Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

280 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. cable in connection with the “ Magnetic ” tele- graph system. Bright had also been the first to connect Great Britain with Ireland by what Lord Kelvin described as “ the first cable successfully submerged in really deep water.” On September 26th, 1856, an agreement was entered into between Brett, Bright, and Field as follows :— “ Mutually, and on equal terms, we engage to exert ourselves for the purpose of forming were the subject of pity at that time, but who ultimately achieved so much for the public benefit. The prejudice against the line ran, indeed, even higher than in the case of most great and novel undertakings. The critics were many ; and with our present knowledge, it seems al- most incredible that a large proportion of the unfavourable assertions emanated from men in the highest ranks of science. For example, the late Sir G. B. Airy, F.R.S. (Astronomer CHARLES TILSTON BRIGHT (Projector and Engineer). a company for establishing and working of electric telegraphic communication between Newfoundland and Ireland, such company to be called The Atlantic Telegraph Company, or by such other name as the parties hereto shall jointly agree upon.” John W. Brett. Charles T. Bright. Cyrus W. Field. As soon as the movement for a trans- atlantic telegraph began to be actively talked about much derision from many “ croakers ” was experienced Prejudice and projec^ors> The scheme Criticism. J . was, indeed, freely spoken of as “ a wild freak of people that were to be pitied.” The portraits above depict those who Royal), announced to the world (1) that “it was a mathematical impossibility to submerge a cable in safety at so great a depth,” and (2) that “if it were possible, no signals could be transmitted through so great a length.” Dis- tinguished nautical experts, as well as promi- nent engineers, were similarly “ at sea ” in their prognostications. Let us now consider what the three pro- jectors had before them. Bright had already proved the possibility of signalling through such a length of in- sulated wire as that involved by an Atlantic line ; and his investigations had been confirmed later by The Outlook. Professor William Thomson, afterwards Lord Kelvin—the greatest electrician the world has ever seen, not even the immortal Michael