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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
295
The
cable
crew
set
to
work
under
their
chief
engineer's
instructions
to
disentangle
it.
Mr.
Halpin
was
there
too,
patiently
following
the
bights
as
they
showed
themselves;
the
crew
now
passing
them
forward,
now
aft,
until
at
last
the
character
of
the
tangle
was
seen,
and
soon
it
became
apparent
that
ere
long
the
cable
would
be
cleared.
All
this
time
Captain
Anderson
was
at
the
taffrail
anxiously
watching
the
strain
on
the
rope,
which
he
could
scarcely
make
out,
the
night
was
so
dark,
and
endeavoring
to
keep
it
up
and
down,
going
on
and
reversing
with
paddle
and
screw.
When
one
reflects
for
a
moment
upon
the
size
of
the
ship,
and
the
enormous
mass
she
presents
to
the
wind,
the
difficulty
of
keeping
her
stern,
under
the
circumstances,
over
the
cable,
can
be
appreciated.
The
port
paddle-wheel
was
disconnected;
but
shortly
afterward
there
was
a
shift
of
wind,
and
the
vessel
canted
the
wrong
way.
Welcome
voices
were
now
heard
passing
the
word
aft
from
the
tank
that
the
bights
were
cleared,
and
to
pay
out.
Then
the
huge
stoppers
were
gently
loosened,
and
at
five
minutes
past
two
A.M.,
to
the
joy
of
all,
we
were
once
more
discharging
the
cable.
They
veered
it
away
in
the
tank
to
clear
away
the
foul
flake
until
three
A.M.,
when
the
screw
and
paddle
engines
were
slowed
so
as
to
reduce
the
speed
of
the
ship
to
four
and
a
half
knots.
During
all
this
critical
time
there
was
an
entire
absence
of
noise
and
confusion.
Every
order
was
silently
obeyed,
and
the
cable
men
and
crew
worked
with
hearty
good-will.
Mr.
Canning
has
had
experience
of
foul
flakes
before,
and
showed
that
he
knew
what
to
do
in
the
emergency.
But
what
of
the
electrical
condition
of
the
cable
during
this
period?
Simply,
that
through
its
entire
length
it
was
perfect."
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