Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-01-31
A Modern Columbus.

IL it had been your good fortune to
be at the little harbor of Hearts Con-
tent, Newfoundland, on Friday, July
81, 1866, you would have observed
signs of unusual excitement. The
presence of American newspaper cor
respondents would have told you that
something of interest to the American
people had occurred; the British flag
floating side by side with the Ameri-
can, from church and telegraph. sta
ton, would have shown you that Eng
land shared this interest in common
with America.
This was, indeed, memorable day
in the worlds history. After 12 years
OF greatest effort, during which Cyrus
Field, the promoter of the project,
had crossed the ocean nearly 90 times
after repeated failure and discourage
ment, cable 1000 miles long had
been laid across the floor of the ocean
and telegraphic communication be-
tween America and the mother coun-
try established.
Well might John Bright, the emin-
ent Englishman, call Cyrus Field
''the Columbus of modern times, who
by his cable had moored the new
world alongside the old" Well might
congress present him with a gold
medal and vote him the thanks of
grateful nation, and the Paris expo
sition in 1857 award him the grand
medal, the highest honor in its power
to bestow. Before this day of sue
cess, the repeated failure of his at
tempts had brought down upon him
the sneers of many people, but he had
never lost faith that his great idea
could be carried out, and there had
not been wanting faithful friends in
England and America who by their
generous financial aid ana by their
belief in him had enabled him to car
ry out his project.
In 1854 Mr.. Field was asked to aid
in building a land line across New
foundland from Cape Ray to st.
Johns. Thence fast steamers would
carry news to the western coast Of
ireland, and so news of America
could reach England in one week. In
considering this scheme it occurred
TO Mr.. Field that the line could be
carried across the ocean, and the re-
suit of this idea was the Atlantic
Telegraph company, organized in
London in 1856.
Both British and American govern
ments aided him with ships, and in,
1857 and 1858 expeditions set out from
Ireland to carry the cable across to-
America. The expedition of 1857 and
the first one of 1858 were failures,
hut in August, 1858, for three weeks
communication was established Mes
sages were exchanged between Queen
Victoria and President Buchanan, the
event was widely celebrated, and then
suddenly the cable stopped working.
Discouraged and doubling. the peo-
pie were not easily aroused again to
enthusiasm or belief. It was not un-
till 1865 that the attempt was made
again, and this time the cable broke
in mfdocean after 1900 miles of it had
been laid. 1t is hard, however, to dis
courage man who is sure he is right,
and in July, 1866, the Great Eastern
and the Terrible, both of which had
been on former expeditions, the Med
way and the Albany, set out from the
coast of Irelanu to lay the cable across
to Newfoundland.
There was wild enthusiasm on land
this time. Everyone realized the
great difficulty of the undertaking. but
there was an interested crowd on
shore, among them many Irish peas
ants, Many a prayer was offered for
the safety and success of this expedi-
tion, and these prayers were an
swered. When after two weeks the
feet landed at Hearts Content, cap
tain and officers in the little church
at Hearts Content offered their
thanks for the success which had come
at last, and a sermon was preached
from the text There shall be no
more sea. a."-Chicago Record Herald.