American inventions and inventors . ssful attempt. It is said also that one message, sent during these few days, ^ _„__ _ „_ saved the commercial - ^ world no less a sum than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For the time being, however, the project of an Atlantic cable was allowed to remain quiet. Mr. Field was fi-nancially Civil War in theUnited States occu-pied the thoughts of all for several years. But in time thecompany was ready to try again. A newly prepared cablewas made, the twenty-three hundred miles of which weighedmore than four thousand tons. The largest vessel in
American inventions and inventors . ssful attempt. It is said also that one message, sent during these few days, ^ _„__ _ „_ saved the commercial - ^ world no less a sum than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For the time being, however, the project of an Atlantic cable was allowed to remain quiet. Mr. Field was fi-nancially Civil War in theUnited States occu-pied the thoughts of all for several years. But in time thecompany was ready to try again. A newly prepared cablewas made, the twenty-three hundred miles of which weighedmore than four thousand tons. The largest vessel in theworld, the Great Eastern, was employed to carry and lay July 23d, 1865, the steamer started from Ireland and con-tinued on its westward course until August 2d; then thecable parted, more than a thousand miles from the startingpoint. Nine days were spent in attempts to grapple for thecable, but all in vain. The next year the Great Eastern again set sail, with anew cable and with sufficient wire to complete the cable of. THE GREAT EASTERN. 284 AMERICAN INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS. the previous year, if possible. In fourteen days the steamerentered the harbor in Newfoundland. Two months later thesame steamer again reached Newfoundland, having capturedthe missing end of the other wire, thereby completing twocables from Europe to America. July 27th, 1866, was a joyous day in the life of Cyrus For thirteen years he had thought of little else butthe submarine cable. Failure after failure had not discour-aged him; loss of property only stimulated him to furtherefforts. Now success had come. The new cable was moresubstantial than the other of eight years before. That hadfailed, but this would succeed. It did succeed. From thatday to this telegraphic communication between Europe andAmerica has been constant. Submarine cables are now in extensive operation in allparts of the world. More than half a dozen cross the At-lantic, and lines have been constructed from England
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