The Eighth Wonder of the World

- .... . / ..-. .. .-. ... - / - .-. .- -. ... .- - .-.. .- -. - .. -.-. / - . .-.. . --. .-. .- .--. .... / -.-. .- -... .-.. . / .-- .- ... / -.-. --- -- .--. .-.. . - . -.. / --- -. / .- ..- --. .-.-.- / ..... --..-- / .---- ---.. ..... ---.. --..-- / -.-. .-. --- ... ... .. -. --. / - .... . / .- - .-.. .- -. - .. -.-. / --- -.-. . .- -. / ..-. .-. --- -- / .. .-. . .-.. .- -. -.. / - --- / -.-. .- -. .- -.. .-

(The first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed on Aug. 5, 1858, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland to Canada!)

Why my excitement? The cable is one of the many underwater landmarks observed by the Nautilus in original steampunker Jules Verne’s 1869 novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

It would normally take at least 10 days to deliver a message by ship, but the transatlantic cable allowed an inquiry and a response within the same day.

Messages were sent by an operator using Morse code, a series of dots and dashes. The reception was bad on the 1858 cable, and it took two minutes to transmit just one character, which translates to about 0.1 words per minute.

On Aug. 16, 1858, the first message (which took more than 17 hours to transmit!) sent across the cable was, "Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace and good will toward men."

Queen Victoria (have I mentioned that I like the Old Girl?) sent a congratulatory telegram to President James Buchanan through the line, expressing a hope that it would prove "an additional link between the nations whose friendship is founded on their common interest and reciprocal esteem."

Buchanan replied that, "it is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle. May the Atlantic telegraph, under the blessing of heaven, prove to be a bond of perpetual peace and friendship between the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine Providence to diffuse religion, civilization, liberty, and law throughout the world."

A new cable was installed in 1866 which could transmit eight words a minute — 50 times faster than the 1858 cable.

It wasn't until the 20th century though that message transmission speeds over transatlantic cables would reach even 120 words per minute.

Think about that the next time you complain about your slow internet connection or cell phone reception!