The Story of the First Transatlantic Cable
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the historical journey of the transatlantic cable, from its inception in 1839 to the first message sent in 1858. It details the challenges faced, including multiple cable breaks and failures, and the eventual success of the 1858 attempt. The narrative also contrasts early copper cables with modern fiber-optic technology, highlighting the evolution from transmitting words to billions of words per minute, and the critical role of transatlantic cables in global communication.
Takeaways
- 🌐 The concept of a transatlantic cable was initially a dream among a few engineers, which became a reality in under two decades after the invention of the Telegraph.
- 📞 The first telegraph message sent across the Atlantic in 1858 read 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and goodwill towards men', marking a significant milestone in global communication.
- 🔄 The idea of a transatlantic cable was debated among experts until the first successful connection between Great Britain and France in 1850.
- 🛠️ Construction of the first transatlantic cable was led by Frederick Newton Gisborne, who, despite initial failures, later partnered with businessman Cyrus Westfield to realize the project.
- 💡 Samuel Morse served as the technical liaison for the project, and an oceanographer was consulted to ensure the feasibility of the cable's underwater deployment.
- 🏭 The first transatlantic cable was manufactured by glass Elliott & Co and RS Newall in Co, with a copper core and multiple protective layers to ensure strength and flexibility.
- 🚢 The HMS Agamemnon and the USS Niagara were the ships used to lay the cable, setting off from Southern Ireland in August 1857.
- 🔗 The initial attempts to lay the cable faced multiple failures, with the cable breaking several times and operations being suspended until the next year.
- 📅 The first successful connection of the transatlantic cable was achieved on August 16, 1858, with the first message sent shortly after.
- ⚡ The first cable failed on September 3, 1858, due to engineers increasing the voltage too much, which damaged the cable.
- 🔄 It wasn't until 1854 that the next cable was laid, and modern transatlantic cables are fiber-optic, with the first laid in 1988, capable of transmitting data at unprecedented speeds.
- 🌟 Modern fiber-optic cables have a complex protective structure and use light to transmit data, with repeaters to amplify signals over long distances, facilitating global trade and communication.
Q & A
What was the initial dream that led to the creation of the transatlantic telegraph cable?
-The initial dream was to have a cable stretched across the Atlantic Ocean, which was initially considered by a few engineers after the birth of the Telegraph in 1858.
Who were the inventors of the Telegraph, and what year was it invented?
-The Telegraph was invented by William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone. Samuel Morse also contributed significantly to its development.
What was the first message sent across the Atlantic by telegraph cable, and what did it signify?
-The first message was 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and goodwill towards men.' It signified a momentous achievement in global communication.
Who led the construction of the northeastern cable that was set to be the largest communication cable at the time?
-The construction was led by Frederick Newton Gisborne.
What was the outcome of the first attempt to lay the transatlantic cable in 1857?
-The first attempt in 1857 resulted in multiple cable breaks, and the operation was suspended until the following year.
What strategy was employed for the successful laying of the transatlantic cable in 1858?
-The strategy involved two ships, the HMS Agamemnon and the USS Niagara, setting off from different continents, meeting in the middle to connect the cables, and then heading back to their respective ports.
What was the technical issue that caused the failure of the first transatlantic cable?
-The first cable failed due to engineers boosting the voltage from 600 to 2000 volts, which caused a short somewhere along the cable.
How did the technology of transatlantic cables evolve from the first copper cables to modern fiber-optic cables?
-The first cables were made of copper, but modern transatlantic cables are all fiber-optic, with the first fiber-optic cable laid in 1988. This evolution allowed for a significant increase in data transmission speed and capacity.
What is the structure of a modern submarine fiber-optic cable, and how does it provide protection?
-A modern submarine fiber-optic cable consists of optical fibers coated by flexible plastic layers, encapsulated in a protective jacket, and surrounded by multiple layers of protection including petroleum jelly, copper or aluminum tubing, polycarbonate, aluminum water barriers, steel wires, mylar tape, and an outer polyethylene jacket.
How do fiber-optic cables transmit data, and what is the speed limit for data transfer?
-Fiber-optic cables transmit data through flashes of light. The speed limit for data transfer is the speed of light, with optical amplifiers used at regular intervals to boost the signal.
