty in laying a cable seventy miles
long, how could they hope to lay one of two thousand
miles across the stormy Atlantic?
This was a question for the Engineers. To solve the
problem, required experiments almost without number.
It was now that the most important services were rendered by Glass, Elliot & Co., of London, a firm which
had begun within a few years the manufacture of seacables, and which was to write its name in all the waters of the world. Aided by the skill of their admirable engineer, Mr. Canning, they now manufactured




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPtI.   85
cables almost without end, applying to them every -possible test. At the same time, Mr. Field took counsel
of Robert Stephenson and George Parker Bidder, both
of whom manifested a deep interest in the success of
the enterprise.
Not less cordial was Mr. Brunel, a name known in
both hemispheres. From the beginning he showed the
warmest interest in the undertaking, and made many
suggestions in regard to the form of the cable, and the
manner in which it should be laid. He was then
building the Great Eastern; and one day he took Mr.
Field down to Blackwall to see it, and said, pointing
to the monstrous hull which was rising on the banks
of the Thames: " There is the ship to lay the Atlantic
cable!"  Little did he think that ten years after, that
ship would be employed in this service; and in this
final victory over the sea, would redeem all the misfortunes of her earlier career.
Among the difficulties, partly mechanical and partly
scientific, to be encountered, was that of finding a perfect insulator. Without insulation, telegraphic communication by electricity is impossible.  On land,
where wires are carried on the tops of. poles, the air
itself is a sufficient insulator. A few glass rings at
the points where the wire passes through the iron
staples by which it is supported, and the insulation is
complete. But in the sea the electricity would be instantly dissipated, unless some material could be found




86   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAP IH.
which should insulate a conductor sunk in water, as
completely as' if it were raised in air. But what could
thus inclose the lightning, and keep it fast while flying from one continent to the other?
Here again it seemed as if Divine wisdom had anticipated the coming of this great enterprise, and provided in the realm of nature every material needed
for its success. It was one of the remarkable, or rather should we say, Providential discoveries, which prepared the way for this final achievement, that only a
few years before there should be found, in the forests
of the Malayan archipelago, a substance till then unknown to the world, but which answered completely
this new demand of science. This was Gutta-Percha,
a substance impenetrable by water, and which is at
the same time a bad conductor of electricity; so that
it forms at once a perfect protection and insulation to
a telegraph passing through the sea. In the experimnents that were made to test the value of this material in the grander use to which it was to be applied,
no man rendered heartier service, or showed a more
enlightened zeal, than Mr. Samuel Statham, of the
London Gutta-Percha Works-a name to be always
gratefully remembered in the early history of the Atlantic Telegraph.
The mechanical difficulties removed, and the insulation provided, there remained yet the great scientific




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPI'H.   87
problem: Could a message be sent two thousand miles
under the Atlantic? The ingenuity of man might devise some method of laying a cable across the sea, but
of what use were it, if the lightning should shrink
from the dark abyss?
It was in prosecuting inquiries to resolve this problem, that Mr. Field became acquainted with two gentlemen who were to be soon after associated with him
in. the organization of the Atlantic Telegraph Company.  These were Mr. Charles T. Bright, afterward
knighted for his part in laying the Atlantic cable in
1858, and Dr. Edward 0. W. Whitehouse, both favorably known in England, the former as an engineer,
and the latter for his many experiments in electromagnetism, as applied to the business of telegraphing. He had invented an instrument by which to ascertain and register the velocity of electric currents
through submarine cables.  Both these gentlemen
were full of the ardor of science, and entered on this
new project with the zeal which the prospect of so
great a triumph might inspire. With them was now
to be associated our distinguished countryman, Professor Morse. It was a most fortunate circumstance
for the new enterprise that he was at this time in London, and gave his invaluable aid to the experiments
which were made to determine the possibility of tele.
graphic communication at great distances under the




88    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPII.
sea. The result of his experiments he communicates
in a letter to Mr. Field:
"LONDON, FIVE O'CLOCK A.M.,
"October 3, 1856.
"MY DEAR SIR: As the electrician of the NewYork, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, it is with the highest gratification that I have to
apprise you of the result of our experiments of this
morning upon a single continuous conductor of more
than two thousand miles in extentja distance you will
perceive sufficient to cross the Atlantic Ocean, from
Newfoundland to Ireland.
"The admirable arrangements made at the Magnetic Telegraph Office in Old Broad street, for connecting
ten subterranean gutta-percha insulated conductors, of
over two hundred miles each, so as to give one continuous length of more than two thousand miles during the hours of the night, when the telegraph is not
commercially employed, furnished us the means of
conclusively settling, by actual experiment, the question of the practicability as well as the practicality* of
telegraphing through our proposed Atlantic cable.
* Professor Morse is fond of the distinction between the words practical'and practicable. A thing may be practicable, that is, possible of
accomplishment, when' it is not a practical enterprise, that is, one which
can be worked to advantage. He here argues that the Atlantic Telegraph is both practicable or possible, and at the same time a wise, practical undertaking.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   89
"This result had been thrown into some doubt by
the discovery, more than two years since, of certain
phenomena upon subterranean and submarine conductors, and had attracted the attention of electricians,
particularly of that most eminent philosopher, Professor Faraday, and that clear-sighted investigator of
electrical phenomena, Dr. Whitehouse; and one of
these phenomena, Ato wit, the perceptible retardation
of the electric current, threatened to perplex our operations, and required careful investigation before we
could pronounce with certainty the commercial practicability of the Ocean Telegraph.
" I am most happy to inform you that, as a crowning result of a long series of experimental investigation and inductive reasoning upon this subject, the experiments under the direction of Dr. Whitehouse and
Mr. Bright, which I witnessed this morning-in which
the induction coils and receiving magnets, as modified
by these gentlemen, were made to actuate. one of my
recording instruments -have most satisfactorily resolved all doubts of the practicability as well as practicality of operating the telegraph from Newfoundland
to Ireland.
"Although we telegraphed signals at the rate of
two hundred and ten, two hundred and forty-one, and,
according to the count at one time, even of two hundred and seventy per minute upon my telegraphic




90    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
register, (which speed, you will perceive, is at a rate
commercially advantageous,) these results were accomplished' notwithstanding many disadvantages in our
arrangements of a temporary and local character —disadvantages which will not occur in the use of our submarine cable.
"Having passed the whole night with my active
and agreeable collaborators, Dr. Whitehouse and Mr.
Bright, without sleep, you will excuse the hurried and
brief character of this note, which I could not refrain
from sending you, since our experiments this morning
settle the scientific and commercial points of our enterprise satisfactorily.' With respect and esteem, your obedient servant,
"SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.
"To CYlrrUs W. FIELD, Esq., Vice-President of the rew- York, New.
fosundland, and London Telegraph Company, 37 Jermyn street, St.
James's street."
The following, written a week later, confirms the
impressions of the former:
" LONDON, October 10, 1856.
"MY DEAR SIR: After having given the deepest
consideration to the subject of our successful experiments the other night, when we signalled clearly and
rapidly through an unbroken circuit of subterranean
conducting wire, over two thousand miles in length, I




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   91
sit down to give you the result of my reflections and
calculations.
"There can be no question but that, with a cable
containing a single conducting wire, of a size not exceeding that through which we worked, and with
equal insulation, it would be easy to telegraph from
Ireland to Newfoundland at a speed of at least from
eight to ten words per minute; nay, more: the varying rates of speed at which we worked, depending as
they did upon differences in the arrangement of the
apparatus employed, do of themselves prove that even
a higher rate than this is attainable. Take it, however, at ten words in the minute, and allowing ten
words for name and address, we can safely calculate
upon the transmission of a twenty-word message in
three minutes;
"' Twenty such messages in the hour;
"Four hundred and eighty in the twenty-four hours,
or fourteen thousand four hundred words per day.
"Such are the capabilities of a single wire cable
fairly and moderately computed.
It is, however, evident to me, that by improvements in the arrangement of the signals themselves,
aided by the adoption bf a code or system constructed
upon the principles of the best nautical code, as suggested by Dr. Whitehouse, we may at least double
the speed in the transmission of our messages.




92   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
" As to the structure of the cable itself, the last spe.
cimen which I examined with you seemed to combine
so admirably the necessary qualities of strength, flexibility, and lightness, with perfect insulation, that I
can no longer have any misgivings about the ease and
safety with which it will be submerged.
"In one word, the doubts are resolved, the difficulties overcome, success is within our reach, and the
great feat of the century must shortly be accomplished.
"I would urge you, if the manufacture can be completed within the time, (and all things are possible
now,) to press forward the good work, and not to lose
the chance of laying it during the ensuing summer.
"Before the close of the present month, I hope to
be again landed safely on the other side of -the water,
and I full well know, that on all hands the inquiries
of most interest with which I shall be met, will be
about the Ocean Telegraph.
"Much as I have enjoyed my European trip this
year, it would enhance the gratification which I have
derived from it more than I can describe to you, if on
my return to America, I could be the first bearer to
my friends of the welcome intelligence that the great
work had been begun, by the commencement of the
manufacture of the cable to connect Ireland with the
line of the New-York, Newfoundland, and London




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   93
Telegraph Company, now so successfully completed to
St. John's.
" Respectfully, your obedient servant,
"SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.
"To CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Vice-President, etc.
These experiments and others removed the doubts
of scientific men. Professor Faraday, in spite of the
law of the retardation of electricity on long circuits,
which it was said he had discovered, and which would
render it impossible to work a line of such length as
from Ireland to Newfoundland, now declared his full
conviction that it was within the bounds of possibility.
The'passage of electricity might not be absolutely instantaneous, or have the swiftness of the solar beam
in its flight from the morning sun, yet it would be
rapid enough for all practical purposes. When Mr.
Field asked him how long it would take for the electricity to pass from London to New-York, he answered: " Possibly one second 1"
Being thus fortified by the highest scientific and
engineering authorities, the projectors of an ocean telegraph were now ready to bring it before the British
public, and to see what support could be found for the
undertaking from the English Government and the
English people.
Mr. Field first addressed himself to the Government.
Without waiting for the Company to be fully organ



94   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ized, with true American eagerness and impatience, he
wrote a letter to the Admiralty asking for a fresh survey of the route to be traversed, and for the aid of
Government ships to lay the cable. IHe also addressed
a letter to Lord Clarendon, stating the large design
which they had conceived, and asking for it the aid
which was due to what concerned the honor and interest of England. The reply was prompt and courteous, inviting him to an interview for the purpose of
a fuller explanation. Accordingly, Mr. Field, with
Professor Morse, called upon him at the Foreign Office, and spent an hour in conversation on the proposed undertaking. Lord Clarendon showed -great
interest, and made many inquiries.  He was a little
startled at the magnitude of the scheme, and the confident tone of the projectors, and asked pleasantly:
"But, suppose you don't succeed?  Suppose you
make the attempt and fail-your cable is lost in the
sea-then what will you do?"  "Charge it to profit
and loss, and go to work to lay another," was the
quick answer of Mr. Field, which amused him as a
truly American reply.' In conclusion, he desired him
to put his request in writing, and, without committing
the Government, encouraged him to hope that Britain
would do all that might justly be expected in' aid of
this great international work. How nobly this promise was kept, time will show.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   95
While engaged in these negotiations, Mr. Field took
his family to Paris, and there met with a great loss in
the sudden death of a favorite sister, who had accompanied them abroad. Full of the sorrow of this event,
and unfitted for business of any kind, he returned to
London to find an invitation to go into the country
and spend a few days with Mr. James Wilson, then
Secretary to the Treasury, and a man of great influence in the British Government, at his residence near
Bath; there to discuss quietly and at length the proposed aid of the Government to the Atlantic telegraph.
Though he had but little spirit to go among strangers,
he felt it his duty not to miss such an opportunity to
advance the cause he had so much at heart. Accordingly he went; and the result of this visit was the
following letter, received a few days later:
"TREASURY CHAMBERS, NOV. 20, 1856.
"SIR: Having laid before the Lords Commissioners
of her Majesty's Treasury your letter of the 13th ultimo, addressed to the Earl of Clarendon, requesting,
on behalf of the New-York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, certain privileges and pro.
tection in regard to the line of telegraph which it is
proposed to establish between Newfoundland and Ireland, I am directed by their lordships to acquaint you
that they are prepared to enter into a contract with




96   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the said Telegraph Company, based upon the following conditions, namely:
"1. It is understood that the capital required to lay
down the line will be (~350,000) three hundred and
fifty thousand pounds.
"2. Her Majesty's Government engage to furnish
the aid of ships to take what soundings may still be
considered needful, or to verify those already taken,
and favorably to consider any request that may be
made to furnish aid by their vessels in laying down
the cable.
"3. The British Government, from the time of the
completion of the line, and so.long as it shall continue
in working order, undertakes to pay at the rate of
(~14,000) fourteen thousand pounds a year, being at
the rate of four per cent on the assumed capital, as a
fixed remuneration for the work done on behalf of the
Government, in the conveyance outward and homeward of their messages. This payment to continue
until the net profits of the Company are equal to a
dividend of six pounds per cent, when the payment
shall be reduced to (~10,000) ten thousand pounds a
year, for a period of twenty-five years.
" It is, however, understood that if the Government
messages in any year shall, at the usual tariff-rate
charged to the public, amount to a larger sum, such
additional payment shall be made as is equivalent
thereto.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   97
"4. That the British Government shall have a priority in the conveyance of their messages over all
others, subject to the exception only of the Government of the United States, in the event of their entering into an arrangement with the Telegraph Company
similar in principle to that of the British Government,
in which case the messages of the two Governments
shall have priority in the order in which they arrive
at the stations.
"5. That the tariff of charges shall be fixed with
the consent of the Treasury, and shall not be increased,
without such consent being obtained, as long as this
contract lasts.
" I am, sir, your obedient servant,
" JAMES WILSON.
"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., 37 Jermyn street."
With this encouragement and promise of aid, the
projectors of a telegraph across the ocean now went
forward to organize a company to carry out their design. Mr. Field, on arriving in England, had entered
into an agreement with Mr. Brett to join their efforts
for this purpose. With them were afterward united
two others-Sir Charles Bright, as engineer, and Dr.
Whitehouse, as electrician. These four gentlemen had
entered into a formal agreement to use their exertions
to form a new company, to be called The Atlantic
5[




98   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Telegraph Company, the object of which should be
"to continue the existing line of the New-York, Nlew
foundland, and London Telegraph Company to Ireland, by making or causing to be made a submarine
telegraph cable for the Atlantic."
As they were now ready to introduce the enterprise
to the British public, Mr. Field issued a circular in
the name of the Newfoundland Company, and' as its
Vice-President, setting forth the great importance of
telegraphic communication between the two hemispheres.
The next step was to raise the capital. After the
most careful estimates, it was thought that a cable
could be made and laid across the Atlantic for
~350,000.  This was a large sum  to ask from  a
public slow to move, and that lends a dull car to
all new schemes. But armed with facts and figures,
with maps and estimates, with the opinions of engineers and scientific men, they went to work, not
only in London, but in other parts of the kingdom.
Mr. Field, in company with Mr. Brett, made a visit
to Liverpool and Manchester, to address their Chainbers of Commerce.  I have now before me the papers of those cities, with reports of the meetings
held and the speeches made, which show the vigor
with which they pushed their enterprise. This energy
was rewarded with success. The result justified their




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   99
confidence. In a few weeks the whole capital was
subscribed.  It had been divided into three hundred and fifty shares of a thousand pounds each. Of
these, a hundred and one were taken in London,
eighty-six in Liverpool, thirty-seven in Glasgow, twenty-eight in Manchester, and a few in other parts of
England. The grandeurof the design attracted public attention, and some subscribed solely from a noble
wish to take part in such a work. Among these were
Mr. Thackeray and Lady Byron. Mr. Field subscribed ~100,000, and Mr. Brett ~25,000. But when
the books were closed, it was found that they had
more money subscribed than they required, so that in
the final division of shares, there were allotted to Mr.
Field eighty-eight, and to Mr. Brett twelve.  MTr.
Field's interest was thus one fourth of the whole capital of the Company.
In taking so large a share, it was not his intention
to carry this heavy load alone. It was too large a
proportion for one man. But he took it for his countrymen. He thought one fourth of the stock should
be held in this country, and did not doubt, from the
eagerness with which three fourths had been taken up
in England, that the remainder would be at once subscribed in America. Had he been able, on his return,
to attend to his own interests in the matter, this expectation might have been realized; but, as we shall




100 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
see, hardly did he set foot in New-York, before he
was obliged to hurry off to Newfoundland on the
business of the Company, and when he returned the
interest had subsided, so that it required very great exertions, continued through many months, to dispose of
twenty-seven shares. Thus he was by far the largest
stockholder in England or America-his interest being over seven times that of Mr. Brett, who was the
largest next to himself-and being more than double
the amount held by all the other American shareholders put together. This was at least giving pretty
substantial proof of his own faith in the undertaking.
But some may imagine that after all this burden
was not so great as it seemed. In many stock companies an evil custom obtains of assigning to the projectors a certain portion of the stock as a bonus for
getting up the company, which amount appears among
the subscriptions to swell the capital. It is indeed
subscribed, but not paid. So some have asked whether this large subscription of Mr. Field was not in
part at least merely nominal? To this we answer,
that a consideration was granted to Mr. Field and his
associates for their services in getting up the Company,
and for their exclusive rights, but this was a contingent
interest in the profits of the enterprise, to be allowed,
only after the cqble was laid. So that the whole amount
here subscribed was a bona-fide subscription, and paid




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  101
in solid English gold. WVe have now before us the receipts of the bankers of the Company for the whole
amounot, eighty-eight thousand pounds sterling.
The capital being thus raised, it only remained to
complete the organization of the Company by the
choice of a Board of Directors, and to make a contract
for the cable. The Company was organized in December, 1856, by the choice of Directors chiefly from the
leading bankers and merchants of London and Liverpool. The list included such honored names as Samuel Gurnev, T. H. Brooking, John W. Brett, and T.
A. Hankey, of London; Sir William  Brown, Henry
Harrison, Edward Johnston, Robert Crosbie, George
Maxwell, and C. Wr. H. Pickering, of Liverpool; John
Pender and James Dugdale, of Manchester; and Professor William Thomson, LL.D., of Glasgow, one of
the most eminent men in this department of Science
in Europe. Associated with these English Directors
were two of our own countrymen, Mr. George Peabody and Mr. C. M. Lampson, who, residing abroad
for more than a third of a century, have done much in
the commercial capital of the world to support the
honor of the American name. Mr. Peabody's firm
subscribed ~10,000, and Mr. Lampson ~2000. The
latter gave more time than any other Director in London, except Mr. Brooking, the second Vice-Chairman,
who, however, retired from the Company after the




102   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
first failure in 1858, when Mr. Lampson was chosen
to fill his place. The zeal and energy of this gentleman deserve high praise. Occupied with very large
business concerns of his own, he yet found time to be
present at almost every meeting. But to do full justice, we should need to speak of the services of all. the
Directors. The whole Board was animated with the
same spirit. All gave their services without compensation, and their courage bore up under repeated disasters. Never did a nobler body of men have a great
enterprise committed to their trust.
It was the good fortune of the Company to have,
from the beginning, in the important position of Secretary a gentleman admirably qualified for the post.
This was MIr. George Saward-a name familiar to all
who have followed the fortunes of the telegraph, in
England or America, since he has been the organ of
communication with the press and the public; and
with whom none ever had occasion to transact business without recognizing his rare intelligence and
courtesy.
The Company being thus in working order, proceeded to form a contract for the manufacture of a
cable to be laid across the Atlantic. For many months
the proper form and size of the cable had been the
subject of constant experiments. The conditions were:
to combine the greatest degree of strength with light



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  103
ness and flexibility. It must be strong, or it would
snap in the process of laying. Yet it would not do to
have it too large, for it would be unmanageable. Mr.
Brett had already lost a cable in the Mediterranean
chiefly from its bulk. Its size and stiffness made it
hard to unwind it, while its enormous weight, when
once it broke loose, caused it to run out with fearful
velocity, till it was soon lost in the sea. It was only
the year before that this accident had occurred. It
was in September, 1855, in laying the cable from Sardinia to Algeria. All was going on well, until suddenly, "about two miles, weighing sixteen tons, flew
out with the greatest violence in four or five minutes,
flying round even when the drums were brought to a
dead stop, creating the greatest alarm for the safety of
the men in the hold and for the vessel."  This was
partly owing to the character of the submarine surface
over which they were passing. The bottom  of the
Mediterranean is volcanic, and is broken up into mountains and valleys. The cable, doubtless, had just
passed over some Alpine height, and was now descending into some awful depth below; but chiefly it
was owing to the fact that the great size and bulk of
the cable made it unmanageable. This was a warning to the Atlantic Company.  The point to be
aimed at was to combine the flexibility of a common ship's rope with the tenacity of iron. These con



104   HIISTORY  OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ditions were thought to be united in the form that was
adopted.* A contract was at once made for the manu* FORM AND STRUCTURE OF THE CABLE.-On his return to America,
Mr. Field published a letter, in answer to many inquiries addressed to
him, in which he says:
"No particular connected with this great project has been the subject of so much comment through the press as the form and structure
of the telegraph cable. It may be well believed that the Directors have
not decided upon a matter so all-important to success, without availing
themselves of the most eminent talent and experience which could be
commanded. The practical history of submarine telegraphs dates from
the successful submersion of the cable between Dover and Calais in
1851, and advantage has been taken of whatever instruction this history could furnish or suggest. Of the submarine cables heretofore laid
down, without enumerating others, it may be interesting to mention
that the otm between'Dover and Calais weighs six tons to the mile;
that between Spezzia and Corsica, eight tons to the mile; the wire laid
from Varna to Balaklava, and used during the late war, less than three
hundred pounds to the mile; while the weight of the cable decided on
for the Atlantic Telegraph is between nineteen hundred pounds and one
ton to the mile. This cable, to use the words of Dr. Whitehouse,' is
the result of many months' thought, experiment, and trial. Hundreds of
specimens have been made, comprising every variety of form, size, and
structure, and most severely tested as to their powers and capabilities;
and the result has been the adoption of this, which we know to possess
all the properties required, and these in a far higher degree than any
cable that has yet been laid. Its flexibility is such as to make it as
manageable as a small line, and its strength such that it will bear, in
water, over six miles of its own weight suspended vertically.' The conducting medium consists not of one single straight copper-wire, but of.
seven wires of copper of the best quality, twisted round each other




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  105
facture of the cable, one half being  given to Messrs.
Glass, Elliot & Co., of London, and the other. to Messrs.
R. S. Newall & Co., of Liverpool.  T'he whole was to
be completed by  the first of June, ready  to be submerged in the sea.  The company was organized on
the ninth of December, and the very next day Mr.
Field sailed for America, reaching New-York  on the
twenty-fifth of December, after an absence of more
than five months.
spirally, and capable of undergoing great tension without injury. This
conductor is then enveloped in three separate coverings of guttapercha, of the best quality, forming the core of the cable, round which
tarred hemp is wrapped, and over this, the outside covering, consisting
of eighteen strands of the best quality of iron-wire; each strand com-posed of seven distinct wires, twisted spirally, in the most approved
manner, by machinery specially adapted to the purpose. The attempt
to insulate more than one conducting-wire or medium would not only
have increased the chances of failure of all of them, but would have
necessitated the adoption of a proportionably heavier and more cumbrous cable. The tensile power of the outer or wire covering of the
cable, being very much less than that of the conductor within it, the
latter is consequently protected from any such strain as can possibly
rupture it or endanger its insulation without an entire fracture of the
cable."
5*




CHAPTER VII.
MR. FIELD RETURNS TO AMERICA. STARTS IMMEDIATELY FOR NEWFOUNDLAND. RETURNS AND GOES TO WASHINGTON, TO SEEK AID FROM THE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. OPPOSITION IN CONGRESS. THE CABLE
AMONG THE POLITICIANS. DEBATE IN THE SENATE. SUPPORT OF MR.
SEWARD AND MR. RUSK. BILL PASSED.
WHEN Mr. Field reached home from  abroad, he
hoped for a brief respite.  He had had a pretty hard
campaign during the summer and autumn in England,
and needed at least a few weeks of rest; but even that
was denied him.  He landed in New-York on Christmas Day, and was not allowed even to spend the New
Year with his family.  There were interests of the
Company in Newfoundland which required immediate attention, and it was important that one of the
Directors should go there without delay.  As usual,
it devolved upon him. He left at once for Boston,
where he took the steamer to Halifax, and thence to
St. John's. Such a voyage may be very agreeable in
summer, but in mid-winter it is not a pleasant thing
to face the storms of those northern latitudes. The
passage was unusually tempestuous. At St. John's he
broke down, and was put under the care of a physi.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  107
cian. But he did not stop to think of himself. The
work for which he came was done; and though the
physician declared it a great risk to leave his bed, he
took the steamer on her return, and was again in NewYork after a month's absence-a month of hardship,
of exposure, and of suffering, such as he had long occasion to remember.
The mention of this voyage came up a year afterward at a meeting of the Atlantic Telegraph Company
in London, when a resolution was offered, tendering
Mr. Field a vote of thanks for "the great services he
had rendered to the Company by his untiring zeal,
energy, and devotion." Mr. Brooking, the Vice-Chairman, had spent a large part of his life in Newfoundland, and knew the dangers of that inhospitable coast,
and in seconding the resolution he said:
" It is now about a year and a half ago since I had
the pleasure of making the acquaintance of my friend
Mr. Field. It was he who initiated me into this Company, and induced me to take an interest in it from its
earliest stage. From that period to the present I have
observed in Mr. Field the most determined perseverance, and the exercise of great talent, extraordinary
assiduity and diligence, coupled with an amount of
fortitude which has seldom been equalled.  I have
known him cross the Atlantic in the depth of winter,
and, within twenty-four hours after his arrival in New



108  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
York, having ascertained that his presence was necessary in a distant British colony, he has not hesitated
at once to direct his course thitherward. That colony
is one with which I am intimately acquainted, having
resided in it for upward of twenty years, and am enabled to speak to the hazards and danger which attend
a voyage to-it in winter. Mr. Field no sooner arrived
at New-York, in the latter part of December, than he
got aboard a steamer for Halifax, and proceeded to St.
John's, Newfoundland. In three weeks he accomplished there a very great object for this Company.
He procured the passage of an Act of the Legislature
which has given to our Company the right of establishing a footing on those shores,* which ere long, I
hope, will result in connecting us with Ireland. That
is only one of the acts which he has performed with
a desire to promote the interests of this great enterprise," etc.
The very next day after his return from Newfoundland, Mr. Field was called to Washington, to seek the
aid of his own Government to the Atlantic Telegraph.
The English Government had proffered the most generous aid, both in ships to lay the cable, and in an
annual subsidy of ~14,000. It was on every account
desirable that this should be met by corresponding
* The rights before conferred, it would seem, applied only to the
Newfoundland Company.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 109
liberality on the part of the American Government.
Before he left England, he had sent home the letter
received from the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury; and thereupon the Directors of the New-York,
Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company had
inclosed a copy to the President, with a letter asking,
for the same aid in ships, and in an annual sum of
$70,000, [equivalent to ~14,000,] to be paid for the
government messages, the latter to be conditioned on
the success of the telegraph, and to be continued only
so long as it was in full operation.  They urged with
reason that the English Government had acted with
great liberality-not only toward the enterprise, but
toward our own Government. Although both ends
of the line were in the British possessions, it had
claimed no exclusive privileges, but had stipulated
for perfect equality between the United States and
Great Britain.  The agreement expressly provided'"that the British Government shall have a priority
in the conveyance of their messages over all others,
subject to the exception only of the Government of the
United'States, in the event of their entering into an arrangement with the Telegraph Company similar in
principle. to that of the British Governn-ent, in which
case the messages of the two governments shall have
priority in the order in which they arrive at the
stations."




110  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
The letter to the President called attention to this
generous offer-an offer which it was manifestly to
the advantage of our Government to accept-and
added: " The Company will enter into a contract with
the Government of the United States on the same
terms and conditions as it has made with the British
Government."  They asked for the same recognition
and aid in the United States which they had received
in England. This surely was not a very extravagant
request. It was natural that American citizens should
think that in a work begun by Americans, and of
which, if successful, their country would reap largely
the honor and the advantage, they might expect the
aid from their own Governmeat which they had already received from a foreign power. It was, therefore, not without a mixture of surprise and mortification that they learned that the proposal in Congress
had provoked a violent opposition, and that the bill
was likely to be defeated. Such was the attitude of
affairs when Mr. Field returned from Newfoundland,
and which led him to hasten to Washington.
He now found that it was much easier to deal with
the English than with the American Government.
Whatever may be said of the respective methods of
administration, it must be confessed that the forms of
England furnish greater facility in the despatch of
business. A contract can be made by the Lords of the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  111
Treasury without waiting the action of Parliament.
The proposal is referred to two or three intelligent
officers of the Government-perhaps even to a single
individual-on whose report it takes action without
further delay. Thus it is probable that the action of
the British Government was decided wholly by the
recommendation of Mr. Wilson, formed after the visit
of Mr. Field.
But in our country we do things differently. Here
it wouMl be considered a stretch of power for any administration to enter into a contract with a private
company-a contract binding the Government for a
period of twenty-five years, and involving an annual
appropriation of money-without the action of Congress. This is a safeguard against reckless and extravagant expenditure, but, as one of the penalties we
pay for our more popular form of government, in
which every thing has to be referred to the people, it
involves delay, and sometimes the defeat of wise and
important public measures.
Besides-shall we" confess it to our shame-another
secret influence often appears in American legislation,
which has defeated many an act demanded by the
public good-the influence of the Lobby. This now
began to show itself in opposition.  It had been
whispered in Washington that the gentlemen in NewYork who were at the head of this enterprise were very




112  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
rich; and a measure coming from such a source surely
ought to be made to pay tribute before it was allowed
to pass. This was a new experience. Those few weeks
in Washington were worse than among the icebergs
off the coast of Newfoundland. The Atlantic Cable
has had many a kink since, but never did it seem to
be entangled in such a hopeless twist, as when it got
among the politicians.
But it would be very unjust to suppose that there
were no better influences in our Halls of Congress.
There were then-as there have always been in our
history-some men of large wisdom and of a noble
patriotic pride, who in such a measure thought only
of the good of their country and of the triumph of
science and of civilization.
Two years after - in August, 1858- when the
Atlantic Telegraph proved at last a reality, and the
New World was full of its fame, Mr. Seward, in a
speech at Auburn, thus referred to the ordeal it had
to pass through in Congress:
" The two great countries of which I have spoken,
[England and America,] are now ringing with the
praises of Cyrus W. Field, who chiefly has brought
this great enterprise to its glorious and beneficent consummation. You have never heard his story; let me
give you a few points in it, as a lesson that there is no
condition of life in which a man, endowed with native




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  113
genius, a benevolent spirit, and a courageous patience.
may not become a benefactor of nations and of mankind."
After some personal details, which do not concern
this history, he speaks of the efforts by which this:
New-York merchant "brought into being an asso.
ciation of Americans and Englishmen, which contributed from surplus wealth the capital necessary as a
basis for the enterprise;" and then adds:
"It remained to engage the consent and the activity of the Governments of Great Britain and the
United States. That was all that remained. Such
consent and activity on the part of some one great nation of Europe was all that remained needful for Columbus when he stood ready to bring a new continent
forward as a theatre of the world's civilization. But
in each case that effort was the most difficult of all.
Cyrus TW. Field, by assiduity and patience, first secured consent and conditional engagement on the part
of Great Britain, and then, less than two years ago, he
repaired to Washington. The President and Secretary of State individually favored his proposition;
but the jealousies of parties and sections in Congress
forbade them to lend it their official sanction and patronage. He appealed to me. I drew the necessary
bill. With the generous aid of others, Northern Representatives and the indispensable aid of the late
Thomas J. Rusk, a Senator from Texas, that bill,




114  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
after a severe contest and long delay, was carried
through the Senate of the United States by the majority, if I remember rightly, of one vote, and escaped
defeat in the House of Representatives with equal difficulty. I have said the aid of Mr. Rusk was indispensable. If any one has wondered why I, an extreme Northern man, loved and lamented Thomas J.
Rusk, an equally extreme Southern man, they have
here an explanation. There was no good thing which,
as it seemed to me, I could not do in Congress with
his aid.. When he died, it seemed to me that no good
thing could be done by any one. Such was the position of Cyrus W. Field at that stage of the great enterprise.  But, thus at last fortified with capital
derived from New-York and London, and with
the navies of Great Britain and the United States
at his command, he has, after trials that would
have discouraged any other than a true discoverer,
brought the great work to a felicitous consummation.
And now the Queen of Great Britain and the President of the United States stand waiting his permission to speak, and ready to'speak at his bidding; and
the people of these two great countries,await only the
signal from him to rush into a fraternal embrace
which will prove the oblivion of ages of suspicion, of
jealousies and of anger."
Mr. Seward may well refer with pride to the part




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  115
he took in sustaining this enterprise. He was from
the beginning its firmest supporter, as he has been of
many other enterprises for the public good. The bill
was introduced into the Senate by him, and was carried through mainly by his influence, seconded by
Mr. Rusk, Mr. Douglas, and one or two others. It
was introduced on the ninth of January, and came up
for consideration on the twenty-first. Its friends had
hoped that it might pass with entire unanimity. But
such was the opposition, that the discussion lasted two
days. The report in the pages of the Globe shows
that it was a subject of animated and almost angry debate.
This debate is a thing of the past, and cannot be
supposed to have a present interest; yet it deserves a
brief notice for the reason that it brings out so clearly
the objections to aid being given to this enterprise by
the Government-objections which are heard even at
this late day, and which, as we do not intend to refer
to them again, it may be well to notice, once for all,
and let them be answered out of the mouths of grave
senators.
Probably no measure was ever introduced in Congress for the help of any commercial enterprise, that
some member, imagining that it was to benefit a particular section, did not object that it was " unconstitutionall"  This objection was well answered in this




116   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
case by a then honored.senator, Mr. Benjamin, of
Louisiana, who  asked very pertinently: "'If we
have a right to hire a warehouse at Port Mahon, in
the Mediterranean, for storing naval stores, have we
not a right to hire a company to carry our messages?"'I should as soon think of questioning the constitutional power of the Government to pay freight to a vessel
for carrying its mail-bags across the ocean, as to pa3y a
telegraph company a certain sum per annum for conveying its messages by the use of the electric telegraph."
This touched the precise ground on which the appropriation was asked.  In their memorial to the
President, the Company had said: "Such a contract
will, we suppose, fall within the provisions of the
Constitution  in regard to postal arrangements, of
which this is only a new and improved form."
Mr. Bayard, of Delaware, explained in the same
terms the nature of the proposed agreement: "It is a
mail operation. It is a Post-Office arrangement. It
is for the transmission of intelligence, and that is what
I understand to be the function of the Post-Office Department. I hold it, therefore, to be as legitimately
within the proper powers of the Government, as the
employing of a stage-coach, or a steam-car, or a ship,
to transport the mails, either to foreign countries, or
to different portions of our own country."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  117
Of course, as in all appropriations of money, the
question of expense had to be considered, and here
there were not wanting some to cry out against the
extravagance of paying seventy thousand dollars a
year I We had not then got used to the colossal ex
penditures of war, and had not grown familiar with
the idea of paying three millions a day! Seventy
thousand dollars seemed a great sum; but Mr. Bayard
in reply reminded them that England then paid nine
hundred thousand dollars a year for the transportation
of the mails between the United States and England;
and argued that it was a very small amount for the
great service rendered. He said: " I will venture the
assertion, that every Senator on this floor was astonished at the small amount asked for to accomplish
this great object. I had supposed it was going to
occasion an expense of several hundreds of thousands
of dollars a year instead of seventy thousand dollars." " We have sent out ships to make explorations
and observations in the Red Sea and in South- America; we sent one or two expensive expeditions to
Japan, and published at great cost some elegant books
narrating their exploits. The expense even in ships
alone, in that instance, was at the rate of twenty to
one here, but no cry of economy was then raised."
"I look upon this proposition solely as a business measure; in that point of view I believe the Government




118  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
will obtain more service for the amount of money
than by any other contract that we have ever made
or now can make, for the transmission of intelli.
gence."
As to the expense of furnishing a ship of war to as.
sist in laying the cable, that would be literally noth.
ing. Mr. Douglas well asked: ", Will it cost any
thing to furnish the use of one of our steamships?
They are idle. We have no practical use for them at
present. They are in commission. They have their
coal on board, and their full armament. They will be
rendering no service to us if they are not engaged in
this work. If there was nothing more than a question of national pride involved, I would gladly furnish the use of an American ship for that purpose.
England tenders one of her national vessels, and why
should we not tender one also? It costs England
nothing, and it costs us nothing."
Mr. Rusk made the same point, in arguing that
ships might be sent to assist in laying the cable, giving this homely but sufficient reason: "I think that
is better than to keep them rotting at the navy-yards,
with the officers frolicking on shore."
Mr. Douglas urged still further: "But American
citizens have commenced this enterprise. The honor
and the glory of the achievement, if successful, will be
due to American genius and American daring. Why




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHI.  119
should the American Government be so penuriousI do not know that that is the proper word, for it costs
nothing-why should we be actuated by so illiberal
a spirit as to refuse the use of one of our steamships
to convey the wire when it does not cost one farthing
to the Treasury of the United States?"
But behind all these objections of expense and of
want of constitutional power, was one greater than
them all, and that was ENGLAND I The real animus
of the opposition was national jealousy-a fear lest
they should be giving some advantage to Great
Br'itain.
This has been always sufficient to excite the hostility of a certain class of politicians. The mention of
the name of England has had the same effect on them
as a red rag waved before the eyes of a mad bull. No
matter what the subject of the proposed cooperation?
even if it were purely a scientific expedition, they
were sure England was going to profit by it to our injury. So now there were those who felt that in this
submarine cable England was literally crawling under
the sea to get some advantage of the United States.
This jealousy and hostility spoke loudest from
the mouths of Southerners.  It is noteworthy that
men who, within the last five years, have figured
abroad, courting foreign influence against their own
country, were then fiercest in denunciation of Eng



120  H:ISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
land. Mason and Slidell voted together against the
bill. Butler, of South-Carolina, was very bitter in his
opposition-saying, with a sneer, that " this was simply a mail service under the surveillance of Great
B3ritain"-and so was Hunter, of Virginia; while
Jones, of Tennessee, bursting with patriotism, found a
sufficient reason for his opposition, in-that "he did not
want any thing to do with England or Englishmen I "
But it should be said in justice, that to this general'hostility of the South there were some exceptions.
Benjamin, of Louisiana, gave the bill an earnest support; so did Mallory, of Florida, Chairman of the
Naval Commrittee; and especially that noble Southerner, Rusk, of Texas, "with whose aid," as Mr.
Seward said, "it seemed that there was no good thing
which he could not do in Congress." [Mr. Rusk declared that he regarded it as "the great enterprise
of the age," and expressed his surprise at the very
moderate subsidy asked for, only seventy thousand
dollars a year, and declared that, " with a reasonable
prospect of success in an enterprise of this description,
calculated to produce such beneficial results, he should
be willing to vote two hundred thousand dollars."
But with the majority of Southern Senators, there
was a repugnance to acting in concert with England,
which could not be overcome. They argued that this
was not truly a line between England and the United




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  121
States, but between England and her own coloniesa line of which she alone was to reap the benefit.
Both its termini were in the British -possessions. In the
event of war this would give a tremendous advantage
to the power holding both ends of the line. All the
speakers harped on this string; and it may be worth
a page or two to see how this was met and answered.
Thus spoke Mr. HIlunter, of Virginia:
"There is another maItter which seems to me to require some safeguards. Both the termini of this telegraph line are in the British dominions. What security are we to have that in time of war we shall have
the use of the telegraph as well as the British Government?"
The answer of Mr. Seward may satisfy our English
friends that he is not animated by any violent hostility to that country:
"It appears not to have been contemplated by the
British Government that there would ever be any
interruption of the amicable relations between the two
countries. Therefore nothing was proposed in their
contract for the contingency of war.
"That the two termini are both in the British dominions is true; but it is equally true that there is no
other terminus on this continent where it is practicable to make that communication except in the British dominions. We have no -dominions on the other
6




122  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
side of the Atlantic Ocean. Tjhere is no other route
known on which the telegraphic wire could be drawn
through the ocean so as to find a proper resting place
or anchorage except this. The distance on this route
is seventeen hundred miles. It is not even known
that the telegraphic wire will carry the fluid with sufficient strength to communicate across those seventeen
hundred miles. That is yet a scientific experiment,
and the Company are prepared to make it.
" In regard to war, all the danger is this: There is
a hazard of war at some future time, and whatever
arrangements we might make, war would break them
up — at least, war would probably break them  up.
There can be no stipulation of treaty that would save
us the benefit desired. My own hope is, that after
the telegraphic wire is once laid, there will be no
more war between the United States and Great Britain. I believe that whenever such a connection as
this shall be made, we diminish the chances of war,
and diminish them in such a degree, that it is not necessary to take them into consideration at the present
moment.
"Let us see where we are?  What shall we gain'by refusing to enter into this agreement? If we do
not make it, the British Government has only to add
ten thousand pounds sterling more annually, anid they
have the whole monopoly of this wire, without any




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   123
stipulation whatever-not only in war but in peace.
If we make this contract with the Company, we at
least secure the benefit of it in time of peace, and we
postpone and delay the dangers of war.  If there
shall ever be war, it would abrogate all treaties that
can be made in regard to this subject, unless it be
true, as the honorable Senator from Virginia thinks,
that treaties can be made which will be regarded as
obligatory by nations in time of war. If so, we have
all the advantages in time of peace, for the purpose of
making such treaties hereafter, without the least reason to infer that there would be any reluctance on the
part of the British Government to enter into that negotiation with us, if we should desire to do so. The
British Government, if it had such a disposition as
the honorable Senator supposes, would certainly have
proposed to monopolize all this telegraphic line, instead of proposing to divide it." *
* It is worthy of notice, that when the Bill granting a charter to the
Atlantic Telegraph Company was offered in the British Parliament, at
least one nobleman found fault with it on this very ground, that it gave
away important advantages which properly belonged to England, and
which she ought to reserve to herself:
"In the House of Lords, on the twentieth of July,.1857, on the motion for the third reading of the Telegraph Company's bill,
"Lord Redesdale called attention to the fact that, although the termini of the proposed telegraph were both in her Majesty's dominions,
namely, in Ireland and Newfoundland, the American Government were




124  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.,
Mr. Hale spoke in the same strain:
" It seems to me that the war spirit and the contingencies of war are brought in a little too often  upon
matters of legislation which have no necessary connection with them. If we are to be governed by considerations of that sort, they would paralyze all improverment; they would stop the great appropriations for
commerce;. they would at once neutralize that policy
which  sets our ocean  steamers afloat.  Nobody pretends that the intercourse which  is kept up between
Great Britain  and this country by our ocean steamers
would be continued in time of war; nor the communication with France or other nations.
to enjoy the same priority as the British Government with regard to
the transmission of messages. It was said that this equal right was
owing to the fact that a joint guarantee had been given by the two
Governments. He thought, however, it would have been far better policy
onf the part of her Majesty's Government if they had either undertaken
the whole guarantee themselves, and thus had obtained free and sole control over the connecting line of telegraph, or had invited our own colonies
to participate in that guarantee, rather than have allowed a foreign government to join in making it. At the same time, if the clause in question had the sanction of her Majesty's ministry, it was not his intention
to object to it.
"Earl Granville said'this telegraph was intended to connect two
great countries, and, as the two Governments had gone hand in hand
with regard to the guarantee, it seemed only reasonable that both
should have the same rights as to transmitting messages.
"The bill was then read a third time and passed."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  125
"If we are deterred for that reason, we shall be
pursuing a policy that will paralyze improvements on
those parts of the coast which lie contiguous to the
lakes. The city of Detroit will have to be abandoned,
beautiful and progressive as it is, because in time of
war the mansions of her citizens there lie within the
range of British guns.
"What will the suspension bridge at Niagara be
good for in a time of war? If the British cut off their
end of it, our end will not be worth much. I believe
that among the things which will bind us together in
peace, this telegraphic wire will be one of the most
potent. It will bind the two countries together literally with cords of iron that will hold us in the bonds
of peace. I repudiate entirely the policy which refuses to adopt it, because in time of war it may be interrupted. Such a policy as that would drive us back
to a state of barbarism. It would destroy the spirit
of progress; it would retard improvement; it would
paralyze all the advances which are making us a more
civilized, and a more informed and a better people
than the one which preceded us."
Mr. Douglas cut the matter short by saying:
"I am willing to vote for this bill as a peace measure, as a commercial measure-but not as a war measure; and when war comes, let us rely on our power
and ability to take this end of the wire, and keep it."




