PETER COOPER AND SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHY 
In presenting to its readers a chart of the submarine telegraph 
cables of the world, Tuk National Gioographic iNlAGAzrxn was 
unwilling that this graphic representation of intercontinental 
communication should be unaccompanied by some reference to 
one of its earliest and most effective pioneers, the late Peter 
Cooper. It is well to recall to tlie rising generation its indebted- 
ness to Mr Cooper for his eminent services in fostering the initia- 
tion of this now elaborate network between the widely sepa- 
rated continents of the earth. With considerable reluctance, and 
onl}" after repeated urging, one of the actors in this great work, 
the Honorable Abram S. Hewitt, has outlined, in a letter all too 
brief, the i»art played b}" Mr Cooper. The letter is as follows : 
“ The story of the Atlantic Calile has been so fully and so well 
told l)y the Rev. Henry M. Field in his history, published in 
18!)'2 by Messrs Scribner & Sons of this cit}^, that only the briefest 
outline is necessary to call public attention to the origin of an 
enterprise which, at the time of its inception, was regarded with 
incredulity, and whose jirosecution and final success have all 
the elements of a romance. 
“ My first knowledge of the enterprise was in 1854, when Mr 
Cyrus \V. Field invited Mr Peter Cooper and other gentlemen 
to listen to the jiropo.sitions of P’rederick N. Gisborne, who had 
come to New York for the purpose of interesting cajiital in con- 
structing a line of telegrajih across Newfoundland, so as to get 
the news at cape Race from the European steamers and trans- 
mit it thence overland to the gulf of St. Lawrence and thence 
by fast steamers to cape Breton, whence land lines had been 
constructed connecting with our American system. In that in- 
terview no suggestion was made for a cable across the gulf of 
St. Lawrence, because it was doubtful at that time whether sub- 
marine communication of such length could 4>e established and 
maintained. The amount of money required was not very con- 
siderable, and the gentlemen a))pealed to, being all men of large 
views, came to the conclusion that they would contribute the 
amount, not so much as a commercial s{)eculation as from con- 
siderations of the advantage of early news in business transac- 
tions affecting the two continents. The Newfoundland Com])any 
108 
