THE EXPEDITION OF 1857.
Scarcely was the business with the American Government completed, before
Mr. Field was recalled to England. Once more upon the waves, he forgot
the long delay and the vexatious opposition which he left behind--the
fogs of Newfoundland, and the denser fogs of Washington. He was bound
for England, and there at least the work did not stand still. All winter
long the wheels of the machinery had kept in motion. The cable was
uncoiling its mighty folds to a length sufficient to span the Atlantic,
and at last there was hope of victory.
Although the United States Government had seemed a little ungracious in
its delay, it yet rendered, this year and the next, most important
service. Already it had prepared the way, by the deep-sea soundings,
which it was the first to take across the Atlantic. It now rendered
additional and substantial aid in lending to this enterprise the two
finest ships in the American navy--the Niagara and the Susquehanna. The
former was built some dozen years before by George Steers--a name
celebrated among our marine architects as the constructor of the famous
yacht America, that "racehorse of the sea," which had crossed the
Atlantic, and carried off the prize in the British Channel from the
yachts of England--and was designed to be a model of naval architecture.
She was the largest steam-frigate in the world, exceeding in tonnage the
heaviest line-of-battle ship in the English navy, and yet so finely
modelled that, propelled only by a screw, she could make ten or twelve
miles an hour. Notwithstanding her bulk, she was intended to carry but
twelve guns--being one of the first ships in our navy to substitute a
few heavy Dahlgrens for half a dozen times as many fifty-six-pounders.
This was the beginning of that revolution in naval warfare, which was
carried to such extent in the Monitors and other ironclads introduced in
our civil war. Each gun weighed fourteen tons--requiring a crew of
twenty-five men to wield it--and threw a shell of one hundred and thirty
pounds a distance of three miles. One or two broadsides from such a deck
would sink an old-fashioned seventy-four, or even a ninety or
hundred-gun ship.
But as the Niagara was now to go on an errand of peace, this formidable
armament was not taken on board. She was built with what is known as a
flush deck, clear from stem to stern, and being without her guns, was
left free for the more peaceful burden that she was to bear. When the
orders were received from Washington, she was lying at the Brooklyn
Navy-Yard, but began immediately to prepare for her expedition.
Bulkheads were knocked down, above and below, to make room for the huge
monster of the deep that was to be coiled within her sides. These
preparations occupied four or five weeks. On the twenty-second of April,
she made a trial trip down the bay, and two days after sailed for
England, in command of Captain William L. Hudson, one of the oldest and
best officers in our navy, who, to his past services to his country, was
now to add another in the expeditions of this and the following year. He
had with him as Chief Engineer Mr. William E. Everett, whose mechanical
genius proved so important in constructing the paying-out machinery.
Besides the regular ship's crew, no one was received on board except Mr.
Field and Professor Morse, who went as the electrician of the
Newfoundland Company; and two officers of the Russian navy--Captain
Schwartz and Lieutenant Kolobnin--who were permitted by our Government,
as an act of national courtesy, to go out to witness the great
experiment. The regulations of the navy did not admit correspondents of
the press; but Professor Morse was permitted to take a secretary, and
chose Mr. Mullaly, who reported for the New York Herald, and who had
thus an opportunity to witness all the preparations on land and sea, and
to furnish those minute and detailed accounts of the several
expeditions, which contribute some important chapters in the history of
this enterprise.
The Niagara arrived out on the fourteenth of May, and cast anchor off
Gravesend, about twenty-five miles below London. As it was the first
time--at least for many years--that an American ship of war had appeared
in the Thames, this fact, with her fine proportions and the object for
which she came, attracted a crowd of visitors. Every day, from morning
to night, a fleet of boats was around her, and men and women thronged
over her sides. Everybody was welcome. All were received with the utmost
courtesy, and allowed access to all parts of the ship. Among these were
many visitors of distinction. Here came Lady Franklin to thank the
generous nation that had sent two expeditions to recover her husband
lost amid Polar seas. She was, of course, the object of general
attention and respectful sympathy.
While lying in the Thames, the Agamemnon, that was to take the other
half of the cable, passed up the river. This was a historical ship,
having borne the flag of the British admiral at the bombardment of
Sebastopol, and distinguished herself by steaming up within a few
hundred yards of the guns of the fortress. After passing through the
fires of that terrible day, she was justly an object of pride to
Britons, whose hearts swelled as they saw this oak-ribbed leviathan,
that had come "out of the gates of death, out of the jaws of hell," now
preparing to take part in achievements of peace, not less glorious than
those of war. She was under command of Captain Noddal, of the Royal
Navy.
