New-York tribune., 1896-07-08

Sir John Pender name takes a high place beside
that OF Cyrus w Fled In the history OF cable con-
structIon The courage and confidence of THESE TWO
men, backed up by the wealth and credit OF the for-
mer made possible the laying Of the first Atlantic
cable. Blu, Sir John Pender proceeded with cable
construction where Mr.. Field left off, While the
American was content with the great achievement
Of connecting this country with Europe, the Eng
l.shman conceived at once the gigantic project OF
bringing all the world Into connection by means or
the submarine telegraph. This he lived TO accom-
plish and a, his death he the head OF the great
English submarine telegraph system. 1t Is TO MIN
that Great Britain IS indebted for the supremacy
which she enjoys over the remainder OF the world
in matters OF tele5raphic communication, even tho
French Government Itself at the moment wnen its
relations with England were most strained, haVins
been compelled to cables owned by Great Brit
ain in order communicate with her colonial pos
sessions.
Sir John was born in the Vale OF Leven Dun
bartshire in 1916. After graduation at the High
School OF Glasgow ne began commercial lie as
clerk in the accounting department OF a factory IN
Glasgow After a successful mercantile career III
that city he entered into the larger commercial heid
Of Manchester. There he soon rose to the 'front.'
rank In the export trade. and acquired the fortune
which made 1t possible FOR him to take up ana de-
ve,op the untried and risky project Of submarine
telegraph. He OF the original supScrioers
OF 1900 10 the rst experiment in cable laying, and
lantic Company. when. during seven or eight years
successive attempts laying transatlantic cable
met with discours ging failures Finally came the
crash which ruined the Atlantic Company when
the Great Eastern. immense ship especially con-
srtoed for carrying the cable. lost in mdocean the
strongest and most carefully made wire that had
yet been stretched from the shore 'shrewd and
careful promoters. while sure OF the value OF the
enterprise II successful, convinced now Of me
impract lea biity of further attempts TO establish
teegralhc connection between the continents Sir
John Pender Cyrus w Field Thomas q, BT,assey Sir
George Elliot and Sir Richard Glass still retained
however, their sublime confidence despite defeats
and s bey IN 5hs 5eS company
the Ang!o-Amercan. with capital OF So""o 10
Negotiations were begun with the Gutta Percha
Company. but th:s concern naturally hesliated Tor
down to ruin. II was this critical tuncture that
Sir John Pender came TO the rescue. He asked the
rcauired The 1 answer was S25o,oo sir John gave
his personal guarantee for that amount.
pany we're then invited into the Gable Construction
and Maintenance Company "ith Sir John Pender
the sf:ps that carried out the cable nor only laid
II but recovered the one which had been lost by
the Great Eastern
Sir John Pender then proceeded to the laying Of
world system OF cables. As result. the Mediter-
ranean Eastern Australian South African 1n and s d.
head o. the whole system. except the Ameri-
The Indian cable completed in 1870. when
from Sir John Pender's house In Ar!lngton-st.
London, Prince of Wales sent messages to the
V.csroy Lord Mayor at Calcutta, receiving replies |
thereto before he from the table In 1895 that
Is, Just twenty-five years later. grand dinner was
gwen in Sir Jotn Penders honor. at the Imperial
Institute. the Prince Of Wales and most Of the |
other princes CT the regning house being present |
In the OF the evening messages we've sent !
TO and congratulatory replies received from Mei-
bourne, Calcutta Pekng. Valparaiso. Vancouver /
and the Cape Of Good Hope marvellous tribute |
10 the energy the zeal and the administrative pow
er OF Sir John Pender.
Sir John made q visit 10 this country In ls47 and
again in lss2 after his success in laying his cable |
system. He met with warm reception from the |
feeling toward Americans. His object his second
visit here was 10 study the Western rncn tele- |
graph system which had entered into contract |
With the cable company He travelled over 900 |
miles In this country. stopping even at places OF |
sparce population. in order to ascertain the extent |
OF the system. On h.s to London he report
cd 10 the direct United states Cable Company and |
praised the teiegraphic system.
Sir joan a member OF Parliament for a num- |
Der o. years. having been first elected a member
from To,nes in 1862 He the recipient OF many |
high honors The Sultan OF Turkey. the |
sion OF visit 10 Constantnople, decorated him !
with the Grand Gordon OF the Medjidieh. the high |
est honor which that potentate confer |
allen He knight Commander of the st. !
Savior. OF Greece, and had also the Order Of the |
Rose Of Portugal He WAS also Grand Cross OF |
the order Of ST. Michael and ST. George.
He took prominent and active interest In |
technical education In England. He gave annually |
a medal be competed for at the College of Science
of Glasgow