heroes of the telegraph-第15部分

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inated。

The　Atlantic　cable　was　a　theme　of　inspiration　for　innumerable　sermons　and　a　prodigious　quantity　of　doggerel。　　Among　the　happier　lines　were　these　：…

　　　　''Tis　done！　the　angry　sea　consents；　　　　　　The　nations　stand　no　more　apart；　　　　　　With　clasped　hands　the　continents　　　　　　Feel　throbbings　of　each　other's　heart。

　　　　　Speed！　speed　the　cable！　let　it　run　　　　　　A　loving　girdle　round　the　earth；　　　　　　Till　all　the　nations　'neath　the　sun　　　　　　Shall　be　as　brothers　of　one　hearth。

　　　　　As　brothers　pledging；　hand　in　hand；　　　　　　One　freedom　for　the　world　abroad；　　　　　　One　commerce　over　every　land；　　　　　　One　language；　and　one　God。'

The　rejoicing　reached　a　climax　in　September；　when　a　public　service　was　held　in　Trinity　Church；　and　Mr。　Field；　the　hero　of　the　hour；　as　head　and　mainspring　of　the　expedition；　received　an　ovation　in　the　Crystal　Palace　at　New　York。　　The　mayor　presented　him　with　a　golden　casket　as　a　souvenir　of　'the　grandest　enterprise　of　our　day　and　generation。'　The　band　played　'God　save　the　Queen；'　and　the　whole　audience　rose　to　their　feet。　　In　the　evening　there　was　a　magnificent　torchlight　procession　of　the　city　firemen。

That　very　day　the　cable　breathed　its　last。　　Its　　insulation　had　been　failing　for　some　days；　and　the　only　signals　which　could　be　read　were　those　given　by　the　mirror　galvanometer。＇It　is　said　to　have　broken　down　while　Newfoundland　was　vainly　attempting　to　inform　Valentia　　that　it　was　sending　with　THREE　HUNDRED　AND　TWELVE　CELLS！＇　The　reaction　at　this　news　was　tremendous。　　Some　writers　even　hinted　that　the　line　was　a　mere　hoax；　and　others　pronounced　it　a　stock　exchange　speculation。　　Sensible　men　doubted　whether　the　cable　had　ever　'spoken；'　but　in　addition　to　the　royal　despatch；　items　of　daily　news　had　passed　through　the　wire；　for　instance；　the　announcement　of　a　collision　between　two　ships；　the　Arabia　and　the　Europa；　off　Cape　Race；　Newfoundland；　and　an　order　from　London；　countermanding　the　departure　of　a　regiment　in　Canada　for　the　seat　of　the　Indian　Mutiny；　which　had　come　to　an　end。

Mr。　Field　was　by　no　means　daunted　at　the　failure。　　He　was　even　more　eager　to　renew　the　work；　since　he　had　come　so　near　to　success。　　But　the　public　had　lost　confidence　in　the　scheme；　and　all　his　efforts　to　revive　the　company　were　futile。　　It　was　not　until　1864　that　with　the　assistance　of　Mr。　Thomas　（afterwards　Lord）　Brassey；　and　Mr。　（now　Sir）　John　Fender；　that　he　succeeded　in　raising　the　necessary　capital。　　The　Glass；　Elliot；　and　Gutta…Percha　Companies　were　united　to　form　the　well…known　Telegraph　Construction　and　Maintenance　Company；　which　undertook　to　manufacture　and　lay　the　new　cable。