As the Agamemnon came up the river in grand style, she recognized the
Niagara lying off Gravesend, and manning her yards, gave her a
succession of those English hurras so stirring to the blood, when heard
on land or sea, to which our tars replied with lusty American cheers. It
was pleasant to observe, from this time, the hearty good-will that
existed between the officers and crews of the two ships, who in their
exertions for the common object, were animated only by a generous
rivalry.
A few days after, the Niagara was joined by the Susquehanna, Captain
Sands, which had been ordered from the Mediterranean to take part also
in the expedition. She was a fit companion ship, being the largest
side-wheel steamer in our navy, as the other was the largest propeller.
Both together, they were worthy representatives of the American navy.
When the Niagara arrived in the Thames, it was supposed she would take
on board her half of the cable from the manufactory of Glass, Elliot &
Co., at Greenwich; but on account of her great length, it was difficult
to bring her up alongside the wharf in front of the works. This was
therefore left to the Agamemnon, while the Niagara was ordered around
to Liverpool, to take the other half from the works of Newall & Co., at
Birkenhead, opposite that city. Accordingly she left Gravesend on the
fifth of June, and reached Portsmouth the next day, where she remained a
fortnight, to have some further alterations to fit her to receive the
cable. Although she had been already pretty well "scooped out," fore and
aft, the cry was still for room. Officers had to shift for themselves,
as their quarters were swept away to make a wider berth for their iron
guest. But all submitted with excellent grace. Like true sailors, they
took it gayly as if they were only clearing the decks for battle. Among
other alterations for safety, was a framework or cage of iron, which was
put over the stern of the ship, to keep the cable from getting entangled
in the screw. As soon as these were completed, the Niagara left for
Liverpool, and on the twenty-second of June cast anchor in the Mersey.
Here she attracted as much attention as in the Thames, being crowded
with visitors during the week; and on Sundays, when none were received
on board, the river-boats sought to gratify public curiosity by sailing
round her. The officers of the ship were objects of constant
hospitality, both from private citizens and from the public authorities.
The Mayor of Liverpool gave them a dinner, the Chamber of Commerce
another, while the Americans in Liverpool entertained them on the fourth
of July--the first public celebration of our national anniversary ever
had in that city.
But while these festivities were kept up on shore, hard work was done on
board the ship. To coil thirteen hundred miles of cable was an immense
undertaking. Yet it was all done by the sailors themselves. No
compulsion was used, and none was needed. No sooner was there a call for
volunteers, than men stepped forward in greater numbers than could be
employed. Out of these were chosen one hundred and twenty stalwart
fellows, who were divided into two gangs of sixty men, and each gang
into watches of thirty, which relieved each other, and all went to work
with such enthusiasm, that in three weeks the herculean task was
completed. The event was celebrated by a final dinner given by the
shareholders of the Atlantic Telegraph Company in Liverpool to Captain
Hudson and Captain Sands of the Susquehanna, whose arrival in the Mersey
enabled them to extend their hospitalities to the officers of both
ships.
While the Niagara was thus doing her part, the same scene was repeated
on board the Agamemnon, which was still lying in the Thames. There the
work was completed about the same day, and the occasion duly honored by
a scene as unique as it was beautiful. Says the London Times of July
twenty-fourth:
"All the details connected with the manufacture and stowage of
the cable are now completed, and the conclusion of the arduous
labor was celebrated yesterday with high festivity and
rejoicing. All the artisans who have been engaged upon the
great work, with their wives and families, a large party of the
officers, with the sailors from the Agamemnon, and a number of
distinguished scientific visitors, were entertained upon this
occasion at a kind of _fete champetre_ at Belvidere House, the
seat of Sir Culling Eardley, near Erith. The festival was held
in the beautiful park which had been obligingly opened by Sir
Culling Eardley for the purpose. Although in no way personally
interested in the project, the honorable baronet has all along
evinced the liveliest sympathy with the undertaking, and
himself proposed to have the completion of the work celebrated
in his picturesque grounds. The manufacturers, fired with
generous emulation, erected spacious tents on the lawn, and
provided a magnificent banquet for the guests, and a
substantial one for the sailors of the Agamemnon and the
artificers who had been employed in the construction of the
cable. By an admirable arrangement, the guests were
accommodated at a vast semi-circular table, which ran round the
whole pavilion, while the sailors and workmen sat at a number
of long tables arranged at right angles with the chord, so that
the general effect was that all dined together, while at the
same time sufficient distinction was preserved to satisfy the
most fastidious. The three centre tables were occupied by the
crew of the Agamemnon, a fine, active body of young men, who
paid the greatest attention to the speeches, and drank all the
toasts with an admirable punctuality, at least so long as their
three pints of beer per man lasted; but we regret to add that,
what with the heat of the day and the enthusiasm of Jack in the
cause of science, the mugs were all empty long before the
chairman's list of toasts had been gone through. Next in
interest to the sailors were the workmen and their wives and
babies, all being permitted to assist at the great occasion.
