Misplaced Pages

#353646

45-557: Jacob and John Watkins Brett formed the English Channel Submarine Telegraph Company to lay the first cable across the English Channel . An unarmoured cable with gutta-percha insulation was laid in 1850. The recently introduced gutta-percha was the first thermoplastic material available to cable makers and was resistant to seawater. This first un armoured cable was a failure and was soon broken either by

90-511: A 60-ton load. Another claim was for a speed of hauling eight carriages over 16 miles (26 km) at an average speed of 74 miles per hour (119 km/h). One locomotive Crampton designed had an indirect drive arrangement, with a crankshaft between the driving wheels. This locomotive had a 2-2+2-2 wheel arrangement. In 1847, Crampton became a founder member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , and in 1848, Crampton set up in business as

135-648: A Civil Engineer in London. In 1850, a Crampton locomotive was exhibited at Birmingham which had balance weights on the driving wheels. This feature was commented upon by William Stroudley . In 1851, Crampton started the Broadstairs Gasworks, overseeing the construction and financing much of the works. By 1851, Crampton was working for the South Eastern Railway (SER). In that year, ten new Crampton locomotives were built, and one of these, No.136 Folkstone

180-574: A French fishing boat or by abrasion on the rocks off the French coast. The Bretts formed a new company, the Submarine Telegraph Company, and laid a new cable in 1851. This cable had multiple conductors and iron wire armouring. Telegraph communication with France was established for the first time in October of that year. This was the first undersea telegraph cable to be put in service anywhere in

225-524: A concession from the French government to lay and operate a submarine telegraph cable across the Channel. The concession lapsed without anything being achieved. A proof of principle was conducted in 1849 by Charles Vincent Walker of the South Eastern Railway Company using gutta-percha insulated cable. Gutta-percha, recently introduced by William Montgomerie for making medical equipment,

270-402: A joint had been omitted in the underground cable between South Foreland and Dover. Telegraph communication between Britain and France was established for the first time on 15 October. In October, the steam tug Red Rover was tasked with replacing the temporary cable with a new section of armoured cable. Red Rover's first attempt was abandoned after running into bad weather. Trying again, it

315-501: A mile (1.6 km) before reaching Sangatte. As a temporary measure, a length of unarmoured cable used for the underground link from Sangatte to Calais was spliced on to enable the ocean cable to be landed. The telegraph station on the English side was in a private house in Dover. At first, they could not contact France, but soon discovered that the problem was not with the submarine cable. Rather

360-472: A much improved cable. The core of the new cable, again made by the Gutta Percha Company, was to have four conductors, substantially increasing the potential traffic, and insulated with gutta-percha as before. However, the four separate insulated conductors were not laid into a single cable by the Gutta Percha Company. This task was given to a wire-rope making company, Wilkins and Wetherly, who armoured

405-415: A patent for a new design of locomotive . It is for the physical appearance of his locomotives that Crampton is remembered for today, with the driving wheel placed behind the firebox. But there were technical improvements that he made, which laid the foundations for future locomotive design. The three most important improvements were:- wide steam passages, large heating surfaces and generous bearing surfaces on

450-502: A problem not fully solved on submarine cables until loading started to be used at the beginning of the 20th century. Both ends of the communication assumed that the messages did not make sense because the other end was in the midst of drunken celebrations of their success. It was decided to try again in the morning. During the night the cable failed. Initial reports stated that cable was damaged where it passed over rocks near Cap Gris Nez, but later French fishermen were blamed. The cable

495-513: Is now Dickens Walk), Broadstairs, on 6 August 1816, Crampton was the son of a plumber and architect. He was educated privately. Crampton married Louisa Martha Hall, who was a singer and a friend of Jenny Lind , on 25 February 1841. They had 8 children, six boys and two girls. The eldest girl, Ada Sarah, died aged 4 on 16 February 1857. and Crampton gifted a stained glass window in St. Peter's church, Broadstairs in her memory. Their youngest daughter, Louisa,

SECTION 10

#1732851048354

540-471: Is still found in modern sources, it is likely apocryphal. The Bretts managed to renew their concession with a new date for establishing communication of October 1851. The company was reformed as the Submarine Telegraph Company in order to raise new capital. The largest investor was railway engineer Thomas Russell Crampton , who was put in charge of ordering the new cable. Crampton specified