Much　experience　had　been　gained　in　the　meanwhile。　　Long　cables　had　been　submerged　in　the　Mediterranean　and　the　Red　Sea。　　The　Board　of　Trade　in　1859　had　appointed　a　committee　of　experts；　including　Professor　Wheatstone；　to　investigate　the　whole　subject；　and　the　results　were　published　in　a　Blue…book。　　Profiting　by　these　aids；　an　improved　type　of　cable　was　designed。　　The　core　consisted　of　a　strand　of　seven　very　pure　copper　wires　weighing　300　lbs。　a　knot；　coated　with　Chatterton's　compound；　which　is　impervious　to　water；　then　covered　with　four　layers　of　gutta…percha　　alternating　with　four　thin　layers　of　the　compound　cementing　the　whole；　and　bringing　the　weight　of　the　insulator　to　400　lbs。　per　knot。　　This　core　was　served　with　hemp　saturated　in　a　preservative　solution；　and　on　the　hemp　as　a　padding　were　spirally　wound　eighteen　single　wires　of　soft　steel；　each　covered　with　fine　strands　of　Manilla　yam　steeped　in　the　preservative。　　The　weight　of　the　new　cable　was　35。75　cwt。　per　knot；　or　nearly　twice　the　weight　of　the　old；　and　it　was　stronger　in　proportion。

Ten　years　before；　Mr。　Marc　Isambard　Brunel；　the　architect　of　the　Great　Eastern；　had　taken　Mr。　Field　to　Blackwall；　where　the　leviathan　was　lying；　and　said　to　him；　'There　is　the　ship　to　lay　the　Atlantic　cable。'　She　was　now　purchased　to　fulfil　the　mission。　　Her　immense　hull　was　fitted　with　three　iron　tanks　for　the　reception　of　2；300　miles　of　cable；　and　her　decks　furnished　with　the　paying…out　gear。　　Captain　（now　Sir）　James　Anderson；　of　the　Cunard　steamer　China；　a　thorough　seaman；　was　appointed　to　the　command；　with　Captain　Moriarty；　R。N。；　as　chief　navigating　officer。　　Mr。　（afterwards　Sir）　Samuel　Canning　was　engineer　for　the　contractors；　the　Telegraph　Construction　and　Maintenance　Company；　and　Mr。　de　Sauty　their　electrician；　Professor　Thomson　and　Mr。　Cromwell　Fleetwood　Varley　were　the　electricians　for　the　Atlantic　Telegraph　Company。　　The　Press　was　ably　represented　by　Dr。　W。　H。　Russell；　correspondent　of　the　TIMES。　　The　Great　Eastern　took　on　board　seven　or　eight　thousand　tons　of　coal　to　feed　her　fires；　a　prodigious　quantity　of　stores；　and　a　multitude　of　live　stock　which　turned　her　decks　into　a　farmyard。　　Her　crew　all　told　numbered　500　men。

At　noon　on　Saturday；　July　15；　1865；　the　Great　Eastern　left　the　Nore　for　Foilhommerum　Bay；　Valentia　Island；　where　the　shore　end　was　laid　by　the　Caroline。

At　5。30　p。m。　on　Sunday；　July　23；　amidst　the　firing　of　cannon　and　the　cheers　of　the　telegraph　fleet；　she　started　on　her　voyage　at　a　speed　of　about　four　knots　an　hour。　　The　weather　was　fine；　and　all　went　well　until　next　morning　early；　when　the　boom　of　a　gun　signalled　that　a　fault　had　broken　out　in　the　cable。　　It　turned　out　that　a　splinter　of　iron　wire　had　penetrated　the　core。　　More　faults　of　the　kind　were　discovered；　and　as　they　always　happened　in　the　same　watch；　there　was　a　suspicion　of　foul　play。　　In　repairing　one　of　these　on　July　31；　after　1；062　miles　had　been　payed　out；　the　cable　snapped　near　the　stern　of　the　ship；　and　the　end　was　lost。　　'All　is　over；'　quietly　observed　Mr。　Canning；　and　though　spirited　attempts　were　made　to　grapple　the　sunken　line　in　two　miles　of　water；　they　failed　to　recover　it。

