The Atlantic Telegraph (1865)Russell, William Howard, Sir
History
The Atlantic Telegraph (1865)
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Transatlantic cables
that the Cable must be at the present moment a perfect wreck! And then
he says that the Company never made experiments to satisfy themselves
what this number of atmospheres would do to the Cable. He writes in
perfect ignorance, that the scientific committee has the means afforded
them by this Company of applying a weight of 6000lb. to the square inch;
but after having proceeded to a certain extent with that experiment, and
tried a very large amount of pressure, and finding that the Cable, so
far from deteriorating, was improved by the compression of its elements,
they thought it unnecessary to carry the experiments further. And now we
have the result to corroborate their views.”
On October 12, an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Atlantic
Telegraph Company was held, at which the Chairman, the Right Hon. J. S.
Wortley, proposed a Resolution rescinding those passed at the General
Meeting in August. He reminded them the Capital was originally issued in
1000_l._ shares. After that an additional amount of capital was raised
in 20_l._ shares; and after the first failure a further capital of
600,000_l._ in 5_l._ shares, and an 8 per cent. preference, was raised.
Under these circumstances they succeeded in raising the necessary sum
enabling them to send out the last expedition, and they now proposed
that notwithstanding that guarantee of 8 per cent. to issue a new
preferential capital at the rate of 12 per cent. They had negotiated
with the same contractors who had hitherto had charge of laying the
Cable, and they were willing for the sum of 500,000_l._ to take out a
sufficient quantity of Cable, together with that which was left in the
ship amounting to about 1000 miles, and in the first place to go across
and lay a new Cable, and then to come back and pick up the old one,
splice it, and continue it to Newfoundland. He might say at once, that
not only the contractors, but all who were engaged in the undertaking,
were represented there that day, as well as the able staff of scientific
men to whom they were so much indebted upon the last expedition, and he
said in their presence that they all had extreme confidence that they
would not only be able to lay the new Cable but to pick up the old one,
mend it, and relay it. It was proposed that in addition to the
500,000_l._ there should, if the Cable was successfully laid, be a
contingent profit to the contractor, which would be paid in money. It
was apprehended that the additional 100,000_l._ asked for would be quite
sufficient to meet any contingency that might arise. The formal
Resolutions rescinding those passed at the meeting in August last were
carried unanimously; and it was Resolved, “That the Capital of the
Company be increased to an amount not exceeding 2,000,000_l._, by the
creation and issue of not exceeding 160,000 new shares of 5_l._ each,
and that such new shares shall bear and be entitled to a preferential
dividend at the rate of 12_l._ per cent. per annum on the amount for the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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