THE SECOND EXPEDITION SUCCESSFUL.
A bold decision needs to be followed by prompt action, lest the spirit
that inspired it be weakened by delay. When once it had been fixed that
there was to be another attempt to lay the Atlantic cable, no time was
lost in carrying the resolve into execution. The telegraphic fleet was
lying at Queenstown. The Niagara had arrived on the fifth of July, but
the Agamemnon, which, through some misunderstanding, had returned to the
rendezvous in mid-ocean, thus crossing the Niagara on her track, did not
get in till a week later. However, all were now there, safe and sound,
and Mr. Field and Mr. Samuel Gurney went to the Admiralty, and got an
order which they telegraphed to the ships to get ready immediately to go
to sea. Not an hour was lost. They had barely time to take in coal and
other supplies for the voyage. Mr. Field hastened from England, and
Prof. Thomson from his home in Scotland, and in five days the squadron
was under way, bound once more for the middle of the Atlantic.
It was Saturday, the seventeenth of July, that the ships left on their
second expedition. As they sailed out of the Cove of Cork, it was with
none of the enthusiasm which attended their departure from Valentia the
year before, or even from Plymouth on the tenth of June. Nobody cheered;
nobody bade them God-speed. "As the ships left the harbor, there was
apparently no notice taken of their departure by those on shore, or in
the vessels anchored around them; every one seemed impressed with the
conviction that they were engaged in a hopeless enterprise, and the
squadron seemed rather to have slunk away on some discreditable mission,
than to have sailed for the accomplishment of a grand national scheme."
Many even of those on board felt that they were going on a fool's
errand; that the Company was possessed by a kind of insanity, of which
they would soon be cured by another bitter experience.
On leaving this second time, it was agreed that the squadron should not
try to keep together, but each ship make its way to the given latitude
and longitude which was the appointed rendezvous in mid-ocean. The
Niagara, being the largest, and able to carry the most coal, kept under
steam the whole way, and arrived first, and waited several days for the
other ships to appear. The Valorous came next, and then the Gorgon, and,
last of all, the Agamemnon, which had been saving her coal for the
return voyage, and had been delayed for want of a little of that wind
which, in the former expedition, she had had in too great abundance.
Says the English correspondent on board:
"For several days in succession there was an uninterrupted
calm. The moon was just at the full, and for several nights it
shone with a brilliancy which turned the sea into one silvery
sheet, which brought out the dark hull and white sails of the
ship in strong contrast to the sea and sky, as the vessel lay
all but motionless on the water, the very impersonation of
solitude and repose. Indeed, until the rendezvous was gained,
we had such a succession of beautiful sunrises, gorgeous
sunsets, and tranquil moonlight nights, as would have excited
the most enthusiastic admiration of any one but persons
situated as we were. But by us such scenes were regarded only
as the annoying indications of the calm, which delayed our
progress and wasted our coal. By dint, however, of a judicious
expenditure of fuel, and a liberal use of the cheaper motive
power of sail, the rendezvous was reached on Wednesday, the
twenty-eighth of July, just eleven days after our departure
from Queenstown. The rest of the squadron came in sight at
nightfall, but at such a distance that it was past ten o'clock
on the morning of Thursday, the twenty-ninth, before the
Agamemnon joined them.
"The day was beautifully calm, so no time was to be lost before
making the splice; boats were soon lowered from the attendant
ships, the two vessels made fast by a hawser, and the Niagara's
end of the cable conveyed on board the Agamemnon. About
half-past twelve o'clock the splice was effectually made. In
hoisting it out from the side of the ship the leaden sinker
broke short off and fell overboard; and there being no more
convenient weight at hand, a thirty-two pound shot was
fastened to the splice instead, and the whole apparatus was
quickly dropped into the sea without any formality, and indeed
almost without a spectator, for those on board the ship had
witnessed so many beginnings to the telegraphic line, that it
was evident they despaired of there ever being an end to it.
The stipulated two hundred and ten fathoms having been paid
out, the signal to start was hoisted, the hawser cast loose,
and the Niagara and Agamemnon started for the last time for
their opposite destinations."
