CYRUS THE GREAT 61 
Valorous had to fire gun after gun just before daybreak to 
ward off a large American bark which threatened to become 
entangled in the cable. 
A portion of the cable on the Agamemnon was found to be 
damaged, and for a time there were fears that some of that 
‘already laid was similarly faulty. T'wo interruptions in the 
electrical continuity were overcome and found to be due to 
unimportant causes. Unfavorable winds added to the worries, 
and an undue amount of cable had to be paid out as a zigzag 
course was necessary. 
Nevertheless, general conditions continued favorable. The 
luck was changing. At dawn on the morning of August 5, 
1858, the rocky Irish coast was sighted, and by six o’clock 
anchor was dropped opposite Valentia. The crew sighed their 
relief; the officials were overjoyed. A signal came through 
the cable that the Nzagara, which had sighted Newfoundland 
the day before, was landing its end, having evaded icebergs 
and fogs. Cyrus Field stepped ashore on the wild coast of 
Trinity bay on the evening of August 4, and before day- 
break on the morning of August 5 he waked the sleeping op- 
erators in the telegraph-house with the words, “The cable is 
laid.” ‘They were astonished and incredulous; it was like a 
dream coming true. 
The Niagara had laid 1030 nautical miles; the Agamemnon 
1020, a total of 2050 nautical miles. This is equivalent to 
about 2360 land miles. A copper wire capable of bearing an 
electric current along the bed of the ocean connected the Old 
World with the New. By noon on August 5, the news began 
to spread over Europe and America. The Field family, gath- 
ered at Stockbridge, were startled on a quiet summer after- 
noon by a telegram from Cyrus announcing the glad tidings. 
‘They were overwhelmed with emotion; soon the little New 
England village was in a tumult. Bells were rung, and guns 
were fired. Children, released early from school, shouted: 
“The cable is laid! The cable is laid!’”” The home-town boy 
