Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

EARLY ATLANTIC CABLES. Fig. 2.—THE BROOKE “ SOUNDER ” USED IN SUR- VEYING THE DEPTH OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. The arrows indicate the direction of the parts during descent, when grounding, and while the rod C is being raised. or other disturbing elements existed at those depths. The plateau or ridge—which was found to stretch for some 400 miles north and south—was considered a veritable feather bed for a cable ; and the A Submarine ^merjcan navaj officer’s re- P|£l tCHU port spoke of this ‘4 shallow platform or table-land ” as having been “ apparently placed for the express purpose of holding the wires of a submarine telegraph, and of keeping them out of harm’s way.” This naval officer’s report concluded: “ I do not, however, pretend to consider the question as to the possibility of finding a time calm enough, the sea smooth enough, a wire long enough, or a ship big enough to lay a coil of 279 wire 1,600 miles in length.” These words form amusing reading nowadays, as do also the suggestions of “a telegraph plateau apparently furnished by Providence as a place for the Atlantic cable.” The “ plateau ” idea was only true to the extent that the bed of the ocean in these regions afforded a smooth surface as compared with the Alpine char- acter prevailing north and south of it. These soundings, at something like fifty-mile intervals, were not originally undertaken with the Atlantic cable expressly in view. Indeed, for many years—until experience pointed to the absolute necessity—no special surveys were made previous to the laying of a cable. Armed with his landing right concessions, Mr. Cyrus Field came over to England in the summer of 1856, on behalf of the “ Newfound- land Company,” to get into communication with Mr. John Projectors Watkins Brett, who had already ^°in Han^s' taken a leading part in submarine telegraphy, and with Mr. (afterwards Sir Charles) Bright, who had for some time, as we have seen, been engaged in active preparations for an Atlantic Fig. 3.—SPECIMEN OF THE BED OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. MAGNIFIED 10,000 TIMES.