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

Direct United States Cable Company
by Bill Glover

The Direct United States Cable Company was set up in 1873 by Siemens Brothers to link the UK and the USA direct. It was found that with the core available at the time the working speed of the cable would be too slow and the idea was abandoned. The new route was Ballinskelligs, Ireland - Tor Bay, Nova Scotia and Tor Bay - Rye Beach, USA.

The Tor Bay - Rye Beach section, 536 nm, was laid in 1874 by CS Faraday (1) on her maiden voyage; Faraday also laid the 2565 nm main cable from Tor Bay to Ballinskelligs the following year.

This was the first cable to use Siemens' new design of a larger central conductor surrounded by multiple smaller wires This arrangement packed more copper into the same volume, thus improving the signalling speed.

The Direct United States Cable Company came under the control of Anglo American in 1877, though it continued to operate under its own name. In 1920 it was purchased by the GPO.

In 1904 after the end of Anglo American's monopoly in Newfoundland the cable was moved from Halifax to Harbour Grace, having previously been moved from Tor Bay to Halifax. The company set up its office at Ridley Hall, the former home of Thomas Ridley.

When the cable interests of the Eastern and its associated companies merged with those of the Marconi company this cable was transferred to the new company, Imperial & International Communications Ltd., which became Cable & Wireless Ltd., in 1934.

In 1943 the cable failed and attempts were made to repair it but they were unsuccesful, and it wasn't until 1952 that Cable & Wireless, using HMTS Monarch (4), was able to get the cable back into working order. This included laying 800 nm of cable between Porthcurno and Harbour Grace and a further 400 nm between Harbour Grace and Halifax. The cable to Harbour Grace was reopened for service on the 6th August 1952 and the Harbour Grace Halifax section opened on the 21st August. In 1953 HMTS Monarch (4) diverted the cable from Harbour Grace to Middle Cove, around seven miles from St John's, whence a landline connected it to the St John's office.

The Direct cable's use of Ridley Hall in 1904 was not the first connection of this building to the cable industry. In 1866, following the successful laying of the Atlantic cable, Daniel Gooch wrote in his diary:

"Everything was now done to prepare to go and make the attempt to recover our lost cable. We had coal ships at Heart's Content ready for us, and this had to be taken in. This occupied us until the 9th August. During this time our ship was a kind of open hotel; dozens of people came from various parts of Newfoundland and brought their bag[s] with them, quite looking upon us as a place where they might live at free quarters. Amongst them, however, were many very nice people from St John's, and also from Harbour Grace; a Doctor [ ? McKee] and his daughter were friends of the Captain's, and we saw a good deal of them. They sent the Capt a present of a young Newfoundland dog, 9 months old, born in Novr 1865. The Capt gave it to me and I was very pleased to have him. He is a beautiful pure blood Newfoundland, without a white hair upon him, and born of the same parents as the dog that was presented to the Prince of Wales. The breed is called the O'Sullivan breed. He & I soon became very fast friends and remain so. His name was given to him before I got him, it is Norval.

"Mr Ridley of Harbour Grace gave us a grand ball at his home. He put up a large timber ball room and did the thing exceedingly well. I dined and slept at his house. The road to reach this place from Heart's Content was an awful one, the distance about 16 miles and time about 4 hours. He sent his carriage for us, or as many as it would hold. I fancied I never saw so many good-looking women in a room together before. A family at New Perlican, about 4 miles from Heart's Content, were also very kind to us, of the name of Howley. I am sorry to hear he is since dead; he considered himself a large farmer, having about 25 acres of land under cultivation. Land here may be bought at 1s/- per acre, yet it is not cultivated; the fishermen never seem even to cultivate a garden round their cottages, altho' they often have a great deal of time on their hands to spare.

"While we were at Heart's Content the weather was very variable; when bright it was very hot, but the fogs and rain were cold. I scrambled about on the hills surrounding the harbour, but the thick scrub wood made it a very difficult task; but on the whole I very much enjoyed my stay there."

Research Material Needed

The Atlantic Cable website is non-commercial, and its mission is to make available on line as much information as possible.

You can help - if you have cable material, old or new, please contact me. Cable samples, instruments, documents, brochures, souvenir books, photographs, family stories, all are valuable to researchers and historians.

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