New-York tribune., 1879-03-11
A CABLE ANNIVERSARY.

| W. FITID.
| The twcnty-fifth anniversary Of the signing
! of the agreement to form an ocean telegraph
company was celebrated at the house OF
Cyrus w. Field last evening, four OF the
| five original sgners being present, and
the successor of the fifth, in the same
room in which the company was organized
| o quarter of q century ago. Among the hun
dreds of guests were many gentlemen emf
nent in every profession. Short addresses
were made by Cyrus w. Field, David Dudley
Field and the Rev. DR.. William Adams, but
the entertainment was. in the main, Of an
entirely informal character.
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE GATHERING.
AN UNUSUAL AssEMBLAGE OF DISTINGUISHED PER-
sONs-REMINIsCENCHs or A QUARTER OF CRN-
IURY-LEITERs AND MESSAGES FROM AT HOME
AND ABROAD.
II was a remarkable assemblago which crowded
the spacious mansion of Cyrus w. Field, at Twenty
first-st. and Lexington-ave., last night and over
flowed into the adjoining house of his nephew
Dudley Field with which it was connected. Men
eminent IN public and private life were present,
and every profession was well represented.
Tappiest among them all was the smiling
host, who, in the quarter Of a century which
i
memorated had seen the plans, which were made
in fear quite as much as hope, carried to full and
complete success In the room where, twenty-five
wears ago. group of earnest men discussed the
practicability of connecting continents with
the electric telegraph, most Of their number
were gathered last night. There stood the
table on which the agreement was signed whch
formed the first Atlantic Telegraph Company. The
furniture and decorations were unchanged, except
that one side was draped for the occasion with the
flag that flew from the masthead OF the
Niagara in 1857 and 1853 and from that
Of the Great Eastern in 1868 and leoo.
Early in 1854 Cyrus W. Field, who had already IN
vestigated the subject of submarine tccgraphy, be-
came convinced that it was practicable, and deter
mined to make practical test He looked around
for n few friends to share in the enterprise with
him selecting first his neghbOr, Peter Cooper, ana
then Moses TAYLOR Marshall o. Roberts and Cband-
ler White They met in Mr.. Fields dinlng-room Oh
the evenings If March 7, = 8 ana I'D, ana lie"
minutes aftcr1O o'clock the last named night mo
agreement to form a company was sithe"' III was
tho twenty-ffth anniversary Of that event which
was celebrated last night.
Nearly / 800 invitations had been sent out ana
several hundred persons responded III person AC
9 o'clock carriages began to roll up TO the door'
and guests continued 10 arrive in steady stream
until after H. The parors, ball ana dihlpg-
room were adorned with flowers tastefully ar
ranged in baskets and vases, but with no effort
at display. supper-room, improvised Tor the oc-
cosjon over the the vacant space between Mr.
Fields house and that Of Peter Cooper, was huns
with the flags of all nations, ana canopied with the
Stars and Stripes. On the walls OF tue
parlors were hung paintings representing
important events in the history OF
fine caLle-the landings at Valencia and Hearts
Content; graphing for the cable from the Ureat
Eastern: testing the cable on board after recovery,
and making the splice. All the faces are portraits
of men actually engaged in the enterprise.
At the hour and minute at which the agreement
had been signed, Cyrus w. Field. standing in the
dining-room with his face toward the densely packed
narors. gave history Of the enterprise in briet
snoocb which was listened to with great interest
bv those who were within the sound Oi Els
voice but winch detracted little from the zest Ok
tho conversation which was carried on IN more dis
+opt norts of the ROOMS. Mr.. Field was followed Nv
David Dudley Field, who has been counsel Tor me
company from its organization lie was succeeded
Inv tbe Rev. Dr. William Adams, the intimate friehd
and pastor Of Mr.. Field and of the late PROFESSOR
Morse. The speaking occupied less than three-
orarfers Of an hour and at 10 minutes before IL
the Aaps Which divided the extemporzed supper
room from the main building were removed ana the
quests were invited to enter.
The supper-table was heavily laden WIN IN
abundance Of dainty refreshments, scattered among
which were baskets of fragrant flowers ana quain6
devices in confectionery work, suggestive oil the
occasion of the gathering. On either side
of tbe huge raised basket of roses,
Lcliotrones and pinks in the centre OF
tho fable was a square-rigged ship, plOughing
- u.o,, through the foam, and an O.d-!ashloned
stoorn engine resting on Roman arch. On the ieIt
f the shin were four Nereids gracefully poised upon
fine flaming water. Each opposite couple held inc
ends OF wire that extended over pole
between them. Little flag, made the group SYM
metrical bank of red and white roses nan niH-
den among green leaves, set OFF the fruits at tnat
eod of the table. At the other end was curious
device of four dophins half immersed IN extremely
still water, with tails erect ana WIN NaWI'ns
mouihs In the centre of the group was trident
Arothor bed of flowers made the table complete
From the supper-roOm the guests scattereo
through the two houses, looking al lhe numerous
n,intings which adorned the walls, and greeting
acouaintances One of the attractions that drew
nonv Of those present from the crowded parlors OF
C,.r,s w Fields house to those of his nephew was
r orchestra stationed in the front entry
of the lattcI's house. The merry strains OF
A." Carmen were rendered early III the evening ana
other selections were heard from time to tine. By
1880 the company began to disperSe' and soon
after midnight the last guest had departed.
During the speech-makng, four OF the original
sinners Of the agreement got around the table on
which the document lay when signed; Messls'
Field, Cooper, Roberts and Taylor ana VII
SON G. Hunt. the successor OF Chandler
White. who died some years ago They all
entered heartily into the spirit Of the OCCASION ana
rscoived the congratulations OF their many friends
with an air of modest triumph.
In the course of conversation Mr. Field said that
four vears ago the King Of the Sandwich Islands