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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
331
Feeling
something
at
the
end
of
the
rope,
they
began
to
haul
in,
but
slowly
at
first,
as
an
expert
angler
decoys
a
big
fish
by
pulling
gently
on
the
line.
Watching
the
dynamometer,
they
saw
with
delight
the
strain
increase
with
every
hundred
fathoms.
Up
it
went
to
eight,
nine,
ten
tons!
They
had
caught
it,
and
no
mistake.
In
about
five
hours
they
had
drawn
it
up
to
within
a
thousand
fathoms
of
the
top
of
the
water,
where
it
hung
suspended
from
the
ship.
But
now
came
the
critical
point,
for
as
it
approached
the
surface
the
danger
of
breaking
increased
every
moment.
It
required
delicate
handling.
To
make
sure
this
time,
the
Great
Eastern
buoyed
the
cable,
and
moved
off
two
or
three
miles
to
take
a
fresh
gripe
in
a
new
place;
and
having
got
a
double
hold,
the
Medway,
which
was
two
miles
further
to
the
west,
was
ordered
to
grapple
for
it
also;
and
having
caught
it,
to
heave
up
with
all
force,
till
she
should
bring
it
on
board
or
break
it.
This
was
done,
and
the
old
cable
brought
up
within
three
hundred
fathoms,
and
there
broken.
This
at
once
lightened
the
strain
and
gave
them
an
end
to
pull
upon,
whereupon
the
Great
Eastern,
having
a
lighter
weight
on
the
rope,
drew
up
again,
but
still
gently,
watching
the
strain,
lest
the
cable
should
break.
These
operations
were
very
slow,
and
lasted
many
weary
hours.
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