What is the significance of transatlantic cables in facilitating global trade and communication today?
-Transatlantic cables are the foundation of facilitating global trade and communication, providing a successful highway of information for people across the globe.
Outlines
🌍 Transatlantic Telegraph Cable: From Dream to Reality
This paragraph outlines the historical development of the transatlantic telegraph cable, which revolutionized global communication in the 19th century. It begins with the early ideas of linking Europe and the Americas through a cable, spurred by the invention of the telegraph by William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone, and the subsequent belief in its feasibility by Samuel Morse. The narrative then details the first attempts to lay a cable across the Atlantic, led by Frederick Newton Gisborne and Cyrus Westfield, who overcame initial failures and financial setbacks. The paragraph describes the construction and materials of the first transatlantic cable, the challenges faced during its deployment, and the eventual success in sending the first message across the ocean in 1858. However, the triumph was short-lived as technical issues led to the cable's failure shortly after. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of the transition from copper to fiber-optic cables in modern times.
🚀 Evolution of Submarine Cables: From Copper to Fiber-Optics
The second paragraph delves into the evolution of submarine cables, focusing on the shift from copper to fiber-optic technology. It explains the structure of a standard fiber-optic cable, which consists of optical fibers coated with flexible plastic layers and protected by multiple layers of material, including petroleum jelly, metal tubing, polycarbonate, aluminum water barriers, steel wires, mylar tape, and a polyethylene jacket for marine cables. The paragraph highlights how fiber-optic cables work, using light signals to transmit data at the speed of light, with repeaters placed at intervals to amplify the signal. The summary emphasizes the importance of transatlantic cables in facilitating global trade and communication, showcasing how a technology that started with many setbacks has become a critical component of the modern information superhighway, capable of transmitting vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Transatlantic Cable
💡Telegraph
💡Cyrus Westfield
💡New York Newfoundland London Telegraph Company
💡HMS Agamemnon and USS Niagara
💡Cable Laying
💡Fiber-Optic Cable
💡Optical Amplifiers
💡Global Trade and Communication
💡Cable Failures
💡Marine Life Protection
Highlights
In 1839, the idea of a transatlantic telegraph cable was conceived by a few engineers.
After the Telegraph's invention in 1858, the first message was sent across the Atlantic in less than two decades.
The first message sent across the Atlantic by telegraph cable in 1858 read 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and goodwill towards men'.
Samuel Morse believed in the possibility of a transatlantic communications network.
In 1850, a telegraph line was laid between Great Britain and France, the longest at the time.
Construction of a cable from the US northeast coast to Nova Scotia began in 1850, led by Frederick Newton Gisborne.
Gisborne's company collapsed in 1853 as the cable line did not prove profitable.
Gisborne met businessman Cyrus Westfield who believed in extending the cable network across the Atlantic and had the funds to do so.
Samuel Morse served as the technical liaison for the transatlantic cable project.
The New York Newfoundland in London Telegraph Company was founded by Gisborne and Field in 1857 to lay the transatlantic cable.
The first attempt to lay the transatlantic cable in 1857 faced multiple cable breaks and failures.
The cable used in 1857 was made by glass Elliott & Co and RS Newall in Co, with a copper inner cable covered in latex and tarred hemp.
The HMS Agamemnon and USS Niagara were used to tow the cable for the 1858 attempt.
The first successful message was sent across the Atlantic on August 16, 1858, followed by messages from Queen Victoria and US President James Buchanan.
The first transatlantic cable failed on September 3, 1858, due to engineers boosting the voltage too high.
Modern transatlantic cables are fiber-optic, with the first laid in 1988, capable of transmitting 84 billion words per minute.
Fiber-optic cables have multiple layers of protection and use light to transmit data at the speed of light.
Transatlantic cables are the foundation of global trade and communication, evolving from early failures to a successful information highway.