126  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Mr. Rusk said: " The advantages of this work will
be mutual, and must be mutual, between the United
States and Great Britain. It is impossible for one
nation at this age to get a great advantage over another in means of communication, because when a
communication is made, it will be open to the intelligence and enterprise and capital of all."
Mr. Benjamin said: "The sum of money that this
Government proposes to give for the use of this telegraph will amount, in the twenty five years, to something between ~300,000 and ~400,000. Now, if this
be a matter of such immense importance to Great
Britain-if this be the golden opportunity-and if, indeed, her control of this line be such a powerful engine, whether in war or in peace, is it not most extraordinary that she proposes to us a full share in its
benefits and in its control, and allows to our Government equal rights with herself in the transmission of
communications for the sum of about ~300,000, to be
paid in annual instalments through twenty-five years?
If this be, indeed, a very important instrumentality in
behalf of Great Britain for the conduct of her commerce,
the government of her possessions, or the efficient action of her troops in time of war, the ~300,000 ex.
pended upon it are but as a drop in the bucket when
compared with the immense resources of that empire.
I think, therefore, we may as well discard from our




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  127
consideration of this subject all these visions about the
immense importance of the governmental aid in this
matter, to be rendered under the provisions of this
bill.
"Mr. President, let us not always be thinking of
war; let us be using means to preserve peace. The
amount that would be expended by this Government
in six months' war with Great Britain, would far exceed every thing that we shall have to pay for the use
of this telegraphic line for the entire twenty-five years
of the contract; and do you not believe that this instrumentality will be sufficiently efficient to bind together the peace, the commerce, and the interests of
the two countries, so as even to defer a war for six
months or twelve months, if one should ever become
inevitable, beyond the period at which it would otherwise occur? If it does that, it will in six or eight or
nine months repay the expenditures of twenty-five
years.
" Again, sir, I say, if Great Britain wants it for war,
she will put it there at her own expense. It is not
three hundred thousand pounds, or four hundred thousand pounds, that will arrest her. If, on the contrary,
this be useful to commerce-useful in an eminent degree-useful for the preservation of peace, then I confess I feel some pride that my country should aid in
establishing it. I confess I feel a glow of something




128  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
like pride that I belong to the great'human family
when I see these triumphs of science, by which mind
is brought into instant communication with mind
across the intervening oceans, which, to our unfenlightened forefathers, seemed placed there by Providence
as an eternal barrier to communication between man
and man. Now, sir, we speak from minute to minute.
Scarcely can a gun be fired in war on the European
shore ere its echoes will reverberate among our own
mountains, and be heard by every citizen in the land.
All this is a triumph of science-of American genius,
and I for one feel proud of it, and feel desirous of
sustaining and promoting it."'
Mr. Douglas said: "Our policy is essentially a poliey of peace. We want peace with the whole world,
above all other considerations. There never has been
a time in the history of this Republic, when peace was
more essential to our prosperity, to our advancement,
and to our progress, than it is now. We have made
great progress in time of peace-an almost inconceivable progress since the last war with Great Britain.
Twenty-five years more of peace will put us far in advance of any other nation on earth."
It was fit that Mr. Seward, who introduced the bill,
and opened the debate, should close in words that now
seem prophetic, and show the large wisdom, looking
before and after, of this eminent statesman:




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  129
"There was an American citizen who, in the year
1770, or thereabout, indicated to this country, to Great
Britain, and to the world, the use of the lightning for
the purposes of communication of intelligence, and
that was Dr. Franklin. I am sure that there is not
only no member of the Senate, but no American citizen, however humble, who would be willing to have
struck out from the achievements of American invention this great discovery of the lightning as an agent
for the uses of human society.
"The suggestion made by that distinguished and
illustrious American was followed up some fifty years
afterward by another suggestion and another indication from another American, and that was Mr. Samuel
F. B. Morse, who indicated to the American Government the means by which the lightning could be made
to write, and by which the telegraphic wires could be
made to supply the place of wind and steam for carrying intelligence.
" We have followed out these suggestions of these
eminent Americans hitherto, and I am sure at a very
small cost. The Government of the United States appropriated $40,000 to test the practicability of Morse's
suggestion; the $40,000 thus expended established its
practicability and its use. Now, there is no person on
the face of-the globe who can measure the price at
which, if a reasonable man, he would be willing to
6*




130   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
strike from the world the use of the magnetic telegraph as a means of communication between different
portions of the same country. This great invention is
now to be brought into its further, wider, and broader
use-the use by the general society of nations, international use, the use of the society of mankind. Its
benefits are large-just in proportion to the extent
and scope of its operation. They are not merely
benefits to the Government, but they are benefits to
the citizens and subjects of all nations and of all
States.
"I might enlarge further on this subject, but I forbear to do so, because I know that at some future
time I shall come across the record of what I have
said to-day. I know that then what Ihave said to-day,
by way of anticipation, willfall so far short of the reality
of benefits whichf individuals, States, and nations will
have derived from this great enterprise, that I shall
not reflect upon it without disappointment and mortification."
After such arguments, it should seem  that there
could be but one opinion, and yet the bill passed the
Senate by only one majority I It also had to run the
gauntlet of the House of Representatives, where it encountered the same hostility. But at length it got
through, and was signed by President Pierce on the
third of March, the day before he went out of office.
Thus it became a law.




CtIAPTER  VIII.
RETURN TO ENGLAND. THE NIAGARA-CAPTAIN HUDSON. THE AGAMEMNON. EXPEDITION OF 185)7. SAILING FROh IRELAND. SPEECH
OF THE EARL OF CARLISLE. THE CABLE BROKEN.
SCARCELY was the business with the American Government completed, before Mr. Field was recalled to
England. Once more upon the waves, he forgot the
long delay and the vexatious opposition which he left
behind —the fogs of Newfoundland, and the denser
fogs of Washington.  He was bound for England,
and there at least the work did not stand still. All
winter long the wheels of the.machinery had kept in
motion. The cable was uncoiling its mighty folds to
a length sufficient to span the Atlantic, and at last
there was hope of victory.
Although the United States Government had seemed a little ungracious in its delay, it yet rendered, this
year and next, important service to the Atlantic Telegraph. Already it had prepared the way for it, by
thee deep-sea soundings, which it was the first to take
across the Atlantic. It now rendered additional and
substantial aid in lending to this enterprise the two




132  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
finest ships in the American navy-the Niagara and
the Susquehanna. The former especially deserves no.
tice, as she has become a historical ship. She wa,
built some dozen years ago by the lamented George
Steers-a name celebrated among our marine archi.
tects as the constructor of the famous yacht America,
that " race-horse of the sea," which had crossed the
Atlantic, and carried off the prize in the British Channel from the yachts of England-and was designed
to be a model of naval architecture. She was the
largest steam-frigate in the world, exceeding in tonnage the heaviest line-of-battle ship in the English
navy, and yet so finely modelled that, propelled
only by a screw, she could easily make ten or twelve
miles an hour. Notwithstanding her h.uge bulk, she
was intended to carry but twelve guns-being one of
the first ships in our navy to substitute a few enormous Dahlgrens for half a dozen times as many fiftysix-pounders. This was the beginning of that revolution in naval warfare, which has been carried to
such extent in the Monitors and other ironclads introduced in our recent civil war. Each gun weighed
fourteen tons-requiring a crew of twenty-five men to
wield it-and threw a shell of one hundred and thirty
pounds a distance of three miles. One or two broadsides from such a deck would sink an old-fashioned
seventy-four, or even a ninety or hundred-gun ship.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  133
But as the Niagara was now to go on an errand of
peace, this formidable armament was not taken on
board. She was built with what is known as a "flush
deck," clear from stem to stern, and being without
her guns, was left free for the more peaceful burden that she was to bear. When the orders were received from Washington, she was lying at the Brooklyn Navy-Yard, but began immediately to prepare
for her expedition. Bulkheads were knocked down,
above and below, to make room for that huge serpent-longer a thousand times than any fabled monster of ithe deep-that was to be coiled within her
sides.  These preparations occupied four or five
weeks. On the twenty-second'of April, she made a
trial trip down the bay, and two days after sailed for
England, in command of Captain William L. Hudson,
one of the oldest and best officers in our navy, who,
to his past services to his country, was now to add
another in the expeditions of this and the following year. He had with him as Chief Engineer Mr.
Williamn E. Everett, whose mechanical genius proved
so important in constructing the paying-ollt machinery
which filally laid the cable.
Besides the regular ship's crew, no one was received on board except two officers of the Russian navyCaptain Schwartz and Lieutenant Kolobnin - who
were permitted by our Government, as an act of na



134  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
tional courtesy, to go out to witness this great experiment; and Professor Morse, who went as the electrician of the Newfoundland Company. The regulations of the navy did not admit correspondents of the
press; but Professor Morse was permitted to take a
secretary, and chose Mr. Mullaly, who had thus an
opportunity to witness all the preparations on land
and sea, and to furnish those minute and detailed
accounts of the several expeditions, which contribute
some important chapters in the history of this enterprise.
The Niagara arrived out on the fourteenth of May,
and cast. anchor off Gravesend, about twenty-five
miles below London. As it was the first time at
least for many years-that an American ship of war
had appeared in the Thames, this fact, with her huge
proportions and the object for which she came, attracted a crowd of visitors. Every day, from morning to night, a fleet of boats was around her, and men
and women thronged over her sides. Every body was
welcome. All were received with the utmost courtesy, and allowed access to all parts of the ship.
Among these were many visitors of distinction". Here
came Lady Franklin to thank the generous nation
that had sent two expeditions to recover her husband
lost amid Polar seas. She was, of course, ~the object
of universal attention and respectful sympathy.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  135
W'hile lying in the Thames, the Agamemnon, that
was to take the other half of the cable, passed up the
river. This, too, was a historical ship, having borne
the flag of the British admiral at the bombardment
of Sebastopol, and distinguished herself by steaming
up within a few hundred yards of the guns of the
fortress. After passing through the fires of that terrible day, she was justly an object of pride to Britons,
whose hearts swelled as they saw this oak-ribbed
leviathan, that had come " out of the gates of death,
out of the jaws of hell," now preparing.to take part
in achievements of peace, not less glorious than those
of war. She was under command of Captain Noddal,
of the Royal Navy.
As the Agamemnon came up the river in grand
style, she recognized the Niagara lying off Gravesend,
and manning her yards, gave her a succession of those
English hurras so stirring to the blood, when heard
on land or sea, to which our tars replied with lusty
American cheers. It was pleasant to observe, from
this time, the hearty good-will that existed between
the officers and crews of the two ships, who in their
exertions for the common object, were animated only
by a generous rivalry.
A few days after, the Niagara was joined by the
Susquehanna, Captain Sands, which had been ordered
from the Mediterranean to take part also in the expe



136  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
dition.  She was a fit companion ship, being the
largest side-wheel steamer in our navy, as the other
was the largest propeller. Both together, they were
worthy representatives of the American navy.
When the Niagara arrived in the Thames, it was
supposed she would take on board her half of the cable
from the manufactory of Glass, Elliot & Co., at Greenwich; but on account of her great length, it was difficult to bring her up alongside the wharf in front. of
the works. This was therefore left to the Agamemnon, while the Niagara was ordered around to Liverpool, to take the other half from the works of Newall
& Co., at Birkenhead, opposite that city.  Accordingly she left Gravesend on the fifth of June, and
reached Portsmouth the next day, where she remained a fortnight, to have some further alterations to fit
her to receive the cable. Although she had been already pretty well " scooped out," fore and aft, the cry
was still for room.  Officers had to shift for themselves, as their quarters were swept away to make a
wider berth for their iron guest. But all submitted
with excellent grace. Like true sailors, they took it
" gaily " as if they were only clearing the decks to go
into battle. Among other alterations for safety, was
a framework or " cage " of iron, which was put over
the stern of the ship, to keep the cable from getting
entangled in the screw.  As soon as these were com



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  137
pleted, the Niagara left for Liverpool,'and on the
twenty-second of June cast anchor in the Mersey.
Here she attracted as much attention as in the Thames,
being crowded with visitors during the week; and on
Sundays, when none were received on board, the
river-boats sought to gratify public curiosity by sailing around her. The officers of the ship at the same
time were objects of constant hospitality, both from
private citizens and from the public authorities. The
Mayor of Liverpool gave them a dinner, the Chamber
of Commerce another, while the Americans in Liverpool entertained them at a grand banquet on the
fourth of July-the first public celebration of our
national anniversary ever had in that city.
But while these festivities were kept up on shore,
hard work was done on board the ship. To coil
thirteen hundred miles of cable was an immense undertaking. Yet it was all done by-the sailors themselves. No compulsion was used, and none was needed. No sooner was there a call for volunteers, than
men stepped forward in greater numbers than could
be employed. Out of these were chosen one hundred
and twenty stalwart fellows, who were divided into
two gangs of sixty men, and each gang into watches
of thirty, which relieved each other, and all went to
work with such enthusiasm, that in three weeks the
herculean task was completed. The event was cele



138  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
brated by a final dinner given by the shareholders of
the Atlantic Telegraph Company residing at Liverpool to Captain Hudson, and Captain Sands of the
Susquehanna, whose arrival in the Mersey enabled
them to extend their hospitalities to the officers of
both ships.;
While the Niagara was thus doing her part, the
same scene was going on on board the Agamemnon,
which was still lying in the Thames. There the work
was completed about the same day, and the occasion
duly honored by a scene as. unique as it was beautiful.
Says the London Times of July twenty-fourth:
"All the details connected with the manufacture
and stowage of the cable are now completed, and the
conclusion of the arduous labor was celebrated yesterday-with high festivity and rejoicing. All the artisans who have been engaged upon the great work,
-with their wives and families, a large party of the officers, with the sailors from the Agamemnon, and a
number of distinguished scientific visitors, were entertained upon this occasion at a kind of fete champ tre
at Belvidere house, the seat of Sir Culling Eardley,
near Erith. The festival was held in the beautiful
park which had been obligingly opened by -Sir Culling Eardley for the purpose. Although in no way
personally interested in the project, the honorable baronet has all along evinced the liveliest sympathy with




HISTORY OF'THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  139
the undertaking, and himself proposed to have the
completion of the work celebrated in his picturesque
grounds.  The manufacturers, fired with generous
emulation, erected spacious tents on the lawn, and
provided a magnificent banquet for the guests, and a
substantial one for the sailors of the Agamemnon and
the artificers who had been employed in the construction of the cable. By an admirable arrangement, the
guests were accommodated at a vast semi-circular table, which ran round the whole pavilion, while the
sailors and workmen sat at a number of long tables
arranged at right angles with the chord, so that the
general effect was that all dined together, while at the
same time sufficient distinction was preserved to satisfy the most fastidious. The three centre tables were
occupied by the crew of the Agamemnon, a fine, active body of young men, who paid the greatest attention to the speeches, and drank all the toasts with an
admirable punctuality, at least so long as their three
pints of beer per man lasted; but we regret to add
that, what with the heat of the day and the enthusiasm of Jack in the cause of science, the mugs were
all empty long before the chairman's list of toasts had
been gone through. Next in interest to the sailors
were the workmen and their wives and babies, all being permitted to assist at the great occasion. The latter, it is true, sometimes squalled at an affecting pero.




140  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC. TELEGRAPH.
ration, but that rather improved the effect than other.
wise, and the presence of these little ones only marked the genuine good feeling of the employers, who
had thus invited not only their workmen but their
workmen's families to the feast. It was a momentary
return to the old patriarchal times, and every one
present seemed delighted with the experiment."
Speeches were made by Sir Culling Eardley, by
Mr. Cardwell, of the House of Commons, Mr. Brooking, one of the Directors, by Professor Morse, and
others. Mr. Field read a letter from President Buchanan, saying that he should feel honored if the first
message should be one from Queen Victoria to himself, and that he " would endeavor to answer it in a
spirit and manner becoming a grpat occasion.."
Thus labor and feasting being ended, the Niagara
and the Susquehanna left Liverpool the latter part of
July, and steamed down St. George's Channel to
Queenstown, which was to be the rendezvous of the
telegraphic squadron, and here they were joined by
the Agamemnon and the Leopard, which was to be
her consort.  The former, as she entered the harbor, came to anchor about a third of. a mile from
the Niagara. The presence of the two ships which
had the cable on board, gave an opportunity which
the electricians had desired to test its integrity. Accordingly one end of each cable was carried to the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  141
opposite ship, and so joined as to form a continuous
length of twenty-five hundred miles, both ends of
which were on board the Agamemnon.  One end was
then connected with the apparatus for transmitting
the electric current, and.on a sensitive galvanometer
being attached to the other end, the whole cable
was tested from end to end, and found to be per.
fect. These experiments were continued for two days
with the same result. This inspired fresh hopes for
the success of the expedition, and in high spirits they
bore away for the harbor of Valentia.
It had been for some time a matter of discussion,
where they should begin to lay the cable, whether
from the coast of Ireland, or in mid-ocean, the two
ships making the junction there, and dropping it to
the bottom of the sea, and then parting, one to the
east and the other to the west, till they landed their
ends on the opposite shores of the Atlantic. This
was the plan adopted the following year, and which
finally proved successful. It was the one preferred
by the engineers now, but the electricians favored the
other course, and their counsel prevailed. It was
therefore decided to submerge the whole cable in a continuous linefrom Valentia Bay to Newfoundland. The
Niagara was to lay the first half from Ireland to the
middle of the Atlantic; the end would then be joined
to the other half on board the Agamemnon, which




142  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPlH.
would take it on to the coast of Newfoundland.
During the whole process the four vessels were to
remain together and give whatever assistance was
required. While it was being laid down, messages
were to be sent back to Valentia, reporting each day's
progress.
As might be supposed, the mustering of such a
fleet of ships; and the busy note of preparation which
had been heard for weeks, produced a great sensation
in this remote part of Ireland. The people from far
and near, gathered on the hills and looked on in silent wonder.
To add to the dignity of the occasion, the Lord
Lieutenant came down from Dublin to witness the
departure of the expedition.  Happily this was a
nobleman well fitted to represent his own country,
and to command audience from  ours. - The Earl
of Carlisle-better known among us as Lord Morpeth-had travelled in the United States a few years
before, and shown himself one of the most intelligent
and liberal foreigners that ever visited America. No
representative of England could on that day have
stood upon the shores of Ireland, and stretched out
his hand to his kindred beyond the sea with more
assurance that his greeting would be warmly responded to. And never did one speak more aptly words
of wisdom and of peace. We read them still with ad



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  143
miration for their beauty and their eloquence, and
with an interest more tender but more sad, that this
great and good man-the true friend of his own country and of ours-has gone to his grave. To quote his
own words is the best tribute to his memory, and will
do more than any eulogy we can pay to keep it fresh
and green in the hearts of Americans. On his arrival
at Valentia, he was entertained by the Knight of
Kerry at one of those public breakfasts so much in
fashion in England, at which in response to a toast
in his honor, after making his personal acknowledgments, he said:
"I believe, as your worthy chairman has already
hinted, that I am probably the first Lieutenant of Ireland who ever appeared upon this lovely strand. At
all events, no Lord Lieuten'ant could have come
amongst you on an occasion like the present. Amidst
all the pride and the stirring hopes which cluster
around the work of this week, we ought still to remember that we must speak with the modesty of those
who begin and not of those who close an experiment,
and it behooves us to remember that the pathway to
great achievements has frequently to be hewn out
amidst risks and difficulties, and that preliminary failure is even the law and condition of the ultimate success. [Loud cheers.] Therefore, whatever disappointments may possibly be in store, I must yet insinuate




144  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
to you that in a cause like this it would be criminal
to feel discouragement. [Cheers.] In the very design
and endeavor to establish the Atlantic Telegraph there
is almost enough of glory. It is true if it be only an
attempt there would not be quite enough of profit. I
hope that will come, too; but there is enough of' public spirit, of love for science, for our country, for the
human race, almost to suffice in themselves. However, upon this rocky frontlet of Ireland, at all events,
to-day we will presume upon success. WXe are about,
either by this sundown or by to-morrow's dawn, to establish a new material link between the Old World and
the New. Moral links there have been-links of race,
links oi commerce, links of friendship, links of literature, links of glory; but this, our new link, instead of
superseding and supplanting the old ones, is to give a
life and an intensity which they never had before.
[Loud cheers.] Highly as I value the reputations of
those who have conceived, and those who have contributed to carry out this bright design-and I wish
that so many of them had not been unavoidably prevented from being amongst us at this moment*highly as I estimate their reputation, yet I do not
compliment them with the idea that they are to efface
or dim the glory of that Columbus, who, when the
large vessels in the harbor of Cork yesterday weighed
* All of the ships had not arrived.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  145
their anchors, did so on that very day three hundred
and sixty-five years ago-it would have been called
in Hebrew writ a year of years-and set sail upon his
glorious enterprise of discovery.  They, I say, will
not dim or efface his glory, but they are now giving the last finish 4nd consummation to his work.
Hitherto the inhabitants of the two worlds have associated perhaps in the chilling atmosphere of distance
with each other-a sort of bowing distance; but now
we can be hand to hand, grasp to grasp, pulse to
pulse. [Cheers.] The link, which is now to connect
us, like the insect in the immortal couplet of our
poet:
While exquisitely fine,
Feels at each thread and lives along the line.
And we may feel, gentlemen of Ireland, of England, and of America, that we may take our stand
here upon the extreme rocky edge of our beloved
Ireland; we may, as it were, leave in our rear behind
us the wars, the strifes, and the bloodshed of the elder
Europe, and I fear I may say, of the elder Asia; and
we may pledge ourselves, weak as our agency may be,
imperfect as our powers may be, inadequate in strict
diplomatic form as our credentials may be, yet, in the
face of the unparalleled circumstances, of the place
and the hour, in the immediate neighborhood of the
mighty vessels whose appearance may be beautiful
7




146  HISTORY OF THE ATLANITI-C TELEGRIAPH.
upon the waters, even as are the feet upon the mountains of those who preach'the Gospel of peace —-as an
homage due to that serene science which often affords
higher and holier lessons of harmony and good will
than the wayward passions of man are always apt to
learn-in the face and in the strength of such circumstances, let us pledge ourselves to eternal peace between the Old VWorld and the New."
While these greetings were exchanged on shore,
only the smaller vessels of the squadron h.ad arrived.
But in a few hours the great hulls of the Ning;ara and
the Agamemnon, followed by the Leopard and the Susquehanna, were seen in the horizon, and soon they all
cast anchor in the bay. As the sun went down in the
west, shining still on that other hemislphere which
they were going to seek, its last rays fell on an expedition more suggestive and hopeful than any since
that of Columbus from the shores of Spain, and upon
navigators not unworthy to be called his followers.
The whole squadron was now assembled, and made
quite a naval array. There were present in the little
harbor of Valentia seven ships-the stately Niagara,
which was to lay the half of the cable from Ireland,
and her consort, the Susquehanna, riding by her side;
while floating the flag of England, were the Agamemnon, which was appointed to lay the cable on the
American side, and her consort, the Leopard. Beside




HISTORY OF THIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  147
these high-decked ships of war, the steamer Advice
had come round to give, not merely advice but lusty
help in landing the cable at Valentia; and the little
steamer Willing Mind, with a zeal worthy of her
name, was flying back and forth between ship and
shore, lending a hand wherever there was work to be
done; and the Cyclops, under the experienced command of Captain Dayman, who had made the deep-sea
soundings' across the Atlantic only the month before,
here joined the squadron to lead the way across the
deep. This made five English ships, with but two
American; but to keep up our part, there were two
more- steamers on the other side of the sea, the Arctic, under Lieutenant Berryman, and the Company's
steamer Victoria, to watch for the coming of the fleet
off the coast of Newfoundland, and help in landing the
cable on the shores of the New World.
It was now Tuesday evening, the fourth of August,
too late to undertake the landing that night, but preparations were at once begun for it the next morning. Says the correspondent of the Liverpool Post:
" The ships were visited in the course of the evening by the Directors and others interested in the great
undertaking, and arrangements were immediately commenced on board the Niagara for paying out the shore
rope for conveyance to the mainland. These arrangements were fully perfected by Wednesday morning;




148  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
but for some hours the state of the weather rendered
it doubtful whether operations could be safely proceeded with. Toward the afternoon the breeze calmed
down, and at two o'clock it was decided that an effort
should be made to land the cable at once. The process of uncoiling into the small boats commenced at
half past two, and the scene at. this period was grand
and exciting in the highest degree.
"Valentia Bay was studded with innumerable small
craft, decked with the gayest bunting-small boats
flitted hither and thither, their occupants cheering
enthusiastically as the work successfully progressed.
The cable boats were managed by the sailors of the
Niagara and Susquehanna, atnd it was a well-designed
compliment, and indicative of the future fraternization
of the nations, that the shore rope was arranged to be
presented at this side the Atlantic to the representative
of the Queen, by the officers and men of tlhe United
States navy, and that at the other side British officers
and sailors should make a similar presentation to the
President of the great Republic.
" From the main land the operations were watched
with intense interest.  For several hours the Lord
Lieutenant stood on the beach, surrounded by his staff
and the directors of the railway and telegraph companies, waiting the arrival of the cable, and when at
length the American sailors jumped through the surge




H ISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  149
with the hawser to which it was attached, his Excellency was among the first to lay hold of it and pull it
lustily to the shore. Indeed every one present seemed
desirous of having a hand in the great work; and
never before perhaps were there so many willing assistants, at'the long pull, the strong pull, and the
pull altogether.'
"At half-past seven o'clock the cable was hauled
on shore, and formal presentation was made of it to
the Lord Lieutenant by Captain Pennock, of the Niagara- his Excellency expressing a hope that the
work so well begun would be carried to a satisfactory
completion."
The wire having been secured to a; house on the
beach, the Reverend Mr. Day, of Kenmore, advanced
and offered the following prayer:
"O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the
heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast
compassed the waters with bounds, till day and night
come to an end; and whom the winds and the sea
obey; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, upon us
thy servants, who now approach the throne of grace;
and let our prayer ascend before thee with acceptance.
Thou hast commanded and encouraged us, in all our
ways, to acknowledge thee, and to commit our works
to thee; and thou hast graciously promised to direct
our paths, and to prosper our handiwork. We desire




150 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
now to look up to thee; and believing that without
thy help and blessing, nothing can prosper or succeed,
we humbly commit this work, and all who are engaged in it, to thy care and guidance. Let it please
thee to grant to us thy servants wisdom and power, to
complete what we have been led by thy Providence to
undertake; that being begun and carried on in the
spirit of prayer, and in dependence upon thee, it may
tend to thy glory: and to the good of all nations, by
proinoting the increase of unity, peace, and concord.
"Overrule, we pray thee, every obstacle, and remove every difficuity which would prevent us from
succeeding in this important undertaking.  Control
the winds and the sea by thy Almighty power, and
grant us such favorable weather that we may be enabled to lay the Cable safely and effectually. And
may thy hand of power and mercy be so acknowledged by all, that the language of every heart may
be,'Not unto us, 0 Lord, not unto us, but unto thy
name give glory,' that so thy name may be hallowed
and magnified in us and by us.
"Finally, we beseech thee to implant within us a
spirit of humanity and childlike dependence upon
thee; and teach us to feel as well as to say,'If the
Lord will, we shall do this or that.'
"Hear us, 0 Lord, and answer us in these our
petitions, according to thy precious promise for Jesus
Christ's sake. Amen."



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  151
The Lord Lieutenant then spoke once more-words
that amid such a scene and at such an hour, sank into
all hearts:
"Miy American, Engglish, and Irish friends, I feel at
such a moment as this that no languaoe of mine can
be becoming except that of praver and praise. However, it is allowable to any human lips, though they
have not been specially qualified fbr the office, to raise
the ascription of'Glory to God in the highest; on
earth peace, good-will to men.' That, I believe, is the
spirit in which this great work has been undertaken;
and it is this reflection that encourages me to feel confident hopes in its final success. I believe that the
great work now so happily begun will accomplish
many great and noble purposes of trade, of national
policy, and of empire. But there is only one view in
which I will present it to those whom I have the
pleasure to address. You are aware-you must know,
some of you, from your own experience-that many
of your dear friends and near relatives have left their
native land to receive hospitable shelter in America.
Well, then, I do not expect that all of you can understand the wondrous mechanism by which this great
undertaking is to be carried on. But this, I think,
you all of you understand. If you wished to communicate some piece of intelligence straightway to
your relatives across the wide world of waters-if you




162  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
wished to tell those whom you know it would interest
in their heart of hearts, of a birth, or a marriage, or,
alas, a death, among you, the little cord, which we
have now hauled up to the shore, will impart that
tidings quicker than the flash of the lightning. Let
us indeed hope, let us pray that the hopes of those
who have set on foot this great design, may be rewarded by its entire success; and let us hope, further, that this Atlantic Cable will, in all future time,
serve as an emblem of that strong cord of love which
I trust will always unite the British islands to the
great continent of America. And you will join me in
my fervent wish that the Giver of all Good, who has
enabled some of his servants to discern so much of the
working of the mighty laws by which he fills the universe, will further so bless this wonderful work, as to
make it even more to serve the high purpose of the
good of man, and tend to his great glory. And now,
all my friends, as there can be no project or undertaking which ought not to receive the approbation and
applause of the people, will you join with me in giving three hearty cheers for it?  [Loud cheering.]
Three cheers are not enough for me-they are what
we give on common occasions-and as it is for the
success of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, I must have
at least one dozen cheers.  [Loud and protracted
cheering.]"




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  153
Mr. Brooking, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, then expressed the thanks which all felt, to the Lord Lieatenant, for his presence on that occasion.
Then there were loud calls for Mr. Field.  Ite
answered in a few short sentences:
"I have no words to express the feelings which fill
my heart to-night-it beats with love and affection fori'
every man, woman and child who hears me. I may
say, however, that, if ever at the other side of the
waters now before us, any one of you shall present
yourselves at my door and say that you took hand or
part, even by an approving smile, in our work here
to-day, you shall have a true American welcome. I
cannot bind myself to more, and shall merely say:'What God has joined together, let not man put
asunder.'"
Thus closed this most interesting scene. The Lord
Lieutenant was obliged to return at once to the capital.  He therefore left, and posted that night to Iillarney, and the next day returned by special train to
Dublin, leaving the ships to complete the work so
happily begun.
The landing of the cable took place on Wednesday,
the fifth of August, near the hour of sunset. As it
was too late to proceed that evening, the ships renained
at anchor till the morning. They got under weigh at
7*




15i4  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
an early hour, but were soon checked by an accident
which detained them  another day. Before they had
gone five miles, the heavy shore end of the cable
caught in the machinery and p'arted.  The Niagara
put back, and the cable was "underrun" the whole
distance. At length the end was lifted out of the
water and spliced to the gigantic coil, and as it dropped safely to the bottom of the sea, the mighty ship
began to stir. At first she moved very slowly, not
more than two miles an hour, to avoid the danger of
accident; but the feeling that they are at last away is
itself a relief. The ships are all in sight, and so near
that they can hear each other's bells. The Niagara, as
if knowing that she is bound for the land out of whose
forests she came, bends her head to the waves, as her
prow is turned toward her native shores.
Slow passed the hours of that. day. But all went
well, and the ships were moving out into the broad
Atlantic. At length the sun went down in the west,
and stars came out on the face of the deep. But no
man slept.  A thousand eyes were watching a great
experiment as those who have a personal interest in
the issue. All through that night, and through the
anxious days and nights that followed, there was a
feeling in every soul on board, as if a friend in the
cabin were at the turning-point of life or death, and
they were watching beside him. There was a strange,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRA1PHI.  155
unnatural silence in the ship. Men paced the deck
with soft and muffled tread, speaking only in whispers,
as if a loud voice or a heavy footfall might snap the
vital chord. So much had they grown to feel for the
enterprise, that the cable seemed to them like a human creature, on whose fate they hung, as if it were to
decide their own destiny.
There are some who will never forget that first
night at sea. Perhaps the reaction from the excitement on shore made the impression the deeper. What
strange thoughts came to them as they stood on the
deck and watched that mysterious chord disappearing
in the darkness, and gliding to its ocean bed I There
are certain moments in life when every thing comes
back upon us, when the events of years seem crowded
into an hour. What memories came up in those long
nitghit hours!  How many on board that ship thought
of homes beyond the sea, of absent ones, of the distant
and the dead!  Such thoughts, mingling with those
suggested by the scene around, added to the solemnity of the hour, and left an impression which can
never be forgotten.
But with the work in hand all is going on well.
There are vigilant eyes on deck. MIr. Bright, the engineer of the Company, is there, and Mr. Everett, Mr.
De Sauty, the eleetrician, and Professor Morse. The
paying-out machinery does its work, and though it




156  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
makes a constant rumble in the ship, that dull, heavt
sound is music to their ears, as it tells them that all i
well. If one should drop to sleep, and wake up a
night, he has only to hear the sound of " the old coffec
mill," and his fears are relieved, and he goes to sleel
again.
Saturday was a day of beautiful weather.  Thi
ships were getting farther away from land, and begal
to steam ahead at the rate of four and five mile,
an hour. The cable was paid out at a speed a littl(
faster than that of the ship, to allow for any inequali
ties of surface on the bottom of the sea. While it wa,
thus going overboard, communication was kept uy
constantly with the land. Every moment the curren
was passing between ship and shore. The communi
cation was as perfect as between Liverpool and Lon
don, or Boston and New-York. Not only did the elec
tricians telegraph back to Valentia the progress they
were making, but the officers on board sent messages
to their friends in America, to go out by the steamers
from Liverpool.  The heavens seemed to smile on
them that day. The coils came up from below the
deck without a kink, and unwinding themselves easily,
passed over the stern into the sea. Once or twice an
alarm was created by the cable being thrown off the
wheels. This was owing to the sheaves not being
wide enough and deep enough, and being filled with




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  157
tar, which hardened in the air. This was a great defect of the machinery which was remedied in the later
expeditions. Still it worked well, and so long as those
terrible brakes kept off their iron gripe, it might work
through to the end.
All day Sunday the same favoring fortune continued; and when the officers, who could be spared
from the deck, met in the cabin, and Captain Hudson
read the service, it was with subdued voices and grateful hearts they responded to the prayers to Him who
spreadeth out the heavens, and ruleth the raging of
the sea.
On Monday they were over two hundred miles to
sea. They had got far beyond the shallow waters off
the coast.  They had passed over the submarine
mountain which figures on the charts of Dayman and
Berryman, and where Mr. Bright's log gives a descent
from five hundred and fifty to seventeen hundred and
fifty fathoms within eight miles I Then'they came to
the deeper waters of the Atlantic, where the cable
sank to the -awful depth of two thousand fathoms.
Still the iron cord buried itself in the waves, and
every instant thle flash of light. in the darkened telegraph room told of the passage of the electric current.
But Monday evening, about nine o'clock, occurred
a mysterious interruption, which staggered all on
board. Suddenly the electrical continuity was lost.




158  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
The cable was not broken, but it ceased to work.
Here was a mystery.. De Sauty tried it, and Professor
Morse tried it. But neither could make it work. It
seerled that all was over. The electricians gave it up,
and the engineers were preparing to cut the cable, and
to endeavor to wind it in, when suddenly the electricity
came back again. This made the mystery greater than
ever. It had b)een interrupted for two hours and a
half. This was a phenomenon which has never been
explained. Professor Morse was of opinion that the
cable, in getting off the wheels, had been strained so
as to open the gutta-percha, and thus destroy the insulation. If this be the true explanation, it would
seern that on reaching the bottom the seam had closed,
and thus the continuity had been restored. But it
was certainly an untoward incident, which "'cast
ominous conjecture on the whole success," as it seerned to indicate that there were at the bottom of the sea
causes which were wholly unknown and against which
it was impossible to provide.
The return of the current was like life from the
dead. Says Mullaly: "The glad news was soon circulated throughout the ship, and all felt as if they had
been imbued with a new life.  A  rough, weatherbeaten old sailor, who had assisted in coiling many a
long mile of it on board the Niagara, and who was
among the first to run to the the telegraph office to have




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  159
the news confirmed, said he would have given fifty
dollars out of his pay to have saved that cable.'I
have watched nearly every mile of it,' he added,' as it
came over the side, and I would have given fifty dollars, poor a manll as I am, to have saved it, although I
don't expect to make any thing by it when it is laid
down.' In his own simple way he expressed the feelings of every one on board, for all are as much interested in the success of the enterprise as the largest
shareholder in the Comnpany.  They talked of the
cable as they would of a pet child, and never was
child treated with deeper solicitude than that with
which the cable is watched by them. You could see
the tears standing in the eyes of some as they almost
cried for joy, and told their messmates that it was all
right."  It was indeed a great relief; and though still
anxious, after watching till past midnight, a few crept
to their couches, to snatch an hour or two of broken
sleep. But before the morning broke, the hopes thus
revived were again and finally destroyed.
It seems that the cable was running out freely at
the rate of six miles an hour, while the ship was advancing but about four.  This was supposed to be
owing to a powerful under-current.  To check. this
waste, the engineer applied the brakes firmly, which
at once stopped the machine. The effect was to bring
a heavy strain on the cable that was in the water.




