The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-09
CABLES SUCCESS.
FIELDS FIRST ATTEMPT TO CROSS
ATLANTIC A FAILURE.


Cable From Malta TO Alexandria
in 1S61-FieIds' Third Attempt In
1866 Established Connection with
acknowledgements Satisfied the
Pacific Can he Spawned just as the
Atlantic Was.
Washington, March S-(SpeciaD.-The de-
velopment of the submarine telegraph from
a mere gutta percha coated wire laid IN
New York harbor by Prof. Morse in 1912,
to the great cables which now engirdle
the entire earth except the bed of the Pa
cifc is described in statement just is
sued by the treasury bureau of statistics
entitled: Chronology OF Submarine Tele-
graph Construction Throughout the World
and the Development of Submarine Tele-
graphy."
This publication, which has been prepar-
ed by the bureau of statistics, in view of
the special interest just now developed in
a submarine telegraph line to connect the
United States with Hawaii. Guam, the
Philippines, and the Asiatic coast. shows
not only the location, number, and length
of the submarine telegraphs of the world,
but also the history of this great system
and the part which American genius and
enterprise have had In its development.
The statement credits Saliva, Span
lard, with the first recorded suggestion of
submarine tclegraphy, made before the
Barcelona Academy of Sciences in 1895.
Aldin. a nephew of Galvani, performed
experiments in the>transmission of cleo
tric signals under the sea near Calais.
France in 1903; Schilling ignited gunpow-
der by electricity transmitted through
subaqueous conducting wire under the
Neva river near ST. Petersburg in 1872;
Geographic signals were transmitted
through insulated wires under the River
Hugh. in India, by the director Of the
East Indian Companys telegraph system
in 1899 and in 1S42 Prof Morse transmit
ted electric currents and signals through
an insulated copper wire laid for that pur-
pose between Castle Garden and Govern
or's Island, in New York harbor and in
the following year suggested submarine
electric communication between The United
States and Europe In 1916. Ezra Cor
nell, in conjunction with Prof. Morse laid
and successfully operated submarine cop
per wires in the Hudson river between
New York and Fort Lee, and in 1877, a
section of the telegraph line connecting
New York and Washington was laid
through the waters of a narrow creek by
j. j. Craven of New Jersey, thus demon
straung the practicability of actual sub
marine Geographic service.
In 1850 a submarine telegraph line was
laid across the English channel and sig
nails exchanged, but without further sue
cess, though in the following year. cable
containing four copper wires insulated
with gutta percha, and protected by gall
vanized iron wires, wound spiraly about
it, was laid across the English channel
and put into successful operation as a
submarine telegraph line.
These experiments having proved the
practicability of telegraphy, the great en-
terprise of a telegraph line under the At
Iantic ocean was undertaken, and the SUBJ
sequent developments are described in the
statement as follows:
Fields First Attempt.
1S57-First attempt to lay a submarine
Geographic cable across the Atlantic
ocean. the enterprise being headed by Cy-
rus w. Field of New York and Charles
Bright, j. w. Brett and others of Eng
land. The cable was to extend from Va
lentia, ireland, to Newfoundland the
length of cable necessary being estimat-
ed at $500 miles. The construction of
this cable was similar to that across the
English channel. After 255 miles had been
laid from Valentia westward, the cable
broke and the work was abandoned
1S5s-Renewal by Mr.. Field and his asso-
ciates of the attempt 20 lay a submarine
telegraphc cable across the Atlantic. The
United States naval vessel Niagara and
the British vessel Agamemnon, carrying
each one-half of the cable, proceeded to
mid-ocean, and, after Joining the ends of
their respective sections, on July 90 pro-
ceeded westward and eastward, paying out
the cable and reaching their respective
destinations, Newfoundland and Valentia
on the same day, Aug. 5, 1858, when cleo
trical connection between the continents
was at once established over 2,0J0 nautical
miles of cable which they had thus laid.
Congrat ulatory messages. were exchanged
between the President of the United States
and the Queen Of England, and there
were public rejoicings In both countries
over what was pronounced the great event
of the century. After less than one month
of operation, however, the cable ceased
working, and II was never operated fur
Their, nor was any part Of II ever -ecov-
cred. During the time Of its operation
100 messages of about 1900 words were
passed over it. Its total cost was 1885,
$50.
An English Failure.
1s59-A submarine telegraphic cable to
connect England with British India was