The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-01-19
The Atlantic Telegraph Cable.

The Atlantic Telegraph Cable.
AZ a banque: given 70 Cyrus W. Field. E-q.,
at the Metropolitan Hotel in New York in NJ
vemb=r, be made : speech, giving = INST inter
eting historical sketch Of the Atlantic Cable
Enterpri@, from which We extract the following
The scene before NE aaakrus mingled recoLec-
tons Eight years ago the Atlantic Telegraph
had won 4 b.ief Success and in tlis very hall we
met y celebrate Our victory. Alas. for our
hips How SON wa OK jyy turned into
mourning. That very day the cable departed
this life. IL went cut like spark In the mighty
waters. So suddenly IL died that many could
not believe it ever lived. Tonight We meet u
rejoice il a Success that | believe To Be perna-
neut. But many who were with u then are not
here. Captain Hudson i gone 10 h. grave.
WoCdhouse. the English engineer, who was with
our own Everett; Ia the Niagara, sleeps in his
native island. Others VINO took Al early part in
the IOrk are no more among the living. Lieut..
Bergman. who made the first sJundings across
the Atlantic, died for bis country in the Ia;e war,
on board his ship Of Pensacola. His cOmpGn-
ions. Lieutenant Strain. the hero OF the Inflated
Darlen expedition, and Lieutenant Thomas. both
are gone. 50 are John W. Brett, nv fr>t assJ-
ci4te ia England, Samuel Statham. sir William
Brown. the first Chairman OF the Atlantic Tele-
graph Company. and many, many others Ny
first thought tonight J. Uf the dead and nv
only sorrow. that those who labyTed - faithfully
with Us, are not here now % share our triumph.
IL l. nearly thirteen years since halt a dozen
gentlemen Of this city met at my house for four
successive evenings, and around q table covered
with mapsa and Charts. and plans and estimates
considered q project TO extend a line Of telegraph
from Nova Scotia u 81. Johns. il Newfoundland
thence % be carried across the ocean. 1t was a
very pretty plan on PAPER. There was New
York, ana there was ST. Johns, only about l 200
miles apart Ii was easy 10 draw a line from
one point TO the otber-makin : no account Of
the forests and mountains, and swamp. and
rivers and gulis, that lay in our way Not one
of u had ever seen the country, or had any idea
of the obstacles 10 be overcome. We thought
We could build the line in q few months. 1t took
two years and a half. Yet We never asked for
help outside our own little circle. Indeed, | fear
We should not have got it If We Lad-for few
had any faith in our scheme. Every dollar came
out of our own pockets. Yet / am proud to say
no man drew back. No man proved a deserter;
those who came first into the work have stood by
ii u the end. Of those six men four are here
tO-nIght-Alr. Peter Cooper, Moses Taylor, Mar
shall y. Roberts and myself. My brother Dud-
ley, in Europe, and MIR. Chandler White died in
1856, and his place was supplied by Mr.. Wilson
q. Hunt. who l. also here. Mr.. Robert ".
LOwber was our Secretary.
Having briefly traced The early history Of the
telegraph, Mr.. Field said
With the history Of the expeditions Of 1878
you are familiar. On the third trial We gained
brief SUCCESS. TIE cable was laid, and for
four weeks it worked-though never very brilii-
giving forth such rapid and distinct
flashes as the cables of to-day.
IL spoke, though only in broken sentences
But while it lasted no less than four hundred
messages were sent across the Atlantic. You all
the enthusiasm which it excited. 1t
was a new thing under the sun. and for a few
weeks the public went wild over il. OF course,
hAn - - 4.
People grew dumb and suspicious. Some thought
It was all a hoax: and many were quite sure
that IL never worked at all. That kind Of odiuui
have had TO endure for eight years, till now,
trust, We have at last silenced the unbelievers.
Alter the failure of 1858 came our darkest
lays. When a thing is dead, it is hard 20 gal
7anlze 1t into life. 1t is more difficult - revive
IN old enterprise than 10 start a new one. The
res Ness and novelty are gone, and the feeling
If disappointment Encourages further Gort.
Other causes delayed a new attempt. This
country had become involved in "A tremendous
var and while the nation was struggling for
lie, 1t had no time to spend in foreign enter
1rises.
But in England the project was still kept alive.
The Atlantic Telegraph Company kept up its
'rganization. 1t had a noble body of directors,
rho had faith in the enterprise, and looked be-
IOnd its present low estate 10 ultimate success.
When the scientific and engineering problems
we're solved, we took heart again, and began to
prepare for a fresh attempt. This was in 1868.
u this c~ountry-though the war was still raging
went from city to city, holding meetings and
rying TO raise capital. but with poor success.
len came and listened, and said = it was all very
me- and hoped | would succeed" but did
iothing. In one of the cities they gave me q
arge meeting. and passed some beautiful resolu-
ions, and appointed a Committee Of '.solid
zen to canvass the city, but | did not get a
Dlitary subscriber In this city | did better.
lpuph mDpev "a m he rho HarTa.- r. ra-Sral
encouraged by you. sir, and other
God friends, | succeeded in raising so. 900.
ince not many had faith, / must present one !
zample to the contrary, though it was not till a
ear later. W hen almost all deemed IL a hope
50 scheme, one gentleman came 70 me and pur-
hased stock of the Atlantic Telegraph Company
the amount Of 800, 900. That was Mr.. {
orIng Andrews. who is here this evening 70 see
Is 1 faith rewarded. But at the time | speak of,
was plain that our main hope must be in Eng
and L went to London. There, too, il drag {
ID heavily. There was a profound discourage !
ent. Many had lost before, and were not will |
g % throw more money into the sea. We I
7eded 4JUO, 600, and with our utmost efforts We c
Id raised less than half. and there the enterprise
ood IN a dead lock. 1t was plain that W. must L
I'VE help from ONE new quarter. | looked c
ound To find a man who had broad shoulders, /
ID could carry a heavy load, and would be a 2
ant in the cause. 1t was at this time / was in :
oduced 10 a gentleman, whom | would hold up b
the American public as a Specimen Of a great 5
sirted Englishman, Mr.. Thomas Brassey. You t
~ never have heard his name, but in London
Is known as one Of the men who has made a
itish enterprise and British capital Eel, in all I
rts OF the earth. | went 10 see him, though f
tn fear and trembling. He received me kindly, V
[ put me through such an examination as II
ser had before. | thought I was in the wit d
s box. He asked every possible question. but II
answers satisfied him, and he ended By saying Ii
i; it was an enterprise which ought t. be ear e