160  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
The stern of the ship was down in the trough of the
sea, and as it rose upward on the swell, the pressure
was too great, and the cable parted.
Instantly ran through the ship a cry of grief and
dismay. She was stopped in her onward path, and in
a few minutes all gathered on deck with feelings
which may be imagined.  One who was present
wrote: " The unbidden tear started to many a manly
eye. The interest taken in the enterprise by all,
every one, officers and men, exceeded any thing I
ever saw, and there is no wonder that there should
have been so much emotion at our failure." Captain
Hudson says: " It made all hands of us through the
day like a household or family which had lost their
dearest friend, for officers and men had been deeply
interested in the success of the enterprise."
There was nothing left but to return to England.
The course decided upon, is thus stated in a private
letter.of Mr. Field, which, though intended only for
his family, may be interesting to others:
"H. M. STEAMER LEOPARD, Thursday, 
August 13, 1857.
"The successful laying down of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable is put off for a short time, but its final
triumph has been fully proved, by the experience that
we have had since we left Valentia. My confidence




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  161
was never so strong as at the present time, and I feel
sure, that with God's blessing, we shall connect Europe and America with the electric cord.
"After having successfully laid —and part of the
time while a heavy sea was running-three hundred
and thirty-five miles of the cable, and over one hundred miles of it in water more than two miles in
depth, the brakes were applied more firmly, by order
of Mr. Bright, the engineer, to prevent the cable from
going out so fast, and it parted.
" I retired to my state-room at a little after midnight
Monday, all going on well, and at a quarter before
four o'clock on Tuesday morning, the eleventh instant, I was awoke from my sleep by the cry of Stop
her, back her! and in a moment Mr. Bright was in my
room, with the sad intelligence that the cable was broken. In as short a time as possible I was dressed,
and -on deck; and Captain Hudson at once signaled
the other steamers that the cable had parted, and in a
few moments Captain Wainwright, of the Leopard,
and Captain Sands, of the Susquehanna, were on
board of the Niagara.
"I requested Captain Wainwright, the Commander
of the English Telegraph Fleet, to order the Agamemnon to remain with the Niagara and Susquehanna, in
this deep part of the Atlantic for a few days, to try
certain experiments which will be of great value to




162  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
us, and then sail with them back to England, and all
wait at Plymouth  until further orders. I further requested Captain Wainwright to order the Cyclops to
sound here where the cable parted, and then steam
back to Valentia, with letters from me to Dr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Saward, the Secretary of the Atlantic
Telegraph Company; and that he should take me in
the Leopard as soon as possible to Portsmouth.
"All of my requests were cheerfully complied with,
and in a few hours the Cyclops had sounded, and
found the bottom at two thousand fathoms, and was
on her way back to Valentia with letters from me;
the Niagara and the Agamemnon were connected together by the cable, and engaged in trying experiments; the Susquehanna in attendance, and the Leopard, with your affectionate  -- on board, on her
way back to Encland.
"In my letter to Dr. Whitehouse I requested him
to telegraph to London, and have a special meeting of
the Directors called for twelve o'clock on Saturday, to
decide whether we would have more cable made at
once, and try again this season, or wait until next
year.
" I shall close this letter on board, so as to have it
ready to mail the moment we arrive at Portsmouth,
as I wish to leave by the very next trainafor London,
so as to be there in time to meet the Directors Satur



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  163
day noon, and read them my report, which I am busy
making up.
" Do not think that I feel discouraged, or am in low
spirits, for I am not; and I think I can see how this
accident will be of great advantage to the Atlantic
Telegraph Company.
"All the officers and men on board of the Telegraph Fleet, seem to take the greatest interest in our
enterprise, and are very desirous to go out in the ships
the next time.
"Since my arrival, I have received the greatest
kindness and attention from all whom I have met,
from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, down to the
cabin-boys and sailors. The inclosed letter from the
Knight of Kerry, I received with a basket of hothouse fruit, just as we were getting ready to leave
Valentia harbor.       Your
" CYRUS W. FIELD."'
The day that this was written, Mr. Field landed at
Portsmouth, and at once hastened to London to mneet
the Directors. At first it was a question if they should
renew the expedition this year. But their brief experience had shown the need of more ample preparations
for their next attempt. They required six hundred
miles more of cable to make up for over three hundred lost in the sea, and to provide a surplus so as to
run no risk of falling short from other accidents; and




164  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
especially they needed better machinery to pay out
the cable into the ocean. These preparations required time, and before they could be made, it would be
late in the autumn. Itence they reluctantly decided
to defer the expedition till another year. The Niagara
and the Agamemnon therefore discharged their cable
at Plymouth, whence the Niagara returned home;
and Mr. Field, after remaining a few weeks in London to complete the preparations for the next year,
sailed for America.
He returned to find that a commercial hurricane
had swept over the country, in which a thousand
stately fortunes had gone down, and in which the
wealth he had accumulated by years of toil had nearly suffered shipwreck. Such were the tidings that
imet him on landing. It had been a year of disappointments in England and America —of disasters on
land and sea-and all his high hopes were
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.




CHAPTER IX.
P'REPARATIONS FOR A SECOND EXPEDITION. MR. FIELD IS MADE THE
GENERAL MANAGER OF THE COMPANY. MIR. EVERETT AND THE PAYING-OUT MACHINE. THE VALORUOS TAKRSTHE PLACE OF THE SUSQUEIIANNA. THE SQUADRON ASSEMIBLE AT PLYMOUTH. THEY GO TO SEA,
JUNE 10. HEAVY GALE. THE AGAMEMNON IN DANGER OF BEING
FOUNDERED. THE CABLE LOST THREE TIMES. THE SHIPS RETURN
TO ENGLAND. IM~EETING OF TIlE DIRECTORS. SHIAL, THEY ABANDONf
ITT, PhoJrEC.T? ONE MORE TRIAL.
ALTHOUGH the Expedition of 1857 really advanced
the project of an Atlantic Telegraph-since it was an
experiment on a grand scale, and taught many lessons
which could only be learned by experiment-still the
effect was to weaken public confidence.  Hitherto the
enterprise had been accepted by the people of England and of America-almost without considering its
magnitude and  difficulty.   They had taken  it for
granted as a thing which must some day be accomplished by human skill and perseverance. This confidence led them  to embark their means in it.  But
now it had been tried and failed.  This first expedition opened their eyes to the vastness of the undertak



166  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ing, and led many to doubt who did not doubt before.
This decline of popular faith was felt as soon as
they began to call for more money. People reasoned
that if the former attempt was but an experiment, it
was rather a costly one. The loss of three hundred
and thirty-five miles of cable, with the postponement
of the expedition to another yoar, was equivalent to
a loss of a hundred thousand pounds.  To make this
good, the Directors had to enlarge the capital of the
Company. This new capital was not so readily obtained. Those who had subscribed before, thought
they had lost enough; and the public stood aloof till
they could see the result of the next " experiment."
The projectors found that it was easy to go with the
current of popular enthusiasm, but very hard to stem a
growing popular distrust. They found how great an
element of success in all public enterprises is public
confidence.
But against this very revulsion of feeling they had
been already warned. The Earl of Carlisle the year
before had cautioned them against being too sanguine
of immediate results, and reminded them that "preliminary failure was even the law and condition of ultimate success." There were many who now remembered his words, and on whom the lesson was not lost.
But whatever the depression at the failure of the
first attempt to lay a telegraph across the ocean, and




HISTORY OF TIIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  167
at the thick-coming disasters on land and sea, it did
not interfere with renewed and vigorous efforts to prepare for a second expedition. The Directors gave orders for the manufacture of seven hundred miles of
new cable, to make up for the loss of the previous
year, and to provide a surplus against all contingencies. And the Government promised again its powerful aid.
In America, Mr. Field went on to Washington to ask
a second time the use of the ships, which bad already
represented the country so well. He made also a
special request for the services of Mr. William  E.
Everett.  This gentleman had been the Chief.Engineer of the Niagara the year before.  tie had
watched closely the paying-out machine, as it was
put together on the deck, and with the eye of a practised mechanic, he saw that it would never do. It
was too cumbrous, had too many wheels, and especially its brakes shut down with a gripe that would snap
the strongest chain cable. Nr. Field saw that this
was the man to remedy the defects of the old machine,
and to make one that would work more smoothly.
He therefore applied especially for his services. To
the credit of the administration, it granted both requests in the most handsome manner.  " There," said
the Secretary of the Navy, handing /Mr. Field the official letter, " I have given you all you asked."




168  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
After such an answer he did not wait long. The
letter is dated the thirtieth of December, and in just
one week, on the sixth of January, he sailed in the
Persia for England with Mr. Everett. Scarcely had
he arrived in London before he was made the General
Manager of the Company, with control of the entire
staff, including electricians and engineers. The following extract from the minutes of the Board of Directors, dated January 27, 1858, explains the new
position to which he was invited:
"The Directors having for several months felt that
it would greatly advance the interests of this enterprise, if Mr. Cyrus Wr. Field, of New-York, could be
induced to come over to England, for the purpose of
undertaking the general management and supervision
of all the various arrangements that would be required
to be carried out before the sailing of the next expedition; application was made to Mr. Field, with the view
of securing his consent to the proposal, and he arrived
in this country on the sixteenth instant, when it was
ascertained that he would be willing, if unanimously
desired by the Directors, to act in behalf of the Company as proposed; and Mr. Field having retired, it was
unanimously resolved to tender him, in respedt to
such services, the sum of ~1000 over and above his
travelling and other expenses, as remuneration."
This resolution was at once communicated to Mr,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  169
Field, who replied that he would undertake the duties
of General Manager, but declined the offer of ~1000,
preferring to give his services to the Company without
any compensation. Whereupon the Directors immediately passed another resolution:
"That Mr. Field's kind and generous offer be accepted by this Board; and that their best thanks are
hereby tendered to him for his devotion to the interests of this undertaking."
TIhe following, passed a few weeks later, on the
twenty-sixth of March, was designed to emphasize the
authority given over all the employes of the Company:
"Resolved, That Mr. Cyrus W. Field, General Manager of the Company, is hereby authorized and empowered to give such directions and orders to the officers composing the staff of the Company, as he may
from time to time deem necessary and expedient with
regard to all matters connected with the business proceedings of the Company, subject to the control of the
Directors.'' Resolved, That the staff of the Company be notified hereof, and required to observe and follow such
directions as may be issued by the General Manager."
As Mr. Field was thus invested with the entire
charge of the preparations for the next expedition, he
was made responsible for it, and felt it due alike to
himself and to the Company to omit no means to in



170  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
sure success. It was therefore his duty to examine
into every detail. The manufacture of the new cable
was already under way, and there was ho opportunity to make any change in its construction, even if
any had been desired. But there was another matter
which was quite as important to success-the construction of the paying-out machines. This had been the
great defect of the previous year, and, while it continued, would render success almost impossible. No
matter how many hundreds or thousands of miles of
cable might be made, if the machinery was not fitted
to pay it out into the sea, it would be constantly
broken. To remedy these defects was an object of
anxious solicitude, and to this the- new manager gave
his first attention. Hardly was he in London before
Mr. Everett was installed at the large machine works
of Easton and Amos, in Southwark, where, surrounded
by plans and models, he devoted himself for three
months to studying out a better invention for this
most important work. At the end of that time he had
a model complete, and invited a number of the most
eminent engineers of London to witness its operation.
Among these were Mr. Brunel, and Messrs. Lloyd,
Penn, and Field, who had given the enterprise the
benefit of their counsel for months, refusing all compensation; Mr. Charles T. Bright, the engineer of the
Company, and his two assistants, Mr. Canning and Mr.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  171
Clifford, and Mr. Follansbee, Chief-Engineer of the
Niagara, the place which Mr. Everett had occupied
the year before. The machine was set in motion, and
all saw its operation, while Mr. Everett explained its
parts, and the difficulties which he had tried to overcome. It was obvious at a glance that it was an immense improvement on that of the former year. It
was much smaller and lighter. It would take up only
about one third as much room on the deck, and had
only one fourth the weight of the old machine. Its
construction:was much more simple. Instead of four
heavy wheels, it had but two, and these were made to
revolve. with ease, and without danger of sudden
check, by the application of what were known as selfreleasing brakes. These were the invention of Mr.
Appold, of London, a gentleman of fortune, but with
a strong taste for mechanics, which led him to spend
his time and wealth in exercising his mechanical ingenuity. These brakes were so adjusted as to bear only
a certain strain, when they released themselves. This
ingenious contrivance was applied by Mr. Everett to
the paying-out machinery. The strength of the cable
was such that it would not break except under a pressure of a little over three tons. The machinery was
so adjusted that not more than half that strain could
possibly come upon the cable, when the brakes would
relax their grasp, the wheels revolve easily, and the




172 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
cable run out into the sea "at its own sweet will."
The paying-out machine, therefore, we are far from
claiming as wholly an American invention. This part
of the mechanism was English. The merit of Mr.
Everett lay in the skill with which he adapted it to the
laying of the Atlantic cable, and in his great improve.
ments of other parts of the machinery. The whole
construction, as it afterwards stood upon the decks of
the Niagara and the Agamemnon, was the combined
product of English and American invention. The
engineers, who now saw it for the first time, were delighted. It seemed to have the intelligence of a human being, to know when to hold on, and when to let
go. All felt that the great difficulty in laying the
cable was removed, and that under this gentle manipulation it would glide easily and smoothly from the
ship into the sea.
While these preparations were going on in London,
the Niagara, which did not leave New-York till the
ninth of March, arrived at Plymouth, under command
of Captain Hudson, to take on board her share of the
cable.  Both ships had discharged their burden at
Keyham Docks, where the precious freight was passed
through a composition of tar and pitch and linseedoil and beeswax, to preserve it from injury, and then
had been coiled under cover to be kept safely through
the winter. The Agamemnon was already at Plymouth,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  173
having been designated by the Admiralty again to take
part in' the work-though under a new commander,
Captain George W. Preedy, a very excellent officer.
The place of the Leopard was taken by the Gorgon,
under command of Captain Dayman, who had made
the deep-sea soundings in the Cyclops the year before.
While the English Government was thus prompt in
furnishing its ships, news arrived from America that
the Company could not have again the assistance of
the Susquehanna, which had accompanied the Niagara
the year before. She was in the West-Indies, and the
yellow fever had broken out on board. What should
be done? It was late to apply again to the American
Government, and it was doubtful what would be the
result of the application. This threatened some embarrassment. Mr. Field resolved the difficulty in a
way which showed his confidence in the great and generous Government on the other side of the water, with
which he had occasion so often to deal. Without waiting for the action of the Company, he called a cab,
and drove straight to the Admiralty, and sent in his
card to Sir John Pakington, then first Lord of the
Admiralty. This gentleman, like his predecessor, Sir
Charles Wood, had shown the most friendly interest
in the Atlantic Telegraph, and given it his warmest
support. Mr. Field was received at once, and began
with true American eagerness: "I am ashamed to




174  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
come to you, after what the English Government has
done for the Atlantic Telegraph. But here is ourcase.
We are disappointed in the Susquehanna. She is in
the West-Indies, with the yellow fever on board. She
cannot come to England to take part in the expedition. Can you do any thing for us?" Sir John re[plied that the Government had not ships enough for
its own use; that it was at that very moment chartering vessels to take troops to Malta-" but he would see
what he could do." In an housr or two he sent word to
the office of the Company, that Her Majesty's ship
Valorous-commanded by Captain W. C. Aldham, an
officer of great experience-had been ordered to take
the place of the Susquehanna in the next expedition.
We mention this little incident, not so much to illustrate Mr. Field's prompt and quick manner of deciding and acting, as to show the noble and generous
spirit in which the English Government responded to
every appeal.
The reshipping of the cable at Plymouth occupied
the whole month of April and part of May. Some
changes were made in the mode adopted, it being
coiled around large cones. The work was done as
before, by a hundred and sixty men detailed for the
purpose, of whom one fourth were the workmen of
the Company, and the rest sailors who had volunteered
for the duty. These were divided into gangs of forty,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  175
that relieved each other, by which the work went on
day and night. In this way they coiled about thirty
miles in the twenty-four hours. Owing to the increased length of cable, and the greater care in coiling,
it took a longer time than the year before. The whole
was completed about the middle of May. There was
then in all, on board the two ships, a little over three
thousand miles. This included, besides seven hundred miles of new cable, thirty-nine miles of that lost
the year before, which had been recovered by the
company, and a few miles of condemned cable from
Greenwich, which was put on board for experiments.
The shipment being thus complete, and the paying-out
machines in position, the ships were ready to make a
trial trip, preparatory to their final departure.
For this purpose the telegraphic squadron sailed
from Plymouth on Saturday, the twenty-ninth of May,
and bore southward two or three hundred miles, till
the green color of the sea changing to a deep blue,
showed that they had reached the great depths of the
ocean. They were now in the waters of the Bay of
Biscay, where the soundings were over twenty-five hundred fathoms. IHere the Niagara and the Agamem-ion
were hung together by a hawser, being about a quarter of a mile apart. Then the cable was passed from
one to the other, and a series of experiments began,
designed to test both the strength of the cable and the




176  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
working of the machinery. Two miles of the cable
were paid out, when it parted. This would have
seemed a bad sign, had it been any other part of the
cable than that which was known to be imperfect and
had long since been condemned. The next day three
miles were paid out. This, too, was broken, but only
when they tried to haul it in, and under a pressure of
several tons.
Other experiments were tried, such as splicing the
cable, and lowering it to the bottom of the sea-an
operation which it was thought might be critical in
mid-ocean, but which was performed without difficulty
-and running out the cable at a rapid rate, when the
speed of the ship was increased to seven knots, without
causing the cable to break, or even to kink. On the
whole, the result of the trip was regarded as satisfactory. The paying-out machine of Mr. Everett worked
well, and the electric continuity through the whole
cable was perfect. After these experiments the squadron returned to Plymouth.
Two days after, Saturday, the fifth of June, it was
the fortune of the writer to arrive in Plymouth, and to
witness the final preparations for the departure of the
expedition. It was his privilege to attend divine service on board the Niagara the last Sabbath before she
sailed. Never can he forget that day,
So pure, so calm, so bright,
The bridal of the earth and sky.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  177
The squadron lay all together in Plymouth Sound.
Looking at those great ships, turned from their office
of war to be messengers of peace and good-will, they
seemed truly "beautiful upon the waters as are the
feet upon the mountains of those who publish the gospel
of peace."*
Among the matters of personal solicitude and anxiety at this time-next to the success of the expedition-was Mr. Field himself. He was working with
an activity which was unnatural-which could only
be kept up by great excitement, and which involved
the most serious danger. The strain on the man was
more than the strain on the cable, and we were in fear
that both would break together. Often he had no
sleep, except such as he caught flying on the railway.
Indeed, when we remonstrated, he said he could rest
better there than anywhere else, for then he was not
tormented with the thought of any thing undone.
For the time being he could do no more; and then
putting his head in the cushioned corner of the carriage, he got an hour or two of broken sleep.
Of this activity we had an instance while in Plymouth. The ships were then lying in the' Sound, only
waiting orders from the Admiralty to go to sea; but
some business required one of the Directors to go to
Paris, and as usual, it fell upon him. ile left on Sun* Speech of the Earl of Carlisle at Valentia the year before.
8*




178  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
day night and went to Bristol, and thence, by the first
morning train, to London. Monday he: was busy all
day, and that night went to Paris. Tuesday, another
busy day, and that night back to London. Wednesday, occupied every minute till the departure of the
Great Western train. That night back to Plymouth.
Thursday morning on board the Niagara, and immediately the squadron sailed.
It was the tenth day of June that the expedition left
England, with fair skies and bright prospects. In
truth, it was a gallant sight, as these four ships stood
out to sea together-those old companions, the Niagara and the Agamemnon, leading the way, followed
by their new attendants, the Valorous and the Gorgon. Never did a voyage begin with better omens.
The day was one of the mildest of June, and the sea
so still, that one could scarcely perceive, by the motion of the ship, when they passed beyond the breakwater off Plymouth harbor into the channel, or into
the open sea. At night, it was almost a dead calm.
The second day was like the first. There was scarcely wind enough to swell the sails. The ships were
all in sight, and as they kept under easy steam, they
seemed bound on a voyage of pleasure, gliding over a
summer sea to certain success.
It had been supposed that the expedition of this
year would have a great advantage over the last, from




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  179
sailing two months earlier, at what was considered a
more favorable season. So said all the wise men of
the sea. They had given their opinion that June
was the best month for crossing the Atlantic. Then
they were almost sure of fair weather. The first three
days of the voyage confirmed these predictions, and
they who had made them, being found true prophets,
shook their heads with great satisfaction.
But alas I for the vanity of human expectations, or
for those who put trust in the "treacherous sea."  On
Sunday it began to blow. The barometer fell, and all
signs indicated to the eye of a seaman rough weather.
From this time they had a succession of gales for more
than a week. From day to day it blew fiercer than
before, till Sunday, the twentieth, when the gale was
at its height, and the spirit of the storm was out on the
Atlantic. Up to' this time the Niagara and the Agamemnon (though they had long since parted from the
Valorous and the Gorgon) had managed to keep in
sight of each other; and now from the leck of the
former the latter was seen a mile and a half distant,
rolling heavily in the sea. The signals which she
made showed that she was struggling- with the fury of
the gale. She was really in great danger of foundering. But this was owing, not merely to the severity
of the gale, but to the enormous weight she carried,
and to the way this huge bulk was stowed in the ship.




180   HISTORY OF r`IE  ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Only a few days before this we had been on board of
her, and Captain Preedy showed us, in one coil, thirteen  hundred  miles of cable!   This made a dead
weight of as many hundred tons, which rendered her
in rough weather almost unmanageable. To make the
matter worse, she had another coil of about two hundred and fifty tons on the forward  deck, -where it
made the head of the ship heavy.  In her tremendous
rolls, this coil broke loose, and threatened at a time to
dash like an avalanche through the side of the ship.
But at the most fearful moments the gallant seaman in
command never lost his presence of mind. IIe was
always on deck, watching with a vigilant eye the
raging of the tempest, and issuing his orders with
coolness and  prompt decision.   To  this admirable
skill was due the safety of the ship, and of all on
board.*
But all things have an end; and this long gale at
last blew itself out, and the weary ocean rocked itself
to rest. T6ward the last of the week the squadron
* As there is no trouble without a compensation, it is something that
this voyage, fearful as it was, furnished a subject for a description of
marvellous power. The letter to the London Times, written by Mr.
Woods, its correspondent on board the Agamemnon, is one of the
finest descriptions of a storm at sea we know of in the language. It is
a wonderful specimen of "word-painting," and in the vividness with
which it brings the scene before us, may be compared with the marine
paintings of Stanfield or Turner.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 181
got together at the appointed rendezvous in mied-ocean.
As the ships came in sight, the angry sea went down;
and on Friday, June twenty-fifth, just fifteen days
from Plymouth, they were all together, as tranquil in
the middle of the Atlantic as if in Plymouth Sound.
"This evening the four vessels lay together side by
side, and there was such a stillness in the sea and air,
as would have seemed remarkable in an inland lake;
on the Atlantic, and after what we had all so lately
witnessed, it seemed almost unnatural." The boats
were out, and the officers were visiting from  ship
to ship, telling their experiences of the voyage, and
forming their plans for the morrow. Captains Aldham
and Dayman said it was the worst weather they had
ever experienced in the North-Atlantic. But it was
the Agamemnon that suffered most.  The rough
sea had shaken not only the ship, but the cable in
her. The upper part of the main coil had shifted, and
become so twisted and tangled, that a hundred miles
had to be got out and coiled in another part of the
ship, so that it was not till the afternoon of Saturday,
the twenty-sixth, that the splice was finally made, and
the cable lowered to the bottom of the sea. The ships
were then got under weigh, but had not gone three
miles, before the cable broke, being caught in the machinery on board the Niagara. It was fortunate they
had gone no further. Both ships at once turned about




182  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
and spliced again the same afternoon, and made a fresh
start. Now all went well. The paying-out machines
worked smoothly, and the cable ran off easily into the
sea. Thus each ship had paid out about forty miles
when suddenly the current ceased I
Says the writer on the Agamemnon: "At half-past
three o'clock [Sunday morning] forty miles had gone,
and nothing could be more perfect and regular than
the working of every thing, when suddenly Professor
Thompson came on deck, and reported a total break
of continuity; that the cable in fact had parted, and,
as was believed at the time, from the Niagara. In
another instant a gun and a blue-light warned the
Valorous of what had happened, and roused all on
board the Agamemnon to a knowledge that the machinery was silent, and that the first part of the Atlantic Cable had been laid and lost effectually."
This was disheartening, but not so much from the
fact of a fresh breaking of the cable, as from the mystery as to its cause. The fact, of course, was known
instantly on both ships, but the cause was unknown.
Those on each ship supposed it had occurred on the
other. With this impression, they'turned about to
beat up again toward the rendezvous. It was noon of
Monday, the twenty-eighth, before the Agamemnon
rejoined the Niagara; and then, says the writer already
quoted: " While all were waiting with impatience for




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  183
her explanation of how they broke the cable, she
electrified every one by running up the interrogatory:'How did the cable part?' This was astounding. As
soon as the boats could be lowered, Mr. Cyrus Field,
with the electricians from the Niagara, came on board,
and a comparison of logs showed the painful and
mysterious fact that, at the same second of tinme, each
vessel discovered that a total fracture had taken place
at a distance of certainly not less than ten miles from
each ship; in fact, as well as can be judged, at the
bottom of the ocean. That of all the many mishaps
connected with the Atlantic Telegraph, this is the
worst and most disheartening is certain, since it proves
that, after all that human skill and science can effect
to lay the wire down with safety has been accomplished, there may be some fatal obstacles to success at the
bottom of the ocean, which can never be guarded
against; for even the nature of the peril must always
remain as secret and unknown as the depths in which
it is to be encountered."
But it was no time for useless regrets. Once more
the cable was joined in mid-ocean, and dropped to its
silent bed, and the Niagara and the Agamemnon began to steam away toward opposite shores of the Atlantic.  This time the experiment succeeded better
than before. The progress of the English ship is thus
reported:




184  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
"At first, the ship's speed was only two knots, the
cable going three and three and a half, with a strain
of fifteen hundred pounds. By and by, however, the
speed was increased to four knots, the cable going five,
at a strain of two thousand pounds. At this rate it
was kept, with trifling variations, throughout almost
the whole of Monday night, and neither Mr. Bright,
Mr. Canning, nor Mr. Clifford ever quitted the machines for an instant. Toward the middle of the night,
whi'le the rate of the ship continued the same, the
speed at which the cable paid out slackened nearly
a knot an hour, while the dynamometer indicated as
low as thirteen hundred pounds. This change could
only be accounted for on the supposition that the water
had shallowed to a considerable extent, and that the
vessel was, in fact, passing over some submarine Ben
Nevis. or Skiddaw. After an interval of-about an
hour, the strain and rate of progress of the cable again
increased, while the increase of the vertical angle
seemed to indicate that the wire was sinking down the
side of a declivity. Beyond this, there was no variation throughout Monday night, or, indeed, through
Tuesday."
On board the Niagara was the same scene of anxious watching every hour of the day and night. Engineers and electricians were constantly on duty. "The
scene at night was beautiful. Scarcely a word was




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 185
spoken; silence was commanded, and no conversation
allowed. Nothing was heard but the strange rattling
of the machine as the cable was running out. The
lights about deck and in the quarter-deck circle added
to the singularity of the spectacle; and those who
were on board the ship describe the state of anxious
suspense in which all were held as exceedingly impressive."
Warned by repeated failures, they hardly dared to
hope for success in this last experiment. And yet the
spirits of all rose, as the distance widened between the
ships. A hundred miles were laid safely-a hundred
and fifty-two hundred. Why might they not lay
two thousand? So reasoned the sanguine and hopeful
when, Tuesday night, came the fatal announcement
that the electric current had ceased to flow. It afterward appeared that the cable had broken about twenty
feet from the stern of the Agamemnon.
As the cable was now useless, it only remained to
cut it from the stern of the Niagara. Before doing
this, Mr. Field thought it a good opportunity to test
its strength. For this purpose the brakes were shut
down, so that the paying-out machine could not move.
But still the cable did not break, although the whole
weight of thQ Niagara hung upon that slender cord,
and though several men got upon the brakes. Says
Captain Hudson: "Although the wind was quite fresh,




186  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the cable held the ship for one hour and forty minutes before breaking, andi notwithstanding a strain offour tons."
Though not unexpected, this last breaking of the
cable was a sad blow to all on board. It was the end
of their hopes, at least for the present expedition.
Before separating, it had been agreed, that if the cable
should part again before either ship had run a hundred miles, they should return and renew the attempt.
If they had passed that limit, they were all to sail for
Ireland. But the Niagara had run out a hundred and
eleven miles, and knowing that the Agamemnon had
done about the same, she expected the latter would
keep on her course eastward, not stopping till she
reached Queenstown. The Niagara, therefore, reluctantly bore away for the same port.
iOf course, the return voyage was "any thing but
gay."  When soldiers come home from the war, they
march with a proud step, if they have had a victorious
campaign. But it is otherwise when they come with
a sad tale of disaster and defeat. Seldom had an expedition begun with higher hopes, or ended in more
complete failure. Who could help feeling keenly this
fresh disappointment?  Even with all the, courage
"that may become a man," heightened by a natural
buoyancy of spirits, how was it possible to resist the
impression of the facts they had just witnessed? Ifas Lord Carlisle had told them the year before-" there




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  187
was almost enough of glory in the very design of an
Atlantic telegraph," that glory might still be theirs.
But apparently they could hope for nothing more.
They had done all that men could do. Btit Fate seemed against them; and who can fight against destiny?
No one can blame them if they sometimes had sore
misgivings, and looked out sadly upon the sea that
had baffled their utmost skill, and now laughed their
efforts to scorn.
In this mood they entered once more the harbor of
Queenstown. The Niagara was the first to arrive and
to bring tidings of the great disaster. The Agamem..
non came in a few days after. Knowing the fatal impression their report was likely to produce, Mr. Field
hastened to London to meet the Directors. It was
high time. The news had reached there before him, and
had already produced its effect. Under its impression
the Board was called together. It met in the same room
where, six weeks before, it had discussed the prospects
of the expedition with full confidence of success. Now
it met, as a council of war is summoned after a terrible
defeat, to decide whether to surrender or to try once
more the chances of battle. When the Directors came
together, the feeling-to call it by the mildest namewas one of extreme discouragement. They looked
blankly in each other's faces. With some, the feeling
was one almost of despair. Sir William' Brown, of




188  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Liverpool, the first Chairman, wrote, advising them to
sell the cable. Mr. Brooking, the Vice-Chairman, who
had given more time to it than any other Director,
when he saw that his colleagues were disposed to make
still another trial, left the room, and the next day sent
in his resignation, determined to take no further part
in an undertaking which had been proved hopeless,
and to persist in which seemed mere rashness and folly.
But others thought there was still a chance. Like
Robert Bruce, who, after twelve battles and twelve
defeats, yet believed that a thirteenth might bring victory, they clung to this bare possibility. Mr. Field
and Professor Thomson gave the results of their experience, from which it appeared that there was no
obstacle in the nature of the case which might not be
overcome. To be sure, it was a forlorn hope. But
the ships were there. Though they had lost three
hundred miles of cable, they had still enough on
boa-rd to cross the sea. These arguments prevailed,
and it was voted to make one more trial before the
project was finally abandoned.  Even though the
chances were a hundred to one against them, that one
might secure them final success. And so it proved.
But was it their own wisdom or courage that got them
the victory, or were they led by that Being whose
way is in the sea, and whose path is in the great waters?




CHAPTER X.
THE SHIPS SAIL ON A SECOND EXPEDITION. THEY MEET IN MID-OCEAN.
SUCCESSFUL VOYAGE OF THE NIAGARA, AND OF THE AGAMEMNON.
CABLE LANDED IN IRELAND AND IN NEWFOUNDLAND
A BOLD decision needs to be followed by prompt
action, lest the spirit that inspires the daring attempt
be weakened by delay. When once it had been fixed
that there was to be another attempt to lay the Atlantic cable, no time was lost in carrying the resolve into
execution. The telegraphic fleet was lying at Queenstown. The Niagara had arrived on the fifth of July,
but the Agamemnon, which, through some misunderstanding, had returned to the rendezvous in mid ocean,
thus crossing the Niagara on her track, did not get in
till a week later. However, all were now there, safe
and sound, when the order came down from London
to get ready immediately to go to sea. Not an hour
was lost. The ships had barely time to take in coal
and other supplies for the voyage. Mr. Field hastened
from England, and Prof. Thomson from his home in
Scotland, and in five days the squadron was under




190  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
weigh, bound once more for the middle of the Atlantic.
It was Saturday, the seventeenth of July, that the
ships left on their second expedition. As they sailed
out of the Cove of Cork, it was with none of the enthusiasm which attended their departure from Valentia the year before, or even from Plymouth on the
tenth of June. Nobody cheered; nobody bade them
God-speed. "As the ships left the harbor, there was
apparently no notice taken of their departure by those
on shore, or in the vessels anchored around them;
every one seemed impressed with the conviction that
we were engaged in a hopeless enterprise, and the
squadron seemed rather to have slunk away on some
discreditable mission, than to have sailed for the accomplishment of a grand national scheme."  Many
even of those on board felt that they were going on a
fool's errand; that the Company was possessed by a
kind of insanity, of which, however, they would soon
be cured by another bitter experience.
On leaving this second time, it was agreed that the
squadron should not try to keep together, but each
ship make its way to the given latitude and longitude
which was the appointed rendezvous in mid-ocean.
The Niagara, being the largest, and able to carry the
most coal, kept under steam the whole way, and arrived first, and waited several days for the other ships




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  191
to appear. The Valorous came next, and then the
Gorgon, and, last of all, the Agamemnon, which had
been saving her coal for the return voyage, and had
been delayed for want of a little of that wind which,
in the former expedition, she had in too great abundance. Says the English correspondent on board:
"For several days in succession there was an uninterrupted calm. The moon was. just at the full, and
for several nights it shone with a brilliancy which
turned the sea into one silvery sheet, which brought
out the dark hull and white sails of the ship in strong
contrast to the sea and sky, as the vessel lay all but
motionless on the water, the very impersonation of
solitude and repose.. Indeed, until the rendezvous
was gained, we had such a succession of beautiful sunrises, gorgeous sunsets, and tranquil moonlight nights,
as would have excited the most enthusiastic admiration
of any one but persons situated as we were. But' by
us such scenes were regarded only as the annoying indications of the calm, which delayed our progress and
wasted our coal.  By dint, however, of a judicious
expenditure of fuel, and a liberal use of the cheaper
motive power of sail, the rendezvous was reached on
Wednesday, the twenty-eighth of July, just eleven
days after our departure from Queenstown. The rest
of the squadron came in sight at nightfall, but at such
a distance that it was past ten o'clock on the morning




192  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
of Thursday, the twenty-ninth, before the Agamemnon joined them."'"The day was beautifully calm, so no time was to
be lost before making the splice; boats were soon lowered from the attendant ships, the two vessels made
fast by a hawser, and the Niagara's end of the cable
conveyed on board the Agamemnon. About half-past
twelve -o'clock the splice was effectually made. In
hoisting it out from the side of the ship the leaden
sinker broke short off and fell. overboard; and there
being no more convenient weight at hand, a thirtytwo pound 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 two hundred and ten fathoms having been paid out, the signal to start was hoisted, the
hawser cast loose, and the Niagara and Agamemnon
started for the -last time for their opposite destinations."
At this moment the ships were nearly in mid-ocean,
but not exactly. Mr. Field, who never indulges in
poetical descriptions, but always gives the figures,
stating the precise latitude and longitude, and from
what quarter the wind blows, and how many fath



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  193
oms deep the ocean is, and how many miles of cable
are on board, makes the following entry in his journal:
"Thursday, July twenty-ninth, latitude fifty-two
degrees nine minutes north, longitude thirty.two degrees twenty-seven minutes west. Telegraph Fleet all
in sight; sea smooth; light wind from S.E. to S.S.E.,
cloudy. Splice made at one P.M. Signals through
the whole length of the cable on board both ships perfect. Depth of water fifteen hundred fathoms; distance to the entrance of Valentia harbor eight hun-,dred and thirteen nautical miles, and from there to
the telegraph-house the shore end of the cable is laid.
Distance to the entrance of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, eight hundred and twenty-two nautical miles,
and from there to the telegraph-house at the head of
the bay of Bull's Arm, sixty miles, making in all
eight hundred and eighty-two nautical miles. The
Niagara has sixty-nine miles further to run than the
Agamemnon. The Niagara and Agamemnon have
each eleven hundred nautical miles of cable on board,
about the same quantity as last year."
And now, as the ships are fairly apart, and will
soon lose sight of each other, we will leave the Agamemnon for the present to pursue her course toward
Ireland, while we follow our own Niagara to the
shores of the New World. At first of cours% while
9




194  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
all hoped for success, no one dared to expect it. At
least they said afterwards that "Mr. Field was the
only man on board who kept up his courage through
it all." But the chances seemed many to one against
them; and the warnings were frequent to excite their
fears. That very evening, about sunset, all again seemed lost. We quote from Mr.'Field's journal: "At
forty-five minutes past seven P.M., ship's time, signals
from the Agamemnon ceased, and the tests applied by
the electricians showed that there was a want of continuity in the cable, but the insulation was perfect.
Kept on paying out from the Niagara very slowly,
and constantly applying all kinds of electrical tests
until ten minutes past nine, ship's time, when again
commenced receiving perfect signals from the Agamemnon.'  At the same moment the same experience
was going on on the English ship.
The next day there was a fresh cause of alarm. It
was found that the Niagara had run some miles out of
her course. Comparing the distance run by observation and by patent log, there was a difference of sixteen
miles and a third. With such a percentage of loss,
the cable would not hold out to reach Newfoundland.
This was alarming, but the explanation was obvious.
The mass of iron in the ship had affected the compass,
so that it no longer pointed to the right quarter of tha
heavens. Had the Niagara been alone on the ocean,




IIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  195
this might have caused serious trouble. But now ap.
peared the great advantage of an attendant ship. It
was at once arranged that the Gorgon should go ahead
and lead the way. As she had no cable on board, her
compasses were subject to no deviation. Accordingly
she took her position in the advance, keeping the line
along the great circle arc,'which was the prescribed
route. From that moment there was no variation, or
but a very slight one. The two methods of comput-,ing the distance-by log and by observation-nearly
coincided, and the ship varied scarcely a mile from
her course till she entered Trinity Bay.
It is not necessary to follow the whole voyage, for
the record is the same from day to day. It is the
same sleepless watching of the cable as it runs out day
and night, and the same anxious estimate of the distance that still separates them from land. Communication is kept up constantly between the ships. Mr.
Field's journal contains entries like these:
"Saturday, July thirty-first. By eleven o'clock had
paid out from the Niagara three hundred miles of cable; at forty-five minutes past two received signals
from the Agamemnon that they had paid out from
her three hundred miles of cable; at thirty-seven minutes past five finished coil on the berth-deck, and commenced paying out from the lower deck."
" Monday, Au-gust second. The Niagara getting