At this moment the ships were nearly in mid-ocean, but not exactly. Mr.
Field, who never indulged in poetical descriptions, but always gave the
figures, stating the precise latitude and longitude, and from what
quarter the wind blew, and how many fathoms deep the ocean was, and how
many miles of cable were on board, made the following entry in his
journal:
"Thursday, July twenty-ninth, latitude fifty-two degrees nine
minutes north, longitude thirty-two degrees twenty-seven
minutes west. Telegraph Fleet all in sight; sea smooth; light
wind from S.E. to S.S.E.; cloudy. Splice made at one P.M.
Signals through the whole length of the cable on board both
ships perfect. Depth of water fifteen hundred fathoms; distance
to the entrance of Valentia harbor eight hundred and thirteen
nautical miles, and from there to the telegraph-house the shore
end of the cable is laid. Distance to the entrance of Trinity
Bay, Newfoundland, eight hundred and twenty-two nautical miles,
and from there to the telegraph-house at the head of the bay of
Bull's Arm, sixty miles, making in all eight hundred and
eighty-two nautical miles. The Niagara has sixty-nine miles
further to run than the Agamemnon. The Niagara and Agamemnon
have each eleven hundred nautical miles of cable on board,
about the same quantity as last year."
And now, as the ships are fairly apart, and will soon lose sight of each
other, we will leave the Agamemnon for the present to pursue her course
toward Ireland, while we follow our own Niagara to the shores of the New
World. At first of course, while all hoped for success, no one dared to
expect it. They said afterwards that "Mr. Field was the only man on
board who kept up his courage through it all." But the chances seemed
many to one against them; and the warnings were frequent to excite their
fears. That very evening, about sunset, all again seemed lost. We quote
from Mr. Field's journal: "At forty-five minutes past seven P.M., ship's
time, signals from the Agamemnon ceased, and the tests applied by the
electricians showed that there was a want of continuity in the cable,
but the insulation was perfect. Kept on paying out from the Niagara very
slowly, and constantly applying all kinds of electrical tests until ten
minutes past nine, ship's time, when again commenced receiving perfect
signals from the Agamemnon." At the same moment the English ship had the
same relief from anxiety.
The next day there was a fresh cause of alarm. It was found that the
Niagara had run some miles out of her course. Comparing the distance run
by observation and by patent log, there was a difference of sixteen
miles and a third. With such a percentage of loss, the cable would not
hold out to reach Newfoundland. This was alarming, but it was soon
explained. The mass of iron in the ship had affected the compass, so
that it no longer pointed to the right quarter of the heavens. Had the
Niagara been alone on the ocean, this might have caused serious trouble.
But now appeared the great advantage of an attendant ship. It was at
once arranged that the Gorgon should go ahead and lead the way. As she
had no cable on board, her compasses were subject to no deviation.
Accordingly she took her position in the advance, keeping the line along
the great circle arc, which was the prescribed route. From that moment
there was no variation, or but a very slight one. The two methods of
computing the distance--by log and by observation--nearly coincided, and
the ship varied scarcely a mile from her course till she entered Trinity
Bay.
It is not necessary to follow the whole voyage, for the record is the
same from day to day. It is the same sleepless watching of the cable as
it runs out day and night, and the same anxious estimate of the distance
that still separates them from land. Communication is kept up constantly
between the ships. Mr. Field's journal contains entries like these:
"Saturday, July thirty-first. By eleven o'clock had paid out
from the Niagara three hundred miles of cable; at forty-five
minutes past two received signals from the Agamemnon that they
had paid out from her three hundred miles of cable; at
thirty-seven minutes past five finished coil on the berth-deck,
and commenced paying out from the lower deck."
"Monday, August second. The Niagara getting light, and rolling
very much; it was not considered safe to carry sail to steady
ship, for in case of accident it might be necessary to stop the
vessel as soon as possible. Passed and signalled the Cunard
steamer from Boston to Liverpool." Same day about noon,
"imperfect insulation of cable detected in sending and
receiving signals from the Agamemnon, which continued until
forty minutes past five, when all was right again. The fault
was found to be in the ward-room, about sixty miles from the
lower end, which was immediately cut out, and taken out of the
circuit."
