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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
328
The
continued
bad
weather
was
the
chief
obstacle
to
success.
Engineers
had
often
grappled
for
cables
in
the
North
Sea
and
the
Mediterranean;
but
there
they
could
look
for
at
least
a
few
days
when
the
sea
would
be
at
rest;
but
in
the
Atlantic
it
was
impossible
to
calculate
on
good
weather
for
twenty-four
hours.
For
nearly
four
weeks
that
they
were
at
sea,
they
had
hardly
four
days
of
clear
sunshine,
without
wind.
Often
the
ocean
was
covered
with
a
driving
mist,
and
the
ships,
groping
about
like
blind
giants,
kept
blowing
their
shrill
fog-trumpets,
or
firing
guns,
as
signals
to
their
companions
that
they
were
still
there.
Occasionally
the
sun
shone
out
from
the
clouds,
and
gave
them
hope
of
better
success.
Once
or
twice
we
find
in
the
private
journal
kept
by
Mr.
Field,
that
it
was
"too
calm;"
there
was
not
wind
enough
to
drift
the
ship
over
the
cable,
so
that
the
rope
hung
up
and
down
from
the
bow,
without
dragging.
One
Sunday
night
he
remembered,
when
the
deep
was
hushed
to
a
Sabbath
stillness,
the
moon
was
shining
brightly,
and
the
ships
floating
over
a
"sea
of
glass,"
that
suggested
thoughts
of
a
better
world
than
this.
Such
times
gave
them
fresh
hopes,
that
might
be
disappointed
on
the
morrow.
Once,
however,
the
Albany,
which
had
been
off
a
few
miles
fishing
on
its
own
hook,
suddenly
appeared
in
the
night,
reporting
a
victory.
All
on
board
the
Great
Eastern
were
startled
by
the
firing
of
guns.
It
was
a
little
after
midnight,
and
Mr.
Field
had
gone
below,
worn
out
with
the
long
suspense
and
anxiety,
when
Captain
Anderson
came
rushing
to
his
stateroom
with
tidings
that
the
cable
was
recovered!
Both
hurried
on
deck,
and
sure
enough
there
was
the
Albany
bearing
down
upon
them,
with
her
crew
cheering
in
the
wildest
manner.
The
gallant
Temple
had
conquered
at
last.
But
the
next
morning
brought
a
fresh
disappointment.
They
had
indeed
got
hold
of
the
cable,
and
brought
its
end
on
board,
and
afterward
buoyed
it,
but
when
the
Great
Eastern
went
for
it,
it
proved
to
be
only
a
fragment
some
two
miles
long,
which
had
been
broken
off
in
one
of
the
previous
grapplings.
However,
they
hauled
it
in,
and
kept
it
with
pride,
as
their
first
trophy
from
the
sea.
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