The Development of Submarine Telegraphy

One of the first attempts to lay a submarine cable was made in 1850, when a cable was placed between England and France. Because of its weak construction, this cable broke shortly after communication was established. In 1851 a second attempt was made and this cable proved successful.

The first attempt to lay a cable across the Atlantic was made by Field and his associates in 1857, but this ended in complete failure. In 1858 a cable was laid between Newfoundland and Ireland and was operated for about three months, after which it failed. In 1865 an effort was made to lay another cable, which broke when about two-thirds completed. The following year, however, a cable was laid across the ocean, and this cable proved satisfactory. There are now more than twenty cables across the Atlantic between North America and Europe, and more than 3500 submarine telegraph cables in the entire world, with a total length exceeding 350,000 miles.