Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-11-27
THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
The Manner ofReeovering the Old
Gohla -

foundland, we mad another task-to
return to mid-ocean and recover
that lost in the eXped ton Of last
year This achievement has perhaps
excited more surprise than the other.
Many even now don't understand
1T, and every day am asked chow
it was done? Well, it does seem
rather difficult to fish for jewe! at
the bottom Of the ocean two and
q half miles deep. But it is not so
Uery difficult-when you know how.
You may be sure we did not go q
fishing at random, nor was our sue
cess mere luck" 1t was the tri-
umph Of the highest nautical and en-.
gineering skill. We had four ships,
and on board some of the uest sea.
men in England, men who knew the
ocean as hunter knows every trail
In the forest. There was Captain
Moriarty, who was in the Aqamem-
non in 1878. He was in the Great
Eastern last year, and saw the cable
when it broke and he and Captain
Anderson at once took their obser-
vatioDs so exact that they could 90
right to the spot After finding it.
they marked the line Of the cable
by row Of buoys; for fogs would
come down, and shut out sun and
stars, 80 that no man could take an
observation. These buoys were
anchored a few miles apart They
We're numbered, and each had FLAG
staff on it, SO that it could be seen by
day and lantern by night. Thus
having taken our bearings, we stood
off three or four miles, so as TO come
broadside on, and then casting over
the grapnel, driftcd slowly down up
on it, dragging the bottom Of the
ocean rs we went At first it was q
little awkward to fish ia such deep
water, but our men got used to it,
and soon could cast a grapnel almost
rs straight as an old whaler throws
harpoon. Our fishing line was Of
formidable size. 1t was made of rope
twisted with wires of steel, so as to
bear strain Of thirty tons. 1t took
about two hours for the grapnel 10
reach bottom, but we cOuld tell when
it struck. / often went to the bow
and sat on the rope, and could feel
by the qaivcr that the grapnel was
dragging on The bottom two mics
under MS. We had storms and caIms,
and fogs and squalls. Still we work
ed on day after day. Once, on the
18th of August, we got tho cable up
and had it in full sight for five minu-
tes-a Ions, shiny monster, fresh
from the oozc Of the oceans bed
but our men began to cheer 50 wildly
tnat 1t seemed to be frightened, and
suddenly broke away and went down
into the sea This accident kept us
at work two weeks longe but final
", on the last night OF August, we
caught it. We had cast the grapnel
thirty times. 1t was n little before
midnight on Friday night that we
hooked the cable, and it was little
after midnight Sunday morning when
we got it on board. What was the
anxiety of those twenty six hours /!
The strain on every mans life was
like the strain on the cable itself
When finally it appeared, it was
midnight the lights Of the ship,
and in the boats around our bows,
as they flashed in the faces Of the
men, showed them eagerly watch~
ing for the cable to appear on the
water At length it was brought
to the surface. All who were allow
cd to approach crowded forward to
sec it. Yet not a word was spoken,
only the voices Of the officers in
command were heard giving orders.
All felt as if life and death hung on
the issue. 1t was only when it was
brought over the bow and on the
deck that the men dared to breathe
Even then they hardly believed
their eyes. Some crept toward it, to
be sure it was there. Then we car
ried it along to the electricians room,
to see flour long sought for treasure
was alive or dead. \ few minutes of,
suspense, and a flash told of the
lightning current again set free
Then did the feeling long pcnt mp
burst forth. Some turned away
their heads and wept. Others broke
into cheers, and the cry ran from
man to man, and was heard down in
the engine rooms, deck below deck,
and from the boats on the water, and
the other ships, while rockets light
ed up the darkness of the sea-
Then with thankful hearts we turn
cd our faces again to the west. But
soon the wind rose and for thirty six
hours we were exposed to all the
dangers ola storm on the Atlantic.
Yet, in the verv height and fury Of
the gale, as l sat in the electricians
room, a flash Of light came up from
the deep which having crossed to
IrAand, came back to me in mid
ocean, telling that those SO dear to
me, whom | had left on the banks of
the Hudson. were well, and follow
ing MS with their wishes and their
prayers. This was like a whisper OF
God from the sea, bidding me keep
heart and hope. The Great Eastern
bore herself proudly through the
storm. as if she knew that the vital
card which was to join two hemis-
pheres hung at her stern and SO, on
Saturday, the 9TH of September, we
brought our second cable safely TO
the shore.