The latter, it is true, sometimes squalled at an affecting
peroration, but that rather improved the effect than otherwise,
and the presence of these little ones only marked the genuine
good feeling of the employers, who had thus invited not only
their workmen, but their workmen's families to the feast. It
was a momentary return to the old patriarchal times, and every
one present seemed delighted with the experiment."
Speeches were made by Sir Culling Eardley, by Mr. Cardwell, of the House
of Commons, Mr. Brooking, one of the Directors, by Professor Morse, and
others. Mr. Field read a letter from President Buchanan, saying that he
should feel honored if the first message should be one from Queen
Victoria to himself, and that he "would endeavor to answer it in a
spirit and manner becoming a great occasion."
Thus, labor and feasting being ended, the Niagara and the Susquehanna
left Liverpool the latter part of July and steamed down St. George's
Channel to Queenstown, which was to be the rendezvous of the telegraphic
squadron, where they were joined by the Agamemnon and the Leopard, which
was to be her consort. The former, as she entered the harbor, came to
anchor about a third of a mile from the Niagara. The presence of the two
ships which had the cable on board, gave an opportunity which the
electricians had desired to test its integrity. Accordingly one end of
each cable was carried to the opposite ship, and so joined as to form a
continuous length of twenty-five hundred miles, both ends of which were
on board the Agamemnon. One end was then connected with the apparatus
for transmitting the electric current, and on a sensitive galvanometer
being attached to the other end, the whole cable was tested from end to
end, and found to be perfect. These experiments were continued for two
days with the same result. This inspired fresh hopes for the success of
the expedition, and in high spirits they bore away for the harbor of
Valentia.
It had been for some time a matter of discussion, where they should
begin to lay the cable, whether from the coast of Ireland, or in
mid-ocean, the two ships making the junction there, and dropping it to
the bottom of the sea, and then parting, one to the east and the other
to the west, till they landed their ends on the opposite shores of the
Atlantic. This was the plan adopted the following year, and which
finally proved successful. It was the one preferred by the engineers
now, but the electricians favored the other course, and their counsel
prevailed. It was therefore decided to submerge the whole cable in a
continuous line from Valentia Bay to Newfoundland. The Niagara was to
lay the first half from Ireland to the middle of the Atlantic; the end
would then be joined to the other half on board the Agamemnon, which
would take it on to the coast of Newfoundland. During the whole process
the four vessels were to remain together and give whatever assistance
was required. While it was being laid down, messages were to be sent
back to Valentia, reporting each day of progress.
As might be supposed, the mustering of such a fleet of ships, and the
busy note of preparation which had been heard for weeks, produced a
great sensation in this remote part of Ireland. The people from far and
near, gathered on the hills and looked on in silent wonder.
To add to the dignity of the occasion, the Lord Lieutenant came down
from Dublin to witness the departure of the expedition. No one could
have been better fitted to represent his own country, and to command
audience from ours. The Earl of Carlisle--better known among us as Lord
Morpeth--had travelled in the United States a few years before, and
shown himself one of the most intelligent and liberal foreigners that
have visited America. No representative of England could on that day
have stood upon the shores of Ireland, and stretched out his hand to his
kindred beyond the sea with more assurance that his greeting would be
warmly responded to. And never did one speak more aptly words of wisdom
and of peace. We read them still with admiration for their beauty and
their eloquence, and with an interest more tender but more sad, that
this great and good man--the true friend of his own country and of
ours--has gone to his grave. To quote his own words is the best tribute
to his memory, and will do more than any eulogy to keep it fresh and
green in the hearts of Americans. On his arrival at Valentia, he was
entertained by the Knight of Kerry at one of those public breakfasts so
much in fashion in England, at which in response to a toast in his
honor, after making his personal acknowledgments, he said:
"I believe, as your worthy chairman has already hinted, that I
am probably the first Lieutenant of Ireland who ever appeared
upon this lovely strand. At all events, no Lord Lieutenant
could have come amongst you on an occasion like the present.