"Tuesday, August third. At a quarter-past eleven, ship's time,
received signals from on board the Agamemnon, that they had
paid out from her seven hundred and eighty miles of cable. In
the afternoon and evening passed several icebergs. At ten
minutes past nine P.M., ship's time, received signal from the
Agamemnon that she was in water of two hundred fathoms. At
twenty minutes past ten P.M., ship's time, Niagara in water of
two hundred fathoms, and informed the Agamemnon of the same.
"Wednesday, August fourth. Depth of water less than two hundred
fathoms. Weather beautiful, perfectly calm. Gorgon in sight.
Sixty-four miles from the telegraph-house. Received signal from
Agamemnon at noon that they had paid out from her nine hundred
and forty miles of cable. Passed this morning several
icebergs. Made the land off entrance to Trinity Bay at eight
A.M. Entered Trinity Bay at half-past twelve. At half-past two,
we stopped sending signals to Agamemnon for fourteen minutes,
for the purpose of making splice. At five P.M. saw Her
Majesty's steamer Porcupine [which had been sent by the British
Government to Newfoundland, to watch for the telegraph ships]
coming to us. At half-past seven, Captain Otter, of the
Porcupine, came on board of the Niagara to pilot us to the
anchorage, near the telegraph-house.[A]
"Thursday, August fifth. At forty-five minutes past one A.M.,
Niagara anchored. Total amount of cable paid out since splice
was made, ten hundred and sixteen miles, six hundred fathoms.
Total amount of distance, eight hundred and eighty-two miles.
Amount of cable paid out over distance run, one hundred and
thirty-four miles, six hundred fathoms, being a surplus of
about fifteen per cent. At two A.M., I went ashore in a small
boat, and awoke persons in charge of the telegraph-house, half
a mile from landing, and informed them that the Telegraph Fleet
had arrived, and were ready to land the end of the cable. At
forty-five minutes past two, received signal from the Agamemnon
that she had paid out ten hundred and ten miles of cable. At
four A.M., delivered telegraphic despatch for the Associated
Press, to be forwarded to New York as early in the morning as
the offices of the line were open.
"At a quarter-past five A.M., telegraph cable landed. At six,
end of cable carried into telegraph-house, and received very
strong currents of electricity through the whole cable from the
other side of the Atlantic. Captain Hudson, of the Niagara,
then read prayers, and made some remarks.
"At one P.M., Her Majesty's steamer Gorgon fired a royal salute
of twenty-one guns."
Thus simply was the story told, that in a few hours was to send a thrill
throughout the continent.
To complete the narrative of the expedition, it is necessary to include
the voyage of the Agamemnon, the best account of which is given in the
letter of the correspondent of the London Times. We quote from the time
of junction in mid-ocean, just as the ships went sailing eastward and
westward:
"For the first three hours the ships proceeded very slowly,
paying out a great quantity of slack, but after the expiration
of this time, the speed of the Agamemnon was increased to about
five knots per hour, the cable going at about six, without
indicating more than a few hundred pounds of strain upon the
dynamometer. Shortly after six o'clock a very large whale was
seen approaching the starboard bow at a great speed, rolling
and tossing the sea into foam all around and for the first time
we felt the possibility of the supposition that our second
mysterious breakage of the cable might have been caused after
all by one of these animals getting foul of it under water. It
appeared as if it were making direct for the cable, and great
was the relief of all when the ponderous living mass was seen
slowly to pass astern, just grazing the cable where it entered
the water, but fortunately without doing any mischief.
"All seemed to go well up to about eight o'clock; the cable
paid out from the hold with an evenness and regularity which
showed how carefully and perfectly it had been coiled away; and
to guard against accidents which might arise in consequence of
the cable having suffered injury during the storm, the
indicated strain upon the dynamometer was never allowed to go
beyond seventeen hundred pounds, or less than one quarter what
the cable is estimated to bear, and thus far every thing looked
promising of success. But, in such a hazardous work, no one
knows what a few minutes may bring forth, for soon after eight,
an injured portion of the cable was discovered about a mile or
two from the portion paying out. Not a moment was lost by Mr.
