On the 7th of August, 1855, a party sailed from New York on the steamer James Adger to assist at the laying of the cable across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To quote again from Mr. Cooper’s speech:
“We went along very pleasantly until we came to Port au Basque, and there we waited several days for the arrival of the ship that contained the cable, and when she came we directed the captain to take her in tow. Unfortunately he had taken umbrage at the action of Mr. Lowber, who, acting as a master of ceremonies, had placed Rev. Dr. Spring at the head of the table instead of the captain. So offended was he that he became as stubborn as a mule thereafter.
“Four several attempts were made to get hold of the ship having the cable; and the darkness of night coming on, we had to go into Cape Ray. There we got the end of the cable to the telegraph-house after much labor; and when we had it fastened to the shore and properly connected we gave the captain orders to tow the ship across the gulf. In starting he managed to run into the ship, carrying away her shrouds and quarter-rail and almost making a wreck, so that we had to lay up, for in dragging the cable the connection was destroyed. We joined it again, and after some delay departed, directing the captain to take the ship in tow. We had taken the precaution to bring two very long and thick cables to tow her across the gulf. He started, and again had the misfortune to get the larger line entangled with the wheel of his vessel. In the confusion that followed the ship that had the cable by his orders parted her anchor; the line was cut, and she drifted towards a reef of rocks. We entreated the captain to get hold of her as quickly as possible, but before he did so she was almost on the reef. It was then found necessary to go back and have the machinery fixed, which took several days before we were ready to start again. At length, one beautiful day we got off. Before starting our engineer, who had charge of laying the cable, gave the captain instructions to keep constantly in view a flag placed upon the telegraph-house and bring it in range with a white rock upon the mountain, which would give him the exact lines upon which to steer. As soon, however, as we got off, I saw the captain was going out of the way, and, as president of the board, I told him so. The answer was, ‘I know how to steer my ship; I steer by my compass.’ I said, ‘Your instructions were to steer for the flag and the rock on the mountain.’ ‘I steer by my compass,’ was all I could get out of him. He went on steering in that manner until I found he was going so far out of the way that I told him I would hold him responsible for all loss. This had no effect. I then got a lawyer who was on board to draw up a paper warning the captain that if he did not change his course we should hold him responsible for the loss of the cable. He then turned his course, and went as far out of the way in the other direction. We soon after encountered a gale, and had to discontinue; and when we came to measure the cable, we found we had laid twenty-four miles of cable, and had got only nine miles from shore. That is only a sample of the trials we had to encounter in this enterprise, and I mention it to say that it was in great measure due to the indomitable courage and zeal of Mr. Field inspiring us that we went on and on until we got another cable across the gulf.”
In July, 1856, a cable eighty-five miles in length was successfully laid across the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting Newfoundland with Cape Breton, and also one of eleven miles from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick. The lines, one hundred and forty miles in length, had also been built across Cape Breton. The telegraph system of the United States had thus been connected with the most eastern port of Newfoundland.
How this work was done was told by Mr. Field on November 15, 1866.
“It was a very pretty plan on paper. There was New York and there was St. John’s, only about twelve hundred miles apart. It was easy to draw a line from one point to the other, making no account of the forests and mountains and swamps and rivers and gulfs that lay in our way. Not one of us had ever seen the country or had any idea of the obstacles to be overcome. We thought we could build the line in a few months. It took two years and a half, yet we never asked for help outside our own little circle. Indeed I fear we should not have got it if we had, for few had any faith in our scheme. Every dollar came out of our own pockets. Yet I am proud to say no man drew back. No man proved a deserter; those who came first into the work stood by it to the end....
“It was begun and for two years and a half was carried on solely by American capital. Our brethren across the sea did not even know what we were doing away in the forests of Newfoundland. Our little company raised and expended over a quarter million pounds sterling before an Englishman paid a single pound. Our only support outside was in the liberal charter and steady friendship of the government of Newfoundland.”
But it was now thought wise to enlist English co-operation. For this purpose Mr. Field left New York by the steamship Baltic on Saturday, July 19, 1856. His work in London was begun at once, and John Brett, Michael Faraday, George Parker Bidder, Mr. Statham, of the London Gutta-percha Works; Mr. Brunel; Mr. Glass, of Glass, Elliott & Co.; Charles T. Bright, and Dr. Edward O. W. Whitehouse were soon among his friends and strongly impressed with the idea that a cable could be successfully laid across the Atlantic. It was at this time that in response to a note from his wife, Mr. Glass wrote, “Mr. Field is in London,” and that showed that no longer was his time his own.
Once when with Faraday, Mr. Field asked him how long a time he thought would be required for the electric current to pass between London and New York. His answer was brief and to the point: “Possibly one second.”
Brunel was also as clear-sighted; he pointed to the Great Eastern that he was then building, and said, “Mr. Field, there is the ship to lay the cable.” Eight years later it was used for that purpose.