ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH, HISTORY OF. In 1842, prof. Morse, of New York, having stretched a submarine cable between Castle Garden and Governor's island, New York, and succeeded in transmitting an electric current from one end to the other, expressed his opinion that it would be possible to effect an electrical communication through the sea. After further investigations, he announced to the secretary of the treasury of the United States, "that a telegraphic communication on his plan might with certainty be estab lished across the Atlantic." Three years prior to that, Sir William O'Shaughnessy gave piactical proof that electrical messages could be conveyed through water, by depositing a cable in the bed of the Hooghly; but it was the successful submarine telegraphic under takings of the Messrs. Brett, who, in June, 1845, registered a "General Oceanic Telegraph Company," with the object among others of joining this country with America by means of a telegraph "across the Atlantic ocean," and six years afterwards united England with France (see TELEGRAPH, History), that first fairly convinced the public mind that the new world might be put on what may be called conversational terms with the old.. The supposed great depths of the Atlantic ocean presented the most imposing obstacle to this desired closeness of communion; but when it was discovered that between Ireland and Newfoundland there extended, along the bottom of the Atlantic, at a depth of not more than two miles below the surface, a fine broad platform (see ATLANTIC OCEAN), seemingly so specially formed by nature for the purpose of electrical communica tion, that capt. Maury at once designated it the telegraphic plateau, the project of an Atlantic submarine cable assumed a practical form. In 1854, the colonial government of Newfoundland passed an act incorporating a company to establish a telegraphic com munication between the old world and the new, and aided it by a subsidy, and by grants of lands. The colonial government also conferred upon the company the exclusive right of landing a telegraphic line upon the coast under itsjurisdiction. The govern m ants of Prince Edward's island and the state of Maine made similar concessions; and authority for certain subsidiary operations in Canada was also obtained. The company, incorporated under the title of " The New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company," commenced operations by uniting St. John's in Newfoundland with lines in the United States and British North America. This done, numerous preliminary experiments were undertaken by eminent electricians and engineers, in order to deter mine the amount of retarding force which inducted and disguised electricity were likely to offer to the transmission of currents along submarine wires of unusual length. Hay ing.by these experiments, 2000 in number, tried with 62 different kinds of cable, deter mined the one best adapted for the conveyance of electricity through such a length, and at such a depth in the Atlantic, the next step was the formation of a more influential company. In 1856, " The A. T. Company," to which all the privileges conferred on the
old company were handed over, was formed with a capital of £350,000. The govern ments of Great Britain and the United States liberally aided the company, guaranteeing, by a contract of 25 years' duration, to pay to the company, until such time as its dividend reached 6 per cent, a subsidy of £14,000 a year, and of £10,000 subsequently. They also agreed to furnish ships for laying down the cable.
The cable, which weighed about a ton per mile, equal to 14 cwt. in water, was com posed of a strand of seven wires of pure copper, coated with three separate layers of gutta-percha, wrapped over with hemp saturated with pitch and tar, and finally bound round with iron wires, 332,500 m. of iron and copper wire being employed in its con struction. It was deposited in the holds of the Agamemnon, a line-of-battle ship sup plied by the British government, and the Niagara, a splendid frigate furnished by the United States, and the two vessels started on their grand mission. After two unsuccess ful attempts during the years 1857 and 1858, the expedition started again for mid-ocean, whence the ships were to start, paying-out towards opposite shores, on the 17th of July, 1858. The cable was united and lowered on the 29th of the same month; and the Agamemnon, notwithstanding a severe gale of wind, arrived at Valentia, having success fully laid her portion of it, on the morning of the 5th of Aug. The Niagara about the same time arrived in Trinity bay, Newfoundland, and science had annihilated space between the old world and the new. On the 17th Aug., the extremities of the cable having been put in connection with the recording-instruments, the following message was flashed through the ocean in thirty-five minutes: "Europe and America are united by telegraph. Glory to God in the highest; on earth peace and good-will towards men." Messages and replies from the queen to the president of the United States, from the mayor of London to the mayor of New York, etc., followed. But on the 4th of Sept., the signals of Valentia became unintelligible. One commercial message of great im portance passed through the cable, in reference to the collision between the Atlantic steamers, the Europa and Arabia; this single message saved the commercial world £50,000, which would doubtless have been spent in extra insurance on the vessels and cargoes thus delayed.- The cable of 1858 having become useless, two other lines were laid in 1865 and 1866, between Great Britain and North America. A cable was laid in 1869 from France to the United States. For the history of the A. T. since 1869, see ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH, also TELEGRAPH.