130 GEORGE HERBERT STOCKBRIDGE 



The history of this colossal undertaking, of which Cjtus 

 W. Field was the originator and moving spirit, can only be 

 given in the barest outline. The first thing to do was to build 

 a telegraph line from New York to the farther shore of New- 

 foundland. This alone cost a million dollars, and took two 

 years of time, being completed in 1856. The rest of that year 

 and a part of the following were occupied by Mr. Field in 

 organizing the Atlantic Telegraph company in London, and 

 in securing, from both Great Britain and the United States, 

 the promise of ships for laying the cable, and of subsidies 

 from both governments when the work should have been com- 

 pleted. Mr. Field was successful in both undertakings. 



The first actual attempt to lay an Atlantic cable was 

 made in the summer of 1857, the start being made from the 

 Irish coast on the 6th of August. This cable parted after 

 more than two hundred miles had been paid out, and the 

 expedition was compelled to return to Ireland, unsuccessful. 

 A second failure was registered in the following year, but the 

 third attempt was successful, and the cable was safely landed 

 on the 5th of August, 1858. It continued in operation less 

 than a single month, and then suddenly ceased to work for- 

 ever. This event was followed by a season of profound dis- 

 couragement covering several years, but in 1865, a larger and 

 stronger cable stowed away in the vast hold of the Great 

 Eastern was unrolled into the ocean, and, though it broke 

 at last, yet the experiment had succeeded so far that the con- 

 fidence of all concerned was increased, rather than shaken. 

 The year following, the Great Eastern laid a cable which is 

 still at work, and it also picked up and completed the broken 

 cable of 1865. 



The success of Mr. Field's efforts to secure congressional 

 aid was due to the strong support given it by many of the 

 men whose names Americans delight to honor. The bill 

 which finally passed was introduced by Mr. Seward, whose 

 speech in support of it summarizes all that can now be said 

 concerning one of the greatest commercial undertakings in 

 history. He says: 



'' Now, there is no person on the face of the globe who can 

 measure the price at which, if a reasonable man, he would 



