The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-08-17
HISTORIC EVENT
RECALLED TO-DAY
FIRST MESSAGE FLASHED UNDER
SEAS JUST FIFTY YEARS
AGO.

the progress of inventive genius, since
is was just so years ago that the
first Atlantic cable flashed its frs
message under the seas and welded
the new world to the old. Qneen Vic
toria sent the first message to Presi-
dent Buchanan. and on the following
days the entire country celebrated
While this cable did not long remain
in operation, it demonstrated The
feasibility of the scheme which hal
in the years preceding, been denounc-
ed as a foolhardy project Cyrus W
Field was the promoter of the Allan
tic cable, and it's final successful in
stallation was attribute to his genius
and perseverance. The semi centen-
NAL anniversary of the linking of the
two continents by submarine tale-
graph has not passed unnoticed in
New York, although there has been
no extensive celebration. The wire
less telegraph and other wonders of
the last decade have somewhat tar
nished the fame of the cable system,
considered as the supreme test of
mans inventive genius. as it was con-
sidered so years ago.
The period from August s, when
the cable was landed, TO the last of
August. 1858, was one Of rejoicing in
New York. Festivities OF all kinds
were INDUCED in by the people of the
city, and the sending of the first mes
sage was declared to be the greatest
event of the century.
One of the features Of The c.lecra-
ton was a great proce sslon, headed
by the firemen and tho police, and in
Guiding eleven hundred labOrers and
eight hundred carts from the Park
and the Croton Reservoir, ten in pro-
cess of construction, all led By MessIc
OImstead, Waring. Miller and Grant
Altogether, the procession was three
miles in length, and was properly re-
viewed at the City Hall by Mayor Tie
mann. AS it passed the MAMMA tan no
tel a Waldorf Astoria of the day, its
members read this sign:
MARRIED. AUGUST, 1858.
BY
OLD IRELAND AND YOUNG
AMERICA.
May their honeymoon last forever
Mr.. Field was Wen entitled to al
the praise showered upon him. IIe
had been scoffed at, ridiculed. dub
bed a crazy t1an, had sacrificed his
business and his own means and had
previously made two attempts to lay
the cable. only to be thwarted.
Unfortunately for all the reioicings
for some unknown reason the cable
stopped working just at the time OF
the great official celebration in Tin
ity church. and of the dinnc:- of the
Common council to NJ. Field. al
which there served no less thar
eighteen entrees in addition to FIVE
roasts, boiled turkey and mutton ard
full thirty nine desserts.
For Mr.. Field this meant doing
the work over again. The old COM
pany had exhausted it's means, which
We're gone for all time; a new ONT
had to he formed and fresh capita
raised. There were endless trips t.
be made to the other side, his busf.
ness again had to be neglected. and
finally abandoned. The evil wal
came next; but this proved a hell
rather than a hindrance. and MI
Fields alert brain made the most o
/ it. He suggested cables between tn
| Union posts in Charleston harDor
i he pointed out how the existence o
a cable would have robbed the Ma
SON. Slidel crisis with England o
much of it's danger and made of it a,
! incident of days instead of months
| without the consequent ill-feeling an
heavy expenditure on the British sid
for war preparations. Mr.. Field di
yeoman's work. too in upholding tn
cause of the North England whe1
it was high Unpopular. and bega
4 a friendship with Gladstone to pu
the case Of the north before his a
!, strongly as possible. But his main eff
forts were devoted to the laying of
cable that would work. and this h
finally accomplished, by the aid {
the Great Eastern, on September
1866, after another failure in 1865
| Dir oitAA ~