Amidst all the pride and the stirring hopes which cluster
around the work of this week, we ought still to remember that
we must speak with the modesty of those who begin and not of
those who close an experiment, and it behooves us to remember
that the pathway to great achievements has frequently to be
hewn out amidst risks and difficulties, and that preliminary
failure is even the law and condition of the ultimate success.
Therefore, whatever disappointments may possibly be in store, I
must yet insinuate to you that in a cause like this it would be
criminal to feel discouragement. In the very design and
endeavor to establish the Atlantic Telegraph there is almost
enough of glory. It is true if it be only an attempt there
would not be quite enough of profit. I hope that will come,
too; but there is enough of public spirit, of love for science,
for our country, for the human race, almost to suffice in
themselves. However, upon this rocky frontlet of Ireland, at
all events, to-day we will presume upon success. We are about,
either by this sundown or by to-morrow's dawn, to establish a
new material link between the Old World and the New. Moral
links there have been--links of race, links of commerce, links
of friendship, links of literature, links of glory; but this,
our new link, instead of superseding and supplanting the old
ones, is to give a life and an intensity which they never had
before. Highly as I value the reputations of those who have
conceived, and those who have contributed to carry out this
bright design--and I wish that so many of them had not been
unavoidably prevented from being amongst us at this
moment[A]--highly as I estimate their reputation, yet I do not
compliment them with the idea that they are to efface or dim
the glory of that Columbus, who, when the large vessels in the
harbor of Cork yesterday weighed their anchors, did so on that
very day three hundred and sixty-five years ago--it would have
been called in Hebrew writ a year of years--and set sail upon
his glorious enterprise of discovery. They, I say, will not dim
or efface his glory, but they are now giving the last finish
and consummation to his work. Hitherto the inhabitants of the
two worlds have associated perhaps in the chilling atmosphere
of distance with each other--a sort of bowing distance; but now
we can be hand to hand, grasp to grasp, pulse to pulse. The
link, which is now to connect us, like the insect in the
immortal couplet of our poet:
While exquisitely fine,
Feels at each thread and lives along the line.
And we may feel, gentlemen of Ireland, of England, and of
America, that we may take our stand here upon the extreme
rocky edge of our beloved Ireland; we may, as it were, leave
in our rear behind us the wars, the strifes, and the bloodshed
of the elder Europe, and of the elder Asia; and we may pledge
ourselves, weak as our agency may be, imperfect as our powers
may be, inadequate in strict diplomatic form as our credentials
may be, yet, in the face of the unparalleled circumstances, of
the place and the hour, in the immediate neighborhood of the
mighty vessels whose appearance may be beautiful upon the
waters, even as are the feet upon the mountains of those who
preach the Gospel of peace--as an homage due to that serene
science which often affords higher and holier lessons of
harmony and good will than the wayward passions of man are
always apt to learn--in the face and in the strength of such
circumstances, let us pledge ourselves to eternal peace between
the Old World and the New."
While these greetings were exchanged on shore, only the smaller vessels
of the squadron had arrived. But in a few hours the great hulls of the
Niagara and the Agamemnon, followed by the Leopard and the Susquehanna,
were seen in the horizon, and soon they all cast anchor in the bay. As
the sun went down in the west, shining still on the other hemisphere
which they were going to seek, its last rays fell on an expedition more
suggestive and hopeful than any since that of Columbus from the shores
of Spain, and upon navigators not unworthy to be his followers.
The whole squadron was now assembled, and made gallant array. There were
present in the little harbor of Valentia seven ships--the stately
Niagara, which was to lay the half of the cable from Ireland, and her
consort, the Susquehanna, riding by her side; while floating the flag of
England, were the Agamemnon, which was appointed to lay the cable on the
American side, and her consort, the Leopard. Beside these high-decked
ships of war, the steamer Advice had come round to give, not merely
advice but lusty help in landing the cable at Valentia; and the little
steamer Willing Mind, with a zeal worthy of her name, was flying back
and forth between ship and shore, lending a hand wherever there was work
to be done; and the Cyclops, under the experienced command of Captain
Dayman, who had made the deep-sea soundings across the Atlantic only the
month before, here joined the squadron to lead the way across the deep.
This made five English ships, with but two American; but to keep up our
part, there were two more steamers on the other side of the sea, the
Arctic, under Lieutenant Berryman, and the Company's steamer Victoria,
to watch for the coming of the fleet off the coast of Newfoundland, and
help in landing the cable on the shores of the New World.