The　Great　Eastern　steamed　back　to　England；　where　the　indomitable　Mr。　Field　issued　another　prospectus；　and　formed　the　Anglo…American　Telegraph　Company；　with　a　capital　of　L600；000；　to　lay　a　new　cable　and　complete　the　broken　one。　　On　July　7；　1866；　the　William　Cory　laid　the　shore　end　at　Valentia；　and　on　Friday；　July　13；。about　3　p。m。；　the　Great　Eastern　started　paying…out　once　more。　　＇Friday　is　regarded　as　　an　unlucky；　and　Sunday　as　a　lucky　day　by　sailors。　　The　Great　Eastern　started　on　Sunday　before　and　failed；　　she　succeeded　now。　　Columbus　sailed　on　a　Friday；　and　discovered　America　on　a　Friday。＇　　A　private　service　of　prayer　was　held　at　Valentia　by　invitation　of　two　directors　of　the　company；　but　otherwise　there　was　no　celebration　of　the　event。　　Professor　Thomson　was　on　board；　but　Dr。　W。　H。　Russell　had　gone　to　the　seat　of　the　Austro…Prussian　war；　from　which　telegrams　were　received　through　the　cable。

The　'big　ship'　was　attended　by　three　consorts；　the　Terrible；　to　act　as　a　spy　on　the　starboard　how；　and　warn　other　vessels　off　the　course；　the　Medway　on　the　port；　and　the　Albany　on　the　starboard　quarter；　to　drop　or　pick　up　buoys；　and　make　themselves　generally　useful。　　Despite　the　fickleness　of　the　weather；　and　a　'foul　flake；'　or　clogging　of　the　line　as　it　ran　out　of　the　tank；　there　was　no　interruption　of　the　work。　　The　'old　coffee　mill；'　as　the　sailors　dubbed　the　paying…out　gear；　kept　grinding　away。　　'I　believe　we　shall　do　it　this　time；　Jack；'　said　one　of　the　crew　to　his　mate。

On　the　evening　of　Friday；　July　27；　the　expedition　made　the　entrance　of　Trinity　Bay；　Newfoundland；　in　a　thick　fog；　and　next　morning　the　Great　Eastern　cast　her　anchor　at　Heart's　Content。　　Flags　were　flying　from　the　little　church　and　the　telegraph　station　on　shore。　　The　Great　Eastern　was　dressed；　three　cheers　were　given；　and　a　salute　was　fired。　　At　9　a。m。　a　message　from　England　cited　these　words　from　a　leading　article　in　the　current　TIMES：　　'It　is　a　great　work；　a　glory　to　our　age　and　nation；　and　the　men　who　have　achieved　it　deserve　to　be　honoured　among　the　benefactors　of　their　race。'　'Treaty　of　peace　signed　between　Prussia　and　Austria。'　The　shore　end　was　landed　during　the　day　by　the　Medway；　and　Captain　Anderson；　with　the　officers　of　the　telegraph　fleet；　went　in　a　body　to　the　church　to　return　thanks　for　the　success　of　the　expedition。　Congratulations　poured　in；　and　friendly　telegrams　were　again　exchanged　between　Her　Majesty　and　the　United　States。　　The　great　work　had　been　finally　accomplished；　and　the　two　worlds　were　lastingly　united。

On　August　9　the　Great　Eastern　put　to　sea　again　in　order　to　grapple　the　lost　cable　of　1865；　and　　complete　it　to　Newfoundland。　　Arriving　in　mid…　ocean　she　proceeded　to　fish　for　the　submerged　line　in　two　thousand　fathoms　of　water；　and　after　repeated　failures；　involving　thirty　casts　of　the　grapnel；　she　hooked　and　raised　it　to　surface；　then　spliced　it　to　the　fresh　cable　in　her　hold；　and　payed　out　to　Heart's　Content；　where　she　arrived　on　Saturday；　September　7。　　There　were　now　two　fibres　of　intelligence　between　the　two　hemispheres。

On　his　return　home；　Professor　Thomson　was　among　those　who　received　the　honour　of　knighthood　for　their　services　in　connection　with　the　enterprise。　　He　deserved　it。　　By　his　theory　and　apparatus　he　probably　did　more　than　any　other　man；　with　the　exception　of　Mr。　Field；　to　further　the　Atlantic　telegraph。　　We　owe　it　to　his　admirable　inventions；　the　mirror　instrument　of　1857　and　the　siphon　recorder　of　1869；　that　messag