THE SUBMARINE CABLE 



HIGH HOPES AND FAILURE 



By the time the two cable vessels and their fleet of 

 consorts were ready to start, great enthusiasm and faith 

 in the success of the project had been created both in 

 America and Europe, and great personages of the 

 British Empire gathered on shore at the starting point to 

 God-speed the two vessels on their momentous voyage. 

 This starting point was in Valentia Bay, Ireland; and 

 amid tooting whistles and flying bunting the Niagara 

 began paying out the cable. But the start was unpropi- 

 tious, the paying-out machinery not working well, and 

 five miles from shore the cable parted. This was not a 

 serious matter in that depth of water, however, and the 

 ends of the cable were soon spliced, the paying-out 

 machinery adjusted, and the Niagara once more 

 resumed her voyage. 



The heartbreaking suspense of the promoters on 

 board the fleet of cable-boats may be readily imagined. 

 Hour after hour, and mile after mile, the threadlike line 

 of wire must keep dropping continuously from the stern 

 of the ship, must be regulated so that it did not run out 

 too fast and yet not restrained with sufficient force to 

 break it. Not once must the boat, or the machinery for 

 paying out, stop after deep water was reached, as the 

 weight of the cable would cause it to break if checked 

 even momentarily. 



As the Niagara continued successfully to pay out the 

 cable hour by hour, however, the promoters breathed 

 more easily, and the messages and communications 

 which were being constantly sent from ship to shore in 



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