The Portland daily press., 1896-08-15

-N@@~Ne@@-
guaranteed.
Things looked very dark indeed when
Mr.. Field came over to England, saw Mr.
Ponder in the House of Commons, and
induced him TO promise one-tenth of the
sum required. The story Of the way in
which thesfinan cial difficulty was ulti-
matsly overcome il extremely interesting.
The Anglo-Amerioan company, with d
capital of $500, 900 was foated to Law q
new cable and to recover the former if
possible, Mr.. Fender as the chairman.
The basis of the company thus incor-
porated was represented on the one hand
by the Gutta Peroha company, ana on
the other by Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co.,
and 1T was not easy to reconcile their
conflicting interests. BY joining in the
new undertaking ths Gutta Percha COM
pany found that 1t was surreudering its
accustomed business in favor Of a su-
preme object. and in the failure of that
one object it might loose all. On the
other hand. the Glass. Elliott interest
held the various patents which were in
dispensible. Mr.. Fender at this juncturs
displayed boldness and nerve which
amounted to genius. Delay would have
been fatal to an Atlantic Gable and to all
the capital, amounting to nearly 2,000,
0c0, which had already been expended.
The Gutta Percha company were asked
by Mr.. Fender what amount of guarantee
they required. ga quarter of million
sterling" was the answer. 'Wi1 you
take my personal guarantee for chat
amountP' Yes" "Well, you have it, I"
In the course of few weeks, Glass,
Elliott Co., and the Gutta Percha COM
pany we're formed into the cable cou-
struction and maintenance company with
Mr.. Fender as chairman.
| In 1866, another determined effort was
made TO lay the cable. This time 1t was
still heavier and the whole length, 2, 800
miles, weighing 1000 tons, was shipped
on board one vessel, the Great Eastern.
| The paying-out journey was COM
menced at Valencia island but when the
vessel was 1864 miles from Esthat port the
cable broke from an accidental strain.
After fruitless effort to fish up the
broken cable from the bottom, 1t was
abandoned for the season. Prospects
were again gloomy, but this proved to be
| the darkest hour before tbs dawn. In
| 1868 victory was secured; and it is inter-
ssting now to recall the fact that the
| first telegraphic words fsent by gGreat
Britain to America were: "Peace Oh
earth, good will toward men," Another
| line, go modified in construction az to be
! both lighter and stronger than the previ-
GUS one, was successfully laid by the
Great Eastern. Then, by means of the
same vessel, the 1866 cable was grapp1ed
for and brought up from depth of two
miles. Ir was duly spliced and complat-
cd to Trinity bay. This double success
put saa end TO all doubts as to the feast
biIitE Of laying submarines scIoss the
Atlantic.
III Ponder had no sooner seen the At
lantic oaales laid permanently than he
proceeded to work indefatigably in the
organization and development Of the
Mediterranean, Eastern, India and
Ohina), Australia, South Africa and
Direct African oables-in short, to lay
down an almost universal system, of
which the American is now only an
segment. By the year 1889 he was able
to announce to the world that 66, 900
| miles Of submarine cable were in exis-
tence supported by e25. 000 600 of capital
of which by far the largest share be-
longed to Great Britain.
Honors come tardily TO some men. and
although the work of laying the Atlantic
csble.was completed in 1866, 1t was not
until the year 1883 that Mr.. Psnder met
with recognition of his claim. He
was then made K. O. NJ. g., and was
subsequently advanced TO the dignity of
G. @. M. g. This certainly was not
too much Tor one who had assisted in the
development Of commerce., in facilitating
communications between Great Britain
and the rest of the world, and in expe-
diting even the operations of the British
government itself. Willis at CONSTANT
nople, during one of his visits to the
East, Sir John Fender was sent for by
the sultan to special attendance; and
in recognition of the great part be had
played in connection with biography, his
imperial majesty presented him with the
Grand Gordon of the Order Of the Metd-
jidle-the highest distinction which can
be conferred upon au alien. He was
also the recipient from the king of
Greece Of the Order of St. Saviour, and
of the Order Of the Rose from the king
of Portugal. AS recently as the LIST of
January last the French government con-
ferred upon Sir John its highest colonial
order, that of Commandeur de II Order
Royal du Dragon d'Annam.
On April 3d. 1885, grand banquet waa
given in honor Of Sir John Pender at the
Hotel Metropole. mhe earl of Derby prs
sided, and the brilliant company includ-
ed most of the leading representatives in
naval, military, official, scientific, legal,
and parliamentary circles, together with
many who were notable in the religious,
commercial and literary spheres of activ-
ity. Tho chairman proposed the health
l-AA ~ 80 49,