Insights into the landing of the 1858 cable

The cliché “the victors get to write the history” could probably be aptly attributed to Cyrus Field. There is hardly a history on the subject of the trans-Atlantic cables that does not put him at centre stage and not without justification. He was an excellent self publicist and the “History of the Atlantic Telegraph” first published by his brother in 1866 certainly strengthened his claim. However, just like the recent Hollywood movie, “U571” the popular history ignores the fact that the scientific and technological efforts were due to the contributions of many others who should have a share in an achievement which completely changed the pace of world communications. This paper attempts to re-examine some of the facts using a range of alternative sources. The Cooke drawings in the IET Archives are one such source. Another is Capt. Brine’s histori-graphical map of the place and time which is in the BM Library. It is sufficiently accurate that a correlation between its placement of ships and Cooke’s drawings of the same can be achieved. Finally, there is a little known document which is held at the Friends Historical Library in Dublin. It was first drawn to my attention by Brendan Scaife, whom some may remember organised the very successful PG-S7 weekend meeting in Dublin in 1987. I am extremely grateful to him for sending me extracts from the “Diary of John Lecky” who died c. 1928. Lecky was the only son of the manager of the quarry at Valentia island and although his memory appears to be somewhat inaccurate in places, he nevertheless gives a unique child’s eye-witness account of the events. It is proposed to use a major portion of these extracts as the back-drop to this alternative yew of the 1857/58 cable expeditions. The paper will conclude with a brief assessment of subsequent histories of some of the dramatis personae.