152 A SAGA OF THE SEAS 
Great Eastern and Medway still had work to do in laying the 
rest of the 1865 cable to Newfoundland. 
A storm was now blowing up, and the waves were soon 
rising high. ‘The splice had been made, and the crew carefully 
paid out the patched cable. Cyrus Field sought shelter from 
the storm in the electrician’s room. As he sat there, wonder- 
ing how his family were, a message came that had been sent 
from New York to Ireland by the 1866 cable and then re- 
layed by the 1865, cable to the ship. The message said that his 
family were well and praying for his safe return. This was 
striking proof of the efficacy of his work—a demonstration in 
point. 
Except for this storm, no serious trouble was met in laying 
the nearly seven hundred miles of cable until they were al- 
most at Heart’s Content. Then, just after receiving a sum- 
mary of European news from the Times of September 8, a 
fault showed up in the cable. It was found to be on the ship. 
The end of a broken wire had been accidentally bent into 
the core. The injured portion was cut out, and a splice made. 
On that same day the Medway laid the shore end, and by 
evening a second cable spanned the Atlantic. Its length was 
about nineteen hundred nautical miles—a little more than 
the 1866 cable, but less than the 1858 cable. The technique 
of cable-laying was now understood. There was cause for 
pride and elation. 
Never did the obscure settlement at Heart’s Content wit- 
ness such a scene as when the telegraph fleet returned to its 
quiet waters on Saturday, September 8, 1866. Word had been 
received, of course, by way of Ireland of the successful raising 
of the old cable on the Sunday before. As the fleet came up 
the bay, innumerable small vessels gave it a rousing welcome. 
The shore end of the cable was seized and fastened by willing 
hands. Field and Canning were hoisted up and cheered tu- 
multuously by a crowd of admirers. The straggling little fish- 
