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History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications
from the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fiber optic network

The Atlantic Telegraph
by W.H. Russell L.L.D.

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W.H. Russell
Photograph by
Roger Fenton, 1855.
LoC LC-USZC4-9183

William Howard Russell's book is perhaps the most spectacular work on the Atlantic Cable, with lithographs from original drawings made by Robert Dudley on the 1865 Great Eastern cable laying voyage.  Page size is 11¼" x 8"; image size approximately 8¾" x 6".  Shown here is a complete set of the images; the title page, 24 colored lithographs, and the chart of the voyage, 26 plates in all.   The captions for each image are reproduced verbatim from the book.

In 2005 Nonsuch Publishing released a new paperback edition of Russell's book, with full-colour illustrations and the complete text of the original. See the Current Bibliography page for more information.

 

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Front cover

Title Page:
The Atlantic Telegraph
By W.H. Russell L.L.D.
Illustrated by Robert Dudley
Dedicated by
Special Permission
to His Royal Highness
Albert Edward Prince of Wales

Day & Son Limited
6 Gate Street London

Weighing Anchor Off The Maplin Sands, Nore, July 15th

Page 63: View (looking aft) from the port paddle-box of Great Eastern: showing the trough for cable, etc.

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Page 14: The reels of gutta-percha-covered conduction-wire conveyed into tanks at the works at Greenwich. Page 18: Valentia in 1857-58 at the time of the laying of the former cable.

Page 26: Trinity Bay, Newfoundland: exterior view of telegraph house in 1857-58. Page 28: Telegraph house, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland: interior of messroom, 1858.

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Page 28: H.M.S. Agamemnon laying the Atlantic telegraph cable in 1858: a whale crosses the line. Page 36-7: Coiling the cable in the large tanks at the works at Greenwich.

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Page 38: The cable passed from the works into the hulk lying in the Thames at Greenwich. Page 39: The old frigate with her freight of cable alongside the Great Eastern at Sheerness.

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Page 40: Paying-out machinery

Page 42: Coiling the cable in the after-tank on board the Great Eastern at Sheerness: visit of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales on May 24.

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Page 44: Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, looking seawards from the point at which the cable reaches the shore. Page 46: The cliffs, Foilhummerum Bay: point of the landing of the shore end of the cable, July 22.

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Page 48: Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, from Cromwell Fort: the Caroline and boats laying the earth-wire, July 21. Page 52: The Great Eastern under weigh, July 23: escort and other ships introduced being the Terrible, the Sphinx, the Hawk, and the Caroline.

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Page 56: Chart, showing the track of the steam-ship Great Eastern on her voyage from Valentia to Newfoundland.
Detail of recovery attempts.		 Page 57: Splicing the cable (after the first accident) on board the Great Eastern, July 25.

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Page 68: The forge on deck; night of August 9: preparing the iron plating for capstan. Page 71: Searching for fault after recovery of the cable from the bed of the Atlantic, July 31.

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Page 77: In the bows, August 2: the cable broken and lost: preparing to grapple. Page 79: Getting out one of the large buoys for launching, August 2.

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Page 80: General view of Port Magee, &c., from the heights below Cora Beg; the Caroline laying the shore end of the cable, July 22. Page 86: Interior of one of the tanks on board the Great Eastern: cable passing out.

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Page 88: Launching buoy on August 8, in Lat. 51 23' 30"; Long. 30 46' (marking spot where cable had been grappled). Page 93: Forward deck cleared for the final attempt at grappling, August 11.
Bill Glover shares this interesting letter from William Russell to
Robert Dudley, dated Nov. 19, 1865, and discussing the book.
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18 Sumner Place
  Onslow Square
    South Kensington SW

 Nov. 19  65

My dear Dudley

I have been waiting ever since the receipt of your note of Oct 26. to have the pleasure of seeing you and the plates you spoke of. But I suppose I will see them in the book when it is out. How and where are you?

 Yours always truly

                     WH Russell

Russell evidently stayed in touch with Sir James Anderson, captain of the Great Eastern on the 1865 cable expedition. Russell's sons Willie and Johnny had accompanied him on that voyage, and in 1869 Russell wrote to Anderson requesting help with placing his son John into telegraphy:

17 St James Place
May 17  69

My dear Anderson,

I want your aid very much as regards my second son John whom I wish to put to telegraphy in accordance with the suggestion of our friend Lord W.M. Hay & after this week it would be easy for me to keep an appt. if you have time to make one with me.

I hope you are well - I'm sure you are busy. Pray bring me to Lady Anderson's recollection. Perhaps it would suit you for me to call on you at your private address [?].

Yours always truly

WH Russell

W.H. Russell
Harper's, 22 June 1861


Russell had a long-standing correspondence with Lord William Hay, whom he mentions in his letter to Anderson. Russell's letters to Hay are held by the National Library of Scotland, reference MS 14467.

Lord William Hay was a director of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company.
Source: Broadside entitled "The Marine Electric Telegraphs Bill. Speeches by Mr Cyrus W. Field and Lord WM. Hay, before the Senate Committee, Saturday March 17th" [1875].

Lord Hay was also chairman of the Malta and Alexandria Telegraph Company

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Last revised: 5 October, 2009

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