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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
242
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,
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.
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