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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
71
The
mechanical
difficulties
removed,
and
the
insulation
provided,
there
remained
yet
the
great
scientific
problem:
Could
a
message
be
sent
two
thousand
miles
under
the
Atlantic?
The
ingenuity
of
man
might
devise
some
method
of
laying
a
cable
across
the
sea,
but
of
what
use
were
it,
if
the
electric
current
should
shrink
from
the
dark
abyss?
It
was
in
prosecuting
inquiries
to
resolve
this
problem,
that
Mr.
Field
became
acquainted
with
two
gentlemen
who
were
to
be
soon
after
associated
with
him
in
the
organization
of
the
Atlantic
Telegraph
Company.
These
were
Mr.
Charles
T.
Bright,
afterward
knighted
for
his
part
in
laying
the
Atlantic
cable
in
1858,
and
Dr.
Edward
O.
Whitehouse,
both
well
known
in
England,
the
former
as
an
engineer,
and
the
latter
for
his
experiments
in
electro-magnetism,
as
applied
to
the
business
of
telegraphing.
He
had
invented
an
instrument
by
which
to
ascertain
and
register
the
velocity
of
electric
currents
through
submarine
cables.
Both
these
gentlemen
were
full
of
the
ardor
of
science,
and
entered
on
this
new
project
with
the
zeal
which
the
prospect
of
so
great
a
triumph
might
inspire.
With
them
was
now
to
be
associated
our
distinguished
countryman,
Professor
Morse.
Fortunately
he
was
at
this
time
in
London,
and
gave
his
invaluable
aid
to
the
experiments
which
were
made
to
determine
the
possibility
of
telegraphic
communication
at
great
distances
under
the
sea.
The
result
of
his
experiments
he
communicates
in
a
letter
to
Mr.
Field:
"London,
Five
o'clock
A.M.,
"October
3,
1856.
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