The Russellville Democrat., 1881-04-14

miles and a half when the cable was broken by an accident. The ships met again; the cable was again spliced, and once more they sailed apart. When 40 miles had been paid out, communication between the ships ceased, and again they were obliged to come together. The de- feet having been discovered and reme died, the ships started again, and paid out with the greatest success three hun dred miles, when again the electric cur rent ceased to flow. This time the whole fleet, including the two men of war and two tenders returned to Ireland.
 With fresh supplies they sailed again few days after, met in the middle of the ocean, made the splice, and once more steamed away from one another. Everything worked admirably, and neither of the vessels stopped one mo- ment until 1t cast anchor in its destined port. Many readers remember MT. Fields electric announcemet that the cable was laid and working successfully. It continued to answer it's purpose in some degree for 23 days, during which about 400 messages were sent through 1t. But something was the matter with it from the first. There was an escape somewhere, and finally it ceased to work altogether. The reason was afterward found to be that the cable, with it's gutta percha and tar covering, had been care lessly exposed to the sun in London, and the wire thus in several places was exposed to the action of the sea
 The perseverance of the projector was now put to the severest test It is of lit tie use explaining to the public why an enterprise fails The public is a busy creature, and has relish for explanations of failure. For sometime after this costly expedition, Cyrus W. Field was perhaps the only human being in the world who retained his faith undiminished in the final success of the Atlantic cable Fifty times he crossed the ocean on behalf of the enterprise. The civil war inter- vened. Seven years passed before the attempt was renewed, and it was then renewed through his exertions. In 1865 the Great Eastern, with cable on board, started on its way across the ocean, and paid out l,200 miles, when a sudden lurch of the huge vessel snapped it, and it was lost The ship returned to England. The next year (1S66) the same vessel renewed the attempt; when t not only laid cable from shore to shore, but fished up the lost one from a depth of two miles, and splicing it to one on board brought it safely in.
 A few months since, at the house of the proiector, the Silver Wedding of the two continents was celebrated by a superb festival, attended by more than a thousand persons. Mir. Field re ated the origin of the scheme in the very room where the company was formed. That company consisted at first of five persons: Cyrus w. Field, Peter Cooper, Moses Taylor, Marshall O. Roberts and Chandler White; all but two of whom are now living, and all but one were present on this interesting occasion.
 An Atlantic cable is not bad thing to have in family. Fifteen words a minute can be sent through it, which is more than 10000 words in 24 hours. At $l word, which was the price for a long time, the revenue arising from a cable could be something over $6,000.000 per annum. Nay: while MT. Field was re- ceiving his friends that evening, there was delivered to him the following cable message:
 "This anniversary witnesses duplex working across the Atlantic as an accom- plished fact"