Canning, the engineer on duty, in setting men to work to cobble
up the injury as well as time would permit, for the cable was
going out at such a rate that the damaged portion would be paid
overboard in less than twenty minutes, and former experience
had shown us that to check either the speed of the ship, or the
cable, would, in all probability, be attended by the most fatal
results.
"Just before the lapping was finished, Professor Thomson
reported that the electrical continuity of the wire had ceased,
but that the insulation was still perfect; attention was
naturally directed to the injured piece as the probable source
of the stoppage, and not a moment was lost in cutting the cable
at that point, with the intention of making a perfect splice.
To the consternation of all, the electrical tests applied
showed the fault to be overboard, and in all probability some
fifty miles from the ship. Not a second was to be lost, for it
was evident that the cut portion must be paid overboard in a
few minutes, and in the mean time, the tedious and difficult
operation of making a splice had to be performed. The ship was
immediately stopped, and no more cable paid out than was
absolutely necessary to prevent it breaking.
"As the stern of the ship was lifted by the waves, a scene of
the most intense excitement followed. It seemed impossible,
even by using the greatest possible speed, and paying out the
least possible amount of cable, that the junction could be
finished before the part was taken out of the hands of the
workmen. The main hold presented an extraordinary scene; nearly
all the officers of the ship and of those connected with the
expedition, stood in groups about the coil, watching with
intense anxiety the cable, as it slowly unwound itself nearer
and nearer the joint, while the workmen, directed by Mr.
Canning, under whose superintendence the cable was originally
manufactured, worked at the splice as only men could work who
felt that the life and death of the expedition depended upon
their rapidity. But all their speed was to no purpose, as the
cable was unwinding within a hundred fathoms, and, as a last
and desperate resource, the cable was stopped altogether, and,
for a few minutes, the ship hung on by the end. Fortunately,
however, it was only for a few minutes, as the strain was
continually rising above two tons, and it would not hold on
much longer; when the splice was finished, the signal was made
to loose the stopper, and it passed overboard safely enough.
"When the excitement consequent upon having so narrowly saved
the cable had passed away, we awoke to the consciousness that
the case was still as hopeless as ever, for the electrical
continuity was still entirely wanting. Preparations were
consequently made to pay out as little rope as possible, and to
hold on for six hours, in the hopes that the fault, whatever it
might be, might mend itself before cutting the cable and
returning to the rendezvous to make another splice. The
magnetic needles on the receiving instruments were watched
closely for the returning signals; when, in a few minutes, the
last hope was extinguished by their suddenly indicating dead
earth, which tended to show that the cable had broken from the
Niagara, or that the insulation had been completely destroyed.
"In three minutes, however, every one was agreeably surprised
by the intelligence that the stoppage had disappeared, and that
the signals had again appeared at their regular intervals from
the Niagara. It is needless to say what a load of anxiety this
news removed from the minds of every one; but the general
confidence in the ultimate success of the operations was much
shaken by the occurrence, for all felt that every minute a
similar accident might occur. For some time the paying-out
continued as usual, but toward the morning another damaged
place was discovered in the cable; there was fortunately,
however, time to repair it in the hold without in any way
interfering with the operations beyond for a time slightly
reducing the speed of the ship.
"During the morning of Friday, the thirtieth, every thing went
well; the ship had been kept at the speed of about five knots,
the cable paid out at about six, the average angle with the
horizon at which it left the ship being about fifteen degrees,
while the indicated strain upon the dynamometer seldom showed
more than sixteen hundred pounds to seventeen hundred pounds.
Observations made at noon showed that we had made good ninety
miles from the starting-point since the previous day, with an
expenditure, including the loss in lowering the splice and
during the subsequent stoppages, of one hundred and thirty-five
miles of the cable. During the latter portion of the day the
barometer fell considerably, and toward the evening it blew
almost a gale of wind from the eastward, dead ahead of course.
