# The Battery and the Boiler

Robin Wright and his cousin Sam get involved in the great adventure that is the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. And in numerous others, too.
| “ | That marvellous little creature—which, in the southern seas, builds its little cell, works its little day and dies, leaving to succeeding generations of its kind to build their little cells and die, each using its predecessor's mansion as a foundation for its own, until pile on pile forms a mass, and mass on mass makes a mountain—the coral insect, had reared one of its submarine edifices just where the cable-ship Triton had to pass that day. For ages man had traversed that sea without passing exactly over that mountain. ... ... The distance between the mountain summit and the ocean surface had been reduced to feet. The Triton rose on the top of a mighty billow as she reached the fated spot. The coral peak rose near the bottom of the water-hollow beyond, and down on it the doomed ship went with an awful crash! | ” |
Ilustrated by the author.
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AN ELECTRIFIED TIGER—Page 310. Frontispiece.
LONDON JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.
THE
BATTERY AND THE BOILER
OR
ADVENTURES IN THE LAYING OF SUBMARINE
ELECTRIC CABLES.
BY R. M. BALLANTYNE,
AUTHOR OF "THE GIANT OF THE NORTH;" "THE LONELY ISLAND;" "POST HASTE; A
TALE OF HER MAJESTY'S MAILS;" "IN THE TRACK OF THE TROOPS;" "THE SETTLER
AND THE SAVAGE;" "UNDER THE WAVES;" "RIVERS OF ICE;" "BLACK IVORY;"
"THE PIRATE CITY;" "THE NORSEMEN IN THE WEST;" "THE IRON HORSE
"THE FLOATING LIGHT OF THE GOODWIN SANDS;" "ERLING THE
BOLD;" "FIGHTING THE FLAMES;" "SHIFTING WINDS;" "DEEP
DOWN;" "THE LIGHTHOUSE;" "GASCOYNE;" "THE LIFEBOAT;" "THE GOLDEN DREAM," etc.
With Illustrations by the Author
LONDON:
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.
1883.
[All rights reserved.]
PREFACE.
This book professes to do no more than scratch the surface of a grand and interesting subject. It recounts a few of the adventures and experiences of those who compass land and sea in order to connect the ends of the earth by means of electric lines and cables.
R. M. B.
Harlow-on-the-Hill,
1882.
CONTENTS.
* PAGE
* CHAP. I. — IN WHICH THE HERO MAKES HIS FIRST FLASH AND EXPLOSION, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* II. — REFERS TO A NOTABLE CHARACTER, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
* III. — EARLY ASPIRATIONS, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
* IV. — EXTRAORDINARY RESULT OF AN ATTEMPT AT AMATEUR CABLE-LAYING, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22
* V. — PROSPECTS OF REAL CABLE-LAYING—ROBIN MEETS WITH HIS FIRST ELECTRICAL ACQUAINTANCES, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31
* VI. — TELLS Of OUR HERO'S VISIT TO THE GREAT CABLE, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................51
* VII. — THE BIG SHIP—FIRST NIGHT ABOARD, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................63
* VIII. — LAYING THE CABLE—"FAULTS" AND FAULT-FINDING—ANXIETIES, ACCIDENTS, AND OTHER MATTERS, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................74
* IX. — IN WHICH JOYS, HOPES, ALARMS, GHOSTS, AND LEVIATHANS TAKE PART, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................86
* X. — TELLS OF GREAT EFFORTS AND FAILURES AND GRAND SUCCESS, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................102
* XI. — HOME! ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................119
* XII. — A GREAT DYNAMO-ELECTRIC SEA-FIGHT, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................125
* XIII. — TELLS OF A SUDDEN AND UNLOOKED-FOR EVENT, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................135
* XIV. — THE RAFT, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................147
* XV. — LIFE ON THE RAFT, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................160
* XVI. — IN WHICH WILL BE FOUND MORE SURPRISES THAN ONE, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................170
* XVII. — STRANGE DISCOVERIES ON PIRATE ISLAND, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................187
* XVIII. — THE PIRATE'S ISLAND—continued, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................206
* XIX. — AN EXPLORATION AND AN ACCIDENT, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................225
* XX. —VARIOUS SUBJECTS TREATED OF, AND A GREAT FIGHT DETAILED,239
* XXI. — DEPARTURE FROM PIRATE ISLAND AND HOPEFUL NEWS AT SARAWAK ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................259
* XXII. — BOMBAY—WHERE STUMPS COMES TO GRIEF, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................274
* XXIII. — STUMPS IN DESPAIR—AND BOMBAY IN RAPTURES, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................283
* XXIV. — SHOWS THE DREADFUL DEPRAVITY OP MAN, AND THE AMAZING EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL TREATMENT ON MAN AND BEAST ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................300
* XXV. — A GREAT FIELD-DAY, IN WHICH SLAGG DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................316
* XXVI. — BEGINS WITH A DISAPPOINTMENT, CONTINUES WITH A GREAT RECEPTION, AND ENDS WITH A SERIES OF SURPRISES, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................325
* XXVII. — DESCRIBES SEVERAL IMPORTANT EVENTS, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................343
* XXVIII. — THE CABLE LAID, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................354
* XXIX. — UNCLE RIK'S ADVENTURES, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................363
* XXX. — THE WRIGHT FAMILY REUNITED, AND SAM BECOMES HIGHLY ELECTRICAL, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................374
* XXXI. — DESCRIBES A HAPPY HOME AND A HAPPIER MEETING, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................388
* XXXII. — IN WHICH THE STORY FINDS A "FAULT," AND THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT ENDS, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................399
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
* AN ELECTRIFIED TIGER (p. 310),Frontispiece.
* TWO LEVIATHANS AT THE CABLE,................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................to face page 100
* ILLUSTRATED TITLE.
* THE PIRATES' CAVE,................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................201
* ROBIN RESCUES LETTA,................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................255
* THE LAST COIL,................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................361
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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