Mishaps have since taken place; but in every case the injuries have been attended to, and the two cables maintained in good working order. The rapidity of signaling (at first only two words per minute) was greatly increased; the tariff of charges was lowered; the public of the two nations used the cable-telegraph extensively; and the company realized good dividends, notwithstanding the heavy expenditure which had been incurred.
The art of laying submarine cables being thus established, many other projects for Atlantic telegraphy have from time to time been started. One scheme was for a line from the n. of Scotland to Faroe islands, Iceland, Greenland, and some'point near the mouth of the St. Lawrence; but the projectors did not succeed in raising capital. A. French company-afterwards planned a direct route from France to America. In June, 1869, the Great Eastern steamed out of Brest with this new cable, no less than 2328 m, long; and the submersion was successfully effected. There is a connection between Brest and Falmouth. A new French cable from Brest to the island of St. Pierre, to the s. of Newfoundland, was laid in the end of 1879. In the year 1874, a third British cable was successfully laid from Ireland to Newfoundland. A "Direct United States Cable
Company" was also formed; Messrs. Siemens undertook the manufacture of the cable, the lightest yet planned for Atlantic telegraphy, its weight being 480 lbs. of copper and 400 lbs. of gutta-percha per mile; about 3060 m, were needed from Ireland to New Hampshire. The laying of this cable was completed early in the summer of 1875.
Lower down the Atlantic, extensive operations have been or are being completed. When a cable had been laid from Falmouth to Lisbon, the latter became the starting point for extensive ocean routes. The "Brazilian Submarine Cable Company" began in 1873 a cable to extend from Lisbon to Madeira, St. Vincent, and Pernambuco. The whole length is 4000 in., of which the longest section (across the ocean) is somewhat under 2000 in.; it is connected at Pernambuco with other cables toPara, Rio Grande, etc.
There is a "Direct Spanish Cable" from the Lizard to Bilbao; and there are dupli cate lines from Falmouth to Lisbon. In and near the gulf of Mexico, the electricians have been working with great energy. Most of • the principal West India islands are connected by cable one with another, with Colon (Panama), and with the U. S. main land at Florida.