It was now Tuesday evening, the fourth of August, too late to undertake
the landing that night, but preparations were at once begun for it the
next morning. Said the correspondent of the Liverpool Post:
"The ships were visited in the course of the evening by the
Directors and others interested in the great undertaking, and
arrangements were immediately commenced on board the Niagara
for paying out the shore rope for conveyance to the mainland.
These arrangements were fully perfected by Wednesday morning;
but for some hours the state of the weather rendered it
doubtful whether operations could be safely proceeded with.
Toward the afternoon the breeze calmed down, and at two o'clock
it was decided that an effort should be made to land the cable
at once. The process of uncoiling into the small boats
commenced at half-past two, and the scene at this period was
grand and exciting in the highest degree.
"Valentia Bay was studded with innumerable small craft, decked
with the gayest bunting--small boats flitted hither and
thither, their occupants cheering enthusiastically as the work
successfully progressed. The cable-boats were managed by the
sailors of the Niagara and Susquehanna, and it was a
well-designed compliment, and indicative of the future
fraternization of the nations, that the shore rope was arranged
to be presented at this side the Atlantic to the representative
of the Queen, by the officers and men of the United States
navy, and that at the other side the British officers and
sailors should make a similar presentation to the President of
the Great Republic.
"From the main land the operations were watched with intense
interest. For several hours the Lord Lieutenant stood on the
beach, surrounded by his staff and the directors of the railway
and telegraph companies, waiting the arrival of the cable, and
when at length the American sailors jumped through the surge
with the hawser to which it was attached, his Excellency was
among the first to lay hold of it and pull it lustily to the
shore. Indeed every one present seemed desirous of having a
hand in the great work; and never before perhaps were there so
many willing assistants, at 'the long pull, the strong pull,
and the pull all together.'
"At half-past seven o'clock the cable was hauled on shore, and
formal presentation was made of it to the Lord Lieutenant by
Captain Pennock, of the Niagara; his Excellency expressing a
hope that the work so well begun would be carried to a
satisfactory completion."
The wire having been secured to a house on the beach, the Reverend Mr.
Day, of Kenmore, advanced and offered the following prayer:
"O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, and
rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the water with
bounds, till day and night come to an end; and whom the winds
and the sea obey; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, upon us
thy servants, who now approach the throne of grace; and let our
prayer ascend before thee with acceptance. Thou hast commanded
and encouraged us, in all our ways, to acknowledge thee, and to
commit our works to thee; and thou hast graciously promised to
direct our paths, and to prosper our handiwork. We desire now
to look up to thee; and believing that without thy help and
blessing, nothing can prosper or succeed, we humbly commit this
work, and all who are engaged in it, to thy care and guidance.
Let it please thee to grant to us thy servants wisdom and
power, to complete what we have been led by thy Providence to
undertake; that being begun and carried on in the spirit of
prayer, and in dependence upon thee, it may tend to thy glory:
and to the good of all nations, by promoting the increase of
unity, peace, and concord.
"Overrule, we pray thee, every obstacle, and remove every
difficulty which would prevent us from succeeding in this
important undertaking. Control the winds and the sea by thy
Almighty power, and grant us such favorable weather that we may
be enabled to lay the Cable safely and effectually. And may thy
hand of power and mercy be so acknowledged by all, that the
language of every heart may be, 'Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory,' that so thy name may be
hallowed and magnified in us and by us.
"Finally, we beseech thee to implant within us a spirit of
humility and childlike dependence upon thee; and teach us to
feel as well as to say, 'If the Lord will, we shall do this or
that.'
"Hear us, O Lord, and answer us in these our petitions,
according to thy precious promise, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen."
