Today in History—August 16: The First Official Transatlantic Telegraph

The first successful transatlantic telegraph exchange between heads of state occurred on this day in 1858. It marked the first major—albeit short-lived—victory in what would be a 12-year effort involving two countries, millions of dollars, and one indefatigable American man.

By the early 1850s, regional telegraph networks connected major population centers, but communication between the United States and Europe still depended on ocean voyages. Cyrus Field, a New York paper manufacturer, believed there was a better way. Though telegraph inventor Samuel Morse had proposed an Atlantic cable in the 1840s, it was Field’s determination that actualized the idea.

The plan was ambitious: lay an undersea cable between Newfoundland, the easternmost point in North America, and Valentia Bay, on the west coast of Ireland—a route of more than 2,000 nautical miles. Field and his backers secured private funding and enlisted support from the British and American governments. The U.S. provided the USS Niagara; the Brits contributed HMS Agamemnon.

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The first attempt came in 1857, with each ship carrying half the cable (it was too heavy for just one vessel). Sailing from Valentia Bay, they laid cable as they crossed the Atlantic. After repeated failures, the venture was postponed.

In 1858 Field and company tried a new strategy: The ships met mid-ocean, spliced their cables together, and sailed in opposite directions. By early August both had reached shore with the cable intact.

Testing followed. On August 10 the first transmission was sent from Newfoundland to Valentia, on August 12 from Valentia to Newfoundland (“Sent constant current five minutes”), and by August 16 it was time to involve the heads of state.

Queen Victoria sent the first message (“The Queen desires to congratulate the President upon the successful completion of this great international work”) to U.S. Pres. James Buchanan. Though nearly instantaneous by 19th-century standards, the transmission took more than 16 hours. Plans quickly followed to open the cable communication to wider use.

Then, on September 1—the 23rd day of operation—the cable went dead.

It remained that way until transatlantic communication problems during the American Civil War revived interest in the project. Field returned to pick up where he left off, resulting in success—once again—on July 27, 1866. But that’s a story for another day.

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