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281
Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
74
The
Agamemnon,
a
British
man-of-war
fitted
out
for
the
purpose,
took
in
the
section
made
at
Greenwich,
and
the
Niagara,
an
American
warship,
that
made
at
Liverpool.
The
vessels
and
their
consorts
met
in
the
bay
of
Valentia
Island,
on
the
south-west
coast
of
Ireland,
where
on
August
5,
1857,
the
shore
end
of
the
cable
was
landed
from
the
Niagara.
It
was
a
memorable
scene.
The
ships
in
the
bay
were
dressed
in
bunting,
and
the
Lord
Lieutenant
of
Ireland
stood
on
the
beach,
attended
by
his
following,
to
receive
the
end
from
the
American
sailors.
Visitors
in
holiday
attire
collected
in
groups
to
watch
the
operations,
and
eagerly
joined
with
his
excellency
in
helping
to
pull
the
wire
ashore.
When
it
was
landed,
the
Reverend
Mr.
Day,
of
Kenmore,
offered
up
a
prayer,
asking
the
Almighty
to
prosper
the
undertaking,
Next
day
the
expedition
sailed;
but
ere
the
Niagara
had
proceeded
five
miles
on
her
way
the
shore-end
parted,
and
the
repairing
of
it
delayed
the
start
for
another
day.
At
first
the
Niagara
went
slowly
ahead
to
avoid
a
mishap,
but
as
the
cable
ran
out
easily
she
increased
her
speed.
The
night
fell,
but
hardly
a
soul
slept.
The
utmost
vigilance
was
maintained
throughout
the
vessel.
Apart
from
the
noise
of
the
paying-out
machinery,
there
was
an
awful
stillness
on
board.
Men
walked
about
with
a
muffled
step,
or
spoke
in
whispers,
as
if
they
were
afraid
the
sound
of
their
voices
would
break
the
slender
line.
It
seemed
as
though
a
great
and
valued
friend
lay
at
the
point
of
death.
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