Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
322
With
such
preparations,
let
us
see
how
all
this
science
and
seamanship
and
engineering
are
applied.
The
ships
are
now
all
together
in
the
middle
of
the
Atlantic.
The
first
point
is
achieved.
They
have
found
the
place
where
the
broken
cable
lies--they
have
laid
their
hands
on
the
bottom
of
the
ocean
and
"felt
of
it,"
and
know
that
it
is
there.
The
next
thing
is
to
draw
a
line
over
it,
to
mark
its
course,
for
in
fogs
and
dark
nights
it
cannot
be
traced
by
observations.
The
watery
line
is
therefore
marked
by
a
series
of
buoys
a
few
miles
apart,
which
are
held
in
position
by
heavy
mushroom-anchors,
let
down
to
the
bottom
by
a
huge
buoy-rope,
which
is
fastened
at
the
top
by
a
heavy
chain.
Each
buoy
is
numbered,
and
has
on
the
top
a
long
staff
with
a
flag,
and
a
black
ball
over
it,
which
can
be
seen
at
a
distance.
Thus
the
ships,
ranging
around
in
a
circuit
of
many
miles,
can
keep
in
sight
this
chain
of
sentinels.
The
buoy
which
marks
the
spot
where
they
wish
to
grapple
has
also
a
lantern
placed
upon
it
at
night,
which
gleams
afar
upon
the
ocean.
Having
thus
fixed
their
bearings,
the
Great
Eastern
stands
off,
north
or
south
according
to
the
wind
or
current,
three
or
four
miles
from
where
the
cable
lies,
and
then,
casting
over
the
grapnel,
drifts
slowly
down
upon
the
line,
as
ships
going
into
action
reef
their
sails,
and
drift
under
the
enemy's
guns.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
