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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
327
The
appearance
of
the
cable
woke
a
tremendous
hurrah
from
all
on
board.
They
cheered
as
English
sailors
are
apt
to
cheer
when
the
flag
of
an
enemy
is
struck
in
battle.
But
their
exultation
came
too
soon.
The
strain
on
the
cable
was
already
mounting
up
to
a
dangerous
point.
Capt.
Anderson
and
Mr.
Canning
were
standing
on
the
bow,
and
saw
that
the
strands
were
going.
They
hastened
men
to
its
relief,
but
it
was
too
late.
Before
they
could
put
stoppers
on
it
to
hold
it,
it
broke
close
to
the
grapnel,
and
sunk
to
the
bottom.
It
had
been
in
sight
but
just
five
minutes,
and
was
gone.
Instantly
the
feeling
of
exultation
was
turned
to
one
of
disappointment,
and
almost
of
rage,
at
the
treacherous
monster,
that
lifted
up
its
snaky
head
from
the
sea,
as
if
to
mock
its
captors,
and
instantly
dived
to
the
silence
and
darkness
below.
It
was
a
cruel
disappointment.
Yet
when
they
came
to
think
soberly,
there
was
no
cause
for
despair,
but
rather
for
new
confidence
and
hope.
They
had
proved
what
they
could
do.
But
this
detained
them
in
the
middle
of
the
Atlantic
for
two
weeks
more.
It
were
idle
to
relate
all
the
attempts
of
those
two
weeks.
Every
day
brought
its
excitement.
Whenever
the
grapnel
caught,
there
was
a
suspense
of
many
hours
till
it
was
brought
on
board.
Several
times
they
seemed
on
the
point
of
success.
Two
days
after
that
fatal
Friday,
on
Sunday,
August
19th,
they
caught
the
cable
again,
and
brought
it
up
within
a
thousand
fathoms
of
the
ship,
and
buoyed
it.
But
Monday
and
Tuesday
were
too
rough
for
work,
and
all
their
labor
was
in
vain.
Thus
it
was
a
constant
battle
with
the
elements.
Sometimes
the
wind
blew
fiercely
and
drove
them
off
their
course.
Sometimes
the
buoys
broke
adrift
and
had
to
be
pursued
and
taken.
Once
or
twice
the
boatswain's
mate--a
brave
fellow,
by
the
name
of
Thornton--was
lowered
in
ropes
over
the
bow
of
the
ship
and
let
down
astride
of
a
buoy;
and
though
it
spun
round
with
him
like
a
top,
and
his
life
was
in
danger,
he
held
on
and
fastened
a
chain
to
it,
by
which
it
was
swung
on
board.
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