The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-18
LAYING THE ATLANTIC GABLE.

LAYING THE ATLANTIC GABLE.
Mr.. Fields Story of How it Was Lost
and Recovered in Mid-oceen.
From the Neto York Times.
at a dinner given to Mr.. Field by the
New York Chamber of Commerce, on Nov.
Is, 1866, he told about the recovery Of the
cable which was lost in the oceans bed, in
these words;
after landing the cable safely at New
foundiand, we had another task-to return
to mid-oceau aud recover that lost in the
expedition Of last year. This achievement
has, perhaps, excited more surprise than
the other. 1t was the triumph Of the high
est nautical aud engineering skill. We had
four ships. and on board of them some of
the best seamel IN England-men who knew
the ocean as a hunter knows every trail in
the forest. There was Capt. Moriarty, who
was in the Agamemnon i'll 1S57-'5S.
He was in the Great Eastern last year
and saw the cable when 1t broke; and he
and Capt. Anderson at once took their OBJ
servations 80 exact that they could 60 right
TO the spot. After finding it, they marked
the line Of the cable by a row of buoys, for
fogs would come down, and shut out sun
and stars, 30 that no man could take an OBJ
servation. These buoys were anchored a
few miles apart. They were numbered, aud
each had Flagstaff on it, so that it could
be seen by day, and lantern by night
Thus having taken our bearings, We stood
of three or four miles, 80 as to come broad
side on aud then, casting over the grapuel,
drifted slowly down upon it, dragging the
bottom OF the ocean as we went. At first
IL was a little awkward to fish in such deep
water but our men got used to it, and soon
| could cast a grapnel almost as straight as
lar old hal fhrN hnr
"Our fishing line was of formidable size
1t was made Of rope, twisted with wires Of
steel, so as to bear strain of thirty pounds
1t took about two hours for the grapnel to
reach bottom, bus we could tell when it
struck. ] often went to the bow and sat on
the rope, and could feel by the culver that
the grapnei was dragging on the bottom
two miles under us. But it was q very
slow business. We had storms and Gains
and fogs and squalls.
"Still we worked on day after day. Once,
| on Aug. II, we got the cable up, and had
1t in full sight for i've mInuses-a long,
Shiny monster. fresh from the ooze OF tho
| oceans bed but our men began to cheer so
wildly. that 1t seemed to be frightened, and
suddenly broke away and went down into
the sea.
"This accident kept us at work two weeks
longer; but finally on the last night of
August, we caught 1t. We had cast the
grapnel thirty times. II was 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 thirty six
| hoursl 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 Dows as they flashed in the faces OF the
| men, showed them eagerly watching for the
| cable to appear on the water
Eat length it was brought to the surface.
All who we're allowed to approach crowded
| forward to see it. Yet not a word was
spoken only the voices of the officers in
command were heard giving orders AN
| felt as if life and death hung on the issue.
1t was only when IL was brought over the
bow and on the deck that men dared TO
breathe. Even then they hardly believed
their eyes. Some crept toward il 30 feel of
it, to be sure 1t was there. Then we car
ried it along 20 the electricians room to see
if our long sought treasure was alive or
dead.
"a few minutes OF suspense, and fash
told OF the lightning current again set free.
Then did the feeling long peDt up 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 lighted up the darkness
of the sea.
"Then with thankful hearts we turned
our faces again to the west. But soon the
wind rose, and for thirty-six hours we were
exposed to all the dangers of q storm on the
Atlantic. Yet in the very hight and fury
of the gale, as l sat in the electrioian's
| room, q flash of light came up from the
deep which, having crossed to Ireland came
bach 70 In mid fnlt hat
so dear TO me whom l had left on the
| banks of the Hudson were we'll and follow
| ing us with their wishes and their prayers.
"This was like 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 cord
which was to Join the two hemispheres hung
at her stern, and so on Saturday, Sept. 7,
we brought our second cable safely TO the
| shore"
Afterward. In speaking OF his greatest
work Mr.. Field said:
at has been q long, hard struggle, nearly
thirteen years Of anxious watching aud
ceaseless toll. Often my heart has been
ready to sink. Many times when wander
ing in the forests Of Newfoundland. in the
pelteriDg rains or on the decks of ships, on
dark nights-alone, far from home-I have
almost accused myself Of madness and folly
to sacrifice the peace of my family and all
the hopes Of my life for what might prove
after all but dream.
al have seen my companions, one and an
other. falling by my side, and feared that
!, too, might not live TO ses the end. And
yet one hope has led me on, and have
prayed that might not taste OF death till
this work was accomplished. That prayer
Is answered, and now. beyond all acknowl-
edgments to men is the feeling of gratitude
to Almighty God"
ONE of the facts brought out by the prema-
ture announcement of w. w. Astor's death
was that he once held a commission as a colonel