A Story of the Telegraph

by John Murray

In the same year (1851) a submarine cable ten miles in length was laid connecting Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

In 1852 six submarine lines were laid connecting England with Ireland, Scotland and the continent, the longest of which was one about one hundred nautical miles, and in 1854 five additional cables were laid in European waters.

In 1856 Newfoundland and Cape Breton was connected by submarine wire, the distances being some eighty-five miles. The successful laying of this cable led to the more gigantic undertaking, viz., to connecting the old and the new worlds electrically. There are three names prominently connected with the origination of the idea, Bishop Mulock, of Newfoundland, Frederick Gisborne and Cyrus W. Field.

The following interesting remarks of Mr. Mackay, of Newfoundland, is worth producing.

In a speech he made at a banquet given by the old-time Telegraphers’ Association, held at the Windsor Hotel in the summer of 1901, he said; “If you please, I shall now refer to a matter that I think may be far more interesting to you all than anything I have said thus far. I mean to refer to the matter of the Atlantic telegraph, as it is a subject that must always occupy a large share of the attention of the telegraph world, because at the present time telegraphing by cable is one of the most important factors in the whole service that makes the telegraphy of the world as valuable as it is. The subject that I wanted to mention to you is the question as to who was the person that initiated or gave birth to the idea of an Atlantic telegraph, which, of course, gave birth to all deep-sea and long-distance telegraphy.

“As a matter of fact, in Newfoundland, where this subject has been given considerable attention, it is stated that the Right Rev. Dr. Mulock, Roman Catholic Bishop of Newfoundland, was one of the parties. Others contend that the late F. N. Gisborne is the person, others that Cyrus W. Field is the person.

“I would like to refer to those gentlemen, beginning first with Dr. Mulock.

“I trust you will pardon me for saying that I consider my opinion on the matter is worth something, inasmuch as I think I am the only man of those that were connected with the Atlantic telegraph at the time of its inception, in an executive capacity, all the others having gone before, as far as I know.

“Now with regard to Dr. Mulock, I think there is not the least doubt he got his information from Mr. Gisborne in regard to the Atlantic telegraph, and that his only connection with it was the expression of his belief in the possibility of its establishment, just as a man might say, for instance, we will in the next generation fly in the air; but he contributed nothing towards the direct accomplishment of the object. There is not the least doubt in my mind, therefore, that it lies between Mr. F. N. Gisborne and Cyrus W. Field.

“Mr. Gisborne’s friends contend now that he was unjustly treated by Field, and that he really had advised Mr. Field of the possibility of accomplishing this great work. Mr. Gisborne did not make this contention in his lifetime.