A Thread Across the Ocean
Mr. Gordon discussed his book A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable, published by Walker and Company. The b… read more
Mr. Gordon discussed his book A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable, published by Walker and Company. The book chronicles the successful laying of a submarine telegraph cable across the Atlantic in 1866, thereby establishing transoceanic communication. The project was the idea of American businessman Cyrus Field. Considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century, the project required 12 years and millions of dollars in capital to complete, endured five failed attempts, unforeseen technological problems and a near disaster at sea. Mr. Field’s associates in the venture included Samuel Morse, physicist William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), naval surveyor and architect Matthew Fontaine Maury and English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brunel’s ship, the Great Eastern, carried the entire cable on the final attempt in 1866. A question and answer period followed Mr. Gordon’s remarks. close
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