196  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
light, and rolling very much; it was not considered safe to carry sail to steady ship, for in case of
accident it wmight be necessary to stop the vessel as
soon as possible. Passed and signalled the Cunard
steamer from Boston to Liverpool."  Same day about
noon, " imperfect insulation of cable detected in sending and receiving signals from the Agamemnon, which
continued until forty minutes past five, when all was
right again. The fault was found to be in the wardroom, about sixty miles from the lower end, which
was immediately cut out, and taken out of the circuit."
"Tuesday, August third. At a quarter-past eleven,
ship's time, received signals from on board the Agamemnon, that they had paid out from her seven hundred and eighty miles of cable. In the afternoon and
evening passed several icebergs. At ten minutes past
nine P.M., ship's time, received signal from the Agamemnon that she was in water -of two hundred fathoms. At twenty minutes past ten P.r., ship's time,
Niagara in water of two hundred fathoms, and informed the Agamemnon of the same.
"Wednesday, August foutth. Depth of water less
than two hundred fathoms. Weather beautiful, perfectly calm. Gorgon in sight. Sixty-four miles from
the telegraph-house. Received signal from Agamemnon at noon that they bad paid out from her nine
hundred and forty miles of cable. Passed this morn



HISTORY  OF THE: ATLANTICI TELEGRAPH. -  197
ing  several icebergs.  Made' the land off entrance to
Trinity  Bay  at eight A.M.   Entered  Trinity  Bay  at
half-past twelve.   At half-past two, we stopped sending  signals  to.. Agamemnon  for: fourteen  minutes,
for the purpose of making splice. At five P.M. saw
Her M. ajesty's steamer Porcupine  [which  had  been
sent by  the British  Government to  Newfoundland,
to watch for the telegraph ships] coming to us.  At
half-past seven, Captain Otter, of the Porcupine, came
on board of the Niagara to pilot us to the anchorage,
near the telegraph-house.*
* The spot chosen as the terminus of the Atlantic cable, with the
views around it-both on the water. and on land-is thus described, by a
correspondent:
"All who have visited Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, with one consent
allow, it to. be one of the most beautiful. sheets, of. water they: ever set
eyes upon. Its color is very peculiar-an inexpressible mingling of
the pure. blue ocean with the deep evergreen' woodlands and, the serene
blue sky. Its extreme length is about eighty miles, its.breadth about
thirty miles, opening boldly into the Atlantic on the northern side of
the island. At its. south,western shore it branches into the..Baiy of
Bull's Arm, which is, a; quiet, safe, and beautiful harbor, about two
miles in breadth, and nine or ten in length, running in a direction
north-west.
"Thet depth of water. is sufficient for the largest vessels, The tide
rises seven or eight feet, and the bay terminates in a beautiful sandbeach. The shore is clothed with dark green fir-trees, which, mixed
with birch and mountain-ash, present: a pleasing contrast. The land
rises, gradually from, the water all around, so as to- afford onei of the
most agreeable town. sites in the island, You asend only about a




198   HISTORY  OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
"Thursday, August fifth. At forty-five minutes past
one A.M., Niagara anchored.  Total amount of cable
paid out since splice Was made,-ten hundred and sixteen miles, six hundred fathoms. Total amount of
quarter of a mile from the water, and there are no longer trees, but
wild grass like an open prairie. Here are found at this season myriads
of the upland cranberries, upon which unnumbered ptarmigan, or the
northern partridge, feed.
"The raspberry, bake-apple berry, and the whortleberry are also
common.  Numerous little lakes may'be seen in the open, elevated
ground, from which flow rivulets, affording abundance of fine trout.
After ascending for about a mile and a half, you are then probably
three hundred or four hundred feet above the tide, and nothing can
exceed the beauty of the scene when, at one view, you behold the
placid waters of both Trinity and Placentia Bays-the latter sprinkled
with clusters of verdant islands.
"' You can now descend westward as gradually as you came up from
the Telegraph landing, to the shore of Placentia Bay, where there is an
excellent harbor and admirable fisheries, skirting the shore, and the
accompanying road of the land Telegraph line leading from St. John's
westward through the island, to Cape Ray. At this season of the year
game is very abundant. Reindeer in great numbers, bears, wolvesothers very numerous, the large northern hare, foxes, wild geese,
ducks, etc.
"About four miles southward of the entrance of the bay of Bull's
Arm, on the shore of Placentia Bay, is situated the extraordinary La
Manche lead mine, the property of the Telegraph Company, already
yielding a rich supply of remarkably pure galena. The place where
the cable is' landed is memorable in the history of the island as the
naval battle-ground between the French and English in their early
struggle for the exclusive occupancy of the valuable fisheries along the
coast."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  199
distance, eight hundred and eighty-two miles. Amount
of cable paid out over distance run, one hundred and
thirty-four miles, six hundred fathoms, being a' surplus of about fifteen per cent. At two A.Mr., I went
ashore in a small boat, and awoke persons in charge
of the telegraph-house, half a mile from landing, and
informed them that the Telegraph Fleet had arrived,
and were ready to land the end of the cable. At forty-five minutes past two, received signal from the Agamemnon that she had paid out ten hundred and ten
miles of cable. At four A.M., delivered telegraphic
dispatch for the Associated Press, to be forwarded
to New-York as early in the morning as the offices of
the line were open.
"At a quarter-past five A.M., telegraph cable landed. At six, end of cable carried into telegraphhouse, and received very strong currents of electricity through the whole cable from the other side of
the Atlantic. Captain Hudson, of the Niagara, then
read prayers, and made some remarks.
" At one P.M., Iter Majesty's steamer Gorgon fired
a royal salute of twenty-one guns."
Thus simply was the story told, that in a few hours
was to send a thrill throughout the continent.
To complete the narrative'of the expedition, it is
necessary to include an account of the voyage of the
Agamemnon. We make some extracts from the let



200   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIH.
tor to the London Times, furnished by its special
correspondent. We begin at the time of junction in
mid-ocean, just as the ships went sailing eastward and
westward:
"For the first three hours the 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 about five knots per hour, the
cable going at about six, without indicating more
than a few hundred pounds of strain upon the dynamometer. Shortly after six o'clock a very large whale
was seen approaching the starboard bow at a great
speed, rolling and tossing the sea into foam all around,
and for the first time we felt the 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 cable, and great
was the relief of all when the ponderous living mass
was seen slowly to pass astern, just grazing the cable
where it entered the water, but fortunately without
doing any mischief.
"All seemed to go well up to about eight o'clock.;
the cable paid out from the hold with an evenness and
regularity which showed how carefully and perfectly
it had been coiled away; and to guard against accidents which might arise in consequence of the cable




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  201
having suffered injury during the storm, the indicated
strfain upon the dynamometer was never allowed to go
beyond seventeen hundred pounds, or less than one
quarter what the cable is estimated to bear, and thus:
far every thing 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 the cable was discovered about a
mile or two from the portion paying out. Not a: moment was lost by Mr. Canning, the engineer on duty,
in'setting men to work to cobble up the injury as well
as time would permit, for the cable was going out at
such a rate that- the damaged portion would be paid
overboard in less than twenty minutes, and former'experience had shown us that to check either the speed
of the ship, or the cable, would, in all probability, be
attended by the most fatal results.
"Just before the lapping was finished, Professor
Thomson reported that the electrical continuity of the
wire had ceased, but that the insulation was still perfect; attention was naturally directed to the injured
piece as the probable source of the stoppage, and not
a moment was lost in cutting the cable at that point,
with the intention of making a perfect splice. To the
consternation of all, the electrical tests applied showed
the fault to be overboard, and in all probability some
fifty miles from the ship. Not a second was to be
9*




202  IHISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
lost, for it was evident that the cut portion must be
paid overboard in a few minutes, and in the mean
time, the tedious and difficult operation of making a
splice had to be performed. The ship was immediately stopped, and no more cable paid 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 by using the greatest possible
speed, and paying out the least possible amount of cable, that the junction could be finished before the part
was taken out of the hands of the workmen. The
main hold presented an extraordinary scene; nearly
all the officers of the ship and of those connected with
the expedition, stood in groups about the coil, watching with intense anxiety the cable, as it slowly unwound itself nearer and nearer the joint, while the
workmen, directed by Mr. Canning, under 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. Fortunately, however, it
was only for a few minutes, as the strain was contin



HISTORY OF TIlE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  203
ually rising above two tons, and it would not hold on
much longer; when the splice was finished, the signal was 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 awoke
to the consciousness that the case was still as hopeless
as ever, for the electrical continuity was still entirely
wanting.  Preparations were consequently made to
pay out as little rope as possible, and to hold on for
six hours, in the hopes 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 that 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, and that the signals had again appeared at their 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 the general confidence in the ultimate success of the opera.




204  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
tions was much shaken by the occurrence, for all felt
that every minute a similar accident might occur.
For some time the paying-out continued as usual, but
toward the morning another damaged place was discovered in the cable; there was fortunately, however,
time to repair it in the hold without in any way interfering wvith the operations beyond for a time slightly
reducing the speed of the ship.
"During the morning of Friday, the thirtieth, every
thing went well; the ship had been kept at the speed
of about five knots, the cable paid out at about six,
the average angle with the horizon at which it left the
ship being about fifteen degrees, while the indicated
strain upon the dynamometer seldom showed more
than sixteen hundred pounds to seventeen hundred
pounds. Observations made at noon showed that we
had made good ninety miles from the starting-point
since the previous day, with an expenditure, including the loss in lowering the splice and during the subsequent stoppages, of one hundred and thirty-five miles
of the cable.  During the latter portion of the day
the barometer fell considerably, and toward the evening it blew almost a gale of wind from the eastward,
dead ahead of course.  As the breeze freshened,
the speed of the engines was gradually increased,
but the wind more than increased in proportion,
so that, before the sun went down, the Agamem



ISTORY OF' TIlE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIE.  205
non was going full steam against the wind, only making a speed of about four knots an hour. During tlle
evening topmasts were lowered, and spars, yards, sails,
and indeed every thing aloft that could offer resistance
to the wind, was sent down on deck; but still the ship
made but little way, chiefly in consequence of the
heavy sea, though the enormous quantity of fuel consumed showed us that, if the wind lasted, we should
be reduced to burning the masts, spars, and even the
decks, to bring the ship into Valentia.
" It seemed to be our particular ill-fortune to meet
with head-winds whichever way the ship's head was
turned. On our journey out we had been delayed,
and obliged to consume an undue proportion of coal,
for want of an easterly wind, and now all our fuel was
wanted because of one. However, during the next
day the wind gradually went around to the south-west,
which, though it raised a very heavy sea. allowed us
to husband our small remaining store of fuel.
"At noon on Saturday, the thirty-first of July, observations showed us to have made good one hundred
and twenty miles of distance since noon of the previous day, with a loss of about twenty-seven per cent
of cable. The Niagara, as far as could be judged from
the amount of cable she paid out, which, by a previous arrangement, was signalled at every ten miles, kept
pace with us, within one or two miles, the whole dis



206  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
tance across. During the afternoon of Saturday, the
wind again freshened up, and before nightfall it again
blew nearly a gale of wind, and a tremendous sea ran
before it from the south-west, which made the Agamemnon pitch to such an extent that it was thought
impossible the cable could hold on through the night;
indeed, had it not been for the constant care and watchfulness exercised by Mr. Bright, and the two energetic
engineers, Mr. Canning and Mr. Clifford, who acted
with him, it could not have been done at all. Men
were kept at the wheels of the machine to prevent
their stopping as the stern of the ship rose and fell
with the sea, for, had they done so, the cable must undoubtedly have parted.
"During Sunday the sea and wind increased, and
before the evening it blew a smart gale. Now, indeed,
were the energy and activity of all engaged in the
operation tasked to the utmost. Mr. Hoar and Mr.
Moore, the two engineers who had the charge of the
relieving-wheels of the dynamometer, had to keep
watch and watch alternately every four hours, and
while on duty durst not let their attention be removed
from their occupation for one moment, for on their releasing the brakes every time the stern of the ship fell
into the trough of the sea entirely depended the safety
of the cable, and the result shows how ably they discharged their duty. Throughout the night, there were




HISTORY OF THIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIH.  207
few who had the least expectation of the cable holding
on till morning, and many remained awake listening for
the sound that all most dreaded to hear-namely, the
gun which should announce the failure of all our hopes.
But still the cable, which, in comparison with the ship
from which it was paid out, and the gigantic waves
among which it was delivered,'was but a mere thread,
continued to hold'on, only leaving a silvery phosphorous line upon the stupendous seas as they rolled on
toward the ship.
" With Sunday morning came no improvement in the
weather; still the sky remained black and stormy to
windward, and the constant violent squalls of wind
and rain which prevailed during the whole day, served
to keep up, if not to augment the height of the waves.
But the cable had gone through so much during the
night, that our confidence in its continuing to hold was
much restored.
"At noon, observations showed us to have made
good one hundred and thirty miles from noon of
the previous day, and about three hundred and sixty from our starting-point in mid-ocean.  We had
passed by the deepest sounding of twenty-four hundred fathoms, and over more than half of the deep
water generally, while the amount of cable still remaining in the ship was more than sufficient to carry
us to the Irish coast, even supposing the continuance




208  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIT.
of the bad weather should oblige us to pay out the
same amount of slack cable we had been. hitherto
wasting. Thus far things looked very promising for
our ultimate success. But former experience showed
us only too plainly that we. could never suppose that
some accident might not arise until the ends had been
fairly landed on the opposite shores.
"During Sunday night. and Monday morning the
weather continued as boisterous as ever, and it, was
only by the most indefatigable exertions of the engineer upon: duty that the wheels could be prevented
from stopping altogether, as the vessel rose and fell
with the. sea, and once or twice they did come completely to a stand-still, in spite of all that could be
done to keep them moving; but, fortunately they were
again set in motion before the stern of the ship was
thrown up by the succeeding wave. No strain could
be placed upon the cable, of course; and though the
dynamometer occasionally registered seventeen hundred pounds as the ship lifted, it was oftener below one
thousand, and was frequently nothing, the cable running out as fast as its own weight and the speed of the
ship could draw it. But even with all these forces
acting unresistedly upon it, the cable never paid itself
out at a greater speed than eight knots an hour at the
time the ship was going at the rate of six knots and a
half. Subsequently, however, when the speed of the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC- TELEGRAPH.  209
ship even exceededi six knots and a half, the cable
never ran out so quick. The average speed maintained
by the ship up to this time, and, indeed, for the whole
voyage, was about five knots and a half, the cable,
with occasional exceptions, running about thirty per
cent faster.
"At noon on Monday, August second, had made
good one hundred and twenty-seven and a half miles
since noon of the previous day, and completed more
than the half way to our ultimate destination.
"During the afternoon an American three-masted
schooner, which afterward proved: to be the Chieftain,
was seen standing from the eastward toward us. No
notice was taken of her at first, but when she was
within about half a mile of the Agamemnon she altered
her course, andi bore right down across our bows. A
collision, which might prove fatal to the cable, now
seemed inevitable, or could only be avoided by the
equally hazardous expedient of altering the Agamemnon's course. The Valorous steamed ahead, and fired
a gun for her to heave to, which, as she did not appear to take much notice of, was quickly followed by
another from the bows of the Agamemnon, and: a se
cond and third from the Valorous, but still the vessel
held on her course; and as the only resource left to
avoid a collision, the course of the Agamemnon was
altered just in time to pass within a few yards of her.




210  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIH.
It was evident that our proceedings were a source of
the greatest possible astonishment to them, for all her
crew crowded upon her deck and rigging. At length
they evidently discovered who we were, and what we
were doing, for the crew manned the rigging, and dipping the ensign several times they gave us three hearty
cheers. Though the Agamemnon was obliged to acknowledge these congratulations in due form, the feelings of annoyance with which we regarded the vessel
which, either by the stupidity or carelessness of those
on board, was so near adding a fatal and unexpected
mishap to the long chapter of accidents which had already been encountered, may easily be imagined. To
those below, who of course did not see the ship appreaching, the sound of the first gun came like a thunderbolt, for all took it as the signal of the breaking of
the cable. The dinner-tables were deserted in a moment, and a general rush made up the hatches to the
deck; but before reaching it, their fears were quickly
banished by the report of the succeeding gun, which
all knew well could only be caused by a ship in our
way or a man overboard.
"Throughout the greater portion of Monday morning the electrical signals from the Niagara had been
getting gradually weaker, until they ceased altogether
for nearly three quarters of an hour. Our uneasiness,
however, was in some degree lessened by the fact that




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  211
the stoppage appeared to be a want of continuity, and
not any defect in insulation, and there was consequently every reason to suppose that it might arise from
faulty connection on board the Niagara. Accordingly
Professor Thomson sent a message to the effect that
the signals were too weak to be read, and, as if they
had been awaiting such a signal to increase their battery power, the deflections immediately returned even
stronger than they had ever been before.  Toward
the evening, however, they again declined in force for
a short time. With the exception of these little stoppages, the electrical condition of the submerged wire
seemed to be much improved. It was evident that the
low temperature of the water at the immense depth
improved considerably the insulating properties of the
gutta-percha, while the enormous pressure to which it
must have been subjected probably tended to consolidate its texture, and to fill up any air-bubbles or slight
faults in manufacture which may have existed.
"The weather during Monday night moderated a
little, but still there was a very heavy sea on, which
endangered the wire every second minute.
"About three o'clock on Tuesday morning, all on
board were startled from their beds by the loud booming of a gun. Every one, without waiting for the performance of the most particular toilet, rushed on deck
to ascertain the cause of the disturbance. Contrary to




212   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
all expectation, the. cable was safe, but just in the gray
light could.be seen the Valorous rounded to in the
most warlike attitude, firing gun after gun in quick
succession toward a large American bark, which,
quite unconscious of our proceeding, was standing.
right across, our stern. Such loud and repeated remonstrances from a- large steam frigate were not to be
despised, and, evidently without knowing the why or
the wherefore, she quickly threw her sails. aback and
remained hove to.; Whether those on board her considered'that we were engaged in some fillibustering
expedition, or regarded our proceedings as another
British outrage upon the American flag, it is impossible to say; but certain it is that, apparently in great
trepidation she remained hove to until we had lost
sight of her in the distance.' Tuesday was a much finer day than any we had
experienced for nearly a week, but still there was a
considerable sea running, and our dangers were far
from passed:; yet the hopes of our ultimate success ran
high. VWe had accomplished nearly the whole of the
deep-sea portion of the route in. safety, and that, too,
under the most unfavorable circumstances possible;
therefore there was every reason to believe that unless
some unforeseen accident should occur, we should accomplish the remainder.
"4-About five o'clock in the. evening, the steep sub



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  213
marine mountain which divides the telegraphic plateau
from the Irish coast was reached, and the sudden shallowing of the water had a very marked -effect upon the
cable, causing the strain on and the speed of it to
lessen every minute. A great deal of slack was paid
out to allow for any great inequalities which might
exist, though undiscovered by the sounding-line.
About ten o'clock the shoal water of two hundred and
fifty fathoms was reached; the only remaining anxiety
now was the changing from the lower main coil to that
upon the upper deck, and this most difficult and dangerous operation was successfully performed between
three and four o'clock on Wednesday morning.
"Wednesday was a beautiful, calm day; indeed, it
was the first on which any one would have thought of
making a splice since the day we started from the
rendezvous. We therefore congratulated ourselves on
having saved a week by commencing operations on
the Thursday previous. At noon, we were eighty-nine
miles distant from the telegraph station at Valentia.
The water was shallow, so that there was no difficulty
in paying out the wire almost without any loss of
slack, and All looked upon the undertaking as virtually
accomplished.
"At about one o'clock in the evening, the second
change from the upper-deck coil to that upon the orlop.
deck was safely effected, and shortly after the vessels




214  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
exchanged signals that they were in two hundred
fathoms water. As the night advanced the speed of
the ship was reduced, as it was known that we were
only a short distance from the land, and there would
be no advantage in making it before daylight in the
morning. About twelve o'clock, however, the Skelligs Light was seen in the distance, and the Valorous
steamed on ahead to lead us in to the coast, firing rockets at intervals to direct us, which were answered by
us from the Agamemnon, though, according to Mr.
Moriarty, the master's wish, the ship, disregarding the
Valorous, kept her own course, which proved to be
the right one in the end.
"' By daylight on the morning of Thursday, the bold
and rocky mountains which entirely surround the wild
and picturesque neighborhood of Valentia, rose right
before us at a few miles' distance. Never, probably,
was the sight of land more welcome, as it brought to a
successful termination one of the greatest, but, at the
same time, most difficult schemes which was ever undertaken. Had it been the dullest and most melancholy swamp on the face of the earth that lay before
us, we should have found it a pleasant prospect;.but,
as the sun rose from the estuary of Dingle Bay, tinging with a deep, soft purple the lofty summits of the
steep mountains which surround its shores, and illuminating the masses of morning vapor which hung




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  215
upon them, it was a scene which might vie in beauty
with any thing that could be produced by the most
florid imagination of an artist.
"'No one on shore was apparently conscious of our
approach, so the Valorous steamed ahead to the mouth
of the harbor and fired a gun. Both ships made
straight for Doulus Bay, and about six o'clock came
to anchor at the side of Beginish Island, opposite to
Valentia. As soon as the inhabitants became aware
of our approach, there was a general desertion of the
place, and hundreds of boats crowded around us, their
passengers in the greatest state of excitement to hear
all about our voyage. The Knight of Kerry was absent in Dingle, but a messenger was immediately dispatched for him, and he soon arrived in Her Majesty's
gunboat Shamrock. Soon after our arrival, a signal
was received from the Niagara that they were preparing to land, having paid out one thousand and thirty
nautical miles of cable, while the Agamemnon had accomplished her portion of the distance with an expen-'
diture of one thousand and twenty miles, making the
total length of the wire submerged two thousand and
fifty geographical miles. Immediately after the ships
cast anchor, the paddle-box boats of the Valorous were
got ready, and two miles of cable coiled away in them,
for the purpose of landing the end; but it was late in
the afternoon before the procession of boats left the




216   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHE.
ship, under a salute of three rounds of small-arms from
the detachment of marines on board the Agamemnon,
allder the command of Lieutenant Morris.
"The progress of the end to the shore was very slow,
in consequence of the very stiff wind which blew at
the time, but at about three o'clock the end was
safely brought on shore at -Knightstown, Valentia, by
Mr. Bright and Mr. Canning, the chief and second engineers, to whose exertions the success of the undertaking is attributable, and the Knight of Kerry.* The
end was immediately laid in the trench which had
-been dug to receive it, while a royal salute, making
the neighboring rocks and mountains reverberate, announced that the communication between the Old and
the New World had been completed."
* A name that occurs several times in this history, and one never to
be mentioned but with honor. The Knight of Kerry is a Lord of the
Isles on that part of the Irish coast; and from the constant interest
which he has shown in this enterprise, and his generous hospitality to
all connected with it, he has made many friends, by whom he will be
remembered on both sides of the Atlantic.




CHAPTER XI.
Nrws OF TEE SUccEs. GREAT EXCITEMENT ILr AMERICA. POPULAR
ENTHUSIASM. CELEBRATION IN NEW-YORK AND OTHER CITIES.
WHOEVER shall write the history of popular enthusiasms, must give a large space to the Atlantic Telegraph. Never did the tidings of any great achievement-whether in peace or war-more truly electrify
a nation.  No doubt, the impression was the greater
because it took the country by surprise.  Had the
attempt succeeded in June, it would have found a
people prepared for it. But the failure of the first expedition, added to that of the previous year, settled
the fate of the enterprise in the minds of the public.
It- was a very grand but hopeless undertaking; and
its projectors shared the usual lot of those who conceive vast designs, and venture on great enterprises,
which are not successful-to be regarded with a mixture of derision and pity.
Such was the temper of the public mind, when at
noon of Thursday, the fifth of August, the following
despatch was received:




218   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPEH.
"UNITED STATEf FIRIGATE NIAGARA,   t
TRINITY BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND, August 5, 1868. s
" To THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, NEW-YORK:
"The Atlantic Telegraph fleet sailed from Queenstown, Ireland, Saturday, July seventeenth, and met
in mid-ocean Wednesday, July twenty-eighth. Made
the splice at one P.M., Thursday, the twenty-ninth, and
separated-the Agamemnon and Valorous, bound to
Talentia, Ireland; the Niagara and Gorgon, for this
place, where they arrived yesterday, and this morning
the end of the cable will be landed.
"It is one thousand six hundred and ninety-six
nautical, or one thousand nine hundred and fifty
statute miles from the Telegraph House at the head of
Valentia harbor to the Telegraph House at the Bay of
Bulls, Trinity Bay, and for more than two thirds
of, this distance the water is over two miles in
depth. The cable has been paid out from the Agamerrmon at about the same speed as from the Niagara.
The electric signals sent and received through the
whole cable are perfect.
"The machinery for paying out the cable worked
in the most satisfactory manner, and was not stopped
for a single moment from the time the splice was
made until we arrived here.
"Captain Hudson, Messrs. Everett and Woodhouse,
the engineers, the electricians, the officers of the ship,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  219
and in fact, every man on board the telegraph fleet,
has exerted himself to the utmost to make the expedition successful, and by the blessing of Divine Providence it has succeeded.
"After the end of the cable is landed and connected
with the land line of telegraph, and the Niagara has
discharged some cargo belonging to the Telegraph
Company, she will go to St. John's for coal, and then
proceed at once to New-York.
" CYRUS  W. FIELD.",
The impression of this simple announcement it is impossible to conceive. It was immediately telegraphed
to all parts of the United States, and everywhere
produced the greatest excitement. In some places all
business was suspended; men rushed into the streets,
and flocked to the offices where the news was received.
An impressive scene was witnessed at a religious
convocation in New-England.  At Andover, Massachusetts, the news arrived while the Alumni of the
Theological Seminary were celebrating their semicentennial anniversary by a dinner. One thousand
persons were present, all of whom rose to their feet,
and gave vent to their excited feelings by continued
and enthusiastic cheers.  When quiet was restored,
Rev. Dr. Adams, of New-York, said his heart was too
full for a speech, and suggested, as the more fitting




220   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
utterance of what all felt, that they should join in
thanksgiving to Almighty God.  Rev. Dr. Hawes, of
Hartford, then led the assembly in fervent prayer,
acknowledging the great event as from the hand of
God, and as calculated to hasten the triumphs of civilization and Christianity. Then all standing up together, sang, to the tune of Old Hundred, the majestic doxology:
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"
Thus-said Dr. Hawes-" we have now consecrated
this new power, so far as our agency is concerned, to
the building up of the truth."
In New-York the news was received at first with
some incredulity. - But as it was confirmed by subsequent dispatches, the city broke out into tumultuous
rejoicing. Never was there such an outburst of popular feeling. In Boston a hundred guns were fired on
the Common, and the bells of the city were rung for
an hour to give utterance to the general joy. Similar
scenes were witnessed in all parts of the United States.
I have now before me the New-York papers of August,
1858, and from the memorable fifth, when the landing
took place, to the end of the month, they contain hardly any thing else than popular demonstrations in




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  221
honor of the Atlantic Telegraph.  It was indeed a
national jubilee.
It was natural that this overflow of public feeling
should express itself towards one who was recognized
as the author of the great work, which inspired such
universal joy. Mr. Field, much to his own surprise,
"awoke and found himself famous."  In twenty-four
hours his name was on.millions of tongues. Congratulations poured in from all quarters, from mayors of
cities and governors of States; from all parts of the
Union and the British Provinces; from the President
of the United States and the Governor-General of
Canada. Mr. Buchanan telegraphed to Mr. Field, at
Trinity Bay:
"M iY DEAR Sin: I congratulate you with all my
heart on the success of the great enterprise with which
your name is so honorably connected.  Under the
blessing of Divine Providence I trust it may prove instrumental in promoting perpetual peace and friendship
between the kindred nations."
The popular estimate of the achievement and its
author went still farther. With the natural exaggeration common to masses of men, when carried away by
a sudden enthusiasm, the Atlantic Telegraph was
hailed as an immense stride in the onward progress of
the race, an event in the' history of the world hardly
inferior to the discovery of America, or to the inven



222  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
tion of the art of printing; and the name of its projector was coupled with those of Franklin and Colurnbus. He who but yesterday was regarded as a visionary, to-day was exalted as a benefactor of his country
and of mankind.
This avalanche of praise was quite overwhelming.
It is always embarrassing to be forced into sudden conspicuity, and to find one's self the object of
general attention and applause. While feeling this
embarrassment, Mr. Field could not but be gratified
to witness the public joy at the success of the enterprise, and he was deeply touched and grateful for the
appreciation of his own services. But probably all
these public demonstrations did not go to his heart so
much as private letters received from the other side of
the Atlantic, from those who had shared the labors of
the enterprise —old companions in arms who had borne
with him the heavy burden, and now were fully entitled to a share in the honor wlhich was the reward of
their common toil.
As a sample of the congratulations which came from
beyond the sea, we quote a single passage from a letter
of Mr. George Saward, the Secretary of the Company
in London, written immediately on receiving the news
of the success of the enterprise. Under the impression
of that event, he writes to Mr. Field:
"At last the great work is successful. I rejoice at




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  223
it for the sake of humanity at large. 1 rejoice at it tor
the sake of our common nationalities, and last but not
least, for your personal sake. I most heartily and sincerely rejoice with you, and congratulate you, upon
this happy termination to the trouble and anxiety, the
continuous and persevering labor, and never-ceasing
and sleepless energy, which the successful accomplishment of this vast and noble enterprise has cost you.
Never was man more devoted-never did man's energy
better deserve success than yours has done. May you
in the bosom of your family reap those rewards of repose and affection, which will be doubly sweet from
the reflection, that you return to them after having.
been under Providence the main and leading principal
in conferring a vast and enduring benefit on mankind.
If the contemplation of fame has a charm for you, you
may well indulge in the reflection; for the name, of
Cyrus W. Field will now go onward to immortality,
as long as that of the Atlantic Telegraph shall be
known to mankind."
The Directors, whose faith and courage had been so
severely tried, now felt double joy, for their friend
and for themselves, at this glorious result of their
united labors. Mr. Peabody wrote that "his reflections must be like those of Columbus, after the discovery of America." Sir Charles Wood and Sir John
Pakington, who, as successive First Lords of the Ad



224   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
miralty had supported the enterprise with the constant
aid of the British Government, wrote to Mr. Field
letters of congratulation on the great work which had
been carried through mainly by his energy and unconquerable.will. They were above any petty national jealousy, and never imagined that it would
detract aught from  the just honor of England, to
award full praise to the courage and enterprise of an
American.
On his part, Mr. Field was equally anxious to acknowledge the invaluable aid given by others —aid,
without which the efforts of no single individual
could command success. On his arrival at St. John's,
he was welcomed with enthusiasm by the whole population. An address was presented to him by the
Executive Council of Newfoundland, in which they
offer their hearty congratulations on the success of
the undertaking, which they recognize as chiefly due
to him. "Intimately acquainted as we have been "these are their words-" with the energy and enterprise which have distinguished you from the commencement of the great work of telegraph connection
between the Old and the New Worlds; and feeling
that under Providence this triumph of science is mainly
due to your well-directed and indomitable exertions, we
desire to express to you our high appreciation of your
success to the cause of the world's progress," etc.; to




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  225
which Mr. Field replied, recognizing in turn the cordial support which he had always received from the
Government of Newfoundland.  The Chamber of
Commerce of St. John's also presented an address ill
similar terms, to which he replied - after acknowledging their kind mention of his own labors and
sacrifices:
" But it would not only be ungenerous, but unjust,
that I should for a moment.forget the services of those
who were my co-workers in this enterprise, and without whom any labors of mine would have been unavailing.  It would be difficult to enumerate the
many gentlemen whose scientific acquirements, and
skill and energy have been devoted to the advancement of this' work, and who have so mainly produced
the issue which has called forth this expression of
your good wishes on my behalf., But I could not do
justice to my own feelings did I fail to acknowledge
how much is owing to Captain Hudson and the officers of the Niagara, whose'hearts were in the work,
and whose toil was unceasing; to Captain Dayman. ofher Majesty's ship Gorgon, for the soundings so accurately made by him last year, and for the perfect manler in which he led the Niagara over the great-circle
arc while laying the cable; to Captain Otter, of the
Porcupine, for the careful survey made by him in
Trinity Bay, and for the admirable manner in which




226  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
he piloted the Niagara at night to her anchorage; to
AMr. Everett, who has for months devoted his whole
time to designing and perfecting the beautiful machinery that has so successfully paid out the cable
from the ships-machinery so perfect in every respect,
that it was not for one moment stopped on board the
Niagara until she reached her destination in Trinity
Bay; to Mr. Woodhouse, who superintended the coiling of the cable, and zealously and, ably cooperated
with his brother engineer during the progress of paying out; to the electricians for their constant watchCulness; to the men for their almost ceaseless labor;
~and I feel confident that you will have a good report
from the commanders, engineers, electricians, and
others on board the Agamemnon and Valorous, the
Irish portion of the fleet;) to the Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company for the time they have devoted to the undertaking without receiving any compensation for their services, (and it must be a pleasure
to many of you to know that the director, who has
devoted more time than any other, was for many
years a resident of this place, and well known to all
of you-I allude to Mr. Brooking, of London;) to
Mr. C. M. Lampson, a native of New-England, but
who has for the last twenty-seven years resided in
London, who appreciated the great importance of this
enterprise to both countries, and gave it most valuable




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  227
aid, bringing his sound judgment and great business
talent to the service of the Company; to that distinguished American, Mr. George Peabody, and his most
worthy partner, Mr. Morgan, who not only assisted it
most liberally with their means, but to whom I could
always go with confidence for advice."
Such acknowledgments, constantly repeated, showed
a mind incapable of envy or jealousy; that was chiefly
anxious to recognize the services of others, and that
they should receive from the public, both of England
and America, the honors which they had so nobly
earned.
After two or three days' delay at St. John's, which
tlhe Niagara was obliged to make for coal, but which
the people spent in festivity and rejoicing, she left
for New-York, where she arrived on the eighteenthtwo weeks from the landing of the cable in Trinity
Bay. These had been weeks of great excitement, yet
not unmingledowith suspense and anxiety. The public, eager for news, devoured every thing that concerned the telegraph with impatience, but all was not
satisfactory. Dispatches from Trinity Bay said that
signals were continually passing over the cable, yet
no news reached the public from the other side of the
Atlantic. This was partially explained by a dispatch
from Mr. Field, sent from Trinity Bay to the Associated Press as early as the seventh:




228  HIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
"We landed here in the woods, and until the telegraph instruments are all ready, and perfectly adjusted, no communications can pass between the two continents; but the electric currents are received freely.
" You shall have the earliest intimation when all is
ready, but it may be some days before every thing is
perfected. The first through message between Europe
and America will be from the Queen of Great B]ritain
to the President of the United States, and the second
his reply."
But as the public grew more impatient, and friends
sent anxious inquiring messages, he telegraphed again
from St. John's on the eleventh:
"Before I left London, the Directors of the Atlantic
Telegraph Company decided unanimously that, after
the cable was laid, and the Queen's and President's
messages transmitted, the line should be kept for several weeks for the sole use of Dr. Whitehouse, Professor Thomson, and other electricians, to enable them
to test thoroughly their several modes of telegraphing,
so that the Directors might decide which was the best
and most rapid method for future use; for it was considered that after the line should be once thrown open
for business, it would be very difficult to obtain it for
experimental purposes, even for a short time.
"Due notice will be given when the line will be
ready for business, and the tariff of prices."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  229
Still the public were not satisfied, and manywere
beginning to doubt, when, onI the sixteenth, it was
suddenly announced that the Queen's message was received. As this was between the heads of the two
countries, we give both the message and the reply:
"To THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WASHINGTON:
"The Queen desires to congratulate the President
upon the successful completion of this great international work, in which the Queen has taken the
deepest interest.
"The Queen is convinced that the President will
join with her in fervently hoping that the electric
cable which now connects Great Britain with the
United States will prove an additional link between
the nations, whose friendship is founded upon their
common interest and reciprocal esteem.
" The Queen has much pleasure in thus communicating with the President, and renewing to him her
wishes for the prosperity of the United States."
"WASHINGTON CITY, August 16, 1858.
"' To HER MAJESTY VICTORIA, THE QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN:
"The President cordially reciprocates the congratulations of her Majesty the Queen, on the success of the
great international enterprise accomplished by the
science, skill, and indomitable energy of the two
countries.




230  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
"It is a triumph more glorious, because far more
useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror
on the field of battle.
"May the Atlantic Telegraph, under the blessing
of Heaven, prove to be a bond of perpetual peace and
friendship between the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine Providence to diffuse religion, civilization, liberty, and law throughout the
world.
"In this view, will not all nations of Christendom
spontaneously unite in the declaration that it shall be
for ever neutral, and that its communications shall be
held sacred in passing to their places of destination,
even in the midst of hostilities?
" JAMES BUCHANAN."
The arrival of the Queen's message was the signal
for a fresh outbreak of popular enthusiasm. The next
morning, August seventeenth, the city of New-York
was awakened by the thunder of artillery. A hundred guns were fired in the Park at daybreak, and the
salute was repeated at noon. At this hour, flags were
flying from all the public buildings, and the bells of
the principal churches began to ring, reminding one of
Tennyson's ode to the happy Christmas bells that were
ringing out the departing year:




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHI.  231
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
That night the city was illuminated. Never had it
seen such a brilliant spectacle. It seemed as if it were
intended to light up the very heavens. Such was the
blaze of light around the City Hall, that the cupola
caught fire, and was consumed, and the Hall itself narrowly escaped destruction.  Similar demonstrations
took place in other parts of the United States. From
the Atlantic to the Valley of the Mississippi, and to
the Gulf of Mexico, in every city was heard the firing
of guns and the ringing of bells. Nothing seemed too
extravagant to give expression to the popular rejoicing.
The next morning after this illumination, the Niagara entered the harbor of New-York, and Mr. Field
hastened to his home. The night before leaving the
ship, he had written to a late hour to the Directors in
London, giving a full report of the laying of the cable,
which he closed by resigning the position which he
had held for the last seven months. He wrote:
"At your unanimous request, but at a very great
personal sacrifice to myself, I accepted the office of
General Manager of the Atlantic Telegraph Company,
for the sole purpose of doing all in my power to aid
you to make the enterprise successful; and as that
object has ]beeh attained, you will please accept my




232   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
resignation. It will always afford me pleasure to do
any thing in my power, consistent with my duties to
my family and my own private affairs, to promote the
interests of the Atlantic Telegraph Company."
Once more with his family, Mr. Field. hoped for a
brief interval of rest and quiet. But this was impossible. The great event with which his name was connected was too fresh in the public mind. He could
not escape public observation. He was at once thronged with visitors, offering their congratulations, and
his house surrounded with crowds eager to see and
hear him. While making all allowance for popular
excitement, yet none could deny that a service so
great demanded some public recognition. Even in
England, where the'enthusiasm did not approach that
in this country, still the wondrous character of the
achievement was fully acknowledged. Said the London Times on the morning of the sixth of August:
"Since the discovery of Columbus, nothing has been
done in any degree comparable to the vast enlargement
which has thus been given to the sphere of human
activity."  "More was done yesterday for the consolidation of our empire, than the wisdom of our statesmen, the liberality of our Legislature, or the loyalty
of our colonists, could ever have effected." To mark
the public benefit which had been conferred, the
Chief-Engineer of the Expedition, Mr. Charles T.