The Lord Lieutenant then spoke once more--words that amid such a scene
and at such an hour, sank into all hearts:
"My American, English, and Irish friends, I feel at such a
moment as this that no language of mine can be becoming except
that of prayer and praise. However, it is allowable to any
human lips, though they have not been specially qualified for
the office, to raise the ascription of 'Glory to God in the
highest; on earth peace, good-will to men.' That, I believe, is
the spirit in which this great work has been undertaken; and it
is this reflection that encourages me to feel confident hopes
in its final success. I believe that the great work now so
happily begun will accomplish many great and noble purposes of
trade, of national policy, and of empire. But there is only
one view in which I will present it to those whom I have the
pleasure to address. You are aware--you must know, some of you,
from your own experience--that many of your dear friends and
near relatives have left their native land to receive
hospitable shelter in America. Well, then, I do not expect that
all of you can understand the wondrous mechanism by which this
great undertaking is to be carried on. But this, I think, you
all of you understand. If you wished to communicate some piece
of intelligence straightway to your relatives across the wide
world of waters--if you wished to tell those whom you know it
would interest in their heart of hearts, of a birth, or a
marriage, or, alas, a death, among you, the little cord, which
we have now hauled up to the shore, will impart that tidings
quicker than the flash of the lightning. Let us indeed hope,
let us pray that the hopes of those who have set on foot this
great design, may be rewarded by its entire success; and let us
hope, further, that this Atlantic Cable will, in all future
time, serve as an emblem of that strong cord of love which I
trust will always unite the British islands to the great
continent of America. And you will join me in my fervent wish
that the Giver of all good, who has enabled some of his
servants to discern so much of the working of the mighty laws
by which he fills the universe, will further so bless this
wonderful work, as to make it even more to serve the high
purpose of the good of man, and tend to his great glory. And
now, all my friends, as there can be no project or undertaking
which ought not to receive the approbation and applause of the
people, will you join with me in giving three hearty cheers for
it? [Loud cheering.] Three cheers are not enough for me--they
are what we give on common occasions--and as it is for the
success of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, I must have at least
one dozen cheers. [Loud and protracted cheering.]"
Mr. Brooking, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Atlantic
Telegraph Company, then expressed the thanks which all felt to the Lord
Lieutenant for his presence on that occasion.
Then there were loud calls for Mr. Field. He could only answer:
"I have no words to express the feelings which fill my heart
to-night--it beats with love and affection for every man, woman
and child who hears me. I may say, however, that, if ever at
the other side of the waters now before us, any one of you
shall present himself at my door and say that he took hand or
part, even by an approving smile, in our work here to-day, he
shall have a true American welcome. I cannot bind myself to
more, and shall merely say: 'What God has joined together, let
not man put asunder.'"
Thus closed this most interesting scene. The Lord Lieutenant was obliged
to return at once to the capital. He therefore left, and posted that
night to Killarney, and the next day returned by special train to
Dublin, leaving the ships to complete the work so happily begun.
The landing of the cable took place on Wednesday, the fifth of August,
near the hour of sunset. As it was too late to proceed that evening, the
ships remained at anchor till the morning. They got under weigh at an
early hour, but were soon checked by an accident which detained them
another day. Before they had gone five miles, the heavy shore end of the
cable caught in the machinery and parted. The Niagara put back, and the
cable was "underrun" the whole distance. At length the end was lifted
out of the water and spliced to the gigantic coil, and as it dropped
safely to the bottom of the sea, the mighty ship began to stir. At first
she moved very slowly, not more than two miles an hour, to avoid the
danger of accident; but the feeling that they were at last away was
itself a relief. The ships were all in sight, and so near that they
could hear each other's bells. The Niagara, as if knowing that she was
bound for the land out of whose forests she came, bowed her head to the
waves, as her prow was turned toward her native shores.
Slowly passed the hours of that day. But all went well, and the ships
were moving out into the broad Atlantic. At length the sun went down in
the west, and stars came out on the face of the deep. But no man slept.
A thousand eyes were watching a great experiment as those who have a
personal interest in the issue. All through that night, and through the
anxious days and nights that followed, there was a feeling in every soul
on board, as if some dear friend were at the turning-point of life or
death, and they were watching beside him. There was a strange, unnatural
silence in the ship. Men paced the deck with soft and muffled tread,
speaking only in whispers, as if a loud voice or a heavy footfall might
snap the vital cord. So much had they grown to feel for the enterprise,
that the cable seemed to them like a human creature, on whose fate they
hung, as if it were to decide their own destiny.
There are some who will never forget that first night at sea. Perhaps
the reaction from the excitement on shore made the impression the
deeper. There are moments in life when every thing comes back upon us.
What memories came up in those long night hours! How many on board that
ship, as they stood on the deck and watched that mysterious cord
disappearing in the darkness, thought of homes beyond the sea, of absent
ones, of the distant and the dead!
But no musings turn them from the work in hand. There are vigilant eyes
on deck. Mr. Bright, the engineer of the Company, is there, and Mr.
Everett, Mr. De Sauty, the electrician, and Professor Morse. The
paying-out machinery does its work, and though it makes a constant
rumble in the ship, that dull, heavy sound is music to their ears, as it
tells them that all is well. If one should drop to sleep, and wake up at
night, he has only to hear the sound of "the old coffee-mill," and his
fears are relieved, and he goes to sleep again.
