SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHY.

Evening Star, Issue 10881, 15 March 1899, Page 4

SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHY.

A FRAGMENT OF ITS EARLY HISTORY. Only a few fleeting years have passed away since the welcome dawn of submarine telegraphy, with all the disheartening failures, all the primary imperfections, which seem ( ever insuperable from the early triumphs of inventive skill, yet to-day there are more than eleven hundred transmitting cables through the mighty deep, representing a sunken but well plaoed capital of nearly forty million pounds. To whom, then, do we owe this simple j yet- truly wonderful application of natural products and power for the ungauged usefulness and utility of mankind? Who is entitled to the laurel wreath of scientific victory? Good reader, the question is a difficult one, and in the absence of more definite information and more convincing proof I fear . this all important query must remain unanswered. Many have claimed the worldwide honor, and many, may be, have had it thrust upon their not unwilling shoulders. Indeed, we find such well-known names as O'Shanganessy, Sommering, Morse, Watson, Siemens, and the brothers Brett appearing as claimants on the searcher's lengthy list; but, without expressing an opinion as to the validity or justness of the claims just mentioned, I will tell a tale as it was told to me, trusting that its simple narration may bring to light some hidden record, or lead those who may be interested to make searching inquiry as to one of the most important and perhaps most useful achievements of Victoria's unsurpassed and record reign. It was a dull winter's evening, may be fifty-six or fifty-seven years ago, that one of Edinburgh's well-known lawyers (or "Writers to the Signet," as they are often termed across the Caledonian border) was wending his way homeward after the toils and labor of a heavy business day. As he hurried forward scarcely looking towards the right or the left, his progress was suddenly arrested by the presence of a young and pale-faced man who nervously and plaintively asked him for that gifeat mainspring of comfort—money. The lawyer paused, and for a few seconds his quick and experienced eye seemed fixed with searching keenness upon the poorly clad stranger before him. Then, after a moment's pause, he said sharply: "How comes it, sir, that you are begging like the lowest in the streets. Surely you're a man possessing youth, intelligence, and good address?"

Drawing himself up, the young man answered firmly: " Come, and you shall see!"

" Very well, I will come," was the prompt answer to the beggar's challenge, " and it I find you are an impostor and a fraud you will rue the day you stopped me on the Edinburgh flags! Lead on, and I will follow." The youth turned quickly, and, crossing the spacious roadway, entered, one of those narrow footways called " The Winds," which are now happily fast disappearing from the ancient capital of Scotland—slums which no doubt did much to call forth Dr Johnson's narsn criticism and create an uniavorabe impression as to its cleanliness. At length the young man halted, and they entered a narrow, badly-lighted stairway, which was public to the tenants of those miserable flat-, and ofttimes proved a haven of refuge for those who could not pay the poor man's rent. Up, up they went, passing open doorways through which could be seen whole families as they huddled together in the corners of a common room. Having reached the topmost landing, the beggar cautiously opened a sadly worm-eaten and broken door, which disclosed a dull and dingy attic, and as the last rays of the setting sun crept through the tiny casement, the onlooker beheld the cheerless faces of a clockmaker's starving family. The wretched apartment was practically divided into two parts; at least, the bed appeared half hidden by a faded tartan plaid which was stretched from nails driven opposite each other in the whitewashed walls. Its furniture (if worthy of the name) consisted of a heavy seaman's chest and a fe-y* dilapidated chairs. In the centre of the floor, as the rose-tinted light fell upon it, was beheld a large wooden tub almost filled with water, in which lay several coils of wire, these being 'coated with a resinous substance closely resembling Stockholm tar, their ends being attached to two small but strangely, complicated pieces of machinery' which stood on either side of the miniature .ocean, while coupled in the circuit were noticed some common earthenware jars, containing those equilibI rium disturbing elements which render Kin ietic or active the inherent energy which has now been termed electric force. "There," said the unhappy man, as he drew his 'visitor's attention to various scientific apI paratus which lay scattered round the room i'.' that is what has made me a poor man, a miserable beggar in the streets! It >s all owing to endeavors I have made to perfect mv inventions fully, and reap the hardearned but justly-gained reward of months, nay, years of patient toil and labor." i The lawyer remained silent for awhile, but his charitable heart had always neen deeply moved by what he saw; and he had also quickly realised the importance of the experiment which lay before him, for chere sure enough he saw the sea in miniature, with submerged wires across it, conveying electric signals from distant operators. Indeed, 'it needed no great stretch of the imagination to picture at least an outline of the splendid system of subaqueous communication in vogue to-day. Then, taking a small stamped leather wallet from his pocket, he drew from it three or four one pound Scottish notes, and, handing them to the hard-pres«ed man, said : " There, take these for your mmediate requirements, and-eall at my office in tjtie morning, that Ave may discuss matters and qo'nsidej what can best be done." So saying, be hurriedly wrote down the address, and then, 'midst heartfelt thanks, he continued his walk homeward, being well pleased that he had not disregarded the poor man's call. And now, good reader, 'tis but natural you should wonder who the beggar and tha lawyer were, and it is only right that I should tell you before we trace their doings further. The beggar was Alexander Bain, who rose from his modest calling as a clockmaker in the northern portion of this isle, and became famous for his inventions in connection with what was then erroneously called electric fluid, while the writer hai pleasure in claiming the lawyer as his greatuncle. Next morning Bain punctually kept the appointment with his new friend, when the merits and defects of his inventions were fully discussed, and it was arranged that certain trial cables should be manufactured by a Gateshead firm, who early in the following year (1840) actually patented their special method of doing so. Nor was this all, for plans were prepared for what in those days was looked upon as an extravagant (if not mad) scheme for connecting Dover with Calais by means of a submerged insulated wire. Indeed, it was with the view of furthering this and several other projects that the inventor and the lawyer proceeded to London. On reaching the great metropolis thev speedily secured officei for carrying out the business they had in hand, these being situated on the site now occupied bv the handsome buildings of the Ranelagh Club.

