Mr.Cornell grasped the handles of the plough, and, watching an opportunity, canted it so as to catch the point of a rock, and broke it to pieces while Professor Morse stood looking on.
"Consultations long and painful followed.

The anxiety of Professor Morse at this period was greater than at any previous hour known in the history of the invention.

Some that were around him had serious apprehensions that he would not stand up under the pressure." Cornell having thus cleverly cut the Gordian knot, it was decided to string wires on poles, and Cornell himself thus describes the solution of the insulation problem:-- "In the latter part of March Professor Morse gave me the order to put the wires on poles, and the question at once arose as to the mode of _fastening the wires to the poles_, and the insulation of them at the point of fastening.

I submitted a plan to the Professor which I was confident would be successful as an insulating medium, and which was easily available then and inexpensive.

Mr.Vail also submitted a plan for the same purpose, which involved the necessity of going to New York or New Jersey to get it executed.