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“Lot 12.—A free pass from Boston or Halifax to Liverpool by any of the Cunard boats, the proprietor, Mr. W. Russell, having no use for the same.”
The accompanying illustration appeared at the end of the papers, with this verse:
“No useless sentry within the tank,
Not in slumber or sleep we found him;
But he sat like a warrior stiff on his plank,
With his Inverness cloak around him.”
It was while Mr. Field was on watch on August 2d that “a grating noise was audible as the cable flew over the coil,” and “There is a piece of wire” was called to the lookout man. The fault was discovered, and the cable was transferred without difficulty to the bows, and the picking up was going on quietly when the strain became too great and it parted.
To quote from The Atlantic Telegraph:
“Mr. Canning appeared in the saloon, and, in a manner which caused all to start, said: ‘It is all over—it is gone,’ and hastened onward to his cabin. Mr. Field, ere the thrill of surprise and pain occasioned by those words had passed away, came from the companionway into the saloon, and said, with composure admirable under the circumstances, though his lip quivered and his cheek was blanched, ‘The cable has parted and gone overboard.’
“After this grappling was determined upon. At 11.30 on August 11th the Great Eastern signalled to the Terrible, ‘We are going to make a final effort.’ The cable was caught and was brought up 765 fathoms, and was then lost.”
At Dundee, Scotland, in 1867, Sir William Thomson said:
“I shall never forget the day when we last gave up hope of finishing the work in 1865. On that day Cyrus Field renewed a proposal for the adoption of the plan which has been adopted, and which has led to the successful completion of the enterprise. Cyrus Field’s last prospectus was completed in the grand saloon of the Great Eastern on the day when we gave up all hope for 1865.”