As the breeze freshened, the speed of the engines was gradually
increased, but the wind more than increased in proportion, so
that, before the sun went down, the Agamemnon was going full
steam against the wind, only making a speed of about four knots
an hour. During the evening topmasts were lowered, and spars,
yards, sails, and indeed every thing aloft that could offer
resistance to the wind, was sent down on deck; but still the
ship made but little way, chiefly in consequence of the heavy
sea, though the enormous quantity of fuel consumed showed us
that, if the wind lasted, we should be reduced to burning the
masts, spars, and even the decks, to bring the ship into
Valentia.
"It seemed to be our particular ill-fortune to meet with
head-winds whichever way the ship's head was turned. On our
journey out we had been delayed, and obliged to consume an
undue proportion of coal, for want of an easterly wind, and now
all our fuel was wanted because of one. However, during the
next day the wind gradually went around to the south-west,
which, though it raised a very heavy sea, allowed us to husband
our small remaining store of fuel.
"At noon on Saturday, the thirty-first of July, observations
showed us to have made good one hundred and twenty miles of
distance since noon of the previous day, with a loss of about
twenty-seven per cent of cable. The Niagara, as far as could
be judged from the amount of cable she paid out, which, by a
previous arrangement, was signalled at every ten miles, kept
pace with us, within one or two miles, the whole distance
across. During the afternoon of Saturday, the wind again
freshened up, and before nightfall it again blew nearly a gale
of wind, and a tremendous sea ran before it from the
south-west, which made the Agamemnon pitch to such an extent
that it was thought impossible the cable could hold on through
the night; indeed, had it not been for the constant care and
watchfulness exercised by Mr. Bright, and the two energetic
engineers, Mr. Canning and Mr. Clifford, who acted with him, it
could not have been done at all. Men were kept at the wheels of
the machine to prevent their stopping as the stern of the ship
rose and fell with the sea, for, had they done so, the cable
must undoubtedly have parted.
"During Sunday the sea and wind increased, and before the
evening it blew a smart gale. Now, indeed, were the energy and
activity of all engaged in the operation tasked to the utmost.
Mr. Hoar and Mr. Moore, the two engineers who had the charge of
the relieving-wheels of the dynamometer, had to keep watch and
watch alternately every four hours, and while on duty durst not
let their attention be removed from their occupation for one
moment, for on their releasing the brakes every time the stern
of the ship fell into the trough of the sea entirely depended
the safety of the cable, and the result shows how ably they
discharged their duty. Throughout the night, there were few who
had the least expectation of the cable holding on till morning,
and many remained awake listening for the sound that all most
dreaded to hear--namely, the gun which should announce the
failure of all our hopes. But still the cable, which, in
comparison with the ship from which it was paid out, and the
gigantic waves among which it was delivered, was but a mere
thread, continued to hold on, only leaving a silvery
phosphorous line upon the stupendous seas as they rolled on
toward the ship.
"With Sunday morning came no improvement in the weather; still
the sky remained black and stormy to windward, and the constant
violent squalls of wind and rain which prevailed during the
whole day served to keep up, if not to augment, the height of
the waves. But the cable had gone through so much during the
night, that our confidence in its continuing to hold was much
restored.
"At noon, observations showed us to have made good one hundred
and thirty miles from noon of the previous day, and about three
hundred and sixty from our starting-point in mid-ocean. We had
passed by the deepest sounding of twenty-four hundred fathoms,
and over more than half of the deep water generally, while the
amount of cable still remaining in the ship was more than
sufficient to carry us to the Irish coast, even supposing the
continuance of the bad weather should oblige us to pay out the
same amount of slack cable we had been hitherto wasting. Thus
far things looked very promising for our ultimate success. But
former experience showed us only too plainly that we could
never suppose that some accident might not arise until the ends
had been fairly landed on the opposite shores.
