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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
255
But
at
length
the
ship's
head
was
brought
round,
and
the
end
of
the
cable
lifted
over
the
bow,
and
grasped
by
the
pulling-in
machine,
and
the
engine
began
to
puff
with
the
labor
of
raising
the
cable
from
the
depths
of
the
ocean.
Fortunately
they
were
only
in
four
or
five
hundred
fathoms
water,
so
that
the
strain
was
not
great.
But
the
engine
worked
poorly,
and
the
operation
was
very
slow.
With
the
best
they
could
do,
it
was
impossible
to
raise
more
than
a
mile
an
hour!
But
patience
and
courage,
though
it
should
take
all
day
and
all
night![B]
The
Great
Eastern
did
her
duty
well,
steaming
slowly
back
toward
Ireland,
while
the
engine
pulled,
and
the
cable
came
up,
though
reluctantly,
from
the
sea,
till
on
Tuesday
morning
at
seven
o'clock,
when
they
had
hauled
in
a
little
over
ten
miles,
the
cause
of
offence
was
brought
on
board.
It
was
found
to
be
a
small
piece
of
wire,
not
longer
than
a
needle,
that
by
some
accident
(for
they
did
not
then
suspect
a
design)
had
been
driven
through
the
outer
cover
of
the
cable
till
it
touched
the
core.
There
was
the
source
of
all
the
mischief.
It
was
this
pin's
point
which
pricked
the
vital
cord,
opening
a
minute
passage
through
which
the
electricity,
like
a
jet
of
blood
from
a
pierced
artery,
went
streaming
into
the
sea.
It
was
with
an
almost
angry
feeling,
as
if
to
punish
it
for
its
intrusion,
that
this
insignificant
and
contemptible
source
of
trouble
was
snatched
from
its
place,
the
wounded
piece
of
cable
was
cut
off,
and
a
splice
made
and
the
work
of
paying
out
renewed.
But
it
was
four
o'clock
in
the
afternoon
of
Tuesday
before
they
were
ready
to
resume
the
voyage.
A
full
day
and
a
half
had
been
lost
by
this
miserable
piece
of
wire.
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