HISTORY  OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHI.   233
Bright, was knighted, and Captains Preedy and Aldham were both made Companions of the Bath. Thus
England showed her appreciation of their services.
But in this country titles and honors come not from
the Government, but from  the people.  Popular enthusiasm exhausted itself in eulogies of the man who
had linked the Old World  to  the New.   It seems
strange now to sit down in cool blood and read what
was published in the papers of that day. A collection of American journals issued during that eventful
month, August, 1858, would be a literary curiosity.*
* Such a curiosity exists, prepared by the industry of a gentleman
who is one of the most careful collectors of the events of his timethus gathering up and preserving the materials of future history-Mr.
John R. Bartlett, Secretary of State of Rhode Island. This gentleman
has kept files of all the papers referring to the Atlantic Telegraph, from
which he has compiled a very unique volume. It is in the form of a
scrap-book, but on a gigantic scale, being of a size equal to Webster's large Dictionary.  It is made up entirely of newspaper cuttings, classified under different heads, and neatly arranged in double
columns on nearly four hundred folio pages. The matter thus compressed would make between three and four octavo volumes of the size
of Prescott's Histories, if printed in the style of those works. Every
thing is included that could be gathered from the European as well as
American papers, touching the claims of the inventors and projectors
of the electric telegraph in general, and of the Atlantic Telegraph in
particular. The historical sketches are set off by illustrations taken
from the pictorial papers. Altogether it embraces more of the materials of a history of this subject than any volume with which we are




231    HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Nor was it merely in such outward demonstrations
that the public enthusiasm showed itself. The feeling
struck deeper, and reached all minds. While the people shouted and cannon roared, sober and thoughtful
men pondered on the change that was being wrought
in the earth.  Business men reasoned how  it would
affect the commerce of the world, while the philanthropic regarded it as the forerunner of an age of universal
peace. The first message flashed across the sea-even
before that of the Queen-had been one of religious
exultation.  It was from  the Directors in Great Britain to those on this side the Atlantic, and, simply reciting the fact that Europe and America were united by
telegraph, at once broke. into a strain of religious rapture, echoing the song of the angels over a Saviour's
birth: " Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace,
good-will toward men." Poetry at once caught up the
strain.  The event became the theme of innumerable
acquainted, and well deserves the title prefixed to it by the laborious
compiler:
THIE ATLANTIO TELEGRAPH.-Its Origin and History, with an Account of the Voyages of the Steamers Niagara anl Agamemnon, in Laying the Cable, and of the Celebration of the Great Event in New-York,
Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Montreal, Dublin, Paris, etc.; together with the
Discussions, Sermons, Poetry, and Anecdotes relating thereto; also, a
History of the Invention of the Electric Telegraph. Illustrated with
Maps, Plans, Views, and Portraits, collected from the Newspapers of
the Day, and arranged by John Russell Bartlett. 1858."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   235
odes and hymns, of which it must be said that, whatever their merit as poetry, their spirit at least was noble, celebrating the event chiefly as promoting the
brotherhood of the human family. The key-note was
struck in such lines as these:'Tis done! the angry sea consents,
The nations stand no more apart,
With clasped hands the continents
Feel throbbings of each other's heart.
Speed, speed the cable; let it run
A loving girdle round the earth,
Till all the nations'neath the sun
Shall be as brothers of one hearth;
As brothers pledging, hand in hand,
One freedom for the world abroad,
One commerce over every land,
One language and one God.
The sermons preached on this occasion were literal
ly without number. Enough found their way into
print to make a large volume._ Never had an event
touched more deeply the spirit of religious enthusiasm.
Devout men held it as an advance toward that millennial era which was at once the object of their faith and
hope. Was not this the predicted time when, " many
should run to and fro, and knowledge should be increased?"  So said the preachers, taking for their favorite texts the vision of the Psalmist, "Their line is




236  HISTORY OF THtE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
gone out through all the earth, and their words to the
end of the world;" or the question of Job: "Canst
thou send forth the lightnings, that they may go and
say unto thee, Here we are?" Was not this the dawn
of that happy age, when all men should be bound together in peaceful intercourse, and nations should
learn war no more? Such was the burden of the discourses that were preached in a thousand pulpits from
one end of the country to the other. Even the Roman
Catholic Church, so lofty and inflexible in its claims,
soaring into the past centuries, and almost disdaining
the material progress of the present day as compared
with the spiritual glories of the Ages of Faith, did not
ignore the great event; and in laying the foundation
of the new Cathedral of St. Patrick, the largest temple
of religion on the continent, Archbishop Hughes placed
under the corner-stone an inscription, wherein, along
with the enduring record of the Christian faith and the
names of martyrs and confessors, he did not disdain to
include a brief memorial of this last achievement of
science, and the name of him who had conferred so
great a benefit on mankind.
These public demonstrations culminated on the first
of September, when the city authorities gave a public
ovation to Mr. Field and the officers of the expedition.
In accepting these honors, Mr. Field had taken good
care that the British officers should be included with




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  237
the American. At St. John's he had been notified of
the intended celebration, and at once telegraphed to
the, British Admiral at Halifax:
" I should consider it a very great personal favor if
you would permit. the Gorgon, Captain Dayman, to
accompany the Niagara, Captain Hudson, to NewYork. English officers and English sailors have labored with American officers and American sailors to
lay the Atlantic cable. They were with us in our
days of trial, and pray let them, if you can, share
with us our triumph."
The request was granted so far as this, that the officers were allowed leave of absence, and came on to
New-York to take part in the celebration, and in all
the honors which followed, the officers of the Gorgon
were associated with those of the Niagara.
The day arrived, and the celebration surpassed any
thing which the city had ever witnessed before. It
was a mild autumn %day —warm, yet with a sky softly
veiled with clouds, that seemed to invite a whole population into the streets. The day commenced with a
solemn service at Trinity Church, which was attended
by the city authorities, the representatives of foreign
powers, and:an immense concourse of people. The vast
edifice was decorated with evergreens; in the centre
hung a cross, with the inscription: "Glory to God on
high; and on earth, peace, good will towards men."




238   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
When the audience were assembled, there entered a
procession of two hundred clergy, headed by Bishop
Doane of New-Jersey, who was to deliver the address.
Prayers were offered and Scriptures were read, and at
intervals the choir burst forth in those anthems in
which for ages the Church has been wont to pour forth
its joy and exultation: " O come, let us sing unto the
Lord," the Gloria in Excelsis, and the Te Deum L~audamus.
At noon, Mr. Field and the officers of the ships landed at Castle Garden and were received with a national
salute. A procession was formed which extended for
miles through the streets from the Battery to the Crystal Palace. In the procession were Lord Napier, the
British Minister, and officers of the army and navy.
For the whole distance the streets were crowded. The
windows and even the tops of the houses were filled
with people. Everywhere flags and banners, with
every device, floated in the air.' So dense was the
crowd that it was five or six hours before the procession could reach the Crystal Palace.
Here its coming.was awaited by an assembly that
filled all the aisles and galleries. An address was delivered, giving the history of the Atlantic Telegraph.
The Mayor then rose, and presenting Mr. Field to the
audience, spoke as follows:
"SIR: History records but few enterprises of such




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  239'great pith and moment' as to command the attention
and at the same time enlist the sympathies of all mankind. In all ages warlike expeditions have been undertaken on a scale of grandeur sufficient to astonish
the world; but the evils which are inseparable from
their prosecution have always sent a thrill of horror
through the anxious nations. The discovery of the
Western continent even, the grandest event of modern
times, was made by an insignificant fleet which left the
shores of Portugal without attracting the notice of the
civilized world. Far different has been the history of
the daring and difficult enterprise of uniting the Old
World and the New by means of the electric telegraph.  From  the very outset the good, the great
and the wise of all lands beneath the sun, have watched
with intense anxiety, and even when doubt existed,
with warm interest, every step taken toward the accomplishment of what was universally acknowledged
to be the most momentous undertaking of an age made
marvellous by wonderful scientific and mechanical
achievements. The two greatest and freest nations of
the globe, by independent constitutional legislation,
and by the aid of their finest ships and their ablest
officers and engineers, combined together to insure
success. Capital was liberally subscribed by private
citizens in a spirit which put greed to the blush. The
press on both sides of the Atlantic recorded the de



240  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
tails of the progress of the undertaking with cordial
interest, and secured the generous sympathies of men
of all kindreds and tongues and nations in its behalf.
You were thus fortunate, sir, in being identified with
a project of such magnificent proportions and universal concern. But the enterprise itself was no less fortunate in being projected and carried into execution
by a man whom no obstacles could daunt, no disasters
discourage, no doubts paralyze, no opposition dishearten. If you, to wh6m the conduct of this great enterprise was assigned by the will of Providence and the
judgment of your fellow-men, had been found wanting
in courage, in energy, in determination, and in a faith
that was truly sublime, the very grandeur of the undertaking would only have rendered its failure the
more conspicuous. But, sir, the incidents of the expedition, and the final result-too familiar to all the
world to need repetition here-have demonstrated that
you possessed all the qualities essential to achieve a successful issue. It is for this reason that you now stand
out from among your fellow-men a mark for their cordial admiration and grateful applause. The city of
your home delights to honor you; your fellow-citizens,
conscious that the glory of your success is reflected
back upon them, are proud that your lot has been cast
among them. They-have already testified their appreciation of your great services and heroic perseverance




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  241
by tilluminatiorls, processions, serenades, and addresses.
And now, sir, the municipal government of this, the
first city on the Western continent, instruct me, who
have never felt the honor of being its chief magistrate
so sensibly as in the presence of this vast assemblage
of its fair women and substantial citizens, to preent to
you a gold box, with the arms of the city engraved
thereon, in testimony of the fact that to you mainly,
under Divine Providence, the world is indebted for
the successful execution of the grandest enterprise of
our day and generation; and in behalf of the Mayor,
Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of New-York,
I now request your acceptance of this token of their
approbation. In conclusion, sir, of this, the most agreeable duty of my public life, I sincerely trust that your
days, may be long in the land, and as- prosperous and
honorable as your achievement in uniting the two
hemispheres by a chord of electric communication has
been successful and glorious."
To this flattering address, Mr. Field replied:
"SIR: This will be a memorable day in my life; not
only because it celebrates the success of an achievement with which my name is connected, but because
the honor comes from the city of my home —the
metropolitan city of the new world. I see here not
only,the civic authorities and citizens at large, but
my own personal friends-men with whom I have
been connected in business and friendly intercourse




242  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH,
for the greater part of my life. Five weeks ago, this
day and hour, I was standing on the deck of the
Niagara, in mid-ocean, with the Gorgon and Valorous in sight, waiting for the Agamernnon. The day
was cold and cheerless, the air was misty, and the
wind roughened the sea; and when I thought of all
that we had passed through —of the hopes thus far
disappointed, of the friends saddened by our reverses,
of the few that remained to sustain us-I felt a load
at my heart almost too heavy to bear, though my confidence was firm, and my determination fixed.  How
different is the scene now before me-this:vast crowd
testifying their sympathy and approval, praises without stint, and friends without- number  This occasion, sir, gives me the opportunity to express my
thanks for the enthusiastic reception which I have
received, and I here make my acknowledgments before this -vast concourse of my fellow-citizens. To the
ladies I may, perhaps, add, that they have had their
appropriate place, for when the cable was laid, the
first public message that passed over it came from
one of their own sex. This box, sir, which I have
the honor to receive from your hand, shall testify to
me and to my children what my own city thinks of
my acts. For your kindness, sir, expressed in such
flattering, too flattering terms, and for the kindness
of my fellow-citizens, I repeat my  most heartfelt
thanks."




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.   243
The enthusiasm with which this address was received reached its height, when at the close, Mr.
Field advanced to the edge of the platform, and
unrolling a despatch, held it up, saying: "Gentlemen,
I have just received a telegraphic message from a little
village, now a suburb of New-York, which I will read
to you:
"LoNDON, September 1,- 1858.
"To CYRUS W. FIELD, New-York:' The directors are on their way to Valentia, to
make arrangements for opening the line to the public. They convey, through the cable, to you and
your fellow-citizens, their hearty congratulations and
good wishes, and cordially sympathize in your joyous celebration of the great international work."*
A gold medal was presented to Captain Hudson,
with an address, to which he made a fitting reply.
Similar testimonials were presented to all the English
captains through Mr. Archibald, the British Consul,
* The history of this despatch is curious. Though dated at London, it was sent from a small town in Ireland. The directors were
on their way from Dublin to Valentia, on the morning of the first
of September, when Mr. Saward remarked: "This is the day of the
celebration in New-York-we ought to send a despatch to Mr. Field."
Accordingly, at the first stopping-place, (we think it was Mallow Station,) the message was written, and forwarded to Valentia, and thence
sent across the Atlantic. It was put into Mr. Field's hand just as ho
was getting into his carriage on the Battery.




244   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
who replied for his absent countrymen, after which
the whole audience rose to their feet, as the band
played "God save the Queen."
It was long after dark when the exercises closed,
and the vast multitude dispersed.
The night witnessed one of those displays for which
New-York surpasses all the cities of the world-a
firemen's torchlight procession-a display such as was
afterward given to the Prince of Wales, but which we
shall probably witness no more, since the Volunteer
Fire Department.is disbanded.
But one day did not exhaust the public enthusiasm.
The next evening, a grand banquet was given by the
city authorities, at which were present a great number
of distinguished guests. Lord Napier spoke, in language as happy as it was eloquent, of the new tie that
was formed between kindred dwelling on opposite
sides of the sea, and awarded the highest praise to the
one whom he recognized as the author of this great
achievement. Mr. Field replied, modestly disclaiming the "too much honor" that was heaped upon
him, saying that it did not belong to him alone, and
seemed most anxious, to do full, justice to all, on both
sides of the Atlantic,.who had shared in the great
work.
Of course, we have no wish to recall these faded festivities, or to rehearse all the sentiments and speeches




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  245
of that night of rejoicing. It is beyond the power of
any artist to reproduce such a carnival, for he cannot
put on canvas the spirit of the scene. Even in trying to recall it now, we feel
Like one who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted.
Since then, years have passed, and the shouts and
cheers that rang in that hall have died away to an
echo.  Speakers and actors, many of them, have
passed from the earth. IHappy is it if we may say,
that the work which they celebrated, remains.
While these demonstrations continued, every opposing voice was hushed in the chorus of national rejoicing; vet some there were, no doubt, who looked on
with silent envy or whispered detraction. But who
could grudge these honors to the hero of the hourhonors so hardly won, and which, as it proved, were
soon to give place to harsh censures and unjust imputations?
Alas for all human glory! Its paths lead but to
the grave. Death is the end of human ambition.
That very day' that a whole city rose up to do
honor to the Atlantic Telegraph and its author, it
gave its last throb, and that first cable was thenceforth to sleep for ever silent in its ocean grave.




CHAPTER XII.
SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE CABLE. REACTION OF PUBLIC FEELING.
GRAVE SUSPICIONS OF BAD FAITH. DID THE CABLE EVER WORK?
DECISIVE PROOF..
THE ATLANTIC CABLE WAS DEAD! That word fell
heavy as a stone on the hearts of t1hose who had staked
so much upon it.  What a bitter disappointment to
their hopes! In all the experience of life there are no
sadder moments than those in which, after years of
anxious toil, striving for a great object, and after one
supreme moment of complete success, the fruit of all
these labors becomes a total wreck. Vain is all human toil and endeavor.  The years thus spent are fled
away; the labor that was to have borne such rich
fruits of glory, is lost; and the prolonged tension of
the mind by the excitement of hope and ambition, and
the momentary dream of success, reacts to plunge it
into a deeper depression. So was it here. Years of
labor and millions of capital were swept away in an
hour into the bosom of the pitiless sea.
Of course the reaction of the public mind was very
great. As its elation had been so extravagant before,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 247
it was now silent and almost sullen. People were
ashamed of their late enthusiasm, and disposed to revenge themselves on those who had been the objects
of their idolatry. It is instructive to read the papers
of the day. As soon as it was evident that the Atlantic cable was a dead lion, many hastened to give it a
parting kick. There was no longer any dispute as to
who was the author of the great achievement. Rival
claimants quietly withdrew from the field, content to
leave him " alone in his glory."
Many explanations were offered of this sudden suspension of life. One writer argued that the Telegraphic Plateau was only a myth; that the bottom of the
ocean was jagged and precipitous; and. that the cable
passed over lofty mountain chains, and had hung suspended from the peaks of submarine Alps, till it broke
and fell into the tremendous depths below.
But others found a readier explanation. With the
natural tendency of a popular excitement to rush from
one extreme to the other, many now believed that
the whole thing was an imposition on public credulity, a sort of " Moon hoax" or a gigantic speculation.
An elaborate article appeared in a Boston paper,
headed with the alarming question, "1 Was the Atlantic cable a humbug?" wherein the writer argued
through several columns that it was a huge deception.
A writer in an English paper also made merry of the




248  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
celebration in Dublin, where a banquet was given to
Sir Charles Bright, in an article bearing the ominous
title: " Very like a whale!" This writer proved not
only that the Atlantic cable was never laid, but that
such a thin'g was mathematically impossible. But since
he turned out to be a crazy fellow, whom the police
had to take into custody, his " demonstrations" did
not make much impression on the public. The difficulty of finding a motive for thire perpetration of such a
stupendous fraud, did not at all embarrass these ingenious writers. Was it not enough to make the world
stare? to furnish something to the gaping crowd, even
though it were but a nine days' wonder? Those who
thus reasoned seemed not to reflect that such deceptions are always sure to be found out; that one who
goes up like a rocket may come down like a stick;
and that if by false means he has made himself an object of popular idolatry, he is likely to become the
object of popular indignation.
But others there were-sharp, shrewd men-who
thought they could see through a mill stone farther
than their neighbors, who shook their heads with a
knowing air, and said: " It was all a stock speculation." One writer stepped before the public with this
solemn inquiry: " Now that the great cable glorification is over, we should like to ask one question, How
many shares of his stock did Mr. Field sell during the




HISTORY OP THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  249
month of August?"  This he evidently thought was a
question which could not be answered, except by acknowledging a great imposition on the public. If this
brilliant inquirer after truth really desired to be informed, we could have referred, him to Messrs. George
Peabody & Co., of London, with whom was deposited
all of Mr. Field's stock at the time, and who, during
that memorable month of August, sold just one share,
and that at a price below the par value, which was
paid by Mr. Field himself. Whether this was an object sufficiently great to set two hemispheres in a blaze,
we leave him to judge.
To those who have followed this narrative, all these
conjectures and suspicions will appear very absurd.
These personal reflections we would treat with contempt, as a man of character always scorns an imputation on his personal honor.  But while we despise
these anonymous scribblers, as they deserve, yet we
recognize the fact that many honest people not disposed to think evil were sorely perplexed. That the
cable should continue to work for three or four weeks,
and then stop the very day of the celebration, was a circumstance certainly very singular, if not suspicious;
and it was not to be wondered at that it should excite
a painful feeling of doubt. This distrust is quite natural, and ought not to be matter either of offence or
surprise. On the contrary, those who are fully satisfied




250   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
of the facts, ought rather to be glad of the opportunity
which such questions afford, to present in full the am.
plest vindication.
To answer all inquiries, we propose to give a very
brief' history of the working of the Atlantic cable. It
was landed on both sldes of the ocean on the fifth of
August. The last recorded message passed over it on
the first of September, one day short of four weeks.
Within that time there were sent exactly four hun.
dred messages, of which two hundred and seventy-one
were from Newfoundland to Ireland, and one hundred
and twenty-nine from Ireland to Newfoundland. Of
these, the greater part were merely between the opera.
tors themselves, respecting the adjustment of instruments, and working the telegraph, which, while they
furnished decisive evidence to. tlem, are of no force to
the public. Of course an operator, working with a
battery on the shore at Valentia, or at Trinity Bay,
watching his instrument, and seeing the spark of light,
needs no other evidence of an electric current that has
passed through the cable. He sees it, and knows, as
if he saw the flash of a gun on the coast of Ireland,
that it is a light which has come from beyond the sea.
When he hears the familiar click, he knows that it is
a voice whispering to him out of the bosom of the waters. But these are of no value to the public as deciding the fact of actual communication. What they




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  251
need is public messages, conveying news from  one
hemisphere to the other. Of these, there were not a
great number, for obvious reasons. The cable, during the four-weeks of its existence, never worked
perfectly-that is, as a land line works, transmitting
messages freely and rapidly, and with perfect accuracy. It worked, but slowly, and with frequent interruptions, for reasons which we will state, and which,
we think, will satisfy any one that the wonder is,
not that it did so little, but that it did so much.
1. To begin with, the cable was not constructed in
the most perfect manner. Its makers, though the best
then in the world, had had but little experience in
making deep-sea cables. No line over three hundred
miles long had ever been laid. 2. It had been made
more than a year before. After it was finished, part of
it had been coiled out of doors, where it was exposed to
a burning sun, by which, as was afterward found, the
gutta-percha had been melted in many places till the
insulation was nearly destroyed. 3. It had been put
on boaird the ships in 1657, and after the first failure,
had been taken out and coiled on the dock at Plymouth, and then re-shipped in 1858. Thus it had.been twisted and untwisted, some portions of it as
many as ten times. Then the half on board the Agamemnon was so shaken in the- terrible gale of June,
that it was seriously inj I red, and some portions were




252   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
cut out and condemned. Take all these things together, and the wonder is, not that the cable failed after
a month, but that it ever worked at all.
Owing to this impaired state of the cable, we admit
fully that it did not work perfectly. Signals came and
went, which showed that the electric current passed
freely from  shore to shore, and gave promise that
with more delicate instruments it could be taught to
speak plainly. But for the present it spoke slowly
and with difficulty. It often took hours to get through
a single despatch, if of any length. Witness the delay in transmitting the Queen's message.  These frequent interruptions were ascribed to various causes.
Sometimes it was earth-currents; at others, a thunderstorm was raging.  Thus, on the morning of Thursdav, the twenty-sixth of August, there was a violent
storm in Newfoundland, heavy rain, accompanied by
thunder and lightning. At three o'clock, the lightning
was so intense that for about an hour and a half the
end of the cable had to be put to the earth for protection. After that the storm cleared away, and at seven
o'clock the weather is reported as being very fine. But
aside from these local and temporary causes, the real
difficulty was in the cable itself, whose insulation had
been fatally impaired, and which was now wearing out
its life on the rocks of the sea. These causes made its
speech difficult and broken. Yet sometimes it flashed




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  253
up with sudden power. Thus, in one case, a message
was sent from the office at Trinity Bay to Ireland and
an answer received back in two minutes. Such incidents excited the liveliest hopes that all difficulties
would be speedily overcome, and: justified the messages which were sent to the New-York papers from
day to day, that the instruments were being adjusted
by which it was expected that the line would soon be
put in perfect working order, and be thrown open to
the public. But these flashes of light proved to be
only the flickering of the flame, that was soon to be
extinguished in the eternal darkness of the waters.
But the question which the enemies of the Atlantic
Telegraph have chosen to raise is, not whether the
cable worked fast or slow, but whether it ever worked at
all. Happily, this is a question which can easily be
settled, since it is one simply of facts and dates, which
can be ascertained by referring to the files of the English and American papers. Of course what we ask in
this case is messages containing news. Mere congratulations between the Queen and the President, or the
Mayor of New/York and the Mayor of London, prove
nothing, for these might be prepared beforehand, if
we suppose a design to impose on the credulity of the
public. But the decisive test is this: Was there at
any time within that month published in the English
or American journals NEWS which could not be mat



254  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTTIC TELEGRAPH.
ter of guess or conjecture, and within a time too short
for its possible transmission in any other way? If
this can be proved beyond all doubt, even in a few
instances, the question is decided, for the argument is
just as strong with a dozen cases as with a thousand.
We give, therefore, a few dates, the accuracy of which
can be tested by any one who will take the trouble to
examine the English and American papers:
I. On Saturday, the fourteenth of August, the steamships Arabia; and Europa, the former bound for NewYork and the latter for Liverpool, came into collision
off Cape Race. The accident was not known in this
city until Tuesday, theb seventeenth, since it could not
be telegraphed here till the Arabia reached Halifax or
the Europa St. John's, into which port she put for repairs. As soon as the news reached New-York, the
Agent of the Company, Mr. Nimmo, (Mr. Cunard himself being then in England,) at once prepared a despatch to be sent to relieve immediate anxiety. This
was not forwarded to Newfoundland, as peremptory
orders had been given not to transmit any private business messages to go through the cable until the line
was fully open to the public. But the next day Mr.
Field arrived in New-York, and Mr. Nimmo applied
to him. Seeing the urgency of the case, he ordered it
to be forwarded. It was accordingly sent, and arrived
in London on the twentieth, giving the first news that




HIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  255
was received of the accident. This was repeatedly
stated by the late Sir Samuel Cunard, of London, and,
is confirmed by Mr. Edward Cunard, of New York.
The message was published in the London papers of
the twenty-first, and is as follows:'" Arabia in collision with Europa, Cape Race, Saturday. Arabia on her way. Head slightly injured. Europa lost bowsprit, cutwater; stem sprung. Will remain in St. John's ten days from sixteenth. Persia
calls at St. John's for mails and passengers. No loss
of life or limb."
This first news message was not only a very decisive
one as to the fact of telegraphic communication, but
one which showed the benefits which it would confer. Mr. William E. Dodge, a well-known merchant
of New-York, says: "I was in Liverpool at the time,r
and expecting friends by the Europa. Any delay in the
arrival of the ship would have caused great anxiety.
But one morning, on going down to the Exchange, we
saw posted up this despatch received the night before
by the Atlantic Telegraph. All then said if the cable
never did any thing more, it had fully repaid its cost."
Well may he add with devout feeling: "It seemed
as if'Divine Providence had permitted the event, to
furnish a testimony which could not be denied, to the
reality and the benefit of this new means of communication between the two continents"




256    HISTORY  OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
II. Passing over all the messages exchanged between
the operators at the stations, the congratulations of
Queen and President, and of the Mayors of New-York
and London, we come: to another news despatch; August twenty-fifth, Newfoundland reports to Valentia:
"Persia takes Europa's passengers and mails. Great
rejoicing everywhere at success of cable. Bonfires,
fireworks, jeux de joie, speeches, balls, etc., Mr. Eddy,
the first and best telegrapher in the States, died to-day.
Pray give some news for New-York; they are mad
for news."
In  the above: despatch, we remark  especially one
item, the death of Mr. Eddy, an announcement which
the writer, who was then in Europe, read first in the
London Times, and which arrested his attention, as he
had some acquaintance with that gentleman.*   Those
* Mr. James Eddy died suddenly, at Burlington, Vermont, Monday,
August twenty-third, 1858, at ten o'clock, fifteen minutes A.M. The
exact day and hour we learn from his widow, who is now living in
Brooklyn. The news was telegraphed to New-York, and from there
sent to Trinity Bay, from which it was forwarded to Valentia, and
appeared in the London Times Wednesday morning. Thus not fortyeight hours had elapsed after he breathed his last, before it was published in England. If any one wishes to see the despatch, he will find
a file of the London Times in the Astor Library.
P. S.-Slight discrepancies are sometimes the strongest possible
confirmation of truth, as they show that there was no thought of
imposition. One of these appears here. The despatch is dated August
twenty-fifth, and says Mr. Eddy died to-day, and yet it is published




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  257
who argue so strenuously for the theory of collusion
and deception, must be somewhat embarrassed to account for this.  Do they suppose that this death was
a matter of concert and design? that Mr. Eddy died
on that day, so that a message, which they must assume
to have been sent two weeks beforehand, could be
proved correct?  This is an absurdity too gross even
for them, yet to such absurdities are they reduced by
denial that authentic messages ever passed over the
Atlantic cable.
To the demand for news in the above despatch, a
reply  was at once returned: -'"Sent to London for
news."  And later the same day came the following:'North-American with Canadian, and the Asia with
direct Boston  mails, leave Liverpool, and  Fulton,
Southampton, Saturday next.  To-day's morning papers have long, interesting reports by Bright. Indian
news.  Virago arrived at Liverpool to-day; Bombay
dates nineteenth July. Mutiny being rapidly quelled."
A  despatch of the same date, August 25th, also
announces peace with  China.   The whole was received at Trinity Bay about nine o'clock P.M., and
in the London Times of the same date. How is this. It was sent
between nine and ten o'clock at night of the twenty-fourth, when the
operator would say this day of a piece of news just received, but in
affixing the date, he was governed by Greenwich time, which made it
more than three hours later. Accordingly it is published in the London
Times, dated August twenty-fifth, fifty-three minutes past twelve A.M.




258  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
would have been sent on at once to New-York, but
that the land lines in Nova Scotia were closed at that
hour. It was sent the next morning, and appeared in
the evening papers of the twenty-sixth.
By referring again to the London Times, the reader
will see that the news from China was published in
London on the twenty-third of August. -It is there
given as very unexpected news, so that it could not have
been a shrewd guess on the part of any body either in
England or America. It took the public by surprise,
both for the news itself and for the way in which it
came-which was not by India and the Red Sea, but
by St. Petersburg, where it arrived on the twentyfirst, having been brouoht overland by a courier to
Prince Gortchakoff. From there it was telegraphed
to the Government at Paris, and thence to London.
The Times comments on this roundabout way in which
intelligence so important reached England. Yet this
news, so unlooked for, announced in London only on
the morning of the twenty-third of August, was published in New-York on the twenty.sixth.
III. August twenty-seventh, comes a still longer despatch, which we give in full: "George Saward, Secretary Atlantic Telegraph Company, to Associated Press,
New-York. News for America by Atlantic cable.
Emperor-of France returned to Paris, Saturday. King
of Prussia too ill to visit Queen Victoria. Her Majes



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  259
ty returns to England thirtieth of August.-St. Petersburg, twenty-first of August. Settlement of Chinese
question. Chinese empire opened to trade; Christian
religion allowed; foreign diplomatic agents admitted;
indemnity to Enlgland and France.-Alexandria, A ugust ninth. The Madras arrived at Suez seventh inst.
Dates Bombay to the nineteenth; Aden, thirty-first.
Gwalior insurgent army broken up. All India becoming tranquil."
This despatch embodies about a dozen distinct items
of news, not one of which could be known without a
telegraphic communication. The whole was received
in New-York, and published in the evening papers
the same day.
IV. Not to be outdone in giving news, the next
day, Saturday, August twenty-eighth, Newfoundland
thus replies to Valentia:
"To THE DIRECTORS: Take news first, Saward. Sir
William Williams, of Kars, arrived Halifax Tuesday.
Enthusiastically received. Immense procession-wel-'come address-feeling reply. Held levee-large number presented. Niagara sailed for Liverpool at one
this morning. The Gorgon arrived at Halifax last
night. Yellow fever in New-Orleans, sixty to seventy
deaths per day. Also declared epidemic, Charlqston.
Great preparations in New-York and other places for
celebration, to be held the first and second of




260  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
September. New-Yorkers will make it the greatest
gala-day ever known in this country. Hermann sailed
for Fraser's River; six hundred passengers. Prince
Albert sailed yesterday; for Galway.  Arabia andAriel arrived New-York; Anglo Saxon, Quebec;
Canada, Boston. Europa left St. John's this morning.
Splendid aurora Bay of Bulls to-night, extending over
eighty-five degrees of the horizon."
Let any one examine carefully this despatch, considering the minuteness of the details-which could
not be known or conjectured-such as the appearance
of yellow fever at New-Orleans, with the number of
deaths a day; the sailing or arrival of seven steamers;
the number of passengers for Fraser's River, etc. —and
then examine the London Times, and see that all these
items appeared in it Monday morning, August thirtieth, and if he does not admit that collusion or deception is out of the question, no amount of evidence
could convince him.
V. We will give but one proof more. On the last
day of August, the day before the cable ceased to
work, Valentia sent to Newfoundland two messages
for the British Government, both signed by "'the
Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, Horse
Guards, London," and addressed the first to General
Trollope, Halifax, which said, " The sixty-second regiment is not to return to England;" and the other to




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  261
the General Officer commanding at Montreal, saying:
"The Thirty-ninth regiment is not to return to England." This was the time of the Sepoy rebellion, and
the Government had sent out orders by mail for these
two regiments to embark immediately for home, to be
sent to India. But the mutiny being nearly suppressed, this was found not to be necessary, and the prompt
countermanding of the order by telegraph, saved the
British Government, in the cost of transportation of
troops, not less than fifty thousand pounds. The despatch to Halifax was received the same day that it was
sent from London. The sending of this despatch, and
its almost immediate reception, is attested by an official letter from the War Office in London.
But why multiply arguments?  The facts here
given are accessible to all who have the candor and
the patience to examine. Let any man take the files
of English and American papers issued during that
month of August, and compare them day by day, and
if he is not thoroughly satisfied that a great number
of authentic messages passed over the Atlantic cable,
he is beyond the reach of human testimony. His case
is one of;'invincible ignorance.'  Neither would he
be persuaded though one rose from the dead.




CHAPTER XIII.
ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE THE COMPANY-PROFOUND DISCOURAGEMENT —IT
APPLIES TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR AID, WHICH DECLINES TO GIVE AN
UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE-FAILURE OF THE RED SEA TELEGRAPHSCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS-CABLES LAID IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND
TBE7 PERSIAN GULF-EFFORTS TO RAISE CAPITAL IN THE UNITED STATES
AND IN ENGLAND-BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
IT takes a long time to recover from a great disaster. WVhen at last the friends of the Atlantic Telegraph were obliged to confess that the cable had ceased
to work; when all the efforts of the electricians failed
to draw more than a few faint whispers, a dying gasp,
from the depths of the sea, there ensued in the public
mind a feeling of profound discouragement. For a
time this paralyzed all effort to revive the Company
and to renew the enterprise. And yet the feeling,
though natural, was extreme. If they had not done
all they attempted, they had accomplished much.
They had at least demonstrated the possibility of
laying a cable across the Atlantic Ocean, and of sending messages through it. This alone was no smalltriumph. So men reasoned when sober reflection
returned, and at length the tide of public confidence,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  263
which had ebbed so strongly, began to reflow, and
once more to creep up the shores of England.
But when a great enterprise has been overthrown,
and lies prostrate on the earth, the first impulse of its
friends is to call on Caesar for help. So the first appeal of the Atlantic Telegraph Company was to the
British Government. It was claimed, and with reason,
that the work was too great to be undertaken by private capital alone. It was a matter, not of private
speculation, but of public and national concern. It
was, therefore, an object which might justly be undertaken by a powerful government, in the interest of
science and of civilization.
To raise capital for a new cable, it was necessary to
have some better security than the hazards of a vast
and doubtfulf undertaking. Hence the Company asked
the Government to guarantee the interest on a certain
amount of stock, even if the second attempt should not
prove a complete success. With such a guarantee, the
capital could be raised in London in a day.
In this application they might have been successful,
but for an untoward event, which dampened the confidence of the public in all submarine enterprises-the
failure of the Red Sea Telegraph. The British Government, anxious to forward communication with India, had given that Company an unconditional guarantee, on the strength of which the capital was raised,




26:1  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
and the cable manufactured and laid. But in a very
short time it ceased to work. This proved a serious
loss to the treasury of Great Britain.  To the public,
which did not understand the cause of the failure to
be the imperfect construction of the cable, the effect.
was to impair confidence in all long submarine telegraphs.  Of course, after such an experience, the
Government was not disposed to bind itself by such
pledges again.  It was, however, ready to aid the
enterprise by any safe means. It therefore increased
its subsidy from fourteen thousand pounds to twenty
thousand pounds; and guaranteed eight per cent on
six hundred thousand pounds of new capital for twenty-five years, with only one condition-that the cable
should work. This was a liberal grant, and under the
circumstances, was all that could be expected.
Still further to encourage the undertaking, it ordered new soundings to be taken off the coast of Ireland.
These were made by Captain Hoskins, R.N., and dispelled the fears which had been entertained of a submarine mountain, which would prove an impassable
barrier in the path of an ocean telegraph.
But the greatest service which the British Government rendered, was in the long course of experiments
which it now ordered, to determine all the difficult
problems of submarine telegraphy. In 1869, the year
after the failure of the first Atlantic cable, the Board




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 26S
of Trade appointed a committee of the most eminent
scientific and engineering authorities in Great Britain
to investigate the whole subject. This was composed
of Captain Douglas Galton, of the Royal Engineers,
now of the War Office, London, who specially represented the Government; Professor Wheatstone, the
celebrated electrician; William Fairbairn, late President of the British Association for the Advancement
of Science; George Parker Bidder, whose name ranks
with those of Stephenson and Brunel; C. F. Varley, who, in the practical working of telegraphs,
has no superior in England; Latimer Clark and Edwin Clark, both engineers, who had had great experience in the business of telegraphing; and George
Saward, the Secretary of the Atlantic Telegraph Company.
This Committee sat for nearly two years, at the end
of which, it made a report to the Government, which
fills a very large volume, in which are detailed an immense number of experiments, touching the form and
size of cables, their relative strength and flexibility,
the power of telegraphing at long distances, the speed
at which messages could be sent; and in fine, every
possible question, either as to the electrical or engineering difficulties to be overcome.  The result of
these manifold and laborious experiments is summed
up in the following certificate, signed by all who had
taken part in this memorable investigation:




266   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
"LONDON, 13th July, 1863.
"We, the undersigned, members of the Committee
who were appointed by the Board of Trade, in 1859,
to investigate the question of submarine telegraphy,
andwhose investigation continued from that time to
April, 1861, do hereby state, as the result of our deliberations, that a well-insulated cable, properly protected, of suitable specific gravity, made with care,
and tested under water throughout its progress with
the best known apparatus, and paid into the ocean
with the most improved machinery, possesses every
prospect of not only being successfully laid in the
first instance, but may reasonably be relied upon, to
continue for many years in an efficient state for the
transmission of signals.
DOUGLAS GALTON,   CROMWELL F. VARLEY,
C. WHEATSTON'E,    [LATIMER CLXARK,
WM. FAIRBAIRN,      EDWIN CLARK,
GEO. P. BIDDER,      GEO. SAWARD."
Thus the years which followed the failure of 1858though they saw no attempt to lay another ocean
cable-were not years of idleness. They were rather
years of experiment and of preparation, clearing the
way for new efforts and final victory. The Atlantic
Telegraph itself had been a grand experiment. It had
taught many important truths which could be learned
in no other way. Not only had it demonstrated the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  267
possibility of telegraphing from continent to continent, but it had been useful even in exposing its own
defects, as it taught how to avoid them in the future.
For example, in working the first cable, the electricians had thought it necessary to use an enormous
battery.. They did not suppose they could reach
across the whole breadth of the Atlantic, and touch
the Western hemisphere, unless they sent an electric
current that was almost like a stroke of lightning;
and that, in fact, endangered the safety of the conducting wire.  But they soon found that this was
unnecessary.  God was not in the whirlwind, but in
the still, small voice. A soft touch could send a
thrill along that iron nerve.  It seemed as if the deep
were a vast whispering gallery, and that a gentle voice
murmured in the ocean caves, like a whisper in a seashell, might be caught, so wonderful are the harmonies of nature, by listening ears on remote continents.
Thus was given a new meaning to the poet's
"Airy tongues, that syllable men's names
On sands, and shores, and desert wildernesses."
These were also years of great progress, not only in
the science of submarine telegraphy, but in the construction of deep-sea cables. In spite of the failure oft
that in the Red Sea, one was laid down in the Mediterranean, fifteen hundred and thirty-five miles long,
from Malta to Alexandria, and another in the Persian




268  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Gulf, fourteen hundred miles long, by which telegraphic communication was finally opened from England
to India. Both these lines still continue in perfect
working order.'t Others were laid in different seas and
oceans in distant parts of the world. These great triumphs, following the scientific experiments which had
been made, revived public confidence, and prepared
the way for a, fresh attempt to pass the Atlantic.
Yet not much was done to renew the enterprise
until 1862. Mr. Field had been indefatigable in his
efforts to reanimate the Company. He was continually going back and forth to the British Provinces and
to England, urging it wherever his voice could be
heard. Yet times were adverse. The United States
had been suddenly involved in a tremendous war,
which called into the field hundreds of thousands of
men, and entailed a burden of many hundreds of millions. While engaged in this life-and-death struggle,
and rolling up such a mountain of debt, our people
had little thought to bestow on other great enterprises
by land or sea.
And yet one incident of the war forcibly recalled
public attention to the necessity of some speedier communication with Europe than by steam. The unhappy
Trent affair aroused an angry feeling in Great Britain
which nearly resulted in hostilities, all of which might
have been prevented by a single word of explanation.




