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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
131
"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
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
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.
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