Saturday was a day of beautiful weather. The ships were getting farther
away from land, and began to steam ahead at the rate of four and five
miles an hour. The cable was paid out at a speed a little faster than
that of the ship, to allow for any inequalities of surface on the bottom
of the sea. While it was thus going overboard, communication was kept up
constantly with the land. Every moment the current was passing between
ship and shore. The communication was as perfect as between Liverpool
and London, or Boston and New York. Not only did the electricians
telegraph back to Valentia the progress they were making, but the
officers on board sent messages to their friends in America, to go out
by the steamers from Liverpool. The heavens seemed to smile on them that
day. The coils came up from below the deck without a kink, and unwinding
themselves easily, passed over the stern into the sea. Once or twice an
alarm was created by the cable being thrown off the wheels. This was
owing to the sheaves not being wide enough and deep enough, and being
filled with tar, which hardened in the air. This was a great defect of
the machinery which was remedied in the later expeditions. Still it
worked well, and so long as those terrible brakes kept off their iron
gripe, it might work through to the end.
All day Sunday the same favoring fortune continued; and when the
officers, who could be spared from the deck, met in the cabin, and
Captain Hudson read the service, it was with subdued voices and grateful
hearts they responded to the prayers to Him who spreadeth out the
heavens, and ruleth the raging of the sea.
On Monday they were over two hundred miles at sea. They had got far
beyond the shallow waters off the coast. They had passed over the
submarine mountain which figures on the charts of Dayman and Berryman,
and where Mr. Bright's log gives a descent from five hundred and fifty
to seventeen hundred and fifty fathoms within eight miles! Then they
came to the deeper waters of the Atlantic, where the cable sank to the
awful depth of two thousand fathoms. Still the iron cord buried itself
in the waves, and every instant the flash of light in the darkened
telegraph room told of the passage of the electric current.
But Monday evening, about nine o'clock, occurred a mysterious
interruption, which staggered all on board. Suddenly the electrical
continuity was lost. The cable was not broken, but it ceased to work.
Here was a mystery. De Sauty tried it, and Professor Morse tried it. But
neither could make it work. It seemed that all was over. The
electricians gave it up, and the engineers were preparing to cut the
cable, and to endeavor to wind it in, when suddenly _the electricity
came back again_. This made the mystery greater than ever. It had been
interrupted for two hours and a half. This was a phenomenon which has
never been explained. Professor Morse was of opinion that the cable, in
getting off the wheels, had been strained so as to open the
gutta-percha, and thus destroy the insulation. If this be the true
explanation, it would seem that on reaching the bottom the seam had
closed, and thus the continuity had been restored. But it was certainly
an untoward incident, which "cast ominous conjecture on the whole
success," as it seemed to indicate that there were at the bottom of the
sea causes which were wholly unknown and against which it was impossible
to provide.
The return of the current was like life from the dead. Says Mullaly:
"The glad news was soon circulated throughout the ship, and all
felt as if they had a new life. A rough, weather-beaten old
sailor, who had assisted in coiling many a long mile of it on
board the Niagara, and who was among the first to run to the
telegraph office to have the news confirmed, said he would have
given fifty dollars out of his pay to have saved that cable. 'I
have watched nearly every mile of it,' he added, 'as it came
over the side, and I would have given fifty dollars, poor as I
am, to have saved it, although I don't expect to make any thing
by it when it is laid down.' In his own simple way he expressed
the feelings of every one on board, for all are as much
interested in the success of the enterprise as the largest
shareholder in the Company. They talked of the cable as they
would of a pet child, and never was child treated with deeper
solicitude than that with which the cable is watched by them.
You could see the tears standing in the eyes of some as they
almost cried for joy, and told their messmates that it was all
right."
It was indeed a great relief; and though still anxious, after watching
till past midnight, a few crept to their couches, to snatch an hour or
two of broken sleep. But before the morning broke, the hopes thus
revived were again and finally destroyed.
The cable was running out freely at the rate of six miles an hour, while
the ship was advancing but about four. This was supposed to be owing to
a powerful under-current. To check this waste, the engineer applied the
brakes firmly, which at once stopped the machine. The effect was to
bring a heavy strain on the cable that was in the water. The stern of
the ship was down in the trough of the sea, and as it rose upward on the
swell, the tension was too great, and the cable parted.
Instantly ran through the ship a cry of grief and dismay. She was
stopped in her onward path, and in a few minutes all gathered on deck
with feelings which may be imagined. One who was present wrote: "The
unbidden tear started to many a manly eye. The interest taken in the
enterprise by all, every one, officers and men, exceeded any thing I
ever saw, and there is no wonder that there should have been so much
emotion at our failure." Captain Hudson says: "It made all hands of us
through the day like a household or family which had lost their dearest
friend, for officers and men had been deeply interested in the success
of the enterprise."