"During Sunday night and Monday morning the weather continued
as boisterous as ever, and it was only by the most
indefatigable exertions of the engineer upon duty that the
wheels could be prevented from stopping altogether, as the
vessel rose and fell with the sea, and once or twice they did
come completely to a standstill, in spite of all that could be
done to keep them moving; but fortunately they were again set
in motion before the stern of the ship was thrown up by the
succeeding wave. No strain could be placed upon the cable, of
course; and though the dynamometer occasionally registered
seventeen hundred pounds as the ship lifted, it was oftener
below one thousand, and was frequently nothing, the cable
running out as fast as its own weight and the speed of the ship
could draw it. But even with all these forces acting
unresistedly upon it, the cable never paid itself out at a
greater speed than eight knots an hour at the time the ship was
going at the rate of six knots and a half. Subsequently,
however, when the speed of the ship even exceeded six knots and
a half, the cable never ran out so quick. The average speed
maintained by the ship up to this time, and, indeed, for the
whole voyage, was about five knots and a half, the cable, with
occasional exceptions, running about thirty per cent faster.
"At noon on Monday, August second, had made good one hundred
and twenty-seven and a half miles since noon of the previous
day, and completed more than the half way to our ultimate
destination.
"During the afternoon an American three-masted schooner, which
afterward proved to be the Chieftain, was seen standing from
the eastward toward us. No notice was taken of her at first,
but when she was within about half a mile of the Agamemnon she
altered her course, and bore right down across our bows. A
collision, which might prove fatal to the cable, now seemed
inevitable, or could only be avoided by the equally hazardous
expedient of altering the Agamemnon's course. The Valorous
steamed ahead, and fired a gun for her to heave to, which, as
she did not appear to take much notice of, was quickly followed
by another from the bows of the Agamemnon, and a second and
third from the Valorous, but still the vessel held on her
course; and as the only resource left to avoid a collision, the
course of the Agamemnon was altered just in time to pass within
a few yards of her. It was evident that our proceedings were a
source of the greatest possible astonishment to them, for all
her crew crowded upon her deck and rigging. At length they
evidently discovered who we were, and what we were doing, for
the crew manned the rigging, and dipping the ensign several
times they gave us three hearty cheers. Though the Agamemnon
was obliged to acknowledge these congratulations in due form,
the feelings of annoyance with which we regarded the vessel
which, either by the stupidity or carelessness of those on
board, was so near adding a fatal and unexpected mishap to the
long chapter of accidents which had already been encountered,
may easily be imagined. To those below, who of course did not
see the ship approaching, the sound of the first gun came like
a thunderbolt, for all took it as the signal of the breaking of
the cable. The dinner-tables were deserted in a moment, and a
general rush made up the hatches to the deck; but before
reaching it, their fears were quickly banished by the report of
the succeeding gun, which all knew well could only be caused by
a ship in our way or a man overboard.
"Throughout the greater portion of Monday morning the
electrical signals from the Niagara had been getting gradually
weaker, until they ceased altogether for nearly three-quarters
of an hour. Our uneasiness, however, was in some degree
lessened by the fact that the stoppage appeared to be a want of
continuity,[B] and not any defect in insulation, and there was
consequently every reason to suppose that it might arise from
faulty connection on board the Niagara. Accordingly Professor
Thomson sent a message to the effect that the signals were too
weak to be read, and, as if they had been awaiting such a
signal to increase their battery power, the deflections
immediately returned even stronger than they had ever been
before. Toward the evening, however, they again declined in
force for a short time. With the exception of these little
stoppages, the electrical condition of the submerged wire
seemed to be much improved. It was evident that the low
temperature of the water at the immense depth improved
considerably the insulating properties of the gutta-percha,
while the enormous pressure to which it must have been
subjected probably tended to consolidate its texture, and to
fill up any air-bubbles or slight faults in manufacture which
may have existed.
"The weather during Monday night moderated a little, but still
there was a very heavy sea on, which endangered the wire every
second minute.
"About three o'clock on Tuesday morning, all on board were
startled from their beds by the loud booming of a gun. Every
one, without waiting for the performance of the most particular
toilet, rushed on deck to ascertain the cause of the
disturbance. Contrary to all expectation, the cable was safe,
but just in the gray light could be seen the Valorous rounded
to in the most warlike attitude, firing gun after gun in quick
succession toward a large American bark, which, quite
unconscious of our proceeding, was standing right across our
stern. Such loud and repeated remonstrances from a large steam
frigate were not to be despised, and, evidently without knowing
the why or the wherefore, she quickly threw her sails aback and
remained hove to. Whether those on board her considered that we
were engaged in some filibustering expedition, or regarded our
proceedings as another British outrage upon the American flag,
it is impossible to say; but certain it is that, apparently in
great trepidation, she remained hove to until we had lost sight
of her in the distance.
