“ ‘The cable of 1865 was recovered early this morning, and we are now in perfect telegraphic communication with Valentia, and on our way back to Heart’s Content, where we expect to arrive next Saturday. God be praised. Please telegraph me in full at Heart’s Content. I am in good health and spirits. Captain Anderson wishes to be kindly remembered to you.
Cyrus W. Field.’ ”
“Saturday, September 8th.
“Landed cable at Heart’s Content.
“Position of ships entering Trinity Bay:
| Lily, Medway, | Great Eastern, |
Terrible, Margaretta Stevenson.” |
Of his own feeling, as he stood waiting on the Great Eastern at dawn on Sunday morning, September 2d, Mr. Field told in a speech made in London on March 10, 1868:
“One of the most interesting scenes that I ever witnessed ... was the moment when, after the cable had been recovered on the Great Eastern, it had been brought into the electrician’s room, and the test was applied to see whether it was alive or dead. Never shall I forget that eventful moment when, in answer to our question to Valentia, whether the cable of 1866, which we had a few weeks previously laid, was in good working order, and the cable across the Gulf of St. Lawrence had been repaired, in an instant came back those six memorable letters, ‘Both O. K.’ I left the room, I went to my cabin, I locked the door; I could no longer restrain my tears—crying like a child, and full of gratitude to God that I had been permitted to live to witness the recovery of the cable we had lost from the Great Eastern just thirteen mouths previous.”