XT. APPLICATIONS. 299 



15O8aa. Electric Telegraph. A portion of the original 

 copper wire and glass tube buried by Sir Francis Ronalds in 1818 

 for the purpose of his then new discovery of electric telegraphy ; 

 found after several months' search by the lender. 



Captain Henry Hill. 



4i 



1508a. Portion of the First Submarine Telegraphic 

 Cable. This cable was laid by Mr. T. R. Crampton, C.E., in 

 1851, and established the practicability of submarine telegraphy. 

 Thomas Russell Crampton, Westminster. 



Submarine telegraphy in 1851 was deemed by most engineers and the 

 public to be visionary if not impracticable. 



Its extension over the whole world since its first practical introduction in 

 1851, has been immense, and the advantages to' the world at large incalculable. 

 It was established in the following manner : Various propositions were from 

 time to time put forth to effect the object, but few people were prepared to 

 take the risk until a company was formed having most influential men on the 

 direction, who advertised in the usual manner for subscriptions. Such, 

 however, was the want of confidence felt in the scheme, that only about two 

 per cent, of the necessary capital was subscribed, and this money was con- 

 sequently returned to the applicants. .Notwithstanding this apathy of the 

 public some of the directors and their friends did not cease to entertain a full 

 conviction of its possibility, and they subsequently consulted Mr. T. R. 

 Crampton, C.E., on the subject, and offered to assist towards providing the 

 funds if he felt sufficiently confident of ultimate success. Mr. Crampton 

 undertook the entire charge and responsibility of the form, construction, and 

 laying of the cable, and also took upon himself rather more than one half the 

 pecuniary risk, the other half of the money being found by Lord de Mauley, 

 Sir James Carmichael, Bart., Messrs. Davies Son and Campbell (the solicitors 

 of the Company), the Hon. F. W. Cadogan, and Mr. Haddon. 



The cable was "in the same year (1851) successfully laid between Dover 

 and Calais by Mr. Crampton. 



The great risk the parties ran can be better appreciated from the fact that 

 three successive attempts by other parties to establish submarine cables 

 between England and Ireland occurred soon afterwards, which all failed. 



The above-named gentlemen were also instrumental in laying the next 

 successful cable between Dover and Ostend. 



This latter was constructed in a similar manner to the original one, and 

 they are both still in operation. 



No fundamental change has yet been effected in the form and mode of 

 construction of heavy cables, thus proving satisfactorily that the first type of 

 heavy submarine cable laid upwards of twenty-five years ago is practically 

 right in principle. 



15O8b. A portion of the first line of Telegraph, laid 



by Cooke and Wheatstone in 1837 between Euston and Camden 

 stations. It consists of five wires and was worked with their 

 earliest or " hatchment " dial instrument. 



tt Latimer Clark, Westminster. 



1419. Part of Cooke and Wheatstone's First Working 



Telegraph. Edinburgh Museum of Science and Ai*t. 



