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Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - Displacement of the Cable on Board the "Agamemnon", 1858. Creator: Unknown. Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - Displacement of the Cable on Board the "Agamemnon", 1858. Creator: Unknown
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Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - Displacement of the Cable on Board the "Agamemnon", 1858. Creator: Unknown. Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - Displacement of the Cable on Board the "Agamemnon", 1858. Creator: Unknown
Laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable - Displacement of the Cable on Board the "Agamemnon", 1858. Storm of 20th June. The ship was almost as wet inside as out...everything getting adrift and being smashed, and every one on board jamming themselves up in corners or holding on to beams to prevent their going adrift likewise...the Agamemnon was rolling and labouring fearfully, with the sky getting darker, and both wind and sea increasing every minute...three or four gigantic waves were seen approaching the ship, coming heavily and slowly on through the mist, nearer and nearer, rolling on like hills of green water, with a crown of foam that seemed to double their height...The upper-dock coil had strained the ship to the very utmost, but still held on fast; but not so the coil in the main hold, which had begun to get adrift, and the top kept working and shifting over from side to side as the ship lurched, till some forty or fifty miles were in a hopeless state of tangle, resembling nothing so much as a cargo of live eels, and there was every prospect of the tangle spreading deeper and deeper as the bad weather continued'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858
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Media ID 36376172
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Activities Activity Atlantic Telegraph Company Cable Cable Laying Communication Danger Dangerous Deck Equipment Innovation On Board On Deck Peril Sailing Ships Sailor Sailors Salt Water Seawater Storm Stormy Weather Tangled Telecommunication Telecommunications Telegraph Trans Atlantic Transatlantic
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This photograph captures a pivotal moment in maritime history: the displacement of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable on board the "Agamemnon" during the infamous storm of June 20, 1858. The image, though its creator remains unknown, is an evocative testament to the determination and perseverance of those involved in the groundbreaking project to lay the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The "Agamemnon," a British steamship, is depicted in the photograph with its deck awash in the tumultuous waves of the North Atlantic. The cable, a tangled mass of insulation and wires, lies in disarray on the deck, a stark contrast to the orderly coils that once held it. The storm, which raged around the ship, had caused the cable to shift and tangle, threatening to derail the entire mission. The scene inside the ship was no less chaotic. As the storm intensified, the crew and passengers huddled together, holding on to beams and corners to prevent being swept overboard. The ship, straining against the upper-dock coil, was taking on water, and the main hold coil had begun to come loose. The cable, now a tangled mess, resembled nothing so much as a cargo of live eels, and there was every prospect of the tangle spreading deeper and deeper as the storm continued. Despite the dire circumstances, the crew and engineers pressed on, determined to complete the mission. The laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable was a monumental achievement, linking Europe and North America in a way that had never before been possible. This photograph, a snapshot of the struggle against the elements, serves as a reminder of the indomitable human spirit and the ingenuity that drives us to overcome even the most formidable challenges.
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