"Tuesday was a much finer day than any we had experienced for
nearly a week, but still there was a considerable sea running,
and our dangers were far from passed; yet the hopes of our
ultimate success ran high. We had accomplished nearly the whole
of the deep-sea portion of the route in safety, and that, too,
under the most unfavorable circumstances possible; therefore
there was every reason to believe that unless some unforeseen
accident should occur, we should accomplish the remainder.
"About five o'clock in the evening, the steep submarine
mountain which divides the telegraphic plateau from the Irish
coast was reached, and the sudden shallowing of the water had a
very marked effect upon the cable, causing the strain on and
the speed of it to lessen every minute. A great deal of slack
was paid out to allow for any great inequalities which might
exist, though undiscovered by the sounding-line. About ten
o'clock the shoal water of two hundred and fifty fathoms was
reached; the only remaining anxiety now was the changing from
the lower main coil to that upon the upper deck, and this most
difficult and dangerous operation was successfully performed
between three and four o'clock on Wednesday morning.
"Wednesday was a beautiful, calm day; indeed, it was the first
on which any one would have thought of making a splice since
the day we started from the rendezvous. We therefore
congratulated ourselves on having saved a week by commencing
operations on the Thursday previous. At noon, we were
eighty-nine miles distant from the telegraph station at
Valentia. The water was shallow, so that there was no
difficulty in paying out the wire almost without any loss of
slack, and all looked upon the undertaking as virtually
accomplished.
"At about one o'clock in the evening, the second change from
the upper-deck coil to that upon the orlop-deck was safely
effected, and shortly after the vessels exchanged signals that
they were in two hundred fathoms water. As the night advanced
the speed of the ship was reduced, as it was known that we were
only a short distance from the land, and there would be no
advantage in making it before daylight in the morning. About
twelve o'clock, however, the Skelligs Light was seen in the
distance, and the Valorous steamed on ahead to lead us in to
the coast, firing rockets at intervals to direct us, which were
answered by us from the Agamemnon, though, according to Mr.
Moriarty, the master's wish, the ship, disregarding the
Valorous, kept her own course, which proved to be the right one
in the end.
"By daylight on the morning of Thursday, the bold and rocky
mountains which entirely surround the wild and picturesque
neighborhood of Valentia, rose right before us at a few miles'
distance. Never, probably, was the sight of land more welcome,
as it brought to a successful termination one of the greatest,
but, at the same time, most difficult schemes which was ever
undertaken. Had it been the dullest and most melancholy swamp
on the face of the earth that lay before us, we should have
found it a pleasant prospect; but, as the sun rose from the
estuary of Dingle Bay, tinging with a deep, soft purple the
lofty summits of the steep mountains which surround its shores,
and illuminating the masses of morning vapor which hung upon
them, it was a scene which might vie in beauty with any thing
that could be produced by the most florid imagination of an
artist.
"No one on shore was apparently conscious of our approach, so
the Valorous steamed ahead to the mouth of the harbor and fired
a gun. Both ships made straight for Doulus Bay, and about six
o'clock came to anchor at the side of Beginish Island, opposite
to Valentia. As soon as the inhabitants became aware of our
approach, there was a general desertion of the place, and
hundreds of boats crowded around us, their passengers in the
greatest state of excitement to hear all about our voyage. The
Knight of Kerry was absent in Dingle, but a messenger was
immediately dispatched for him, and he soon arrived in Her
Majesty's gunboat Shamrock. Soon after our arrival, a signal
was received from the Niagara that they were preparing to land,
having paid out one thousand and thirty nautical miles of
cable, while the Agamemnon had accomplished her portion of the
distance with an expenditure of one thousand and twenty
miles,[C] making the total length of the wire submerged two
thousand and fifty geographical miles. Immediately after the
ships cast anchor, the paddle-box boats of the Valorous were
got ready, and two miles of cable coiled away in them, for the
purpose of landing the end; but it was late in the afternoon
before the procession of boats left the ship, under a salute of
three rounds of small-arms from the detachment of marines on
board the Agamemnon, under the command of Lieutenant Morris.
