The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-10

The history Of the submarine cable
Is q striking instance Of success
achieved in the face Of enormous
odds. The engineer. only triumphed
as the result OF logged determine
ton and wonderful patience. How
| important 10 the industry OF today Is
evidenced when 1t il stated that ii
gives regular employment to an
army Of 10000 men. while the vari-
Gus cable companies maintain a feet
OF over forty telegraph ships, whose
| duty 1t is to lay new lines or repair
the $4,000 miles of cable already at
the bottom of the sea.
All the cables now in existence
have, with a few insignificant excep-
| tions. come from three large cable
factories on the banks OF the Thames,
England.
A submarine cable consists of three
/ parts--the conductor, or central cop
per wire, through which the electric
current passes; the insular. or
gutta-percha covering, designed to
prevent the escape of electricity: and
the sheathing. or outer steel wires,
added sto give the cable sufficient
strength to be proof against the strain
| OF laying and taking up. The con-
ductor, which usually consists OF six
hne copper wires stranded round a
central one, has three coverings of
gutta-percha, alternated with sticky
compound. to make them adhere per-
fectly together. The smallest airhole
or pin prick causes fault In the ca
BILE, which the current rapidly devel-
ops till signaling becomes impossible
1t was In 1855 that the first cable
was laid across the Atlantic. Today
there are no fewr than sixteen cables
between Europe and North America.
Before 1858 1t was doubted by many
eminent electricians whether sub
! marine cable could be successfully
! laid below certain depth. The care
ful prospecting of the bed of the pro-
posed cable was then as ii is now,
| the first thing to be done; and inyes-
tigation soon showed that the only
practical route for the cable was along
the shallow plateau that occupies the
bed or the North Atlantic between Ire
land and Newfoundland. and which
represents a submerged continent
\ After the enterprise was decided
upon, and company constituted, q
5po miles of cable had TO be manu-
featured. This was Accomplished in
TOUR months. and the cable, as soon
as nnished. was coiled away In large
IRON tanks. ready to be taken on
board the two cable ships Again.
non and Niagara. The vessels met
at salentia bay, and landed the Irish
end OF the cable. amid enthusiasm
ana demonstrations which Lrbved IN
be rather premature, for after $50
miles OF wire had been paid ont from,
the Niagara, the line snapped. and the
attempt had to be renewed the follow
ing year.
RMS time 1t was decided to COM
mence laying the cable In midocean
ono snip working towards Ireland and
the other towards Newfoundland Re.
fore the midocean Rendezvous uas
reached, however. the ships encoun-
tered some terrible storms. rndaad
the voyage nearly ended in the Aga
memnon turning turtle She was re-
peatedly almost on her beam ends
the colts got adrift, the beam ends.
apparehty shifted, and quite large
number OF those on board were mora
or less seriously injured The fear was
sHat iii Some of her heavy rolling the
Wnoie mass OF cable would slim ana
take the vessels side out.
however. all things have an end
anu TINS gale Of over weeks dura-
ton at last blew itself out, the Aga
.Iieiiilloh eventually reaching the rem
uezVous, where she was Joined by ths
Niagara and the other ships Of the
squadron. N'e
me cables on the two vessels were
.iieh sphced together, and each shin
Starten OF In opposite directions
hen both vessels had paid ant
some three miles Of line. the Niagara's
enuie p.oke, SO she had to return to
Inc Ia rendezvous and effect a new snffre
Two days later the cable again parted
ehtaiiing another return. On no fewer
IMAM seven occasions did this hannen
ana then something going wrong with
me machinery during a severe starr,
forced the yssels to return to MORT
beaten. ~ pofe
The next attempt. however, was
crowned with success, but many ey-
siting incidents were experienced ha.
lore the submarine wire was III n.
ihid-ocean the Agamemnon euconntl
ereu huge whale, which at ono TINA
seemed likely to spell disaster ~
was on August I6, 1853. that the Arc,
messase passed through the cable,
ia.neiy. Europe and America ara !
united by telegraph Glory to God IN
sne highest. on earth, peace. good
Will towards men,
In the following October. howava.
the Tine gave out, after transmittin@
.oz messages during a period of three
,hohtns. Appropriately enough Inc
last word it uttered was. "Fnrwar ~ ! |
The cable collapsed because too nosy.
eriul induction coils had been nsea |
or, IN other words high nress,,rn i
steam had been got up In a Iow-nres~ |
sure boiler =
ny was not until eight years later
that the second cable was laid 10 /
that remarkable vessel. the Eraat
eastern. When two thirds or the yyav
across. an accident happened 10 ths
machinery. and the cable parted, Tsa.
peated EFFORTS to gain the .laate. end
met with failure. and the store AZ rnne
becoming quite exhausted, the expedi- t
uon returned home. A new length
oil cable was then made, and onca
again the Great Eastern set out. and
this time her efforts were s,,ccessf,,I /
and communication was re-estah liahas |
between the old world and the new
Tne Great Eastern was then dis /
patched 70 pick up the end 81 the
second cable. Four days after sia ring
sshe began to drag the ocean bottom
for the wire. which was at last hooiS "a /
ana lifted about 1900 fathoms. huf
owing 10 some fault in manipulatinn |
it slipped away and sank to the bet I
tom. II was an hour from midnight
when the grapnel came up, with the |
cable caught on Its prongs. Boats
were hurried into position; but as the
men We're trying I'd secure the catch +
II slipped away like live thing and /
ifatn the-Ma ters;----