Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-07-29

Just so years ago next August. on
the seventeenth day of the month, the
hrst Geographic message across the
Atlantic via the new cable was sent
from England to America. The mes
sage was of 80 words, from Queen
Victoria to President Buchanan. 1t
TOOK 81 minutes to transmit. 1t was
the first tangible proof that one of
the greatest attempts of man in the
field of science had succeeded.
When little company of men, I'M
der the leadership of Cyrus w. Field,
began to organize for the purpose of
bringing the old world and the new
within speaking distance of each 9TH
er by means of a protected thread of
wire across the Atlantic, they were
hooted at as madmen. Capitalists who
invested their money in the scheme
were thought by their friends to have
become bereft of reason. Few mag
lned the feat possible.
BY formal agreement, on September
20, 1856, the Atlantic Telegraph COM
pany was organized. Its object was
Ito lay. or cause to be laid, subma-
rine cable across the Atlantic"
Among those prominent in the form
Ing of the company were Peter Coop
or. Chandler White, Moses Taylor,
Marshall o. Roberts and Cyrus w.
Field.
The first step in the program was
to be the laying of a cable across the
Gulf of st. Lawrence, from Cape Ray
Cove to Cape North. The first trial
was disastrous, because of a furious
storm, but in the following year the
cable was successfully laid. New
foundland was to be the western term
q dnus.
Assistance was obtained from the
United States, Newfoundland and
English governments. The United
States frigate Niagara, which was de-
tailed to assist in submerging the
cable, went to England April "a, 1857.
The cQiIipg of the cable in Liverpool
occupied three weeks. A strand of
seven copper wires composing the
conductor. occupied the center. There
was a gutta percha insulation, a COW
teriRg Of specially prepared hemp, and
tnen the outer covering Of iron wire,
for protecting the cable.
Five large cones were arranged in
the hold OF the Niagara, round which
the cable was coiled. The length car
ried made a total of 1884 miles. The
remainder was carried by the English
ship Agamemnon, 100 nautical miles
being required between the temini
at Newfoundland and Ireland. Spe
cially constructed and complicated
apparatus was designed for paying
out and. II need be, winding in the
cable.
Nature seemed to favor the prof
ect. for extending along the bed of the
ocean, exactly between the two point.
to he connected, is great pleateau
like an immense prairie, stretching
over an extent of 1,400 miles from
east to west, with an average dept
OF about two miles. AS it approache
the Newfoundland coast it Is entirel,
free from the effects of icebergs whicl
ground on shallow bottoms. In ever.
other part. the Atlantic is character
ALOU W dDIupI OCCA1NltioS duQ ulOuI
tain heights.
Another advantage was found il
the deposit OF infusoria, covering tn
bottom In abundance. The materia
showed tendency to unite with tn
iron wire protecting the cable, thu
forming a concrete mass, making 1
effect bed of down for the cable t
rest upon.
The landing of the cable In Dolu
bay was successfully accomplished O
!. the, 9Th of August, 1857. Never befor
had such a. mass OF people assemble
on the shores of that bay They cam
from miles around-from their hut
on the steep hillsides and the moul
tain passes, from the storied scene
OF Killarney in the interior. and ii
bleak coast In the south.