The Battery and the Boiler

←

The Battery and the Boiler. Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric Cables (1883)
by R. M. Ballantyne

→

sister projects: Wikipedia article, Commons category, quotes, course, Wikidata item.

Robin Wright and his cousin Sam get involved in the great adventure that is the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. And in numerous others, too.

“

That marvellous little creature—which, in the southern seas, builds its little cell, works its little day and dies, leaving to succeeding generations of its kind to build their little cells and die, each using its predecessor's mansion as a foundation for its own, until pile on pile forms a mass, and mass on mass makes a mountain—the coral insect, had reared one of its submarine edifices just where the cable-ship Triton had to pass that day. For ages man had traversed that sea without passing exactly over that mountain. ... ... The distance between the mountain summit and the ocean surface had been reduced to feet. The Triton rose on the top of a mighty billow as she reached the fated spot. The coral peak rose near the bottom of the water-hollow beyond, and down on it the doomed ship went with an awful crash!

”

Ilustrated by the author.

598331The Battery and the Boiler. Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric Cables1883R. M. Ballantyne

Layout 4

AN ELECTRIFIED TIGER—Page 310.
Frontispiece.

LONDON
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

THE

BATTERY AND THE BOILER

OR

ADVENTURES IN THE LAYING OF SUBMARINE

ELECTRIC CABLES.

BY R. M. BALLANTYNE,

AUTHOR OF "THE GIANT OF THE NORTH;" "THE LONELY ISLAND;" "POST HASTE; A
TALE OF HER MAJESTY'S MAILS;" "IN THE TRACK OF THE TROOPS;" "THE SETTLER
AND THE SAVAGE;" "UNDER THE WAVES;" "RIVERS OF ICE;" "BLACK IVORY;"
"THE PIRATE CITY;" "THE NORSEMEN IN THE WEST;" "THE IRON HORSE
"THE FLOATING LIGHT OF THE GOODWIN SANDS;" "ERLING THE
BOLD;" "FIGHTING THE FLAMES;" "SHIFTING WINDS;" "DEEP
DOWN;" "THE LIGHTHOUSE;" "GASCOYNE;" "THE
LIFEBOAT;" "THE GOLDEN DREAM," etc.

With Illustrations by the Author

LONDON:
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.
1883.

PREFACE.

This book professes to do no more than scratch the surface of a grand and interesting subject. It recounts a few of the adventures and experiences of those who compass land and sea in order to connect the ends of the earth by means of electric lines and cables.

R. M. B.

Harlow-on-the-Hill,
1882.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAP. I. —

IN WHICH THE HERO MAKES HIS FIRST FLASH AND EXPLOSION,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

1

II. —

REFERS TO A NOTABLE CHARACTER,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

8

III. —

EARLY ASPIRATIONS,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

17

IV. —

EXTRAORDINARY RESULT OF AN ATTEMPT AT AMATEUR CABLE-LAYING,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

22

V. —

PROSPECTS OF REAL CABLE-LAYING—ROBIN MEETS WITH HIS FIRST ELECTRICAL ACQUAINTANCES,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

31

VI. —

TELLS Of OUR HERO'S VISIT TO THE GREAT CABLE,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

51

VII. —

THE BIG SHIP—FIRST NIGHT ABOARD,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

63

VIII. —

LAYING THE CABLE—"FAULTS" AND FAULT-FINDING—ANXIETIES, ACCIDENTS, AND OTHER MATTERS,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

74

IX. —

IN WHICH JOYS, HOPES, ALARMS, GHOSTS, AND LEVIATHANS TAKE PART,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

86

X. —

TELLS OF GREAT EFFORTS AND FAILURES AND GRAND SUCCESS,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

102

XI. —

HOME!

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

119

XII. —

A GREAT DYNAMO-ELECTRIC SEA-FIGHT,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

125

XIII. —

TELLS OF A SUDDEN AND UNLOOKED-FOR EVENT,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

135

XIV. —

THE RAFT,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

147

XV. —

LIFE ON THE RAFT,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

160

XVI. —

IN WHICH WILL BE FOUND MORE SURPRISES THAN ONE,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

170

XVII. —

STRANGE DISCOVERIES ON PIRATE ISLAND,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

187

XVIII. —

THE PIRATE'S ISLAND—continued,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

206

XIX. —

AN EXPLORATION AND AN ACCIDENT,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

225

XX. — VARIOUS SUBJECTS TREATED OF, AND A GREAT FIGHT DETAILED, 239

XXI. —

DEPARTURE FROM PIRATE ISLAND AND HOPEFUL NEWS AT SARAWAK

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

259

XXII. —

BOMBAY—WHERE STUMPS COMES TO GRIEF,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

274

XXIII. —

STUMPS IN DESPAIR—AND BOMBAY IN RAPTURES,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

283

XXIV. —

SHOWS THE DREADFUL DEPRAVITY OP MAN, AND THE AMAZING EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL TREATMENT ON MAN AND BEAST

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

300

XXV. —

A GREAT FIELD-DAY, IN WHICH SLAGG DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

316

XXVI. —

BEGINS WITH A DISAPPOINTMENT, CONTINUES WITH A GREAT RECEPTION, AND ENDS WITH A SERIES OF SURPRISES,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

325

XXVII. —

DESCRIBES SEVERAL IMPORTANT EVENTS,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

343

XXVIII. —

THE CABLE LAID,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

354

XXIX. —

UNCLE RIK'S ADVENTURES,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

363

XXX. —

THE WRIGHT FAMILY REUNITED, AND SAM BECOMES HIGHLY ELECTRICAL,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

374

XXXI. —

DESCRIBES A HAPPY HOME AND A HAPPIER MEETING,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

388

XXXII. —

IN WHICH THE STORY FINDS A "FAULT," AND THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT ENDS,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

399

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

AN ELECTRIFIED TIGER (p. 310), Frontispiece.

TWO LEVIATHANS AT THE CABLE,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

to face page 100

ILLUSTRATED TITLE.

THE PIRATES' CAVE,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

201

ROBIN RESCUES LETTA,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

255

THE LAST COIL,

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

361

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

The Battery and the Boiler

Navigation menu

Search