HISTORY OF'THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  269
As the London Times said truly: "We nearly went
to war with America because we had not a telegraph
across the Atlantic."  After such a warning, it was
natural that both countries should begin to think seriously of the means of preventing future misunderstanding. Mr. Field went to Washington, and found
great readiness on the part of the President and his
Cabinet to encourage the enterprise.  Mr. Seward
wrote to our Minister in London that the American
Government would be happy to join with that of Great
Britain in promoting this international work. With
this encouragement, Mr. Field went to England to
urge the Company to renew the undertaking. While
in London, he endeavored to obtain from some responsible parties an offer to construct and lay down a cable.
Messrs. Glass, Elliot & Co. replied, declaring their willingness to undertake the work, without at first naming the precise-terms. They wrote, under date of February seventeenth:
"SIR: In reply to your inquiries, we beg to state
that we should not be willing to manufacture and lay
-a Submarine Telegraph Cable across the Atlantic, from
Ireland to Newfoundland, assuming the entire risk, as
we consider that would be too great a responsibility
for any single firm to undertake; but we are so confident that these points can be connected by a good and
durable cable, that we are willing to contract to do the




270   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
work, and stake a large sum upon its successful laying
and working.
" We shall be prepared in a few days, as soon as we
can get the necessary information in regard to what
price we can charter suitable ships for the service, to
make you a definite offer."
Although it is anticipating a few months in time, we
may give here the " definite offer," which was obtained
by Mr. Field, on his return to England in the autumn.
It was as follows:
" LONDON, October 20, 1862.
"CyRus W. FIELD, ESQ., ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY:
"DEAR SIR: In reply to your inquiries, we beg to
state, that we are perfectly confident that a good and
durable Submarine Cable can be laid from Ireland to
Newfoundland, and are willing to undertake the contract upon the following conditions:
"First. That we shall be paid each week our actual
disbursements for labor and material.
" Second. That when the cable is laid and in working order, we shall receive for our time, services, and
profit twenty per cent on the actual cost of the line, in
shares of the Company, deliverable to us, in twelve
equal monthly instalments, at the end of each successive month whereat the cable shall be found in working order.
" We are so confident that this enterprise can be
successfully carried out, that we will make a cash sub



HISTORY OF TIHE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  271
scription for a sum of twenty-five thousand pounds
sterling in the ordinary capital of the Company, and
pay the calls on the same when made by the Company.
"Annexed we beg to hand you, for your guidance,
a list of all the submarine telegraph cables manufactured and laid by our firm since we commenced this
branch of our business, the whole mileage of which,
with the exception of the short one between Liverpool
and Holyhead, which has been taken up, is at this
time in perfect and successful working order. The
cable that we had the honor to contract for and lay
down for the French Government, connecting France
with Algeria, is submerged in water of nearly equal
depths to any we should have to encounter between
Ireland and Newfoundland.
"You will permit us to suggest that the shore ends
of the Atlantic Cable should be composed of- very heavy
wires, as from Our experience the only accidents that
have arisen to any of the cables that we have laid have
been caused by ships' ancliors, and none of those laid
out of anchorage ground have ever cost one shilling
for repairs.
"The cable that we would suggest for the Atlantic
will be an improvement on all those yet manfactured,
and we firmly believe will be imperishable when once
laid.    We remain, sir, yours faithfully,
"GLASS, ELLIOT & Co."




272   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
The summer of this year Mr. Field spent in America, where he applied himself vigorously to raise capital for the new enterprise. To this end he visited diferent cities —Boston, Providence, Philadelphia, Allbany, and Buffalo-to address meetings of merchants
and others. All listened with interest, and applauded
his courage and perseverance, and hoped he would
succeed, but subscribed little. In New-York he succeeded better, but only by indefatigable exertions.
He addressed the Chamber of Commerce, the Board
of Brokers, and the Corn Exchange, and then he went
almost literally from door to door, calling on merchants and bankers to enlist their aid. The result
was, subscriptions amounting to about seventy thousand
pounds, the whole of which was due to persevering
personal solicitation. Even of those who subscribed,
a large part did so more from sympathy and admiration of his indomitable spirit than from confidence in
the success of the enterprise.
In England, however, the subject was better understood. For obvious reasons, the science of submarine
telegraphy has made greater advances in that country
than in ours. England is itself an island, and obliged
to hold all its telegraphic communication with the continent by cables under the sea, Then it has large
colonial possessions in all parts of the world, with
which it is important to have the means of speedy




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  273
communication. We can understand the pride of empire in a dominion on which the sun never sets-" a
power," to quote the memorable description of our
own Webster, "which has dotted the face of the whole
globe with its possessions and military posts, whose
morning drumbeat, following the sun and keeping company with the hours, encircles the whole earth with
one continuous and unbroken strain of the martial airs
of England'"  Was it strange that this mother of nations should reach out her long arms to embrace her
distant children?
The pride of empire and necessity of her position
had stimulated the spirit of enterprise in this direction.
Hence it was that the subject of submarine telegraphs
was so much better understood in England than in
this country, not only by scientific men, but by capitalists. The appeal could be made to them'with more
assurance of intelligent sympathy. And yet so vast
was the undertaking, that it required ceaseless effort
to roll the stone to the top of the mountain, and the
result was not completely achieved till the beginning
of the year 1864.




CHAPTER XIV.
ToI ENTERPRISE RENEWED. PROPOSALS FOR ANOTHER CABLE. GREAT
IMPROVEMENT ON THE OLD. GENEROUS OFFER OF THE MANUFACTURERS TO TAKE HALF THE CAPITAL. THE WORK BEGUN. THE GREAT
EASTERN AND CAPTAIN ANDERSON. THE WHOLE CABLE SHIPPED ON
BOARD IN THE SPRING OF 1865. EXPEDITION IN JULY.
IT is a long night which has no morning. At last
the day is breaking.  While weary eyes are watching
the East, " daylight comes over the sea."  Five years
have passed away, and though the time seemed long
as an Arctic winter, that only made more bright the
rising of the sun. Those years of patient experiment,
when scientific men were applying tests without number, and submarine lines were feeling their way along
the deep-sea floor in all the waters of the world, at last
broifght forth their fruit in that renewed confidence
which is the forerunner of victory.
So strong was this feeling, that as early as August,
1863, although the capital was not raised, the Board
advertised for proposals for a cable suitable to be laid
across the Atlantic Ocean; and in order to leave invention entirely unfettered, they abstained from any




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  275
dictation as to the fQrm or materials to be adopted,
merely stipulating for a working speed of eight words
a minute.
In reply they received, in the course of a few
weeks, seventeen different proposals from as many
companies, many of them firms of large wealth and
experience. These different tenders, with the numerous specimens of cable and materials, were at once submitted to the eminent Consulting Committee which
had already rendered such service by its advice, embracing as it did the first engineering skill and scientific knowledge of the kingdom. This Committee
examined all the proposals, and then, taking up one
by one the different samples of cable, caused them
in turn to be subjected to the severest tests. This
took a long time, as it required a great number of
experiments; but the result was highly satisfactory.
The Committee were all of one mind, and recommended unanimously that the Board should accept
the tender of Messrs. Glass, Elliot & Co., and the
general principle of their proposed cable; but advised that before settling the final specification, every
portion of the material to be employed should be tested with the greatest care, both separately and in combination, so as to ascertain what further improvements
could be made. To this the manufacturers readily
consented, feeling a noble ambition to justify the con



276  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
fidence of the Committee and tae public. They provided abundant materials for fresh experiments. New
cables were made and tested in different lengths; and
experiments were also tried upon different qualities of
wire and hemp, that were to compose its external protection. The result of all these investigations was the
selection of a model which seemed to combine every
excellence, and to approach absolute perfection.
Such was the cable which this eminent firm offered
to manufacture, and to lay across the Atlantic, and that
on terms so favorable, that it seemed as if it could not
be difficult to raise the capital and proceed with the
work. Indeed, a contract was partially made to that
effect. So confident was Mr. Field, who was then
in London, that an expedition would sail the following summer, that he insured his stock, part of it
only against ordinary sea-risks, but part also to be
laid and to work! But hardly had he left England
before there was some unforeseen hitch in the arrangements, the money was not forthcoming, or some of
the conditions were not complied with, and he had
the mortification to receive letters, saying that the
whole enterprise was postponed for another year!
This was indeed discouraging. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, and this hope had been deferred for
many a year. Yet this sudden dropping of the scheme
did not imply a loss of interest or of faith on the part




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  277
of those embarked in it. They believed in it as much
as ever. But the general public did not respond to
the call for more capital. Alas that the noblest enterprises should so often be delayed or defeated by the
want of money! But so it is. Capital is always cautious and timid, and follows slowly in the path of
great discoveries. While " star-eyed Science" flies
far in advance of the human race, sordid Mammon
creeps behind. If Columbus, instead of the patronage of Queen Isabella, had depended on a stock company for the means for his expedition, he might never
have sailed from the shores of Spain. Happy was it
for mankind that his faith and patience did not wear
out, while going from court to court, and kingdom to
kingdom, and almost-begging his way from door to
door!
But it is not in human nature-least of' all in the
Saxon blood-to despond long. The heart of man is
like the sea, ebbing and returning with a ceaseless
flow. Though at times it seems to have swept away
to distant shores, yet as moons revolve and tides return, again the white-crested waves come iolling up
the beach. Ten years of constant defeat would seem
to have wrought a lasting discouragement. Yet again
and again did the baffled spirit of enterprise return to
the attempt. In January, 1864, Mr. Field was once
more on' his way to England, to try it again. He




278  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
found the Directors, as before, deeply interested in the
enterprise, and wishing it success. With a grateful
heart he bore witness to their unfaltering courage.
But mere courage and good- wishes would not lay the
Atlantic Telegraph. Yet what more could they do?
They could not be expected to advance all the capital
themselves.  They had already subscribed liberally,
and he could not ask them to do more. But with all
the efforts that had been made in England and America, not half the capital was yet raised. The machinery
was in a dead lock, with little prospect of being able
to move. It was the misfortune of the enterprise that
there was no one man who made it his sole and exclusive charge. The Board of Directors contained some
of the best men in London. But they were, almost
without exception, engaged in very large affairs of
their own, with no leisure to make a public enterprise
their special care. To insure success, it needed a trial
of the one-man power-one brain, planning night and
day; one agency incessantly at work, stirring up directors, contractors, and engineers; and one will pushing it forward by main strength. This was the force
now to be applied.
The first element needed to put life into the old
system was an infusion of new blood-new capital
and new men. While the enterprise was in this
state of collapse, Mr. Field addressed himself to a




HIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  279
gentleman with whom, until then, he had no personal acquaintance, but who is well known in London
as one of the largest capitalists of Great Britain-Mr.
Thomas Brassey.  Their first interview was somewhat remarkable. Referring to it a few months after,
Mr. Field said: "When I arrived in this country, in
January last, the Atlantic Telegraph Company trembled in the balance. We were in want of funds, and
were in negotiations with the government, and making great exertions to raise the money. At this juncture I was introduced to a gentleman of great integrity
and enterprise, who is well known, not only for his
wealth, but for his foresight, and in attempting to
enlist him in our cause he put me through such a;
cross-examination as I had never before experienced.
I thought I was in the witness-box. He inquired of
me the practicability of the scheme-what it would
pay, and every thing else connected with it; but before I left him, I had the pleasure of hearing him say
that it was a great national enterprise that ought to be
carried out, and, he added, I will be one of ten to find
the money required for it. From that day to this he
has never hesitated about it, and when I mention his
name, you will know him as a man whose word is as
good as his bond, and as for his bond, there is no better in England."
Having thus secured one powerful ally, Mr. Field




280  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
took courage and went to work to make another. H(
says: " The words spoken by Mr. Brassey in the latter
part of January,'Let the Electric Telegraph be laic
between England and America,' encouraged us all
and made us believe we should succeed in raising the
necessary capital, and I then went to work to find nine
other Thomas Brasseys, (I did not know whether he.was an Englishman, a Scotchman, or an Irishman;
but I made up my mind that he combines all the good
qualities of every one of them,) and after considerable
search I met with a rich friend from Manchester, [Mr.
John Pender, M.P.,] and I asked him if he would second Mr. Brassey, and walked with him from 28 Pall
Mall to the House of Commons, of which he is a member. Before we reached the House, he expressed his
willingness to do so to an equal amount."
This was putting strong arms to the wheel. A few
days after, a combination was formed to carry, on the
whole business of making Submarine Telegraphs, by
a union of the Gutta-Percha Company with the firm
of Glass, Elliot & Co., the principal manufacturers of
sea cables, making one grand concern, to be called
The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company. These two great capitalists entered into the
new organization, of which Mr. Pender was made
Chairman. The Gutta-Percha Company brought in
still further strength to the joint enterprise, in the per



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  281
son of Mr. John Chatterton, and of Mr. Willoughby
Smith, their electrician, and the inventor of the insulating material known as Chatterton's compound.
The union of all these men made a combination of
practical skill and financial ability, such as could be
found in few companies in England or in the world.
Mr. R. A. Glass was chosen Managing Director-a gentleman who seems born to be a manager, such power
has he of gathering about him talent in every depart.
ment and' combining all into one complete organization.
Thus reinforced by such powerful aid, the new Company now came forward, and offered at one stroke to
take all the remaining stock of the Company. This
was more than half the whole capital. As yet, of the
~600,000 required, but ~285,000 had been subscribed. Now this princely Company offered to take
the balance themselves-~315,000. They did moretaking ~100,003 of bonds beside. Thus at one dead
lift these stalwart Englishmen took the whole enterprise on their broad shoulders. From that hour
the problem was solved. Thus after a dead lock of
six months the wheels were unloosed, and the gigan.
tic machinery began to revolve.
This was a triumph worthy to be honored in the
way that Englishmen love, by a little festivity; and
as it chanced to be now ten years since Mr. Field had
embarked in the enterprise, the pleasant thought oc



282  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
curred to him of getting his friends together to celebrate the anniversary. Accordingly, on the fifteenth
of March, he invited them to dine together at the Palace Hotel. It was a pleasant occasion, calling forth
the usual amount of toasts and speeches. Of the
latter, those of Mr. Adams, the American Minister,
and of John Bright, were widely copied in the United
States. The next day was the annual meeting of
the Atlantic Telegraph Company, when the Chairman,
The Right Hon. James Stuart Wortley, thus referred
to the gathering of the night before:
"Without saying any thing to detract from my
deep source of gratitude to the other Directors, I cannot help especially alluding to Mr. Cyrus Field, who
is present to-day, and who has crossed the Atlantic
thirty-one times in the service of this Company, having celebrated at his table yesterday the anniversary
of the tenth year of the day when he first left Boston
in the service of the Company. Collected round his
table last night was a company of distinguished menmembers of Parliament, great capitalists, distinguished
merchants and manufacturers, engineers and men of
science, such as is rarely found together even in the
highest house in this great metropolis. It was very
agreeable to see an American citizen so surrounded.
To me it was so personally, as it would have been to
you, and it was still more gratifying, inasmuch as we




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  283
were there to celebrate the approaching accomplishm~nt of the Atlantic Telegraph."
We have no wish to repeat mere phrases of compliment; but it is always grateful to one who has
toiled long and faithfully to carry out a public enterprise, to find in the hour of triumph that his labors
are not forgotten. The Atlantic Telegraph had just
passed through a critical period of its history. The
enterprise had been in great danger of abandonmentat least for years. From this condition it had been
rescued only by the most prompt and vigorous effort.
How much this altered state of things was owing to
the exertions of Mr. Field, let those speak who know
best. At a meeting of the Directors of the Company,
May fifth, 1864, on motion of Mr. C. M. Lampson, seconded by Mr. Francis Le Breton, it was unanimously
Resolved, "That the sincere thanks of this Board be
given to Mr. Cyrus W. Field, for his untiring energy
in promoting the general interests of the Atlantic
Telegraph Company, and especially for his valuable
and successful exertions during his present visit to
Great Britain, in reference to the restoration of its
financial position, and prospects of complete success."
Thus after infinite toil, the wreck of old disasters
was cleared away, and the mighty task begun anew.
The works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company are the largest in the world, and all




284  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIH.
their resources were now put in requisition. Never
did greater care preside over a public enterprise. It
was a case in which the motive of interest was seconded or overborne by pride and ambition. A cable was
to be made to span the Atlantic Ocean, and to join the
hemispheres; and it was a natural pride to produce a
work that should be as nearly perfect as human skill
could make it. The Scientific Committee, that had
so long investigated the subject, had approved a particular form of cable, as "the one most calculated to
insure success in the present state of our experimental
knowledge respecting deep-sea cables," but at the
same time recommended the utmost vigilance at every
stage of the manufacture.  These precautions deserve
to be noted, as showing with what jealous care science
watches over the birth of a great enterprise, and prescribes the conditions of success. They recommended:
That the conductivity of -the wire should be fixed at
a high standard, certainly not less than eighty-five per
cent; that the cable should be at least equal to the'
best ever made; that the core should be electrically
perfect; that it should be tested under hydraulic pressure, and at the highest pressure attainable in the tanks
at the Company's works; that after this pressure, the
core should be examined again, and before receiving
its outer covering, be required to pass thefiull electrical
test under water; that careful and frequent mechanical




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  285
tests be made upon t/ e ion ui:a re aCt'Zd /heV as to their
strength ~ that special care be given to the joftis, where
difkercnt lengtlhs of cable were spliced together; and
that when completetl, thle whole be testeJd under water
for some length of time, at a temperature of sevontyfive degrees.  This wyes high}er by forty degrees thlan
tlie temperature o" the Atlantic.  Tile iisulation is
implroved by cold;  o that, if it remaine:-;d perfect iLn
this warm nwater, it could not fit in the icy depths of
the ocean.
After passing through such elaborate tests, all will
be glad to see the tfinal product of so much care anid
skiill.  As the long line begins to reel off from  the
great whleels and drums, we may examine it in its cornOLD ATLANt:IC CABLE,  18%
NEW ATLANTIC CABLE, 1865.




~28   HITSTORY OF THE ATLANNTIC TELEGRtAPH.
pieted andl more pertfect fbrm. It is only necessary to
comprtle it withT tlhe ca lle laid ini 1858, to show its ilnn:reln:se supltriorl'ity. A glance at the, two as they appear on t:he pre:et lring page will show that thLe cable had
y.owun-sinee first it was planted in the ocean, as if it
were a livilg producnet of the sea; or if we choose to
consider it as a tendril of the British oak, the slender
twig had beecome a tough, strong limb.  This growth
lhad been in every part, from core to circumference.
First the central copper wire, which was the spinal
cord, the nerve along which the lightning' was to run,
was nearly three tites larger tlhan befire. The old
conductor was a strand, consisting of seven fine wires,
six laid round one, and weighlled only one hundred
and seven pounds to the mile.  The new was composed of the same number of wires, but weighing
three hundred pounds to the mile.  This was made
of the finest copper that could be obtained in the
world-making a perfect conductor.  To secure insulation, this conductor was first imbedded for solidity
in Chatterton's compound, a preparation impervious
to water, and then covered with four layers of guttapercha, which were laid on alternately with four thinl
lavers of Chatterton's compound.  The old cable had
but three coatings of gutta-percha, with nothing between.  Its entire insulation weighed but two hundred and sixty-one pounds to the mile, while that of
the new weighed four hundred pounds.




HISTORY OF TIIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPf.  287
But a conductor ever so perfect, with insulation
complete, was useless without proper external protection, to  guard it against the dangers which must
attend the long and difficult process of laying it across
the ocean. The old cable had broken a number of
times. The new must be made stronger. To this
end it was inlased with ten solid wires of the best
iron, or rather, of a sof steel, like that used by Whitworth for his cannon.  This made the cable much
heavier than before.  The old cable weighed but
twenty cwt. to the mile, while the new one reachned
thirty-five cwt. and three quarters. Bult mere size
and weight were  nothing, except as they indicated
increased strength. This was secured, not only by
the larger iron wires, but by a fur:ther coating of rope.
Each wire was surrounded separately witll five strands
of Manilla yarn, saturated with a preservative compound, and the whole laid spirally round the core,
which latter was padded with ordinary hemp, saturated with the same preservative mixture.  This rope
coverilng was important in several respects.  It kept
the wires from coming in contact with the salt water,
by which they might be corroded; and while it a(dded
greatly to the strength of the cable, it gave it also its
own flexibility-so that while it had the strength of an
iron chain, it hlad also the lightness and flexibility of
a common ship's rope. This union of two qualities




288  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
was all-important. The great problem had been to
combine strength with flexibility. Mere dead weight
was an objection. The new cable, though nearly
twice as heavy as the old in air, when immersed in
water, weighed but a trifle more; so that it was really
much lighter in proportion to its size. This increased
lightness was a very important matter in laying the
cable, as it caused it to sink slowly. The old cable,
though smaller, was heavy almost as a rod of iron,
so that, as it ran out, it dropped at an angle which
exposed it to great danger in case of a sudden lurch
of the ship. Thus in 1857 it was broken by the stern
of the Niagara being thrown up on a wave just as the
brakes were shut down. Now the cable, being partially buoyed by the rope, would float out to a great
distance from the ship, and sink down slowly in the
deep waters.
By this combination of rope and iron, a cable was
secured two and a half times as strong as the old-the
breaking strain of the former having been three tons,
five cwt., and of the latter seven tons and fifteen cwt.
Or, to put it in another form, the contract strain of the
former was less than, five times its own weight per
mile in water; so that if the. cable had. been laid in
some parts of the Atlantic, where the ocean is more
than five miles deep, it would have broken under the
enormous strain. But the contract strain of the new




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 289
cable was equal to eleven times its weight per mile in
water, which, as the greatest depth of water to be
passed was but two and a half miles, rendered the
cable more than four times as strong as was required.
This great chain which was to bind the sea was to
be twenty-three hundred nautical miles long, or nearly twenty'-seven hundred statute miles Il But where
could this enormous bulk be stowed? Its weight
would sink the Spanish Armada. In 1858, the cable
loaded down two of the largest ships of war in the
world, the Niagara and the Agamemnon. Yet now one
much larger and bulkier was to be taken on board.
This might have proved a serious embarrassment, but
that Providence, which leads the progress of the race,
prepares the means of advancement. It so happened
that a few years before there had been built in England a ship of enormous proportionsi-the greatest
floating thing constructed by the labor of- man since
Noah's. ark was borne on the waters of the Deluge.
The Great Eastern, whose iron walls had been reared
by the genius of Brunel, had been for ten years waiting
for "a mission."  As a specimen of marine architecture she was perfect. She walked the waters in towering pride, scarce bending her imperial head to the
waves that broke against her sides, as against the
rocks of the shore. But with all her noble qualities,
she was too great for the ordinary demands of corm



290  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
merce. Her very size was against her; and while
smaller ships, on which she looked down with contempt, were continually flying to and fro across the
sea, this leviathan,
Hugest of all God's works
That swim the ocean stream,
could find nothing worthy of her greatness. Here,
then, was the vessel to receive the Atlantic cable.
Seeing her fitness for the purpose, a few of the gentlemen who were active in reviving the Atlantic Telegraph combined to purchase her, as she was about to
be sold. One of them went down with all s-Deed to
Liverpool, and the next day telegraphed that the Big
Ship was theirs. The new owners at once put her at
the service of the Atlantic Company, with the express
agreement that any compensation for her use should
depend on the success of the expedition.
Next to the good fortune of finding such a ship
ready to their hands, was that of finding an officer
worthy to command her. Captain James Anderson,
of the China,, one of the Cunard steamers, had long
been known to the travelling public, both of England
and America, and no one ever crossed the sea with
him without having awakened the strongest feeling of
respect for his manly and seamanly qualities. A thorough master of his profession, having followed the sea




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 291
for a quarter of a century, he was also a man of much
general intelligence, and of no small scientific attainments. But it was something more than this which
inspired such confidence. It was his ceaseless watchfulness. He always carried with him a feeling of religious responsibility for the lives of all on board, and
for every interest committed to him. A man of few
words, modest in manner, he was yet clear in judgment and prompt in action. This vigilance was especially marked in moments of danger. When a storm
was gathering, all who saw that tall figure on the
wheel-house, watching with a keen eye every spar
in the ship and every cloud in the horizon, felt a
new security from being under his care. Such was
the man to be put in charge of a great expedition.
He was the -unanimous choice of the Board of Directors. The Cunard Company, with great generosity,
consented to give up his services, valuable as they
were, to forward an enterprise of such public interest.
Being thus free, he accepted the trust, and entered
upon it with enthusiasm. How well he fulfilled the
expectations of all, the sequel will show.
The work now went on with speed. The wheels
began to hum, and the great drums to reel off that
line which, considering the distance it was to span,
was hardly to be measured by miles, but rather by
degrees of the earth's surface. Mere figures give but




292  HISTORY OF TEE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
a vague impression of vast spaces. But it is a curious
fact, ascertained by an exact -computation, that if all
the wires of copper and of iron, with the layers that
made up the core and the outer covering, and the
strands of yarn that were twisted into this one knotted
sea-cable, were placed end to end, the whole length
would reach from the earth to the moon I
As it came from the works in its completed state, it
was plunged in water, to make it familiar with the element which was to be its future home. In the yards
of the Company stood eight large tanks, which could
hold each a hundred and forty miles. Here the cable
was coiled to "hybernate," till it should be wanted for
use the coming spri.png.
Seeing the work thus well under way, with no
chance of another disastrous check, Mr. Field left
England with heart at rest, and returned to America
for the winter. But the first days of spring saw him
again on the Atlantic. He reached England on the
eighteenth of March. His visit was more satisfactory
than a year before. The work was now well advanced. It was- a goodly sight to go down to Morden Wharf at Greenwich, and see the huge machinery
in motion, spinning off. their leagues of deep-sea line.
The triumph apparently was near at hand. It seemed
indeed a predestined thing that the cable should finally be laid in the year of grace 1865 —the end for which




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  293
he had so faithfully toiled since: 1858 —seven weary
years as lofig as Jacob served for Rachel I But, less
fortunate than Jacob, he was doomed to one more disappointment. At present, however, all looked well,
and he could not but regard the prospect with satisfaction.
Having no more drudgery of raising money, he had
now a few weeks' leisure to take a voyage up the
Mediterranean.  The canal across the Isthmus of
Suez, which had been so long in progress, under. the
supervision of French engineers, was at length so far
advanced that the waters of the Mediterranean were
about to mingle with those of the Red Sea, and delegates were invited to be present from all parts of the
world. An invitation had  been sent to the Chamber
of Commerce in New-York, and Mr. Field, then starting for Europe, was appointed as its representative.
The visit was one of extraordinary interest. The occasion brought together a number of eminent engineers
from every coury y of Europe, in company with whom
this stranger from the New World visited the most
ancient of kingdoms to see the spirit of modern enterprise invading the land of the Pyramids.
He returned to England about the first of May to
find the work' nearly completed. The cable was almost done, and a large part of it was already coiled
on board the ship. This was an operation of much




294  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
interest, which deserves to be described. The mlanu
facture had begun on the first of September, and had
gone on for eight months without ceasing, the works
turning out fourteen miles a day even during the
short days of winter. As the spring advanced, and
the days grew longer, the amount was of course much
increased. But by the last of January they had already accumulated about nine hundred miles of completed cable, when began the long and tedious work of
transferring it to the Great Eastern. It was thus slow,
because it could not be made directly from the yard to
the ship. The depth of water at Greenwich was not
such as to allow the Great Eastern to be brought up
alongside the wharf. She was lying at Sheerness,
thirty miles below, and the cable had to be put on
board of lighters and taken down to where she lay in
the stream. For this purpose the Admiralty had furnished to the Company two old hulks, the Iris and
the Amethyst, which took their loads in turn. When
the former had taken on board some two hundred and
fifty tons of cable, she was towed down to the side
of the Great Eastern, and the other took her place.
This was an operation which could not be done with
speed. With all the-men who could be employed, they
coiled on board only about two miles an hour, or
twenty miles a day-at which rate it would take about
five months. The work began on the nineteenth of




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  295
January, early in the morning, and continued till
June, before all was safely stowed on board. The
Great Eastern herself had been fitted up to receive
her enormous burden. It was an object to stow the
cable in as few coils as possible. Yet it could not be
all piled in one mass. Such a dead weight in the
centre of the ship would cause her to roll fearfully.
If coiled in one circle, it was computed that it would
nearly fill Astley's theatre from the floor of the circus to the roof —making a pile fifty-eight feet wide
and sixty feet high. To distribute this enormous
bulk and weight, it Was disposed in three tanksone aft, one amidships, and one forward. The latter, from the shape of the ship, was a little smaller
than the others, and held only six hundred and thirtythree miles of cable, while the two former held a little over eight hundred each.  All were made of
thick wrought-iron plates, and water-tight, so that
the cable could be kept under water till it was immersed in the sea.
Thus with her spacious chambers prepared for the
reception of her guest, the Great Eastern opened her
doors to take in the Atlantic cable; and long as it
was, and wide and high the space it filled, it found
ample verge and room within her capacious sides.
Indeed, it was the wonder of all who beheld it, how
like a monster of the sea, she devoured all that other




296   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ships could bring. The Iris and the Amethyst came
up time after time and disgorged their iron contents.
Yet this Leviathan swallowed ship-load after ship-load,
as if she:could never be satisfied. A writer who visited her in May, when the cable was nearly all on board,
was at a loss to find it. He looked along the deck,
from stem to stern, but not a sign of it appeared.
How he searched, and how the wonder grew, he tells
in a letter to the "Railway News."  After describing
his approach to the ship, and climbing up her sides
and his survey of her deck, he proceeds:
"But it is time that we shduld look after what we
have mainly come to'see, the telegraph cable. To our
intense astonishment, we behold it nowhere, although
informed that there are nearly two thousand miles of
it already on board, and the remaining piece-a piece
long enough to stretch from Land's End to John
O'Groat's-is in course of shipment. We walk up
and down on the deck of the Great Eastern without
seeing this gigantic chain which is to bind together
the Old and the New World,; and it is only on having tle place pointed out to us that we find where the
cable lies and by what process it is taken on board.
On the side opposite to where we landed, deep beldw
the deck' of our giant, there is moored a vessel surmounted by a timber structure resembling a house,
and from this vessel the wonderful telegraph cable is




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  297
drawn silently into the immense womb of the Great
Eastern. The work is done so quietly and noiselessly, by means of a small steam-engine, that we scarcely
notice it. Indeed, were it not pointed out to us, we
would never think that that little iron cord, about an
inch in diameter, which is sliding over a few rollers
and through a wooden table, is a thing of world-wide
fame —a thing which may influence the life of whole
nations; nay, which may affect the march of civilization. Following the direction in which the iron rope
goes, we now come to the most marvellous sight yet
seen on board the Great Eastern. We find ourselves
in a little wooden cabin, and look down, over a railing
at the side, into an immense cavern below. This cavern is one of the three'tanks' in which the:two-thousand-mile cable is finding a temporary home.  The
passive agent of electricity comes creeping in: here in
a beautiful, silent manner, and is deposited in spiral
coils, layer upon layer,- It is almost dark at the immense depth below, and we can only dimly discern
the human figures through whose hands the coil
passes to its bed. Suddenly, however, the men begin
singing. They intone a low, plaintive song of the
sea; something like Kingsley's'Three fishers went sailing away to the West,
Away to the West as the sun went down-'
the sounds of which rise up from the dark, deep cav



298  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
ern with startling effect, and produce an indescribable.  inpression.
" We proceed on; but the song of the sailors who
are taking charge of the Atlantic Telegraph cable is
haunting us like a dream. In vain that our guide
conducts us all over the big ship, through miles of
galleries, passages, staircases, and promenades; through
gorgeous saloons, full of mirrors, marbles, paintings,
and upholstery, made'regardless of expense;' and
through buildings crowded with glittering steam apparatus of gigantic dimensions, where the latent power
of coal and water creates the force which propels this
monster vessel over the seas. In vain our attention
is directed to all these sights; we do not admire them;
our imagination is used- up. The echo of the sailors'
song in the womb of the Great Eastern will not be
banished from our mind. It raises visions of the future of the mystic iron coil under our feet-how it will
roll forth again from its narrow berth; how it will sink
to the bottom of the Atlantic, or hang frorni mountain
to mountain far below the stormy waves; and- how
two great nations, offsprings of one race and pioneers
of civilization, will speak through this wonderful coil,
annihilating distance and time. Who can help dreaming here, on the spot where we stand? For it is truly
a marvellous romance of civilization, this Great Eastern and this Atlantic Telegraph cable. Even should




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  299
our age produce nothing else, it alone would be the
triumph of our age."
As the work approached completion, public interest
revived in the stupendous undertaking, and crowds of
wonder-seekers came down from London to see the
preparations for the expedition. Even if not admitted on board, they found a satisfaction in sailing
round the great ship, in whose mighty bosom was
coiled this huge sea-serpent. It had also many distinguished visitors. Among others, the Prince of
Wales came to see the ocean girdle which was to
link the British islands with his future dominions beyond the sea.
At length, on the twenty-ninth of May, almost the
last day of Spring, the manufacture of the cable was
finished. The machines which for eight months had
been in a constant whirl, made their last round. The
tinkling of a bell announced that the machinery was
empty, and the mighty work stood completed. It
only remained that it should be got on board, and the
ship prepared for her voyage. Hundreds of busy
hands were at work without ceasing, and yet it was
six weeks before she was ready to put to sea.
It may well be believed that it was no small affair
to equip such an expedition. Beside the enormous
burden of the cable itself, the Great Eastern had to
take on board seven or eight thousand tons of coal,




300  HISTORY.OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGDAPIH.
enough for a fleet, to feed her fires. Then she carried
about five hundred men, for whom she had to make
provision during the weeks they might be at sea.
The stores laid in were enough for a small army.
Standing on the wheel-house, and looking down, one
might fancy himself in some large farm-yard of England. There stood the motherly cow that was to give
them milk; and a dozen oxen, and twenty pigs, and a
hundred and twenty sheep, while whole flocks of
ducks and geese, and fowls of every kind, cackled as
in a poultry-yard. Beside all this live stock, hundreds of barrels of provisions, of meats, and fruits,
were stored in the well-stocked larder below. Thus
laden for her voyage, the Great Eastern had in her a
weight, including her own machinery, of twenty-one
thousand tons-a burden almost as great as could
have been carried by the whole fleet with which
Nelson fought the battle of Trafalgar.
As the time of departure drew near, public curiosity
was excited, and there was an extraordinary desire to
witness the approaching attempt. The Company was
besieged by applications from all quarters for permission to accompany the expedition. Had these requests been granted, on the scale asked, even the large
dimensions of the Great Eastern could hardly have
been sufficient' for the crowds on board. The demand
was most pressing for places for newspaper correspond



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  301
ants. These came not only from England, but from
France and America. Almost every journal in London claimed the privilege of being represented. The
result was what might have been expected. As it
was impossible to satisfy all, and to discriminate in
Cavor of some, and exclude others, would seem partial
and unjust, they were finally obliged to exclude all.
Of course this gave great offence. There was an outcry in England and in the United States at what was
denounced as a selfish and suicidal policy. But it is
doubtful whether any other possible course would
have given better satisfaction.
Whether the Managers erred in this or not, it
should be said that they applied the same inexorable rule to themselves-even directors of the Company being excluded, unless they had some special
business on board.
It should be borne in mind that the expedition was
not under the control of the Atlantic Telegraph Company at all, but of the Telegraph Construction and
Maintenance Company, which had undertaken the
work in fulfilment of a contract with the former Company to manufacture and lay down a cable across the
Atlantic, in which it assumed the whole responsibility,
not only making the cable, but chartering the ship
and appointing the officers, and sending its own engineers to lay it down. Of course it had an enormous




802  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
stake in the result. Hence it felt, not only authorized,
but bound, to organize the expedition solely with reference to success. It was not a voyage of pleasure, but
for business; for the accomplishment of a great and
most difficult undertaking. Hence it was right that
most strict rules should be adopted. Accordingly
there was not a man on board who had not some business there. As the voyage promised to be one of the
utmost practical interest to electricians and engineers,
several young men were received as assistants in the
testing-room or in the engineers' department; but there
was no person who was not in some way engaged on
the business of one or the other company, or conpected with the management of the ship. Except
Mr. Field, not an Atlantic Telegraph Director accompanied the expedition; and he represented also
the Newfoundland Company. Mr. Gooch, M.P., was
at once a Director of the Telegraph Construction and
Maintenance Company, and Chairman of the Board
that owned the Great Eastern, and so represented
both those companies which had so great a stake
in the result.
Thus the whole business was in the hands of the
Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company.
It had its own officers to man the expedition-the
captain and crew to sail the ship —its engineers to
lay the cable-and its electricians to test it. Even the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  303
eminent electricians, Professor Thomson and Mr. Varley, who were on board in the service of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, were not -allowed to interfere, nor even to give advice unless it were asked for in
writing, and then it was to be given in writing.
Their office was only to test the cable when laid, to
pass messages through it from Newfoundland to Ireland; and to report it complete.
So rigorous were the rules which governed this
memorable voyage. The whole enterprise was organized as completely as a naval expedition. Every
man had his place. As when a ship is going into battle, every body is sent below that has not some business on deck, so it is not strange that in such a critical
enterprise they did not want a host of supernumeraries
on board.
Yet the Company was not unmindful of the anxiety
of the public for news, and since it could not give
a place to many correspondents, it engaged one, and
that the best'-W. I-J. Russell, LL.D., the well-known
correspondent of the London Times, in the Crimea
and in, India. This brilliant writer was engaged to
accompany the expedition-not to praise without discrimination, but to report events faithfully from day
to day. He was accompanied by several artists, to illustrate the scenes of the voyage. Thus the Company
made every provision to furnish information and even




304  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
entertainment to the public. Several of these gentlemen afterward wrote accounts for different magazines-Blackwood, Cornhill, and Macmillan's. Their
different reports, and especially the volume of Dr.
Russell, which combines the accuracy and minuteness of a diary kept from day to day, with brilliant
descriptions, set off by illustrations from  drawings
of the artists, furnish the public as full and complete
an account as if there had been a special correspondent for every journal of England and America.
But if the public at large were very properly excluded, the organization on board was perfect and
complete. At the head was Captain Anderson, of
whom we have already spoken. As his duties would
be manifold and increasing, he had requested the aid
Of an assistant commander, and Captain Moriarty,
R. N., who had been in the Agamemnon in 1858,
was permitted by the Admiralty to accompany the
ship, and to give the invaluable aid of his'experience
and skill. The government also generously granted
two ships of war, the Sphinx and the Terrible, to
attend the Great Eastern. Thus the whole equipment of the expedition was English. Of the five
hundred men on board the Great Eastern, there was
but one American, and that was Mr. Field.
The engineering department was under charge of
Mr. Samuel Canning, who, as the representative of




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC,TELEGRAPIE.  805
the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, was chief in command in all matters relating
to laying the cable. For' this responsible position
no better man could have been chosen. Before'the
voyage was ended, he had ample opportunity to show
his resources. He was ably seconded by Mr. Henry
Clifford. Both these gentlemen had been on board the
Agamemnon in the two Expeditions of 1858. They
had since had large experience in laying submarine
cables in the Mediterranean and other seas. It was
chiefly by their united skill that the paying-out machinery had been brought to such perfection, that
throughout the voyage it worked without a single
hitch or jar. They had an invaluable helper in Mr.
Temple.
The electrical department was under charge of Mr.
De Sauty, who had had long experience in submarine telegraphs, and who: was aided by an efficient
corps of assistants.  Professor: Thomson and Mr.
Y arley, as we have. said, represented' the Atlantic
Company. All these gentlemen had been unceasing
in their tests of the cable in every form, both while in
the process of manufacture and after it was coiled in
the Great' Eastern. The result of their repeated tests
was to demonstrate that the cable was many times
more perfect than had been required. With such marvellous delicacy did they test the current of electricity




306  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
sent through it, that it was determined that of one
thousand parts, over nine hundred and ninety-nine
came out at the other end I
To complete this organization and equipment caused
such delays as excited the impatience of all on board.
But at length, when midsummer had fully come-at
noon of Saturday, July fifteenth-the song of the sailors sounded the chant du depart. The Great Eastern
was then lying at the Nore, and she seemed to cling to
the English soil which she had griped with a huge
Trotman weighing seven tons, held fast by a chain
whereof every link weighed seventy pounds!  To
wrench this ponderous anchor from its bed required
the united strength of near two hundred men. At last
the bottom let go its hold, the anchor.swings to the
bow, the gun is fired, and the voyage is begun. A
fleet of yachts and boats raise their cheers as the
mighty hull begins to move. But mark how carefully
she feels her way, following the lead of yonder little
steamer, the Porcupine, the same faithful guide that
seven years before led the Niagara up Trinity Bay
one night when the faint light of stars twinkled on
all the surrounding hills. Slowly they near the sea.
Now the cliffs of Dover are in sight, and bidding her
escort adieu, the Great Eastern glides along by the
beautiful Isle of Wight, and then quickening her
speed, with a royal sweep, she moves down the Chan



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  307
nel. Off Falmouth she picked up the Caroline, a
small steamer, which had left several days before
with the shore end on board. She was laboring
heavily with her burden, and made little headway
in the rough waves. But the Great Eastern took her
in tow, and she followed like a ship's boat in the wake
of the monarch of the seas.
Thus they passed round to the coast of Ireland, to
that Valentia Bay where, eight years before, the Earl
of Carlisle gave his benediction on the departure of
the Niagara and the Agamemnon, and where, a year
later, the gallant English ship brought her end of the
cable safely to the shore.
The point of landing had been changed from Valentia harbor five or six miles to Foilhommerum Bay,
a wild spot where huge cliffs hang over the waves
that here come rolling in from the Atlantic. On the
top, an old tower of the time of Cromwell tells of the
bloody days of England's great civil war. It is now
but a mossy ruin. Here the peasants who flocked in
from the country pitched their booths on the green
sward, and looked down from the dizzy heights on
the boats dancing in the bay below. At the foot of
the cliff, a soft, sandy beach forms a bed for the cable,
and here, as it issues from the sea, it is led up a channel which had been cut for it in the rocks.
As the shore end was very massive and unwieldy,




308  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPIH.
it could not be laid except in good weather; and ac
the sea was now rough, the Great Eastern withdrew
to Bantry Bay, to be out of the way of the storms
which sometimes break with fury on this rock-bound
coast.
On Saturday this prelimlnary wor: was completed,
the heavy shore end was carried from the deck of the
Caroline. across a bridge of boats to the beach, and
hauled up the cliffs amid the shouts of'the people.
When once it was made fast to the rocks, the little
steamer began to move and the huge coil slowly unwound, and like a giant awakened, stretched out its
long iron arms. By half-past ten o'clock at night the
hold was empty, — the whole twenty-seven miles having
been safely laid, and the end:buoyed- in seventy-five
fathoms water. A dispatch was at once sent across
the country to Bantry Bay to the Great Eastern to
come around with all speed, and early the next morning her smoke was seen in the offing.  Passing the
harbor 6of Valentia, she proceeded to join the Caroline, which she reached about noon, and at:'bice commenced splicing;the massive shore end to'her own
deep-sea line. This' was a work of several hours, so
that it was'toward evening before all was comrn
pleted.
Thus, so many had been the delays of the past
week, that it had come on to Sunday before the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  309
Great Eastern was ready to begin her voyage. Thiswhich' some might count a desecration of the holy
day-the sailors rather accepted as a good omen.
Had the shore end been laid. forty-eight hours sooner,
the voyage might have begun on Friday, which sail-i
ors, who are proverbially superstitious, would have
thought an unlucky beginning. But Sunday, in their
esteem, is a good day. They like, when a ship is
moving out of sight of: land, that the last sound from
the shore should be the blessed Sabbath bells. If that
sacred chime were not heard to-day, at least a Sabbath
peace rested on sea and sky. It was a calm summer's
evening.: The sun was just sinking in the waves, as
the Great Eastern, with the two ships of war which
waited on either hand, to attend her royal progress,
turned their faces to the West, and caught the sudden
glory.  Says Russell: "As the sun set, a broad stream
of golden light was thrown across the smooth billows
toward their bows, as if to indicate and illumine the
path marked out by the hand of heaven."  What a
sacred omen! Had it been the fleet of Columbus sailing westward, every ship's company would have fallen
upon their knees on those decks, and burst forth in an
Ave Maria to the gentle Mistress of the Seas. We
trust in that manly crew there was many an eye that
took in the: full beauty of the scene, and many a reverent heart that invoked a benediction.




