THE SUBMARINE CABLE 



produced upon the cable itself or upon the electric 

 current by the great pressure of the water at ocean 

 depths. 



CYRUS FIELD PROJECTS THE ATLANTIC CABLE 



But now a man of business, and not a scientist, be- 

 came interested in the possibility of cable communica- 

 tion across the Atlantic. This was Cyrus W. Field, an 

 American business man who had made a fortune and 

 retired before he had reached forty years of age. Be- 

 coming greatly interested in the attempts at cable -laying 

 in Europe, he crossed the Atlantic and in 1856 suc- 

 ceeded in forming the Atlantic Telegraph Company, 

 capitalized at 350,000. Of this amount Field reserved 

 75,000 in shares for his own placing in America; but 

 while the English capital was quickly subscribed, little 

 response was given in America, less than one-twelfth 

 of the 75,000 being taken up. 



Among the scientific men of this company was the late 

 Lord Kelvin, to whose unwavering faith in the possi- 

 bility of transatlantic communication, scientific and 

 practical advice, and invention of several marvelous 

 instruments, the ultimate success of cable-laying is in 

 large measure due. For his views were in opposition to 

 many of the leading scientists of the time, many of them 

 much better known than the young Scotch professor. 



One instance may be cited as showing how the purely 

 theoretical scientist is perennially bobbing up and 

 "proving conclusively" with theories and dogmas that 

 certain things are impossible, only to have them shown to 

 be perfectly practicable by actual demonstrations. On 



VOL. VIII.-3 [ 33 ] 



