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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
248
To
complete
this
organization
and
equipment
caused
such
delays
as
excited
the
impatience
of
all
on
board.
But
at
length,
when
midsummer
had
fully
come--at
noon
of
Saturday,
July
fifteenth--the
song
of
the
sailors
sounded
the
chant
du
depart.
The
Great
Eastern
was
then
lying
at
the
Nore,
and
she
seemed
to
cling
to
the
English
soil
which
she
had
griped
with
a
huge
Trotman
weighing
seven
tons,
held
fast
by
a
chain
whereof
every
link
weighed
seventy
pounds!
To
wrench
this
ponderous
anchor
from
its
bed
required
the
united
strength
of
near
two
hundred
men.
At
last
the
bottom
lets
go
its
hold,
the
anchor
swings
to
the
bow,
the
gun
is
fired,
and
the
voyage
is
begun.
A
fleet
of
yachts
and
boats
raise
their
cheers
as
the
mighty
hull
begins
to
move.
But
mark
how
carefully
she
feels
her
way,
following
the
lead
of
yonder
little
steamer,
the
Porcupine,
the
same
faithful
guide
that
seven
years
before
led
the
Niagara
up
Trinity
Bay
one
night
when
the
faint
light
of
stars
twinkled
on
all
the
surrounding
hills.
Slowly
they
near
the
sea.
Now
the
cliffs
of
Dover
are
in
sight,
and
bidding
her
escort
adieu,
the
Great
Eastern
glides
along
by
the
beautiful
Isle
of
Wight,
and
then
quickening
her
speed,
with
a
royal
sweep,
she
moves
down
the
Channel.
Off
Falmouth
she
picked
up
the
Caroline,
a
small
steamer,
which
had
left
several
days
before
with
the
shore
end
on
board.
She
was
laboring
heavily
with
her
burden,
and
made
little
headway
in
the
rough
waves.
But
the
Great
Eastern
took
her
in
tow,
and
she
followed
like
a
ship's
boat
in
the
wake
of
the
monarch
of
the
seas.
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