There was nothing left but to return to England. The position is very
clearly stated by Mr. Field in a letter to one of his family, which
shows how his own courage survived the great disaster:--
"H. M. Steamer Leopard,
Thursday, August 13, 1857.
"The successful laying down of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable is
put off for a short time, but its final triumph has been fully
proved, by the experience that we have had since we left
Valentia. My confidence was never so strong as at the present
time, and I feel sure, that with God's blessing, we shall
connect Europe and America with the electric cord.
"After having successfully laid--and part of the time while a
heavy sea was running--three hundred and thirty-five miles of
the cable, and over one hundred miles of it in water more than
two miles in depth, the brakes were applied more firmly, by
order of Mr. Bright, the engineer, to prevent the cable from
going out so fast, and it parted.
"I retired to my state-room at a little after midnight Monday,
all going on well, and at a quarter before four o'clock on
Tuesday morning, the eleventh instant, I was awoke from my
sleep by the cry of 'Stop her, back her!' and in a moment Mr.
Bright was in my room, with the sad intelligence that the cable
was broken. In as short a time as possible I was dressed, and
on deck; and Captain Hudson at once signaled the other steamers
that the cable had parted, and in a few moments Captain
Wainwright, of the Leopard, and Captain Sands, of the
Susquehanna, were on board of the Niagara.
"I requested Captain Wainwright, the commander of the English
Telegraph Fleet, to order the Agamemnon to remain with the
Niagara and Susquehanna, in this deep part of the Atlantic for
a few days, to try certain experiments which will be of great
value to us, and then sail with them back to England, and all
wait at Plymouth until further orders. I further requested
Captain Wainwright to order the Cyclops to sound here where the
cable parted, and then steam back to Valentia, with letters
from me to Dr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Saward, the secretary of the
Atlantic Telegraph Company; and that he should take me in the
Leopard as soon as possible to Portsmouth.
"All of my requests were cheerfully complied with, and in a few
hours the Cyclops had sounded, and found the bottom at two
thousand fathoms, and was on her way back to Valentia with
letters from me; the Niagara and the Agamemnon were connected
together by the cable, and engaged in trying experiments; the
Susquehanna in attendance, and the Leopard, with your
affectionate ---- on board, on her way back to England.
"In my letter to Dr. Whitehouse I requested him to telegraph to
London, and have a special meeting of the Directors called for
twelve o'clock on Saturday, to decide whether we should have
more cable made at once, and try again this season, or wait
until next year.
"I shall close this letter on board, so as to have it ready to
mail the moment we arrive at Portsmouth, as I wish to leave by
the very next train for London, so as to be there in time to
meet the Directors Saturday noon, and read them my report,
which I am busy making up.
"Do not think that I feel discouraged, or am in low spirits,
for I am not; and I think I can see how this accident will be
of great advantage to the Atlantic Telegraph Company.
"All the officers and men on board of the Telegraph Fleet, seem
to take the greatest interest in our enterprise, and are very
desirous to go out in the ships the next time.
"Since my arrival, I have received the greatest kindness and
attention from all whom I have met, from the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland, down to the cabin-boys and sailors. The inclosed
letter from the Knight of Kerry, I received with a basket of
hothouse fruit, just as we were getting ready to leave Valentia
harbor.
Your ----
"Cyrus W. Field."
The day that this was written, Mr. Field landed at Portsmouth, and at
once hastened to London to meet the Directors. At first it was a
question if they should renew the expedition this year. But their brief
experience had shown the need of more ample preparations for their next
attempt. They required six hundred miles more of cable to make up for
over three hundred lost in the sea, and to provide a surplus so as to
run no risk of falling short from other accidents; and most of all they
needed better machinery to pay out the cable into the ocean. These
preparations required time, and before they could be made, it would be
late in the autumn. Hence they reluctantly decided to defer the
expedition till another year. The Niagara and the Agamemnon therefore
discharged their cable at Plymouth, whence the Niagara returned home;
and Mr. Field, after remaining a few weeks in London to complete the
preparations for the next year, sailed for America.
He returned to find that a commercial hurricane had swept over the
country, in which a thousand stately fortunes had gone down, and in
which the wealth he had accumulated by years of toil had nearly suffered
shipwreck. Such were the tidings that met him on landing. It had been a
year of disappointments in England and America--of disasters on land and
sea--and all his high hopes were
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Mr. Field was detained by illness at Valentia, and several of the
ships had not arrived.