Transcripts
in 1839 the dream of having a cable that
stretched across the Atlantic Ocean was
just one of a few engineers after the
birth of the Telegraph in 1858 less than
two decades later the first message was
sent across the Atlantic by telegraph
cable reading glory to God in the
highest on earth peace and goodwill
towards men so how did an idea as
world-changing as linking Europe to the
Americas go from dream to reality in
under two decades
let's take a look after the invention of
the Telegraph by William cook in Charles
Wheatstone Samuel Morse believed that
the concept of a transatlantic
communications network was one of
possibility experts continue to debate
the idea until in 1850 a line was laid
between Great Britain and France the
longest of the time later on in 1850
construction began on a line heading
from the northeast coast of America to
Nova Scotia to Newfoundland this
northeastern cable was set to be the
largest communication cable yet in its
construction was led by a man named
Frederick Newton Gisborne this cable was
eventually completed though Gisborne's
company collapsed in 1853 as the line
didn't prove profitable however after
that quick failure Gisborne met a
businessman named Cyrus Westfield
he believed in Gisborne's idea of
extending the existing cable network
across the Atlantic and he had the funds
to make it happen Samuel Morse served as
the technical liaison and an
oceanographer was consulted as well
after initial planning Gisborne and
field founded the New York Newfoundland
in London Telegraph Company field funded
this venture with help from the US and
UK government's as well as selling stock
and funding a large portion with his own
funds it finally took shape in 1857 when
the first attempt was made to lay the
transatlantic cable manufactured by
glass Elliott & Co and RS Newall in Co
the copper inner cable was covered in
latex which engineers believed to be
enough to protect it from marine life it
was
then covered in wound tarred hemp
supported further by a sheath of iron
wiring this made the cable relatively
flexible while also being incredibly
strong
the HMS Agamemnon in the USS Niagara
were used to tow the cable setting off
on their cable laying journey from
Southern Ireland on August 5th one of
the operations started off with a bang
or rather a snap as the cable broke and
it had to be retrieved off the bottom of
the sea floor after that the cable broke
again but this time it was too deep so
the operation was shuddered until the
next year following the two cable snaps
plans were rearranged and the two ships
were set to ship off from one continent
each meeting in the middle to connect
the cables and then head back to their
respective ports pulling their portion
of the cables back the cable
unfortunately broke again after just six
kilometers and then again after 100
kilometers and then again after 370
kilometers things weren't looking good
crews were up for a third try and they
set out on July 29th 1858
despite navigational errors thanks to
the electrical charge of the cable the
ship's successfully navigated to their
respective ports on the 4th and 5th of
August the USS Niagara docking in
Trinity Bay in Newfoundland and the
Agamemnon docking in Valencia island on
the western coast of Ireland utilising
horses crews then positioned the shore
sides of the cable to the correct places
and they were connected together on
August 16th the first message was sent
followed by a message from Queen
Victoria to the US President James
Buchanan at the time the Queen and the
president sent two rather wordy messages
which weren't exactly designed for this
transatlantic communication technique
reception over the cable was terrible
and each character took two minutes to
transmit the first message took just shy
of 18 hours far from modern day instant
messaging the cables initial success
didn't last long though
on the 3rd of September the cable failed
this was due to engineers boosting the
voltage on the line from
six hundred to two thousand volts in
hopes of speeding up transmission and it
fried
somewhere along the great distance it
was a short life for the first cable it
wasn't until 1854 that the next cable
was laid these first cables were cord
with copper but now our modern
transatlantic cables are all fiber-optic
the first having been laid in 1988 in
contrast the first cables could transmit
words every few minutes on a good day
modern cables can transmit the
equivalent of 84 billion words per
minute
digging into fiber-optic cable
engineering further we can see why these
speeds are so much greater than metal
cables your standard fiber-optic cable
has one or many optical fibers that are
coated by flexible plastic layers all
encapsulated in a protective jacket when
these cables need to be laid on the
seafloor they'll be functionally the
same with much more outer protection in
essence you're left with this layout the
fiber optic cable on the inside
surrounded by petroleum jelly surrounded
by a copper or aluminum tubing than by
polycarbonate than by aluminum water
barriers than by steel wires than by
mylar tape and finally your outer layer
for marine cables is usually a
polyethylene protective jacket this
layout provides for optimum protection
for fiber-optic cables but how do they
work
submarine cables or underwater cables
transmit data through flashes of light
through the fiber-optic cable the speed
limiter for data transfer then being the
speed of light at regular intervals
there will be optically amplified
repeaters to boost the signal
transatlantic cables continue to be the
foundation of facilitating global trade
in communication this core technology
that started off on a rocky road of
failures is now a successful highway of
information for people across the globe
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