The life story of the late Sir Charles Tilston Bright, civil engineer : with which is incorporated the story of the Atlantic cable, and the first telegraph to India and the colonies. Volume II

723 Pages·1898·10.729 MB·English

by  Bright, Charles, Bright, Edward Brailsford, Bright, Charles Tilston

The Life Story of
Sir Charles Tilston Bright
CIVIL ENGINEER

T he Life Story
OF THE LATE
r Charles Tilston Brigh
CIVIL ENGINEER
WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE STORY
OK THE ATLANTIC CABLE, AND THE FIRST
TELEGRAPH TO INDIA AND THE
COLONIES
BY
HIS BROTHER
EDWARD BRAILSFORD BRIGHT
AUTHOR OF "THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH " " VIS" ETC
AND
HIS SON
CHARLES BRIGHT F.R.S.E
AUTHOR OF " SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHS " " SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA," ETC
VOLUME II
WESTMINSTER
ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AM) CO
2 WHITEHALL GARDENS
Published by ICE Publishing, 40 Marsh Wall, London E14 9TP.
Distributors for ICE Publishing books are
USA: Publishers Storage and Shipping Corp., 46 Development Road,
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www.icevirtuallibrary.com
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-0-7277-5242-0
© Thomas Telford Limited 2011
ICE Publishing is a division of Thomas Telford Ltd, a wholly-
owned subsidiary of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
All rights, including translation, reserved. Except as permitted
by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, no part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the Publisher, ICE Publishing, 40
Marsh Wall, London E14 9TP.
This book is published on the understanding that the author is
solely responsible for the statements made and opinions
expressed in it and that its publication does not necessarily
imply that such statements and/or opinions are or reflect the views
or opinions of the publishers. Whilst every effort has been made
to ensure that the statements made and the opinions
expressed in this publication provide a safe and accurate guide,
no liability or responsibility can be accepted in this respect by the
author or publishers.
BUTLER & TANNER,
THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS,
FROME, AND LONDON.
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
I THE MEDITERRANEAN CABLES I
II 1860-1863 . . . . . . . . . 9
Proposed Permanent Exhibition in Paris—Retirement from
Engineership to the Magnetic Telegraph Company—Part­
nership with Mr. Latimer Clark—The . Formulation of
Electrical Standards and Units.
Ill THE TELEGRAPH TO INDIA . . . . . 29
Section I Retrospect and Preparations . . .. 29
II The Design, Construction, and Testing of the
Persian Gulf Cable 39
III Laying the Cable . . . . .. 53
IV The Land Line Connecting Links . .. 91
V Retrospection and Reminiscences . .. 99
IV THE GREENWICH ELECTION 108
V 1865-1869
I 27
Second and Third Atlantic Cables, 1865-66—Hooper's India-
Rubber Cables—Duplication of Indo-European Government
Telegraph System — Improvement of Communication with
India and the East—Extension to the Far East—The Anglo-
Mediterranean Cable—British-Indian Lines—British-Indian
Extension, etc., Lines—Marseilles, Algiers and Malta Line—
Falmouth, Gibraltar and Malta Cable—Rival Schemes—
The " Eastern" Companies—Parliamentary Life.
VI WEST INDIA CABLES 176
Section I The Florida-Cuba Line . . . . . 1 76
II Preparations and Manufacture of Island Links . 185
III Laying the Cables 202
IV Adventures and Reminiscences . . .. 272
V The Griefs of Grappling 294
VI Homeward Bound 300
V
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
VII 1873-1874 3°6
VIII LAND TELEGRAPHS 313
Section I Transfer to the State 3*3
II Railway and Government Arbitrations . . 317
IX MINING 322
The Servian Mines.
X THE FIRE ALARM 342
XI TELEPHONY 354
XII ELECTRIC LIGHTING 357
XIII RAILWAYS 373
XIV VARIOUS EVIDENCE AND REPORTS . . - 3 77
The " Direct United States" Cable Case—The Mackay-Bennett
Atlantic Cable—Duplex Telegraphy—The Phonophore.
XV THE PARIS EXHIBITION . . . .. 384
XVI THE INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS . 392
XVII COLLEAGUES AND PUPILS 397
XVIII VOLUNTEERING 404
XIX FREEMASONRY 4° 7
XX THte NEEDLEMAKERS COMPANY . . . . 4 10
XXI HOME LIFE AND RECREATIONS . . . . 4"
Shooting and Fishing—Yachting—Tours and Picnics—Club
Reminiscences.
XXII DEATH AND FUNERAL . . . . . 435
XXIII SUMMARY .442
APPENDIX
I INVENTIONS 449
II LETTERS FROM SIR CHARLES BRIGHT TO SIR
STAFFORD NORTHCOTE 472
III THE MALTA AND ALEXANDRA TELEGRAPH. . 476
IV THE MAINTENANCE AND DURABILITY OF SUB­
MARINE CABLES 480
vi
CONTENTS
APPENDIX PAGE
V REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE . . .. 484
Va STANDARD UNIT OF ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE . 498
VI THE TELEGRAPH TO INDIA COMPANY . . 499
VII THE TELEGRAPH TO INDIA . . .. 502
VIII THE TIMES ON BRIGHT'S SUCCESSFUL WORK . 508
IX TELEGRAPH TO THE EAST 509
X THE INDIAN TELEGRAPHS 512
XI PAPER BY SIR CHARLES BRIGHT ON "THE
TELEGRAPH TO INDIA AND ITS EXTENSION
TO AUSTRALIA AND CHINA" . . . . 515
XII THE PERSIAN GULF CABLES . . . -534
XIII REPORT OF SIR CHARLES BRIGHT AND MR.
LATIMER CLARK 536
XIV SIR CHARLES BRIGHT AND HIS CONSTITUENTS . 540
XV TELEGRAPH EXTENSION 543
The Anglo-Indian Telegraph—The Anglo-Australian Telegraph
—Chinese and Australian Telegraphs—Ocean Telegraphs.
XVI WEST INDIAN CABLES 559
XVII BANQUET IN HONOUR OF SIR CHARLES BRIGHT 562
XVIII WEST INDIAN CABLE REPAIRS . . . . 5 71
XIX THE WEST INDIA CABLES 574
XX BRIGHT'S SERVIAN MINES 576
XXI HOUSEHOLD TELEPHONES 580
XXII RAILWAYS 582
XXIII THE MACKAY-BENNETT ATLANTIC CABLES, 1882 585
XXIV REPORT UPON THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
OF ELECTRICITY IN PARIS, 1881 . . . 590
XXV SIR CHARLES BRIGHT AS PRESIDENT OF THE
INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS . . 602
vii