THE ELECTE1C TELEGKAPH. 



SUBMARINE COMPANIES. 



277. The CHARTERED SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH COMPANY be- 

 tween Great Britain and the Continent has been formed with a 

 nominal share capital of 150000/., of which the half has been for 

 the present reserved, the actual amount of the subscribed capital 

 being only 75000/. 



The operations of this company have hitherto (1854) been limited 

 to the establishment of electric communication with Belgium, 

 by means of the cable already described, connecting Dover with 

 Ostend. 



This company has recently coalesced with the Submarine Tele- 

 graph Company. 



278. The SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH COMPANY between France 

 and England has a nominal share capital of 100000/., of which 

 about 75000/. have been subscribed and expended, the shares 

 representing the remainder being still unallotted. The opera- 

 tions of this company have been limited to the establishment of 

 electric communication between France and England, by means 

 of the submarine cable laid between Dover and Calais. 



279. The EUROPEAN and AMERICAN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH 

 COMPANY has been established to form a link between the cables of 

 the two submarine companies, and London, Manchester, and Liver- 

 pool, and intermediate places. This company has laid underground 

 wires from Dover to London, and from London by Birmingham 

 and Manchester to Liverpool. Of this line, the first section between 

 Dover and London was opened for public correspondence on 1st 

 November, 1852, and has since been in constant operation. Of 

 the remainder, 190 miles were completed on 1st March, 1854, 

 passing through Birmingham, "Wolverhampton, Stafford, and 

 Macclesfield, to Manchester. The remaining 30 miles to Liver- 

 pool has been since completed, and the entire line is now in 

 operation. The total cost of this line, with its accessories, has 

 been 100000/. 



By an arrangement between this and the Submarine Company, 

 all despatches between the offices of the latter from the Continent 

 are transmitted upon the lines of the former, being delivered and 

 received at the offices of the latter. In fact, so far as the public 

 are concerned, the continental correspondence going or coming by 

 France or Belgium is transmitted by these three companies, acting 

 in common and as a single administration. Offices for correspon- 

 dence between England and the Continent are established in 

 London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Gravesend, Chatham, 

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