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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
130
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.
The
stern
of
the
ship
was
down
in
the
trough
of
the
sea,
and
as
it
rose
upward
on
the
swell,
the
tension
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
position
is
very
clearly
stated
by
Mr.
Field
in
a
letter
to
one
of
his
family,
which
shows
how
his
own
courage
survived
the
great
disaster:--
"H.
M.
Steamer
Leopard,
Thursday,
August
13,
1857.
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