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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
157
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
course,
while
all
hoped
for
success,
no
one
dared
to
expect
it.
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
English
ship
had
the
same
relief
from
anxiety.
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
it
was
soon
explained.
The
mass
of
iron
in
the
ship
had
affected
the
compass,
so
that
it
no
longer
pointed
to
the
right
quarter
of
the
heavens.
Had
the
Niagara
been
alone
on
the
ocean,
this
might
have
caused
serious
trouble.
But
now
appeared
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
computing
the
distance--by
log
and
by
observation--nearly
coincided,
and
the
ship
varied
scarcely
a
mile
from
her
course
till
she
entered
Trinity
Bay.
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