"The progress of the end to the shore was very slow, in
consequence of the very stiff wind which blew at the time, but
at about three o'clock the end was safely brought on shore at
Knightstown, Valentia, by Mr. Bright and Mr. Canning, the chief
and second engineers, to whose exertions the success of the
undertaking is attributable, and the Knight of Kerry.[D] The
end was immediately laid in the trench which had been dug to
receive it, while a royal salute, making the neighboring rocks
and mountains reverberate, announced that the communication
between the Old and the New World had been completed."
FOOTNOTES:
[A] The spot chosen as the terminus of the Atlantic cable, with the
views around it--both on the water and on land--is thus described by a
correspondent:
"All who have visited Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, with one consent allow
it to be one of the most beautiful sheets of water they ever set eyes
upon. Its color is very peculiar--an inexpressible mingling of the pure
blue ocean with the deep evergreen woodlands and the serene blue sky.
Its extreme length is about eighty miles, its breadth about thirty
miles, opening boldly into the Atlantic on the northern side of the
island. At its south-western shore it branches into the Bay of Bull's
Arm, which is a quiet, safe, and beautiful harbor, about two miles in
breadth, and nine or ten in length, running in a direction north-west.
"The depth of water is sufficient for the largest vessels. The tide
rises seven or eight feet, and the bay terminates in a beautiful
sand-beach. The shore is clothed with dark green fir-trees, which, mixed
with birch and mountain-ash, present a pleasing contrast. The land rises
gradually from the water all around, so as to afford one of the most
agreeable town sites in the island. You ascend only about a quarter of a
mile from the water, and there are no longer trees, but wild grass like
an open prairie. Here are found at this season myriads of the upland
cranberries, upon which unnumbered ptarmigan, or the northern partridge,
feed.
"The raspberry, bake-apple berry, and the whortleberry are also common.
Numerous little lakes may be seen in the open, elevated ground, from
which flow rivulets, affording abundance of fine trout. After ascending
for about a mile and a half, you are then probably three hundred or four
hundred feet above the tide, and nothing can exceed the beauty of the
scene when, at one view, you behold the placid waters of both Trinity
and Placentia Bays--the latter sprinkled with clusters of verdant
islands.
"You can now descend westward as gradually as you came up from the
Telegraph landing, to the shores of Placentia Bay, where there is an
excellent harbor and admirable fisheries, skirting the shore, and the
accompanying road of the land Telegraph line leading from St. John's
westward through the island, to Cape Ray. At this season of the year
game is very abundant. Reindeer in great numbers, bears, wolves--others
very numerous, the large northern hare, foxes, wild geese, ducks, etc.
"About four miles southward of the entrance of the bay of Bull's Arm, on
the shore of Placentia Bay, is situated the extraordinary La Manche lead
mine, the property of the Telegraph Company, already yielding a rich
supply of remarkably pure galena. The place where the cable is landed is
memorable in the history of the island as the naval battle-ground
between the French and English in their early struggle for the exclusive
occupancy of the valuable fisheries along the coast."
[B] This is an error, as we learn on the high authority of Professor
Thomson himself. It was defective insulation, not any "want of
continuity," that caused the weak signals. Want of continuity would
have stopped the signals altogether, and given quite different
indications on the testing instruments from those he observed.
[C] The Niagara had sixty miles farther to run than the Agamemnon, to
land the cable at the head of Trinity Bay.
[D] A name that occurs several times in this history, and one never to
be mentioned but with honor. The Knight of Kerry was Lord of the Isles
on that part of the Irish coast; and from the beginning showed the
deepest interest in this enterprise; and by his generous hospitality to
all connected with it made many friends by whom he was gratefully
remembered on both sides of the Atlantic.