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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
190
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
from
the
Battery
to
the
Crystal
Palace,
which
stood
on
the
plot
of
ground
now
known
as
Bryant
Park,
between
Fortieth
and
Forty-second
streets.
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
'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
Spain
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.
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