310  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
In other respects the day was well chosen. It was
the twenty-third of July. From the beginning, Captain Anderson had wished to sail on the twenty-third
of June, or the twenty-second of July, so as to catch
the full moon on the American coast. HIe desired
also to take advantage of the westerly winds which
prevail at that season, for in going against the wind
the Great Eastern was steady as a rock. Every expectation was realized. To the Big Ship the ocean
was as an inland lake. The paying-out machinery —
the product of so much study and skill - worked
"beautifully," and as the ship increased her speed,
the cable glided into the water with such ease that it
seemed but a holiday affair to carry it across to yonder
continent. Such were the reflections of all that evening as the long summer twilight lingered on the sea.
At midnight they went to sleep, to dream of an easy
triumph.
Yet be not too confident. But a few hours had
passed before the booming of a gun awoke all on
board with the heavy tidings of disaster. The morning breaks early in those high latitudes and by four
o'clock all were on deck, with anxious looks inquiring
for the cause of alarm. Thle ship was lying still, as
if her voyage had already come to an end, and electricians, with troubled countenances, were passing in and
out of the testing-room, which, as it was always kept




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  311
darkened, looked like a sick-chamber where some
royal patient lay trembling between life and death.
The method used by the electricians to discover a
fault is one of such delicacy and beauty as shows the
marvellous perfection of the instruments which science
employs to learn the secrets of nature. The galvanometer is an invention of Professor Thomson, by which
"a ray of light reflected from a tiny mirror suspended
to a magnet travels along a scale, and indicates the resistance to the passage of the current through the cable
by the deflection of the magnet, which is marked by
the course of this speck of light. If the light of the
mirror travels beyond the index, or out of bounds, an
escape of the current is taking place, and what is
technically called a fault has occurred." Such was
the discovery on Monday morning._ At a quarter
past three o'clock the electrician on duty saw the
light suddenly glide to the end of the scale and there
vanish.
Fortunately it was not a fatal injury. It did not
prevent signaling through the cable, and a message
was at once sent back to the shore, giving notice of
the check that had been received. But the electric
current did not flow freelyv. There was a leak at
some point of the line which it would not be prudent
to pass over. They were now seventy-three miles
from shore, having run out eighty-four miles of cable.




812  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
The tests of the electricians indicated the fault to be
ten or a dozen miles from the stern of the ship. The
only safe course was to go back and get this on board,
and cut out the defective portion. - It was a most ungrateful operation thus to be undoing their own work,
but there was no help for it.
Such accidents had been anticipated, and before
the Great Eastern left England, she had been provided with machinery to be used in case of necessity for "picking up" the cable.  But this proved
rather an unwieldy affair. It was at the bow, and
as the paying-out machine was at the stern, the ship
had to be got round, and the cable, which must first
be cut, had to be transferred from one end to the
other. This was not an easy matter. The Great
Eastern was an eighth of a mile long, and to carry
the cable along her sides for this distance, and over
her high wheel-houses, was an operation at once
tedious and difficult.
But at length the ship's head was brought round,
and the end of the cable lifted over the bow, and
grasped by the pulling-in machine, and the engine began to puff with the labor of raising the cable from
the depths of the ocean.  Fortunately they were
only in four or five hundred fathoms water, so that
the strain was not great. But the engine worked
poorly, and the operation was very slow. With




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  313
the best they could do, it was impossible to raise
more than a mile an hour    But patience and courage, though it takes all day and all night!*  The
Great Eastern does her duty well, steaming slowly
back toward Ireland, while the engine pulls, and the
cable comes up, though reluctantly, from  the sea, till
on Tuesday morning at seven o'clock, when they
have hauled in a little over ten miles, the cause of
offence is brought on board. It is found to be a small
piece of wire, not longer than a needle, that by some
accident (for they did not then suspect a design) had
been driven through the outer cover of the cable till
it touched the core.  There was the source of all the
mischief. It was this pin's point which pricked this
vital chord, opening a minute passage through which
the electricity, like a jet of blood from a pierced artery, went streaming into the sea.  It was with an
almost angry feeling, as if to punish it for its intrusion, that this insignificant and contemptible source of
trouble was snatched from its place, the wounded piece
of cable was cut off, and a splice made and the work
*" All during the night the process of picking up was carefully carried on, the Big Ship behaving beautifully, and hanging lightly over the
cable, as if fearful of breaking the slender cord which swayed up and
down in the ocean. Indeed, so delicately did she answer her helm, and
coil in the film of thread-like cable over her bows, that she put one in
mind of an elephant taking up a straw in its proboscis."-RussxLL.




314 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
of paying out renewed.. But it was four o'clock in
the afternoon of Tuesday before they were ready to
resume the voyage. A full day and a half had been
lost by this miserable piece of wire.
But the vexatious delay is over at last, and the
stately ship, once more turning to the West, moves
ahead with a steady composure, as if no petty trouble
could vex her tranquil mind. Throughout the voyage
the behavior of the ship was the admiration of all on
board. While her consorts on either side were pitched
about at the mercy of the waves, she moved forward
with a grave demeanor, as if conscious of her mission,
or as if eager to unburden her mighty heart, to throw
overboard the great mystery that was coiled up within
her, and to cast her burden on the sea.
The electricians, too, were elated, and with reason,
at the perfection of the cable as demonstrated by every
hour's experience.  At intervals of thirty minutes,
day and night, tests were passed from ship to shore,
and to the delight of all, instead of finding the insulation weakened, it steadily improved as the cable was
brought into contact with the cold depths of the Atlantic.
All now went well till Saturday, the twenty-ninth,
when a little after noon there was again a cry from
the ship, as if once more the cable were wounded and
in pain. This time the fault was more serious than




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  315
before. The electricians looked very grave, for they
had struck "dead earth," that is, the insulation was
completely destroyed, and the electric current was
escaping into the sea.
As the fault had gone overboard, it was necessary to
reverse their course, and haul in till the defective part
was brought up from the bottom. This time it was
more difficult, for they were in water two miles deep.
Still the'cable yielded slowly to the iron hands that
drew it upward; and after working all the afternoon,
about ten o'clock at night they got the fault on board.
The wounded limb was at once amputated, and joining the parts that were whole, the cable was made new
and strong again. Thus ended a day of anxiety. The
next morning, which was the second Sabbath at sea,
was welcomed with a grateful feeling after the suspense of the last twenty-four hours.
On Monday, the miles of cable that had been hauled
up, and which were lying in huge piles upon the deck,
were subjected to a rigid examination, to find out
where the fault lay. This was soon apparent. Near
the end was found a piece of wire thrust through its
very heart, as if it had been driven into it. All looked
black when this was discovered, for at once it excited
suspicions of design. It was remarked that the same
gang of workmen were in the tank as at the time
of the first fault.  Mr. Canning sent for the men,




316  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
and showing them the cable pierced through with
the wire, asked them how it occurred.   very man replied that it must have been done by design, even though
they accused themselves, as this implied that there
was a traitor among them. It seemed hard to believe
that any one could be guilty of such devilish malignity. Yet such a thing had been done before in a
cable laid in the North Sea, where the insulation was
destroyed by a nail driven into it. The man was afterward arrested, and confessed that he had been hired to
do it by a rival company. The matter was the subject of a long investigation in the English courts. In
the present case there were many motives which might
prompt to such an act. The fall in the Stock on the
London Exchange, caused by a loss of the cable, could
hardly be less than half a million sterling. Here was
a temptation such as betrays bold', bad men into crime.
However, as it was impossible to fix the deed on any
one, nothing was proved, and there only remained a
painful suspicion of treachery. Against this it was
their duty to guard. Therefore it was agreed that the
gentlemen on board' should take turns in keeping
watch in the tank.' It was very unpleasant to Mr.
Canning thus to set a watch on men, many of whom
had been with him in his former cable-laying expeditions, but the best of them admitted the necessity of it,




-HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  317
and were as eager as himself to find out the Judas
among them.
But accident or villainy, it was defeated this time,
and the Great Eastern proudly continued her voyage.
Not the slightest check interrupted their progress for
the next three days, during which they passed over
five hundred miles of ocean. It was now  they enjoyed their greatest triumph.  They were in the middle of:the Atlantic, and thus far the voyage had been
a complete suceess.  The ship seemed as, if made by
Heaven to accomplish this great work of civilization.
The paying-out apparatus was a piece of mechanism
to excite the enthusiasm of an engineer, so smoothly
did its well-oiled wheels run. The strain never exceeded fourteen hundred-weight, even in the greatest depths
of the Atlantic. And as for the cable itself, it seemed
to come as near perfection as it was possible to attain.
As before, the insulation was greatly improved by
submergence in the ocean.  With every lengthening
league it grew better and better.  It seems almost beyond belief, yet the fact is fully attested that, when in
the middle of the ocean, the communication was so
perfect that they could tell at Valentia every time the
Great Eastern rolled.*   With such omens of sue* So exquisitely sensitive was the copper strand, that as the Great
Eastern rolled, and so made the cable pass across the magnetic meridian, the induced current of electricity, incomprehensibly faint as it




318   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
cess, who could but feel confident? And when on
Monday they passed over a deep valley, where lay
"the bones of three Atlantic cables," it was with a
proud assurance that they should not add another to
the number.
But Wednesday brought a sudden termination of
their hopes. Thev had run out about twelve hundred
miles of cable, and were now within six hundred
miles of Newfoundland. Two days more would have
made them safe, as it would have brought them into
the shallow waters of the coast. Thus it was when
least expected that disaster came. We shall give very
briefly the record of this fataleday. In the morning,
while Mr. Field was keeping watch in the tank, with
the same gang of men who had beef there when the
trouble occurred before, a grating sound was heard, as
if a piece of wire had caught in the machinery, and
word was passed up to the deck to look out for it;
but the caution seems not to have been heard, and it
passed over the stern of the ship. Soon after a report
came from the testing-room  of "another fault."  It
was not a bad one, since it did not prevent communication with land; and much anxiety might have been
saved had a message been sent to Ireland that they
must have been, produced nevertheless a perceptible deviation of the
ray of light on the mirror galvanometer at Foilhommerum.-Lotudon
Times.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPHI.  319
were about to cut the cable, in order to haul it on
board. But small as the fault was, it could not be left
behind. Down on the deep sea-floor was some minute
defect, a pin's point in a length measured by thousands of miles. Yet that was enough. Of this marvellous product of human skill, it might in truth be
said, that it was like the law of God in demanding absolute perfection. To offend in one point was to be
guilty of all.
This new fault, though it was annoying, did not
create alarm, for they had been accustomed to such
things, and regarded them only as the natural incidents of the voyage. Had the apparatus for pulling
in been complete, it could not have delayed them more
than a few hours. But this had been the weak point
of the arrangements from the beginning-the bete noire
of the expedition. The only motive power was a little donkey engine, (rightly named,) which puffed and
wheezed as if it had the asthma. This was now put in
requisition, but soon gave out for want of more steam.
While waiting for this a breeze sprang up, which
caused the Great Eastern to drift over the cable, by
which it was badly chafed, so that when it was hauled
in, as the injured part was coming over the bows and
was almost within grasp, suddenly it broke and plunged
into -the sea I
Thus it came without a moment's warning. So un



320  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC T:': I,!'PAPH.
expected was such a: catastrophe, that the gentlemen
had gone down to lunch, as it was a little past the
hour of noon. Buit Mr. Canning and Mr. Field stood
watching the cable as it was straining upward from
the~ sea, and saw the snapping of that cord, which
broke so many hopes. The impression may be better
imagined than described. Says a writer on board:
"Suddenly Mr. Canning appeared in the saloon, and
in a manner which caused every one to start in his
seat, said,' It is all over! It is gone!' then hastened
onward to his cabin. Ere the thrill of surprise and
pain occasioned by these words had passed away, Mr.
Field came from the companion into the saloon, and
said, with composure admirable under the circuinstances, though his lip quivered and his cheek was
blanched,'The cable has parted and has gone overboard.' All were on deck in a moment, and there,
indeed, a glance -revealed the truth."
At last it had come-the calamity which all had
feared, yet that seemed so far away only a few hours
before. Yet there it was-the ragged end on board,
torn and bleeding, the other lying far down in its
ocean grave.,
Here in America, of course, nothing could be known
of the fate of the expedition till its arrival on our
shores. But in England its progress was reported
from day to day, and as the success up to this point had




HIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  321
raised the hopes of all to the highest pitch, the sudden loss of communication with the ship was a heavy
blow to public expectation, and gave rise to all sorts
of conjectures. At first a favorite theory was, that
communication had been interrupted by a magnetic
storm. These are among the most mysterious phenomena of nature —so subtle and fleeting as to be
almost beyond the reach of science. No visible sign
do they give of their presence. No clouds darken
the heavens; no thunder peals along the sky. Yet
strange influences trouble the air. At this very hour,
Professor Airy, the Astronomer Royal at the Observatory at Greenwich, reported a magnetic storm of unusual violence. Said a London paper: "Just when
the signals from the Great Eastern ceased, a magnetic
storm of singular violence had set in. Unperceived
by us, not to be seen in the heavens, nor felt in the
atmosphere, the earth's electricity underwent a mysterious disturbance. The recording instruments scattered about the kingdom, everywhere testified to the
fury of this voiceless tempest, and there is every reason to suppose that the confusion of signals at midday
on Wednesday was due to the strange and unusual
earth-currents of magnetism, sweeping wildly across
the cable as it lay in apparently untroubled waters at
the bottom of the Atlantic."
Said the Times: " At Valentia, on Wednesday last,




322  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
the signals, up to nine A.M., were coming with wonderful distinctness and regularity, but about that time
a violent magnetic storm set in. No insulation of a
submarine cable is ever so perfect as to withstand the
influence of these electrical phenomena, which correspond in some particulars to storms in the ordinary
atmosphere, their direction generally being from east
to west. Their action is immediately communicated
to all conductors of electricity, and a struggle set up
between the natural current and that used artificially
in sending messages. This magnetic storm affected
every telegraphic station in the kingdom. At some
the wires were utterly useless; and between Valentia
and Killarney the natural current toward the west was
so strong along the land lines that it required an addition of five times the ordinary battery power to overcome it. This magnetic storm, which ceased at two
A.M. on Friday, was instantly perceptible in the Atlantic cable."
But these explanations, so consoling to anxious
friends on land, did not comfort those on board the
Great Eastern. They knew, alas I that the cable was
at the bottom of the ocean, and the only question was,
if any thing could be done to recover it.
Now began a work of which there had been no example in the annals of the sea. The intrepid Canning
declared his purpose to grapple for the cable I The




EHISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  323
proposal seemed wild, dictated by the frenzy of despair. Yet he had fished in deep waters before. He
had laid his hand on the bottom of the Mediterranean,
but that was a shallow lake compared with the depths
into which the Atlantic cable had descended. The
ocean is here two and a half miles deep. It was as if
an Alpine hunter stood on the summit of Mont Blanc
and cast a line into the vale of Ohamouni. Yet who
shall put bounds to human courage? The expedition
was not to be abandoned without a trial of this forlorn
hope. There were on board some five miles of wire
rope, intended to hold the cable in case it became necessary to cut it and lash it to the buoys, to save it
from being lost in a storm. This was brought on
deck for another purpose. "And now came forth the
grapnels, two five-armed anchors, with flukes sharply
curved and tapered to a tooth-like end-the hooks
with which the Giant Despair was going to fish from
the Great Eastern for a take worth, with all its belongings, more than a million." These huge grapplingirons were firmly shackled to the end of the rope, and
brought to the bows and thrown overboard. One
splash, and the whole has disappeared in the bosom
of the ocean. Down it goes-deeper, deeper, deeper
still. For two full hours it continued sinking before
it struck the earth, and like a pearl-diver, began searching for its lost treasure on the bottom of the sea.




324  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
What did it find there? The wrecks of ships that
had gone clown a hundred years ago, with dead men's
bones whitening in the deep sea caves? It sought for
something more precious to the interest of civilization
than gems and gold.
The ship was now a dozen miles or so from the
place of accident. The cable had broken a little after
noon, when the sun was shining clear, so that Captains
Anderson and Moriarty had just obtained a perfect
observation, from which they could tell, within half a
mile, the very spot where it had gone down. To reach
it now, with any chance of bringing it up, it would be
necessary to hook it a few miles from the end.' It had
been paid out in a line -from east to west. To strike
it broadside, the ship stood off in the afternoon a few
miles to the south.  Here the.grapnel was thrown
over about three o'clock, and struck bottom about
five, when the ship began slowly drifting back on her
course. All night long those iron fingers were raking
the bottom of the deep but grasping nothing, till toward morning the long rope quivered like a fisherman's line when something has seized the end, and
the head of the Great Eastern began to sway from her
course, as if it felt some unseen attraction. As they
begin to haul in, the rapidly increasing strain soon
renders it certain that they have got hold of something.
But what can it be? How do they know it is their




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  325
lost cable? This question has often been asked since.
They did not see it. How do they know that it was
not the skeleton of a whale, or a mast or spar, the
fragment of a wrecked ship? This question is easily
answered. If it had been any loose object which was
being drawn up from the sea, its weight would have
diminished as it came nearer the surface. But on the
contrary, the strain, as shown by the dynamometer,
steadily increased. This could. only be from some
object lying prone on the bottom. To an engineer
the proof is like a mathematical demonstration.
Having then caught the cable, they had good hopes
of getting it again, their confidence increasing with
every hundred fathoms brought on board. For hours
the work went on. They had raised it seven hundred
fathoms-or three quarters of a mile-from the bottom,
when an iron swivel gave way, and the cable once
more fell back into the sea, carrying with it nearly
two miles of rope.
The first attempt had failed, but the fact that they
had unmistakably caught the prize gave them courage
for a second. Preparations were at once begun, but
fogs came on and delayed the attempt till Monday,
when it was repeated. This time the grapnel caught
again. It was late in the afternoon when it got its
hold, and the work of pulling in was kept up all night.
But as the sea was calm and' the moon shining brightly,




326  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
all joined in it with spirit, feeling elated with the hope
of triumph on the morrow.
That was not to be; but each attempt seemed to
come nearer and nearer to victory.  This time the
cable was drawn up a full mile from the bottom, and
hung suspended a mile and a half below the ship.
Had the rope been strong enough, it might have been
brought on board. But again a swivel gave way, and
the cable, whose sleep had been a second time disturbed, sought its ocean bed.
These experiments were fast using up the wire rope,
and every expedient had to be resorted to, to piece it out
and to give it strength. Each shackle and swivel was
replaced by new bolts, and the capstan was increased
four feet in diameter, by being belted with enormous
plates of iron, to wind the rope around it, if the picking up machinery should fail. This gave full work to
all the mechanics on board. The ship was turned
into a very cave of Vulcan, presenting at night a scene
which might well take the eye of an artist, and which
Russell thus describes:
"The forge fires glared on her decks, and there, out
in the midst of the Atlantic, anvils rang and sparks
flew; and the spectator thought of some village far
away, where the blacksmith worked, unvexed by
cable anxieties and greed of speedy news. As the
blaze shot up, ruddy, mellow and strong, and flung




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  327
arms of light aloft and along the glistening decks, and
then died into a red centre, masts, spars, and ropes
were for the instant touched with a golden gleaming,
and strange figures and faces were called out from the
darkness-vanished, glinted out again-rushed suddenly into foreground of bright pictures, which faded
soon away-flickered-went out-as they were called
to life by its warm breath, or were buried in the outer
darkness I Outside all was obscurity, but now and
then vast shadows, which moved across the arc of the
lighted fog-bank, were projected far away by the flare;
and one might well pardon the passing mariner, whose
bark drifted him in the night across the track of the
great ship, if,.crossing himself, and praying with shuddering lips, he fancied he beheld a phantom ship
freighted with an evil crew, and ever after told how
he had seen the workshops of the Inferno floating on
the bosom of the ocean."
While preparing for a third attempt, the ship had
been drifting about, sometimes to a distance of thirty
or forty miles, but it had marked the course where the
cable lay by two buoys thrown over about ten miles
apart, each bearing a flag which might be seen at a
distance, and so easily came back to the spot. On
Thursday morning all was ready, and the line was cast
as before, but after some hours of drifting, it was evident that the ship had passed over the cable with.




328  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
out grappling. The line was hauled in, and the reason at once appeared. One of the flukes had caught
in the chain, so that it could not strike its teeth into
the bottom. This was cleared away, and the rope
prepared for a fourth and final attempt.
It was at noon of Friday that the grapnel went
overboard for-the last time. By four o'clock it had
caught, and the work of hauling in recommenced.
Again the cable was brought up nearly eight hundred
fathoms, when the rope broke, carrying down two
miles of its own length, and with it the hopes of the
Atlantic Telegraph for the present year.
Their resources were exhausted. For nine days had
that heroic crew persevered in their attempt.  Or
rather (for they scarce took note of day or night in
the excitement of that long struggle) we might say,
Nine times the space
That measures day and night to mortal men,
they kept up the contest. There is something grand
though sad in the spectacle of this noble ship thus lingering in mid-ocean, moving round and round one
fatal spot, with her great eye fixed on the place where
her treasure is gone down, and vainly striving to wrest
it from the hand of the spoiler.
Baffled they were, yet-they had not toiled in vain.
They had shown what the power of man can do, that




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH,  329
henceforth it was not to be bounded by any thing on
the solid earth, or in the waters under the earth. Three
times they had grasped the prize, and each time failed
to recover it, only for want of ropes strong enough to
bring it on board. The cable never broke. Herein it
proved its strength, and gave good omen for future
success.
But for the present all was over. The attempt must
be abandoned for the year 1865, but not for ever; and
with this purpose in her "constant mind," the Great
Eastern swung sullenly around, and turned her imperial head toward England, like a warrior retiring from
the field-not victorious, nor yet defeated and despairing, but with her battle-flag still flying, and resolved
once more to attempt the conquest of the sea.




CHAPTER XV.
RESULT OF THE EXPEDITION OF 1865. CONFIDENCE STRONGER THAN EVER.
INSTANT RESOLVE TO RAISE THE BROKEN END OF THE CABLE, TO COMPLETE IT TO NEWFOUNDLAND, AND TO LAY ANOTHER LINE. NEW SHARES
ISSUED. METHOD DECLARED UNAUTHORIZED BY LAW. FORMATION OF
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY. CAPITAL RAISED. NEW
CABLE MADE AND SHIPPED ON BOARD THE GREAT EASTERN.
THE expedition of 1865, though not an immediate
success, yet had the moral effect of a victory, as it
confirmed the most sanguine expectations of all who
embarked in it. The great experiment made during
those four weeks at sea, had demonstrated many
points which were most important elements in the
problem of Ocean Telegraphy. These are summed
up in the following paper, which was signed by persons officially engaged on board the Great Eastern:
1. It was proved by the expedition of 1858,4that a
Submarine Telegraph Cable could be laid between
Ireland and Newfoundland, and messages transmitted
through the same.
By the expedition of 1865 it has been fully demonstrated:




HISTORY OF TtHE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  331
2. That the insulation of a cable improves very
much after its submersion in the cold deep water of
the Atlantic, and that its conducting power is considerably increased thereby.
3. That the steamship Great Eastern, from her size
and constant steadiness, and from the control over her
afforded by the joint use of paddles and screw, renders it safe to lay an Atlantic Cable in any weather.
4. That in a depth of over two miles four attempts
were made to grapple the cable. In three of them the
cable was caught by the grapnel, and in the other the
grapnel was fouled by the chain attached to it.
5. That the paying-out machinery used on board
the Great Eastern worked perfectly, and can be confidently relied on for laying cables across the Atlantic.
6. That with the improved Telegraphic instruments
for long submarine lines, a speed of more than eight
words per minute can be obtained through such a
cable as the present Atlantic between Ireland and
Newfoundland, as the amount of slAkk actually paid
out did not exceed fourteen per cent, which would
have made the total cable laid between Valentia and
Heart's Content nineteen hundred miles.
7. That the present Atlantic Cable, though capable




832 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
of bearing a strain of seven tons, did not experience
more than fourteen hundred-weight in being paid oul
into the deepest water of the Atlantic between Ireland
and Newfoundland.
8. That there is no difficulty in mooring buoys in
the deep water of the Atlantic between Ireland and
Newfoundland, and that two buoys even when moored by a piece of the Atlantic Cable itself, which had
been previously lifted from the bottom, have ridden
out a gale.
9. That more than four nautical miles of the Atlantic Cable have been recovered from a depth of over
two miles, and that the insulation of the gutta-percha
covered wire was in no way whatever impaired by the
depth of water or the strains to which it had been subjected by lifting and passing through the hauling-in
apparatus.
10. That the cable of 1865, owing to the improvements introduced into the manufacture of the guttapercha core, was more than one hundred times better
insulated than cables made in 1858, then considered
perfect and still working.
11. That the electrical testing can be conducted
with such unerring accuracy as to enable the electri



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  833
cians to discover the existence of a fault immediately
after its production or development, and very quickly
to ascertain its position in the cable.
12. That with a steam-engine attached to the paying-out machinery, should a fault be discovered on
board whilst laying the cable, it is possible that it
might be recovered before it had reached the bottom
of the Atlantic, and repaired at once.
S. CANNING, Engineer-in-Chief, Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company.
JAMES ANDERSON, Commander of the Great Eastern.
HENRY A. MORIARTY, Staff Commander, R. N.
DANIEL GoocH, M.P., Chairman of " Great Ship Co."
HENRY CLIFFORD, Engineer.
WILLIAM THOMSON, LL.D., F.R.S., Prof. of Natural
Philosophy in the University of Glasgow.
CROMWELL F. VARLEY, Consulting Electrician Electric
and International Telegraph Co.
WILLOUGHBY SMITH.
JULES DESPECHER.
This was a grand result to be attained in one short
month; and if not. quite so gratifying as to have the
cable laid at once, and the wire in full operation, yet
as it settled the chief elements of success, we say that
in its moral influence it had the inspiring effect of a
victory. All who were on that voyage felt a confidence such as they had never felt before. They came




334  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
back, not desponding and discouraged, but buoyant
with hope, and ready at once to renew the attempt.
This confidence appeared at the first meeting of directors. The feeling was very different from that
after the return of the first expedition of 1858. So
animated were they with hope, and so sure of suce
cess the next time, that all felt that one cable was not
enough, they must have two, and so it was decided
to take measures not only to raise the broken end of
the cable and to complete it to Newfoundland, but
also to construct and lay an entirely new one, so as to
have a double line in operation the following summer.
The contractors, partaking the general confidence,
came forward promptly with a new offer even more
liberal than that made before. They proposed to construct a new line, and to lay it across the Atlantic for
half a million sterling, which was estimated to be the
actual cost to them, reserving all compensation to
themselves to depend on success. If successful, they
were to receive twenty per cent on the cost, or one
hundred thousand pounds, to be paid in shares of the
Company. They would engage, also, to go to sea
fully prepared to raise the broken end of the cable
now in mid-ocean, and with a sufficient length, including that on board the Great Eastern, to complete the
line to Newfoundland. Thus the Company would
have two cables instead of one.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  335
In this offer the contractors assumed a very'large
risk. They now  went a step further, and in the
contingency of the capital not being raised otherwise, they offered to take it all themselves-to lay
the line at their own risk, and to be"paid only in the
stock of the Company, which, of course, must depend
for its value on the success of the next expedition.
It was finally resolved to raise six hundred thousand
pounds of new capital by the issue of a hundred and
twenty thousand shares of five pounds each, which
should be preferential shares, entitled to a dividend of
twelve per cent before the eight per cent dividend to
be paid on the former preference shares, and the four
per cent on the ordinary stock. This was offering a
substantial inducement to the public to take part in
the enterprise, and it was thought with reason that
this fresh issue of stock, though it increased the capital of the Company, yet as it was all to be employed
in forwarding the great work, would not only create
new property, but give value to the old. The proposal'of the manufacturers was therefore at once
accepted by the Directors, and the work was instantly begun. Thus hopeful was the state of affairs
when Mr. Field returned to America in September.
But he was never easy to be long out of sight of his
beloved cable, and so three months after he went back
to England, reaching London on the twenty-fourth




836 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
of December. He came at just the right moment, foi
the Atlantic Telegraph was once more in extremity
Only two days before the Attorney-General of Eng
land had given a written opinion that the Company
had no legal right to issue new twelve per cent preference shares, and that such issue could only be authorized by an express act of Parliament. This was a
fatal decree to the Company. It was the more unexpected, as, before offering the twelve per cent capital,
they had been fortified by the opinions of several
eminent lawyers and solicitors in favor of the legality
of their proceedings. It invalidated not only what
they were going to do, but what they had done
already. Hence, as the effect of this decision, all the
works were stopped, and the money which had been
paid in was returned to the subscribers.
This was a new dilemma, out of which it was not
easy to find a way of relief. Parliament was not in
session, Lords and Commons being away in the country keeping the Christmas holidays. Even if it had
been, the' time for applying to it had passed, as a notice of any private bill to be introduced must be given
before the thirtieth of November, which was gone a
month ago. To wait for an act of. Parliament, therefore, would inevitably postpone the laying of the
cable for another year.  So disheartening was the
prospect at the close of 1865.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 337
But they had seen dark days before, and were not
to give it up without a new effort. Happily, the cause
had strong friends to stand by it even in this crisis of
suspended animation.
One of these to whom Mr. Field now went for counsel, was Mr. Daniel Gooch, M.P., a gentleman well
known in' London, as one of that class of engineers
formed in the school of Stephenson and Brunel, who
have risen to the position of great capitalists, and who,
by their enterprise and wealth, have done so imuch to
develop the resources of England. He was Chairman
of the Great Western Railway. His connection with
the Atlantic Telegraph was somewhat curious. Until
lately he had not full confidence in its success.
Though a man of large fortune, and a personal friend
of Mr. Field, the latter had never prevailed on him to
subscribe a single pound. But he went out on the
expedition of'65, as chairman of the company that
owned the Great Eastern; and what he then saw
convinced him. IHe came back fully satisfied; he
knew it could be done, and was ready to prove his
faith by his works. Consulting on the present difficulty, he suggested that the only relief was to organize
a new Company, which should assume the work, and
which could issue its own shares and raise its own
capital.  This opinion was confirmed by that eminent legal authority, Mr. John Horatio Lloyd. To




338  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
such a Company Mr. Gooch said he would subscribe
~20,000; Mr. Field put down ~10,000.
Next, he betook himself to that prince of English
capitalists, Mr. Thomas Brassey, who heard from his
lips for the first time, that the affairs of the Atlantic
Telegraph Company had suddenly come to a standstill. At this he was much surprised, but instantly
cheered his informer by saying: " Mr. Field, don't be
discouraged; go down to the Company, and tell them
to go ahead, and whatever the cost, I will bear one
tenth of the whole." Who could be discouraged with
such a Richard the Lien-hearted to cheer him on?
Meetings were called of the Directors of both the
Atlantic Company and the Telegraph Construction and
Maintenance Company; and frequent conferences were
held between them. The result was the formation of
a new company called the ANGLO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY, with a capital of ~600,000, which
contracted with the Atlantic Company to manufacture and lay down a cable in the summer of 1866,
for doing which it is to be entitled to what virtually
amounts to a preference dividend of twenty-five per
cent: as a first claim is secured to them by the Atlantic Telegraph Company upon the revenue of the
cable or cables (after the working expenses have been
provided for) to the extent of ~125,000 per annum;
and the New-York, Newfoundland, and London Tele



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  339
graph Company undertake to contribute from their
revenue a further annual sum of ~25,000, on condition
that a cable shall be at work during 1866;  an
agreement to this effect having been signed by Mr.
Field, subject to ratification by the Company in NewYork, which was obtained as soon as the steamer
could cross the ocean and bring back the reply.
The terms being settled, it remained only to raise
the capital. The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company led off with a subscription of
~100,000. This was followed by the names of ten
gentlemen, who put down ~10,000 apiece. Of these
Mr. Gooch declared his willingness to increase his to
~20,000, and Mr. Brassey to ~60,000, if it were
needed. Mr. Henry Bewley, of Dublin also, who was
already a very large owner of the Atlantic stock, declared his readiness to put down ~20,000 more. But
it was not found to be necessary. And so they all
stood at ~10,000. The names of these ten subscribers.deserve to be given, as showing who stood forward to
save the cause in this crisis of its fate. They were as
follows:
Henry Ford Barclay, Henry Bewley, Thomas Brassey, A. H. Campbell, M.P., George _Elliot, Cyrus W.
Field, Richard Atwood Glass, Daniel Gooch, M.P.,
John Pender, M.P., and John Smith, Esqs. There
were four subscriptions of ~5000, namely, Thomas




340  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Bolton and Sons, James Horsfall, Esq., A Friend of
Mr. Daniel Gooch, M.P., and John and Edwin Wright;
one of ~2500 by John Wilkes and Sons; three of
~2000 by C. M. Lampson, J. Morison, and Ebenezer
Pike, Esqs.; and two of ~1000 by Edward Cropper,
and Joseph Robinson, Esqs.-making in all ~230,500.
These were all private subscriptions made before
even the prospectus was issued, or the books opened
to the public. After such a manifestation of confidence, we are not surprised to learn that the whole
of the capital required to proceed with the cable was
secured within fourteen days. This was a great triumrph to be obtained, especially at a time of general
depression in commercial affairs in England.
And now once more the work begins. No time is
to be lost. It is already the first of March, and but
four months remain to manufacture sixteen hundred
and sixty nautical miles of cable, and to prepare for
sea. But the obstacles once cleared away, all sprang
to their work with new hope and vigor.
In the cable to be made for the new line, there was
but little change from that of the last year, which had
proved nearly perfect. Science, however, aided by
experience, was constantly devising some improvement. So now, while the general form and size were
retained, a slight change in the outer covering was
found to make the cable both lighter and stronger.




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  341
The iron wihes were galvanized, which secured them
perfectly from rust or corrosion.by salt water. Thus
protected, they could dispense with the preservative
mixture of the former year. This left the cable much
cleaner and whiter. Instead of its black coat, it had
the fresh, bright appearance of new rope. It had another advantage. As the tarry coating was sticky,
slight fragments of wire might adhere to it, and do injury, a danger to which the new cable was not exposed. At the same time, galvanizing the wires gave
them greater ductility, so that in the case of a heavy
strain the cable would stretch longer without breaking.
By this alteration it was rendered more than four hundred-weight lighter per mile, and would bear a strain
of nearly half a ton more than the one laid the year
before.
The machinery also was perfected in every part,
to withstand the great strain which might be brought
upon it in grappling and lifting the cable from the
great depths of the Atlantic.  This necessitated almost a reconstruction of the machinery, together with
engines of greater power, applied both to the gear for
hauling in forward and that for paying out aft. Thus,
in case of a fault, the motion of the ship could be
easily reversed, and the cable hauled back by the paying-out machinery, without waiting for the long and
tedious process of bringing the cable round from the
stern to the bow of the ship.




342  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
But the most marvellous improvement had been in
the method of testing the cable for the discovery of
faults. In the last expedition, a grave omission had
been in the long intervals during which the cable
was left without a test of its insulation. Thus, from
thirty to thirty-five minutes in each hour it was occupied with tests of minor importance, which would not
indicate the existence of a fault.  Hence, if a fault
occurred on ship-board, it might pass over the stern,
and be miles away before it was discovered. But
now a new and ingenious method was devised by
Mr. Willoughby Smith, by which the cable will be
tested every instant.  The current will not cease to
flow any more than the blood ceases to flow in himan veins. The chord is vital in every part, and if
touched at any point it reveals the wound as instinctively as the nerves of a living man flash to the
brain a wound in any part of the human frame.
The process of detecting faults is too scientific to be
detailed in these pages. We can only stand in silent
wonder at the result, when we hear it stated by Mr.
Yarley, that the system of testing is brought to such
a degree of perfection, that skilful electricians can
point out minute faults with an unerring accuracy,
"even when they are so small that they would not
weaken the signals through the Atlantic cable one
millionth part i"




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  843
Another marvellous result of science was the exact
report obtained of the state of that portion of the cable
now lying, in the sea. The electricians at Yalentia
were daily experimenting  on the line which lay
stretched twelve hundred and thirteen miles on the
bottom of the deep, and pronounced it intact. Not a
fault could be found from one end to the other. As
when a master of the organ runs his hands over the
keys, and tells in an instant if it be in perfect tune, so
did these skilful manipulators, fingering at the end of
this mightier instrument, declare it to be in perfect
tone, ready to whisper its harmonies through the seas.
At the same time, the ten hundred and seventy
miles of cable left on board the Great Eastern were
pronounced as faultless as the day it had been shipped
on board.
With such conclusions of science to animate and
inspire them, the great task of manufacturing nearly
seventeen hundred miles of cable once more began.
And while this work went on, the Great Eastern, that
had done her part so well before, again opened her
sides, and the mysterious cord was drawn into her
vast, dark, silent womb, from which it was to issue
only into the darker and more silent bosom of the
deep.