It is perhaps somewhat difficult to trace Bain's exact movements at this noteworthy period of his always active life, but there can he Kttle doubt that he became acquainted with many leading men of science and secured patents which quickly brought him into fierce, yea, almost bitter, conflict with the celebrated Professor Wheatstone, who unsuccessfully contested his rights thereto before Lord Rutherford of Scotland. About this time also he appears to have delivered certain lectures at that most useful of early scientific institutions, the London Polytechnic. It was undoubtedly in this way that he became acquainted with an influential gentleman named Finlaison, who was in some way connected with the Bank of England, and who readily gave him further assistance financially. Then in the month of June or July he apparently finds leisure to continue his electrical experiments, not only in the Serpentine of Hyde Park, but also (as we believe) at that dull red brii v k old Shot Tower which can still be seen amidst surrounding buildings on the southern shore of the Thames. At the time alluded to this building was used by Messrs Walker,., Parker, and Co., whose toughened leaden pellets assumed their perfect roqndness when falling from its topmost chamber, like a shower of silver win. And,

there can be no doubt also thai thoughtful and clever-nien, not only in England, but also in ihe United States, were closely following and copying Bain's experimental work, for in 1845 he and Ms Jriends found it necessary in'their turn to attack the Eleetric Telegraph Company's Bill, which was then before Parliament. This action, after enormous expense and heartwearying delays, resulted in a compromise between the tarties, under which the company were prepared to pay them £IO,OOO. All this time the Dover to Calais scheme had not been i shelved, and my great-uncle lowing to some j influence he fortunately possessed) was able to draw Lord Palmersten's attention to the ! matter. But, alas—and strange to say—this remarkable statesman's almost unerring judgment was for once at fault, and he tegarded the possibility of flashing news beneath the ocean as nothing but a myth—a veritable madman's dream.

Nothing daunted, however, by this rebuff, and again fortunate in the circumstance that he was not unknown to Louis Napoleon of France, the lawyer and others, who had interested themselves in the matter, 'proceeded to Paris, where they were courteously received by that monarch, the result being that a provisional concession for laying the line was obtained, Napoleon assuring them, when the question, of its cost was discussed, that" if England would pay one-half, France would pay the other." During the negotiations which followed, it was found desirable to employ the services of someone at the offices already mentioned who spoke and wrote the French language fluently, the man selected for this work beng none other than the afterwards well-known and industrious founder of Reuter's N'.ws Agency at Aix la Chapelle. But even after this valuable concession had been obtained, it seemed as though their strenuous efforts had been fruitless, owing to the lack of strong financial support, which is the golden powder so essential when driving daring projects to their highest mark. Indeed, it wus for this reason solelv that the privilege first granted was allowed to lapse. Yet, in spite of all these difficulties, " Vmcere vel Mori" remained the constant motto of this pioneering band, and Victory i.ot Death it was which crowned their gallant efforts and joined Dover with Calais.

And before I close this story it is nry pleasing duty to relate that the struggling inventor of the Edinburgh slums was not ungrateful to the friend who had helped him forward when the sea of life was rough, for the following inscription is engraven on a silver loving cup as a record of the gratitude of oue whose skill and perseverance did so much to render his name famous : "Presented to Alexander H. Macdongall, Esq., by Alexander Bain, as a token o' a grateful sense for services rendered in a successful contest in both Houses of Parliament in establishing his patent rights for Elecsrical Telegraphs, requiring at once professional skill, a disregard of personal enm'.ty while pursuing justice for a client, and a generous liberality of pecuniary advances pending the long conflict. 1846."