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Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - the "Agamemnon" in a Storm, 1858. Creator: Smyth. Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - the "Agamemnon" in a Storm, 1858. Creator: Smyth
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Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - the "Agamemnon" in a Storm, 1858. Creator: Smyth. Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - the "Agamemnon" in a Storm, 1858. Creator: Smyth
Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - the "Agamemnon" in a Storm, 1858. Ship struggling in...the great storm on the 20th of June...the Agamemnon rolled so heavily and dangerously as in her then trim to lead to serious fears that the masts would go overboard, or that she would capsize completely and founder. In these heavy lurches the coals which were stowed in the main and lower decks broke away, and seriously injured several of the crew; the electric instruments were all injured; the main coal in the bottom of the hold shifted...sail was shortened to close-reefed fore and main topsails and reefed foresail - a long- and tedious job, for the wind so roared and howled, and the hiss of the boiling sea was so deafening, that words of command were useless, and the men aloft, holding on with all their might to the yards as the ship rolled over and over almost to the water, were quite incapable of struggling with the masses of wet canvas that flapped and plunged as if men and yards and everything were going away together'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858
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Atlantic Telegraph Company Cable Cable Laying Communication Danger Dangerous Dramatic Innovation Peril Rough Seas Sailing Ships Smyth Storm Stormy Telecommunication Telecommunications Telegraph Trans Atlantic Transatlantic Wave Waves
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EDITORS COMMENTS
Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - the 'Agamemnon' in a Storm, 1858" is a captivating photograph taken by the renowned English photographer Smyth, depicting the British steamship Agamemnon battling the fury of the North Atlantic during the historic laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The image captures the ship in the midst of a violent storm on June 20, 1858, with towering waves threatening to engulf the vessel. The Agamemnon, a sturdy steamship, was instrumental in the groundbreaking project to lay the first transatlantic telegraph cable, connecting Europe and North America. However, the mission was not without its challenges, as evidenced in this photograph. The storm, with its relentless winds and towering waves, posed a significant threat to the ship and its crew. The photograph shows the Agamemnon struggling to maintain its balance as it rolls heavily in the storm. The masts, which were a dangerously close call to going overboard, and the fear of capsizing completely, added to the crew's anxiety. The coal stowed in the main and lower decks broke away, injuring several crew members, and the electric instruments were damaged. The sail was shortened to close-reefed fore and main topsails and reefed foresail, a laborious process in the howling wind and deafening sea. The men aloft, clinging to the yards, were unable to cope with the masses of wet canvas that flapped and plunged as if everything was going under together. This photograph is a testament to the courage and determination of the crew and the ingenuity of the era's technology. Despite the challenges, the laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable was a significant achievement in human history, connecting the Old World and the New World in a way that forever changed communication and the world as we knew it.
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