CIHAPTER XVI.
THE EXPEDITION OF 1866. VICTORY AT LAST.
IN these pages we have led our readers through
twelve long years, and have had to tell many a tale of
disaster and defeat. It is now our privilege to tell of
triumphant success. Victory has come at last, but not
by the" chance of fortune, but by the utmost efforts of
man, by the union of science and skill with indomitable perseverance. The failure of the last year was a
sad disappointment; but so far from damping the courage of those embarked in the enterprise, it only roused
them to a more gigantic effort. They were now to
prepare for a fifth expedition. In this they set themselves to anticipate every possible emergency, and to
combine the elements of success so as to render failure
impossible.
The Great Eastern herself, which they had come to
regard with a kind of fondness, a feeling of affection
and pride, as the ark that was to bear their fortunes
across the deep, was made ready for her crowning
achievement. For months Captain Anderson and Mr.
Halpin, his chief officer, worked day and night to get




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  345
her into perfect trim. She had become sadly fouled
in her many voyages. As she swam the seas, a thousand things clung to her as to a, floating island, till her
hull was encrusted with mussels and barnacles two
feet thick, and long seaweed flaunted from her sides.
Like a brave old war-horse, long neglected, she needed
a thorough grooming, to have her hair combed and
her limbs well rubbed down, to fit her to take the
field. But it was not an easy matter to get under the
huge creature, to give her such a dressing. Yet Captain Anderson was equal to the emergency. He contrived a simple instrument by which every part of her
bottom was raked and scrubbed. Getting rid of this
rough, shapeless mass would make her feel easy and
comfortable at sea, and add at least a knot an hour to
her speed.
The boilers too were thoroughly cleansed and repaired in every part, and the paddle-engines were so
arranged that in five minutes they could be disconnected, so that by going ahead with one and backing
with the other, the ship could be held perfectly at rest
or be turned around in her own length, a very important matter when they should come to fish in deep
waters for the broken end of the cable. To prepare
for this, she was armed with chains and ropes and
irons of the most formidable kind. For grappling the
cable, she took on board twenty miles of rope, which




346   HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
would bear a strain of thirty tons, probably the largest
fishing-line used since the days of Noah.
The cable was manufactured at the rate of twenty
miles a day, and as fast as delivered and found perfect,
was coiled on board. And now the electricians tried
their skill to outdo all that they had done before. As
Captain Anderson observed, it seemed as if never had
so much "brain power" been concentrated on the problem of success. The cable itself furnished the grandest subject of experiment.  As every week added
more than. a hundred miles to its length, there was
constant opportunity to try the electric current on
longer distances and with new conditions, The results obtained showed the rapid and marvellous progress of electrical science.  Said the London Times:
"The science of making, testing, and laying cables
has so much improved that an undetected fault in an
insulated wire has now become literally impossible,
while so much are the instruments for signalling improved, that not only can a slight fault be disregarded
if necessary, but it is even easy to work through a subnrearine wire with a foot of its copper conductor sfripped
and bare to the water. This latter result, astonishing as
it may appear, has actually been achieved for some
days past with the whole Atlantic cable on board the
Great Eastern. Out of a length of more than one
thousand seven hundred miles, a coil has been taken




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 347
from the centre, the copper conductor stripped clean of
its insulation for a foot in length, and in this condition
lowered over the vessel's side till it rested on the
ground. Yet through this the clearest signals have
been sent-so clear, indeed, as at one time to raise the
question whether it would not be worth while to grapple for the first old Atlantic cable ever laid, and with
these new instruments working gently through it for a
year or so, at least make it pay cost."
As other things were on the same gigantic scale, by
the time the big ship had her cargo and stores on
board, she was well laden. Of the cable alone there
were two thousand four hundred miles, coiled in three
immense tanks as the year before. Of this seven
hundred and forty-eight miles were a part of the cable
of the last expedition.  The tanks alone, with the
water in them, weighed over a thousand tons; and
the cable which they held, four thousand tons more;
besides which she had to carry eight thousand five
hundred tons of coal and five hundred tons of telegraph
stores, making fourteen thousand tons, besides engines, rigging, etc., which made nearly as much more.
So enormous was the burden, that it was thought
prudent not to take on board all her coal before she
left the Medway, especially as the channel was winding and shallow. It was therefore arranged that about
a third of her coal should be-taken in at Berehavei, a




348  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
port on the south-west coast of Ireland. With this
exception, her lading was complete.
The time for departure had been, fixed for the last
day of June, and so admirable had been the arrangements, and such the diligence of all concerned, that
exactly at the hour of noon, she loosened from her
moorings, and began to move. It was well that she
had not on board her whole cargo; for as it was, she
drew nearly thirty-two feet.  Never had any keel
pressed so deep in those waters. It required skilful
handling to get her safely to the sea. Gently and
softly she floated down, over bars where she almost
grazed the sand, where but a few inches lifted her
enormous hull above the river's bed. But at length
the rising tide bears her safely over, and she is afloat
in the deeper waters of the Channel. At first the sea
did not give her a very gracious welcome. The wind
was dead ahead, and the waves dashed furiously
against her; but she kept steadily on, tossing their
spray on high, as if they had struck against the rocks
of Eddystone lighthouse. In four or five days she had
passed down the Irish coast, and was quietly anchored
in the harbor at Berehaven, where she was soon joined
by the other vessels of the squadron.
The Telegraph fleet was not the same as that of the
last year. The government could spare but a single
ship; but the Terrible, which had accompanied the




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  349
Great Eastern on the former expedition, was still there
to represent the majesty of England. The William
Corry, a vessel of two thousand tons, bore the ponderous shore end, which was to be laid out thirty miles
from the Irish coast, while the Albany and the Medway were ships chartered by the Company. The latter carried several hundred miles of the last year's
cable, besides one of heavier proportions, ninety miles
long, to be stretched across the mouth of the Gulf of
St. Lawrence.
While the Great Eastern remained at Berehaven,
to take in her final -stores of coal,. the William
Corry proceeded around the coast to Valentia to
lay the shore end. She arrived off the harbor on the
morning of Saturday, the seventh July, and immediately began to prepare for her heavy task. This
shore end was of tremendous size; weighing over eight
tons to the mile. It is by far the strongest wire cable
ever made, and in short lengths is stiff as an iron bar.
As the year before, the cable was to be brought off on
a bridge of boats reaching from the ship to the foot of
the cliff. All the fishermen's boats were gathered
from along the shore, while HI. M. S. Racoon, which
was guarding that part of the coast, sent up her boats
to help, so that, as they all mustered in line, there
were forty of them, making a long pontoon-bridge;
and Irish boatmen with eager looks and strong hands




350  HIISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
were standing along the line, to grasp the ponderous
chain. All went well, and by one o'clock the cable
wras landed, and its end brought up the cliff to the
station. The signals were found to be perfect, and the
_~
SHORE END-EXACT SIZE.
William Corry then slowly drew off to sea, unlimbering her stiff shore end, till she had cast over the whole
thirty miles. At three o'clock next morning she telegraphed through the cable that her work was done,
and she had luoyed the end in water a hundred fathoms deep. Describing the scene, the correspondent of
the London News says:




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  381
" In its leading features it presented a striking difference to the ceremony of last year. Earnest gravity
and a deep-seated determination to repress all show of
the enthusiasm of which every body was full, was very
manifest. The excitement was below, instead of above
the surface. Speech-making, hurrahing, public congratulations, and vaunts of confidence were, as it
seemed, avoided as if on purpose. There was something far more touching in the quiet and reverent
solemnity of the spectators yesterday than in the
slightly boisterous joviality of the peasantry- last year.
Nothing could prevent the scene being intensely dramatic, but the prevailing tone of the drama was serious
instead of comic and triumphant. The old crones in
tattered garments who cowered together, dudheen in
mouth, their gaudy colored shawls tightly drawn over
head and under the chin —the barefooted boys and
girls, who by long practice walked over sharp and
jagged rocks, which cut up boots and shoes, with
perfect impunity-the men at work uncovering the
trench, and winding in single file up and down the
hazardous path cut by the cablemen in the otherwise
inaccessible rock —the patches of bright color furnished by the red petticoats and cloaks-the ragged
garments, only kept from falling to pieces by bits of
string and tape-the good old parish priest, who exercises mild and gentle spiritual sway over the loving




352 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
subjects of whom the ever-popular Knight of Kerry
is the temporal head, looking on benignly from his
car-the bright eyes, supple figures, and innocent faces
of the peasant lasses, and the earnestly hopeful expression of all-made up a picture impossible to describe with justice. Add to this, the startling abruptness with which the tremendous cliffs stand flush out
of the water, the alternations of bright wild flowers and
patches of verdure with the most desolate barrenness,
the mountain sheep indifferently cropping the short,
sweet grass, and the undercurrent of consciousness of
the mighty interests at stake, and few scenes will
seem more important and interesting than that of yesterday."
As the ships are now ready for sea, and all who are
to embark have come on board, we may look about us
at the personnel of the expedition.' Who are here?
We recognize many old familiar faces, that we have
seen in former campaigns —gallant men who have had
many a sea-fight in this peaceful war. First, the eye
seeks the tall form of Captain Anderson. There he
is, modest and grave, of few words, but seeing every
thing, watching every thing, and ruling every thing
with a quiet power. And there is his second officer,
Mr. Halpin, who keeps a sharp lookout after the
crew, to see that every man does his duty. While
he thus keeps watch of all on board, Staff Coin



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 353
mander Moriarty, R. N., comes on deck, with instruments in hand, to look after the heavenly bodies,
and reckon the ship's latitude and longitude. This
is an old veteran in the service, who has been in
all the expeditions, and it would be highly improper,
even if it were possible, for a cable to be laid across
the Atlantic without his presence and aid. And here
comes Mr. Canning, the engineer, whose "deep-sea
soundings," the last year, were on a scale of such
magnitude, and who, if he cannot well dive deeper,
means to pull stronger the next time. That slight
form yonder is Professor Thomson, of Glasgow, a man
who in his knowledge of the subtle element to be
brought into play, and the enthusiasm he brings to its
study, is the very genius of electrical science; and this
is Mr. Varley, who seems to have the lightning in his
fingers, and to whom the world owes some marvellous
discoveries of the laws of electricity. Mr. Willoughby
Smith, a worthy associate in these studies and discoveries, goes out on the ship as electrician.
And here is Mr. Glass, the managing director of the
Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company,
which has undertaken by contract to manufacture this
cable and lay it safely across the ocean; and Mr.
Gooch, chairman of the company that owns the Great
Eastern-two gentlemen to whom the Atlantic Telegraph is under the greatest obligation, since it was




354  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
they who, six months before, when the project seemed
in danger of being given up or postponed for years,
took Mr. Field by the hand, and cheered him on to a
last effort. Blessings on their hearts of oak!  Mr.
Gooch accompanies the ship, while Mr. Glass, keeping
Mr. Varley at his side as electrician, remains on shore,
there to receive reports of the daily progress of the
expedition, and to issue his orders. What a post of
observation was that telegraph house on the cliffs of
Valentia! It was far better than the tower of Galileo,
for it looked out on a broader horizon, one stretching
a hundred times as far around the world. Was there
ever a commander endowed with such a range of
vision?  What would Nelson have said, if he had had
a spy-glass with which he could watch ships in action
two thousand miles away, and issue his orders to a
fleet on the other side of the ocean? With such a
" long range," he might almost have fought the battle
of the Nile from his home in England.
Standing on. such a spot, and surrounded by. such
men, representing the capital, the science, and the
skill of England, with all those gallant ships in sight,
one's heart might well beat high. But there were
other reflections that saddened the hour, and caused
some at least to look: once more on the rocks of Valentia with deep emotion. They thought of some who
were not there. Brett, Mr. Field's first friend in Eng



HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  355
land, was in his grave. Beyond the Atlantic, Captains
Hudson and Berryman slept the sleep that knows no
waking. Was it strange that they should think sadly
and tenderly of the absent and the dead, and mourn
that many who had toiled with them in former days,
were not there now to share their triumph?
The feeling, therefore, of many on this occasion,
was not one elate with pride and hope, but subdued
by serious thoughts and tender memories. In harmony with this feeling, and with the great work which
they were about to undertake, it was proposed that
before the expedition sailed they should hold a solemn
religious service.
-Was there ever a fitter place or a fitter hour for
prayer than here, in the presence of the great sea, to
which they were about to commit their lives and their
precious trust? The' first expedition ever sent forth
had been consecrated by prayer. On that very spot,
nine years before, all heads were uncovered and all
forms bent low, at the solemn words of supplication;
and there had the Earl of Carlisle —since gone to his
honored grave —cheered them on with high religious
hopes, describing the ships which were sent forth on
such a mission, as "beautiful upon the waters as were
the feet upon the mountains of them that publish the
gospel of peace."
Full of such a spirit, officers and directors assembled




356 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
at Valentia on the day before the expedition sailed,
and held a religious service. It was a scene long to be
remembered. There were men of the closet and men
of the field, men of science and men of action, men
pale with study and men bronzed by sun and storm.
All was hushed and still. Not a signal gun broke
the deep silence of the hour, as, with humble hearts,
they bowed together before the God and Father of all.
They were about to go down to the sea in ships, and
they felt their dependence on a Higher Power. Their
preparations were complete. All that man could do
was done. They had exhausted every resource of
science and skill. The issue now remained with Him
who controls the winds and waves. Therefore was it
most fit that, before embarking, they should thus commit themselves to Him who alone spreadeth out the
heavens, and ruleth the raging of the sea.
In all this there is something of antique stamp,
something which makes us think of the sublime men
of an earlier and better time; of the Pilgrim Fathers
kneeling on the deck of their little ship at Leyden, as
they were about to seek a refuge and a home in the
forests of the New World; and of Columbus and his
companions, celebrating a solemn service before their
departure from Spain. And so with labor and with
prayer was this great expedition prepared to sail once
more from the shores of Ireland, bearing the hopes of




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 357
science and of civilization —with courage and skill
looking out from the bow across the stormy waters,
ana a religious faith, like that of Columbus, standing
at the helm.
On Friday morning, the thirteenth of July, the fleet
finally bade adieu to the land. Was Friday an unlucky day? Some of the sailors thought so, and would
have been glad to leave a day before or after. But
Columbus sailed on Friday, and discovered the New
World on Friday, and so this expedition put to sea
on Friday, and, as a good Providence would have it,
reached land on the other side of the Atlantic on the
same day of the week I As the ships disappeared
below the horizon, Mr. Glass and Mr. Varley went up
on their watch-tower-not to look, but to listen for
the first voice from the sea. The ships bore away for
the buoy where lay the end of the shore line, but the
weather was thick and foggy, with frequent bursts of
rain, and they could not see far on the water. For an
hour or two they went sailing round and round, like
sea-gulls in search of prey, At length the Medway
caught sight of the buoy tossing on the waves, and,
firing a signal gun, bore down straight upon it. The
cable was soon hauled up from its bed, a hundred
fathoms deep, and lashed to the stern of the Great
Eastern; and the watchers on shore, who had been
waiting with some impatience, saw the first flash, and




358  HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
Varley read,." Got the shore end-all right-going to
make the splice." Then all was still, and they knew that
that delicate operation was going on. Quick, nimble
bands tore off the covering from a foot of the shore
end and of the main cable, till they came to the core;
then, swiftly unwinding the copper wires, they laid
them together, twining them as closely and carefully
as a silken braid. Tben this delicate child of the sea
was wrapped in swaddling-clothes, covered up with
many coatings of gutta-percha, and hempen rope, and
strong iron wires, the whole bound round and round
with heavy bands, and the splicing was complete.
Signals are now sent through the whole cable on
board the Great Eastern and back to the telegraph
house at Valentia, and the whole.length, two thousand
four hundred and forty nautical miles, is reported perfect. And so with light hearts they bear away. It iis
nearly three o'clock. As they turn to the west, the
following is the "order of battle": the Terrible goes
ahead, standing off on the starboard bow, the Medway is on the port, and the Albany on the'starboard
quarter, From that hour (was it in answer to the
prayers of the day before?) the voyage was a steady
progress. Indeed, it was almost monotonous from its
uninterrupted success.  The weather was variable,
alternating with sunshine and rain, fogs and squalls;
but there was no heavy gale to interrupt their course,




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  359
and the distance run was about the same from day to
day, as the following table will show:
Distance Run. Cable Paid Out.
Saturday, fourteenth,...............108     116
Sunday, fifteenth..................128      139
Monday, sixteenth,.................115      137
Tuesday, seventeenth,..............118      138
Wednesday, eighteenth,...........105        125
Thursday, nineteenth,..........122         129
Friday, twentieth,................117       127
Saturday, twenty-first,..............122    136
Sunday, twenty-second,...........  123       133
Monday, twenty-third,.............121       138
Tuesday, twenty-fourth,............121      135
Wednesday, twenty-fifth...........112       130
Thursday, twenty-sixth,...........128       134
Friday, twenty-seventh,..........112        118
This table shows the speed of the ship to have been
exactly according to the " running time" before she
left England. On the last voyage it was thought that
she had once or twice run too fast, and thus exposed
the cable to danger. It was, therefore, decided to go
slowly but surely. Holding her back to this moderate pace, her average speed, from the time the splice
was made till they saw land, was a little less than five
nautical miles an hour, and the cable was paid out at
an average of five and a half miles an hour. The total
slack was less than twelve per cent, showing that the




360  HISTORY OF TIE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
cable was laid almost in a straight line, allowing for
the swells and hollows in the bottom of the sea.
As the next week drew toward its close, it was
evident that they were approaching the end of their
voyage. By Thursday they had passed the great
depths of the Atlantic, and were off soundings. Beside their daily observations, there were many signs
well known to mariners that they were near the coast.
There were the sea-birds, and even the smell of the
land, such as once greeted the sharp senses of Columbus, and made him sure that he was floating to some
undiscovered shore. Captain Anderson had tirned his
departure so that he should approach the American
coast at the full moon; and so, for the last two or
three nights, as they drew near the Western shore, the
round orb rose behind them, casting its soft light over
sea and sky; and these happy men seemed like heavenly voyagers, floating gently on to a haven of rest.
In England the progress of the expedition was
known from  day to day, but on this side of the
ocean all was uncertainty. Some had gone to Heart's
Content, hoping to witness the arrival of the fleet,
but not so many as the last year, for the memory
of their disappointment was too fresh, and they feared
the same result again. But still a faithful few were
there who kept their daily watch. Two weeks have
passed. It is Friday morning, the twenty-seventh of




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  361
July.  They are up early and looking eastward to
see the day break, when a ship is seen in the offing.
She is far down on the horizon. Spy-glasses are
turned toward her. She comes nearer-and look
there is another and another. And now the hull of
the Great Eastern looms up all-glorious in that morning sky.  They are coming!  Instantly all is wild
excitement on shore. Boats put off to row toward the
fleet. The Albany is the first to round the point and
-enter the Bay. The Terrible is close behind. The
Medway stops an hour or two to join on the heavy
shore end, while the Great Eastern, gliding calmly in
as if she had done nothing remarkable, drops her anchor in front of the telegraph house, having trailed
behind her a chain of two thousand miles, to bind the
old world: to the new.
Although the expedition reached Newfoundland on
Friday, the twenty-seventh, yet, as the cable across
the Gulf of St. Lawrence was broken, the news was
not received in New-York till the twenty-ninth. It
was early Sunday morning, before the Sabbath bells
had rung their call to prayer, that the tidings came.
The first announcement was brief: "Heart's Content,
July 27.-We arrived here at nine o'clock this morning. All well. Thank God, the cable is laid, and is
in perfect working order. Cyrus W. Field."  But
that was enough; and many who went up to the




862 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
house of God found therein new cause for gratitude
to Him whose path is in the deep waters.
Next in interest to the great event itself, was the
later news it brought from Europe. While the expedition had been preparing in England, a war had,
broken out on the Continent of tremendous magnitude. Austria, Prussia, and Italy had rushed into
the field. Armies, such as had not met since the
fatal day of Leipsic, stood in battle array, and the
thunder of war was echoing and reechoing among the
mountains of Bohemia.
Amid these convulsions, the fleet set sail; but it
was still linked with the Old World by that cord, and
received tidings from day to day. The despatch said:
"We have been in constant communication with Valentia since the splice was made on the thirteenth instant, and have daily received news from Europe,
which was posted up outside the telegraph office for
the information of all on board of the Great Eastern,
and signaled to the other ships."
This ship's log was reported here, and startled the
public, just reading news a fortnight old. It told of
great events; of a naval battle in the Adriatic between the Austrian and Italian fleets, and, to the suirprise of all, who looked for a different result, that the
Italians were defeated, and their famous iron-clads
sunk I This great disaster, received with sorrow, yet




HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.  363
showed how swift the tidings flew. But there was
good news also. At the end of a column of intelligence we read, hardly believing our eyes: "A treaty
of peace has been signed between Austria and Prussia I"
This was tidings worthy to be flashed from one hemisphere to the other.
It seemed as if this new sea-nymph, rising out of
the waves, was born to be the herald of peace. Eight
years before, almost the first news it brought was that
of peace in China. Indeed, the very first message
spoken across the deep was the angels' song: "Glory
to God in the highest; peace on earth, good-will toward men." And now, when again the sea "had
found a tongue," its first message was Peace. Was
not this " the voice of God upon the waters "?
To this best use of human speech let this new instrument be consecrated! Whatsoever goeth down
into the sea, let it tend to human good.  Heaven forbid that the voice of rage and anger should ever invade those tranquil depths. However men may hate
each other; however they may war up here on the
earth's surface, let their rage and fury, let their cursing and blasphemies, like the sound of hostile cannon,
die away upon the upper air. But in that underworld, that realm of darkness and silence, where
"So lonely'tis, that even God
Seems not there to be,"




364 HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC.TELEGRAPH.
let human passion never come. Peace, peace, above
and below Il  Especially between the two kindred
nations, dwelling on opposite shores of the same great
sea, nations of the same blood, and speaking the same
language, may this new herald of thought and speech
continue to bear only messages of peace as long as the
winds blow and the waters roll I




ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS FOR 1866.
DIRECTORS. *
The Right Hon. James Stuart Wortley, Chairmanr.
Curtis M. Lampson, Esq., Vice-Chairman.
G. P.Bidder, Esq., C.E.        Samuel Gurney, Esq., M.P.
Francis Le Breton, Esq.        Captain A. T. Hamilton.
Edward Cropper, Esq.           George Peabody, Esq.
Sir Edward Cunard, Bart.       John Pender, Esq.
HONORARY DIRECTOR-W. H. Stephenson, Esq.
HONORARY DIRECTORS IN  THE  UNITED STATES.
E. M. Archibald, Esq., C.B., H. M. Consul, New-York.
Peter Cooper, Esq.,.        New-York.
William E. Dodge, Esq.,..      New-York.
Cyrus W. Field, Esq.,..   New-York.
Wilson G. Hunt, Esq.,...,   New-York.
A. A. Low, Esq.,.         New-York.
Howard Potter, Esq.,                New-York.
HONORARY DIRECTORS IN  BRITISH NORTH-AMERICA.
Hugh Allan, Esq.,..   Montreal, Canada.
William Cunard, Esq.,.   Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Wtiter Grieve, Esq.,. St. John's, Newfoundland.
Thomas C. Kinnear, Esq.,.   Halifax, Nova Scotia.
CONSULTING  SCIENTIFIC  COMMITTEE.
William Fairbairn, Esq., F.R.S., Manchester.
Captain Douglas Galton, R.E., F.R.S., London.
Professor Wm. Thomson, F.R.S., Glasgow,
Professor C. Wheatstone, F.R.S., London.
Joseph Whitworth, Esq., F.R.S., Manchester.
Honorary Consulting Engineer in AMERICA.
General Marshall Lefferts, New-York.
OFFICES.
12 St. Helen's Place, Bishopsgate Street Within, London.
Secretary and General Superintendent-George Saward, Esq.
Electrician-Cromwell F. Varley, Esq.
Solicitors-Messrs. Freshfields & Newman.
Auditor-H. W. Blackburn, Esq., Bradford, Yorkshire, Pub. Acc't.
BANKERS.
In London-The Bank of England, and Messrs. Glyn, Mills & Co.
In ireland-The National Bank and its Branches.
In Scogland-The British Linen Company and its Branches.
In New — York —Messrs. Duncan, Sherman & Co.
In Canada and Nova Scotia-The Bank of British North America.
In Neewfoundland-The Union Bank of Newfoundland.




ANGLO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY.,
DIRECTORS.
Francis A. Bevan, Esq., 54 Lombard Street.
Henry Bewley, Esq., Willow Park, Dublin.
Edward Cropper, Esq., Swaylands, Penshurst.
Cyrus W. Field, Esq., New-York.
Richard Atwood Glass, Esq., Ashurst, Dorking.
Daniel Gooch, Esq., M.P., Clewer Park, Windsor.
Captain A. T. Hamilton, 12 Bolton Row, Piccadilly.
J. R. McLean, Esq., C.E., 23 Great George Street, Westminster.
George Peabody, Esq., 22 Old Broad Street.
Charles E. Stewart, Esq., 102 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park, W.
BANKERS.
Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, Twells & Co.,
54 Lombard Street, E. C.
SOLICITORS.
Messrs. Bircham, Dalrymple, Drake & Ward.
Messrs. Baxter, Rose, Norton & Co.
SECRETARY.
J. C. Deane, Esq.
NEW-YORK, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LONDON
TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
Peter Cooper, Esq.,................President.
Cyrus W. Field, Esq.................ce-Presdeidt.
Moses Taylor, Esq.................. Treasurer.
Prof. S. F. B. Morse,..............Elect'ician.
David Dudley Field, Esq.,............Comnsel.
DIRECTORS.
Peter Cooper, Esq.,
Moses Taylor, Esq.,
Cyrus W. Field, Esq.,      New-York.
Marshall 0. Roberts, Esq.,
Wilson G. Hunt, Esq.,
SECRETARY.
Robert W. Lowber, Esq.
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT.
Alexander M. Mackay, Esq., St. John's, Newfoundland.




TELEGRAPH
CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE COMPANY.
Uniting the Business pf the Gutta-Percha Co~m pany with that of
Messrs. Glass, Elliot & Company.
DIRECTORS.
John Pender, Esq., Chairmnan.
-Alexander Henry Campbell, Esq., M.P., Vice-Chairman.
Rich'd Atwood Glass, Esq., (Glass, Elliot & Co.,) Managing Director.
Henry Ford Barclay, Esq.,-(Gutta-Percha Co.)
Thomas Brassey, Esq.
George Elliot, Esq., (Glass, Elliot & Co.)
Alexander Struthers Finley, Esq., M.P.
Daniel Gooch, Esq., M.P.
Samuel Gurney, Esq., M.P.
Lord John Hay, M.P.
John Smith, Esq., (Smith, Fleming & Co.)
BANKERS.
Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, Twells & Co. London.
SOLICITORS.
Messrs. Bircham, Dalrymple, Drake & Ward.
Messrs. Baxter, Rose, Norton & Co.
SECRETARY.
William Shuter, Esq.
OFFICES.
54 OldBroad Street, London.
WORKS.
Wharf Road, City Road, N., and East Greenwich, S.E.
GREAT EASTERN STEAM-SHIP COMPANY.
DIRECTORS.
Daniel Gooch, Esq., M. P., Chairman.
William Barber, Esq.
Thomas Brassey, Jun., Esq.
SECRETARY.
J. H. Yates, Esq., 26 Castle Street, Liverpool.




FROUDE'S "ENGLAND."
pi~stagIf d d 1ugla, frknx tf 1f1 all df U015y to tt  pfatt
By JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE, M. A., late Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford.
From the fourth London edition. In crown octavo vols. Price, $3.00 per vol.
(The first six volumes of this edition now ready; the other volumes will
follow shortly.
Vols. I. to IV. Reign of Henry VIII.  Vols. V. and VI. Reigns of Edward
VI. and Mary. Vols. VII. and VIII. Reign of Elizabeth.
Mr. Froude has shown in his admirable history what new results may be de.
rived, even in the most beaten track, from a thorough investigation of the
original authorities. His researches have thrown a flood of light over the personal character of Henry the Eighth and his relation to the great event of
modern history, the Reformation of Religion in Europe and the British Isles,
that it would be in vain to seek elsewhere.  His views often run counter to
received opinions, but they are always supported by a weight of ev.uence and
a classic polish of style that place him high in the rank of modern historians.
The work has received the most favorable notices from the leading English
journals, and has already passed through four editions in England. The vast
amount of fresh and authentic materials which the author has brought to bear
on the periods of which he writes, give his work an interest and value beyond
any previous history of the same events.
"We read these volumes with the pleasure derived from interesting materials
worked up in an attractive form." —Edinburgh Review.
"The style is excellent; sound, honest, forcible, singularly perspicuous English; at times with a sort of picturesque simplicity, pictures dashed off with
only a few touches, but perfectly alive.       We have never to read a passage twice.          We see the course of events day by day, not only the
more serious and important communications, but the gossip of the hour...  If truth and vivid, reality be the perfection of history, much is to be
said in favor of this mode of composition."-Londos Quarterly.
With an analysis of the Divina Commedia, its Plot and Episodes.  By Pro.
fessor BOTTA. 1 vol., crown 8vo. $2.50.
The 2Vew York Evening Post says:-" We have seen a portion of this work,
and regard it as diecidedly the best account of the poet that has appeared in the
English language. It is careful, learned, discriminating and eloquent, written
in terse and eloquent English that is remarkable in the pen of an author not
native to our soil. The analysisof the poei' is full and philosophical, alive with
Italian enthusiasm, yet calm and truly catholic in its humanity and trust. It
will do more than anything within reach to answer the question that so man;
are now asking: "Who is this Dante, whose name is now so much on the lipl
of scholars, but who is as much in the dark to most of us as the dark ages in
which he lived?"
Copies sent by mail, post paid, on reeeipt qf price.




FORSYTH'S "CICERO."
1? teb    life  of Diters+
BY WILLIAM  FORSYTH, M. A., Q.C.
With Twenty Illustrations. 2 vols. crown octavo. Printed on tinted and laid
paper. Price, $5.00.
The object of this work is to exhibit Cicero not merely as a Statesman and
an Orator, but as he was at home in the relations of private life, as a Husband,
a Father, a Brother, and a Friend. His letters are full of interesting details,
which enable us to form a vivid idea/of how the old Romans lived 2,000 years
ago; and the Biography embraces not only a History of Events, as momentous
as any in the annals of the world, but a large amount of Anecdote and Gossip,
which amused the generation that witnessed the downfall of the Republic.
The Lonrdon Atheneuru  says: " Mr. Forsyth has rightly aimed to set before
us a portrait of Cicero in the modern style of biography, carefully gleaning
from his extensive correspondence all those little traits of character and habit
which marked his private and domestic life. These volumes form a very
acceptable addition to the classic library. The style is that of a scholar and a
man of taste."
From the Saturday Review:-" Mr. Forsyth has discreetly told his story,
evenly and pleasantly supplied it with apt illustrations from  modern law,
eloquence, and history, and brought Cicero as near to the present time as the
differences of age and manners warrant. * *   These volumes we heartily
recommend as both a useful and agreeable guide to the writings and character
of one who was next in intellectual and political rank to the foremost man of all
the world, at a period when there were many to dispute with him the triple
crown of forensic, philosophic, and political composition."
" A scholar without pedantry, and a Christian without cant, Mr. Forsyth
seems to have seized with praiseworthy tact the precise attitude which it behoves
a biographer to take when'narrating the life, the personal life, of Cicero. Mr.
Forsyth produces what we venture to say will become one of the classics oJ
Englisk Biographical literature, and will be welcomed by readers of all ages and
both sexes, of all professions and of no profession at all."-London Quarterly.
" This book is a valuable contribution to our Standard Literature. It is a
work which will -aid our progress towards the truth; it lifts a corner of the veil
which has hung over the scenes and actors of times so full of ferment, and
allows us to catch a glimpse of the stage upon which the great urama wat
played."-North American Review.
Copies sent by mais, post paid, on receipt of prio0.




Nstorg Df X0a110a1tsm,
Emlhracing  a  Survey  of the Present State of Protestant Theology.
By Rev. JOHN  F. HURST, A. M.   1 vol., 8vo.  $3.50.
"These six hundred pages are moist refreshing and satisfactory. They are just what every
minister and thoughtful Christian in these times must liave in his library, and what we
sincerely thank the discerning publishers for giving to the world just now. Rationalists,
the world over, are here divided into four classes, and traced through all their varieties,
from the earlier German Rationalists, through the English Schools, down through WMaurice,
Xiigs/eey, Ourlyle, Wanld eVS2nii.ted,4  Review tribes, even to our own Universalists and
Unitarians in this country. Here is found the clearest view of Theodore Parker and his
influence we have ever seen."'-Boston Recorder.
"We have here a full and clear exposition of all the forms of Rationalism which have appeared in Europe since the Reformation, by one who views them irom a thoroughly ortlotlux
standpoint. We have examined prtions of the work which refer to conitroversies with which
we are most familiar, and find them to be faithfully explained, and we welcome it aIs supplying
a desideraturn in the history of religious opinion......... A comprehensive, historical, alnd
critical survey of all the developments of this spirit was a want which we believe to be
here creditably supplied."-Episcopal Recorder, (Philadelphia.)
Bte'Sapteuratu l Mrtgipl  at D              istirftt
With special reference to the Theories of R6nan, Strauss, and the Tiibingen
School; By Prof. G. P. FIsHER, of Yale College. 1 vol., 8vo. $3.50.
"The style of Prof. Fisher is very clear and suitable to such subjects, and his way of
handling these abstruse topics is extremely able and satisfactory. We know of nothing so
good as this volume for the reading of any intelligent'mind which is itself disturbed by the
rationalism which it combats and refutes, or which desires to learn how to handle such
discussions in the arena of daily discussion."-Contgregationalist, (Boston.)
" This work is prepared in the spirit of a reverent disciple, yet with a readiness to see
every difficulty, and to understand every honest doubt. We have no hesitation in recommending this volume, and believe that it will help many a minister who has not sufficient
time to examine every question for himself, in his attempts to remove difficulties and to
dislodge unbelief."-N2ational Baptist, (Philadelphia.)
L&b.'A xr. Nu1                    s irta                             I   ~ a.  ~yfifariffm'5=M
Grounded on Principles of Universal Obligation.  By HORAcE BUSHNELL, D.D.,
author of " Sermons for the New Life," "Nature and the Supernatural,"
etc. In 1 vol., 8vo. $3.00.
" It is aremarkable production, origintll in thought, masterly in style, and Dr. Bushnell's
singular acumen and power has been nowhere' more effectually displayed than in this
weighty volume."-New York Evenirg Post.
" It is superfluous for us to say that this treatise is exceedingly able. The learned author
seems to have gathered up all his strength of mind and all his wealth of scholarship for the
preparation of this great work."-Christiane Inteltigencer.
(Nif an Cimex of Wt. *rhtnq
ersonal Reminiscences of the Life and Times of Gardiner Spring, Pastor of
the Brick Presbyterian Church in the city of New York. With a fine
steel portrait. 2 vols., crown 8vo., on tinted paper. Price $4.
"No one can read this book without deriving both profit and information, and few will
rise from its perusal without feeling as if they had been holding personal converse with a
king among men, who, having laid aside the scarred armor that he wore, and relinquished
the cares of office, awaits the crown which his religious faith has taught him to believe is
the reward of a life spent in defending and extending that faith among men." —Round Table.
Copies sent by mail, POSTPAID, on receipt of price, by 0. S.' Co.




&614tDiz~  rm tlde furoe f'tauguRagy.
With a series of thirty-one Wood Engravings, illustrating the Positions of the
Organs of Speech in uttering the various articulate sounds of which all
language is composed. 2 vols., crown 8vo. Price, $6.00.
"The richness of Prof. Miiller's resources, and the immense range of collateral information
that he produces to give interest to an abstract subject, from a stock of learning that seems
absolutely without boundary or limitation, must- be sought in the book itself. The entire
work is one that no living scholar but the writer of it could produce, and its wide circulation
s18 certain in this country." —Neow York Times.
Fuligial aid demistrgf
Or, Proofs of God's Plan in the Atmosphere and its Elements; by Prof. JOSIAH
I. COOKt, Jr.  Printed on tinted paper, at the Cambridge.Press.  1 vol.,
octavo. $3.50.' Prof. Coot's volume is a fine illustration of the perfect harmony between Nature and
Revelation. The examination is conducted with great acuteness and skill, and with rare
beauty of illustration and power of argument, and it is not easy to see how a candid mind
can evade his conclusion. It is fresh, strong, suggestive, and eminently Christian."Wa.cthman acnd RelAector.
By Prof. SANBORN  TENNEY, A. M.  With  over 500 Engravings.  In 1 vol
School edition, $3.00. Library edition, on tinted paper, $4.50.
In this book parlticular attention has been given to a full description of the Quadrupeds,
Insects, Reptiles, Fishes, Shells, etc., of North America, and especially of those appertaining
to our own country. It is believed that this volume surpasses any yet published. The
illustrations are on " a scale," and engraved in the very best style.
A new and Revised Edition, with a Supplement, of the
O)dap120l of "Imraai 0i1ttratUM.
By E. A. & G. L. DUYCKstNCK. Embracing Personal and Critical Notices of
Authors, and selections from their writings, from the earliest period to the
present day, with 225 portraits, 425 autographs, and 75 views of colleges,
libraries and residences of authors, and elegant steel engravings of J.
Fenimore Cooper and Benjamin Franklin. 2 vols., royal 8vo. Cloth, $10; in
sheep, $13; half calf, $18. (The Supplement sold separately. 1 vol., $2.50.)' The new interest awakened in all that relates to our country, and the value of authentic
data on the subject, coupled with the fact that this work has long been out of print, explains
the demand for it. In truth, no other work contains so large an amount of curious
information as regards the intellectual development of the United State-.
"Those who are farhiliar with this work can easily appreciate its popularity. In the
first place, it gives a full account of the Colonial writers; secondly, the Atnerica~i collegea
are described historically and at length; thirdly, biographies of all the native authors
carefully prepared; fourthly, a critical history of native literature incidentally appears; and
lastly, specimens are collected of most characteristic American writings from the time
when George Sandys translated'Ovid,' on the banks of the James River, in the days of
Queen Elizabeth, to -the last funny poem of Dr. Holmes in the Atlantic Monthly."-Boston
Jvenisg Transcript.
Copies sent by mail, POSTPAID, on receipt of price, by C. S.     C0o.




LORD DERBY'S "HOMER."
RENDERED INTO ENGLISH BLANK VERSE BY EDWARD, EARL OF DERBY,
From the fifth London Edition.
Two volumes, royal octavo, on tinted paper. Price $7.50 per vol.
Extracts from Notices and Reviews from the English Quarterlies, &c.
"The merits of Lord Derby's translation may be summed up in one word: "it is
eminently attractive; it is instinct with life; it may be read with fervent interest; it is immeasurably nearer than Pope to the text of the original. * * " We think that Lord Derby's
translation will not only be read, but read over and over again. * * * Lord Derby has given
Ito England a version far more closely allied to the original, and superior to any that has
yet been attempted in the blank verse of our language."-Edinb/rgh Review, January,
1865.
"As often as we return from even the best of them (other translations) to the translation
before us, we find ourselves in a purer atmosphere of taste. We find more spirit, more
tact in avoiding either trivial or conceited phrases, and altogether a presence of merits, and
an absence of defects which continues, as we read, to lengthen more and more the distance
between Lord Derby and the foremost of his competitors."-London Quarterly Review,
Januelary, 1865.
"While the versification of Lord Derby is such as Pope himself would have admired,
-his Iliad is in all other essentials superior to that of his great rival. For the rest, if Pope is
dethroned what remains? * * * It is the Iliad we would place in the hands of English
readers as the truest counterpart of the original, the nearest existing approach to a repro
duction of that original's matchless feature.'-Satzurday Review.
"'Among those curiosities of literature which are also its treasures, Lord Derby's trans.
lation of Homer mfist occupy a very conspicuous place. * * Lord Derby's work is, on the
whole, more remarkable for the constancy of its excellence and the high level which It
maintains throughout, than for its special bursts of eloquence. It is uniformly worthy of
itself and its author."-T- e Reader.
"Whatever may be the ultimate fate of this poem-whether it take sufficient hold of
the public mind to satisfy that demand for a translation of Homer which we have alluded
to, and thus become a permanent classic of the language, or whether it give place to the still
more perfect production of some yet unknown poet-it must equally be considered a
splendid performance; and for the present we have no hesitation in saying that it is by
far the best representation of Homer's Iliad in the English language."
AM1ERICAN NOTICES.
The Publisher8' Circular ays:-At the advanced age of sixty-five, the Earl of Derby,
leader of the Tory party in England, has published a translation of Homer, in blank
verse. Nearly all the London critics un.te in declaring with T'he Times,' "that it is by
far the best representation of Homer's'Iliad' in the English language."  His purpose
was to produce a translation, and not a paraphrase-fairly and honestly giving the sense
of every passage and of every line. Without doubt the greatest of all living British orators,
he has now shown high poetic power as well as great scholarship.
From the New York'World:-"The reader of English, who seeks to know  what
Homer really was, and in what fashion he thought and felt and wrote, will owe to
Lord Derby his first honest opportunity of doing so. The Earl's translation is devoid alike of
pretension and of prettiness. It is aninated in movement, simple and representative
in phraseology, breezy in atmosphere, if we may so speak, and pervaded by a refinement
of tastI which is as far removed from daintiness or effeminacy as can well be imagined."
Copies sent by mail, post paid, on receipt of price.