Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
66
CHAPTER
VI.
THE
WORK
BEGUN
IN
ENGLAND.
Up
to
this
time
the
Telegraph,
which
was
destined
to
pass
the
sea,
had
been
purely
an
American
enterprise.
It
had
been
begun,
and
for
over
two
years
had
been
carried
on,
wholly
by
American
capital.
"Our
little
company,"
said
Mr.
Field
ten
years
after,
"raised
and
expended
over
a
million
and
a
quarter
of
dollars
before
an
Englishman
paid
a
single
pound
sterling."
Mr.
Brett
was
the
first
one
to
take
a
few
shares.
But
this
was
not
to
the
discredit
of
England,
for
the
American
public
had
done
no
better.
Not
a
dollar
had
been
raised
this
side
the
Atlantic,
outside
of
the
little
circle
in
which
the
scheme
had
its
origin.
No
stock
or
bonds
were
put
upon
the
market;
no
man
was
asked
for
a
subscription.
If
they
wanted
money,
they
drew
their
checks
for
it.
At
one
time,
indeed,
two
hundred
and
fifty
thousand
dollars
of
bonds
were
issued,
but
they
were
at
once
taken
wholly
by
themselves.
But,
as
the
time
was
now
come
when
the
long-meditated
attempt
was
to
be
made
to
carry
the
Telegraph
across
the
ocean,
it
was
fitting
that
Great
Britain,
whose
shores
it
was
to
touch,
should
join
in
the
work.
Accordingly,
in
the
summer
of
1856,
after
finishing
all
that
he
could
do
in
America,
Mr.
Field
sailed
with
his
family
for
England.
The
very
day
before
he
embarked,
he
had
the
pleasure
to
see
his
friend,
Lieutenant
Berryman,
off
on
his
second
voyage
to
make
soundings
across
the
Atlantic.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
