ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH, HISTORY OF (ante). The first experiment in submarine telegraphy was made in 1839 by Dr. W. O'Shaughnessy at Calcutta. Having laid across the river Hoogly a copper wire, insulated with a covering of cotton thread saturated with pitch and tar, he was able to transmit signals through it. His experiment was followed in 1847 by that of J. J. Craven, who insulated an iron wire with gutta-percha and placed it in the circuit of the New York and Washington telegraph line, submerging it in the waters of a small creek. This led, in 1848, to the laying of a gutta-percha cable between New York and Jersey City. An experimental line laid across the English channel in 1850 was followed in 1851 by the permanent cable which is still in use. The success of this undertaking revived the project of a telegraph by way of Newfoundland for rapid communication with Europe. The plan was to carry the line across that island to St. John's, the farthest point on the American coast, and there connect with a line of fast steamers,which it was thought could reach the nearest point in Ireland in five days. Thus America could be brought easily within a week of Europe. In 1854, the attention of Mr. Cyrus W. Field, of New was directed to the subject, and while he was considering this proposal, and turning over the globe in his library, the thought flashed upon him, "why not carry the line across the ocean?" But in a work of such magnitude, it was easier to conceive than to execute. To build the line across Newfoundland was no small undertaking. It was a distance of 400 m., through a wilderness, over land that was wild and waste, marsh and moor, or rocks and hills, and often through dense forests, where every step of the way had to be cleared by the woodman's axe. This overland work took nearly three years. Then to connect the island with the mainland, a cable had to be laid across the gulf of St. Law rence. One was sent out from England in 1855, but the first attempt to lay it was a failure. The next year a second attempt was made with success. The work thus com pleted, though costly, was merely preliminary to the more serious undertaking which now began. The practicability of a transatlantic telegraph was doubted by many of the first authorities, both in England and America. Eminent engineers declared that it was beyond the resources of human skill to span the ocean with a cable over 2000 m. long. Even the great Robert Stephenson shook his head, and anticipated only failure. Elec tricians added that even if it were laid, the electric current could not be sent that dis tance. To be sure, there were eminent authorities on the other side. The great Faraday encouraged the American projector. But still both scientific men and practical men were so divided, that it was very difficult to inspire in either country the degree of confidence necessary to success. In face of all these obstacles, Mr. Field went to Lon don, and there succeeded in 1856 in organizing the first Atlantic telegraph company hind raising the necessary money to carry out the project, subscribing himself for more than one quarter of the entire capital.
• The English and American governments gave their aid in the use of ships. The first attempt was made.in 1857, but the cable was paid out only about 300 m. from the Irish coast, when it broke, and the ships returned to England. The attempt was renewed the following year. The cable was then placed on board the Niagara of the United States navy and the Agamemnon of the British navy, which sailed for the middle of the Atlantic. Before reaching it, the Agamemnon came near foundering during it severe gale, which lasted several days; Arrived at last in mid ocean, the ships spliced their separate por tionsof the cable, intendint to sail in .oppOsite directions, the English Ship for Ireland,
and the .Niagara for Newfoundland. But the first attempt met with nothing but disaster.
Scarcely were the cables joined before they were parted. The attempt was made several times with the same ill success, and both ships returned to England. Then came the severest trial—for even the directors lost faith. When it was proposed to renew the attempt the vice-president left the room in disgust, and refused to take part in an under taking so hopeless. But the rest stood by manfully, and resolved to try again. The ships returned to mid-ocean, and to the amazement of the world, this time the experiment proved a success. The cable was successfully laid, and messages were sent from shore to shore. The first one was "England and America are united by telegraph. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good-will towards men." The queen and the president of the United States exchanged congratulations. The American people were in a frenzy of enthusiasm, lauding the ocean telegraph as the greatest achievement of modern times, and giving unbounded praise to its heroic projector, the president of the United States and many distinguished persons on both sides of the Atlantic sending congratulatory messages to Mr. Field. But this enthusiasm was short-lived. For it was hardly three weeks before the cable began to mutter fitfully, and at last lay silent in the depths of the sea. Then ensued one of those revulsions of feeling so common in the history of all great enterprises, where at first success alternates with defeat. The public became almost ashamed of its late enthusiasm. Many doubted whether there had ever been a message across the ocean, and the whole subject became one for incredulity and ridicule. Three years after, the rebellion commenced, and it was difficult to get people in the United States to listen to commercial enterprises during the excitement of that great contest. But Mr. Field was not idle; he was constantly crossing and recrossing the Atlantic, imd addressing chambers of commerce and public meetings in England and the United States, the results being that in 1864, the necessary capital was raised to renew the enterprise. A new cable was constructed, with all the improvements suggested by years of experience in submarine telegraphy, and coiled on board the Great Eastern, which was placed under the command of captain, now Sir James, Anderson. She sailed in 1865 with every prospect of success, paying out steadily about 150 tn. a day. All went well till over 1200 m. bad been laid, when in a sudden lurch of the great ship the cable was broken, and all were again in despair. For some days the gallant crew made attempts to pick it up from the bottom, but the sea was 2 m. deep, and with the resources at hand it was impossible, and the great ship took her way back to England. The attempt was abandoned for that year. But in the summer of 1866 it was renewed, and this time with complete success. The cable was laid from shore to shore, and the communication was perfect. As soon as this was completed the Great Eastern, returned to mid-ocean, and began fishing for the cable lost the year before, and after weeks of effort succeeded in lifting it to the surface and joining it to 600 m. of cable reserved for the purpose, carried it safely to land. Thus two cables were laid the same year, both without a flaw, and from that time to the present telegraphic communication between the old world and the new has not been interrupted for a single day.