585-640: The Submarine Telegraph Company between France and England in Great Britain. Crampton was the engineer, and Charlton Wollaston was the electrician involved in laying the cable across the Channel. The SER were another early user of the electric telegraph, and it was by use of the SER's wires that messages were able to be transmitted between Paris and London, being relayed from Dover . Crampton designed an automatic hydraulic tunnel boring machine , which

630-484: The Rhine in 1847 and Kiel Harbour in 1848, but this was the first working undersea cable to link two countries. Early submarine cables had numerous quality problems. The insulation was not applied evenly leading to variations in the cable diameter and shape. The conductor was not held on the centreline of the insulation, in places coming close to the surface making it easy for the conductor to become exposed. The insulation

675-531: The transatlantic telegraph cable project and was confident that England and America would be linked, but he did not live to see it accomplished. Brett died on 3 December 1863 at the age of 58, and was buried in the family vault in the churchyard of Westbury-on-Trym , near Bristol. Brett published a work of 104 pages, On the Origin and Progress of the Oceanic Telegraph, with a few brief facts and opinions of

720-580: The cable still had to be manually hauled to a wharf on the Thames . This was a difficult task which had to frequently be halted to tie back protruding broken iron wires. At the Thames, the cable was loaded on to the Blazer , a hulk loaned to the Submarine Telegraph Company by the government. The cable was laid between South Foreland and Sangatte by Blazer under tow from two tugs on 25 September 1851. The cable ran out

765-453: The cable with an outer layer of helically laid iron wires. Production was halted for a time due to a dispute with R.S. Newall and Company of Gateshead. Newall had a patent for manufacturing wire rope with a soft core to make it more flexible, and claimed that this submarine cable breached that patent. The issue was resolved by allowing Newall to take over production of the cable at Wilkins and Wetherly's Wapping premises. The completed cable

810-626: The cables and other assets of the Submarine Telegraph Company were taken over by the General Post Office . * Until 1863, all cable cores were made by the Gutta Percha Company as they had a monopoly on gutta-percha cable. In 1863, they merged with cable manufacturer Glass, Elliot & Co. to form the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company . Jacob and John Watkins Brett John Watkins Brett (1805–1863)

855-476: The locomotives of the GWR were better than the standard gauge locomotives for a number of reasons. The broad gauge allowed a larger boiler diameter and higher centre of gravity for the same stability. Broad gauge also allowed a bigger firebox and heating area. Larger driving wheels gave a lower piston speed, which allowed a higher speed for the locomotive before exhaust problems occurred. In 1843, Crampton took out

900-560: The locomotives was tested in 1847 on the London and North Western Railway , who then built a "Crampton Patent" locomotive at Crewe . Another two locomotives were bought by the LNWR, including a 6-2-0 Liverpool built by Bury, Curtis and Kennedy in 1848 with 8 feet (2.44 m) diameter driving wheels. A claim of 79 miles per hour (127 km/h) being achieved was made, with an average of 53 miles per hour (85 km/h) over 30 miles (48 km) with

945-489: The manufacturing plant in Greenwich to Dover in short lengths which were then spliced together onto a single drum. Winding the cable onto the drum took some time. The individual lengths were retested in water at Dover quayside and repaired as necessary before joining on the drum. Unattended cable suffered from the attentions of souvenir hunters who cut off pieces, or stripped the insulation to confirm to themselves that there

SECTION 20

#1732851048354

990-604: The press (London, 1858), and contributed several papers on the same subject to the Institution of Civil Engineers , of which he was a member. A list of these contributions can be found in the index of the 'Proceedings' of the society. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Stephen, Leslie , ed. (1886). " Brett, John Watkins ". Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 6. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Thomas Russell Crampton Thomas Russell Crampton , MICE , MIMechE (6 August 1816 – 19 April 1888)

1035-458: The project was deemed too hazardous for general support. However, he was successful in connecting the two nations briefly by undersea cable in 1850. A more durable cable was laid in 1851, and the construction of numerous other submarine lines followed. Brett founded the English and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company in 1850 which laid the first submarine telegraph cable to Ireland. He was involved in

1080-480: The railway lines built between Smyrna and Aidin ; Varna and Rustchuk ; Strood and Dover ; Sevenoaks and Swanley ; and Herne Bay and Faversham . The latter three lines being built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). Crampton was also the contractor, and later chairman of the East and West Junction Railway . A Crampton locomotive was used to haul the first train from Kineton to Fenny Compton . Crampton

1125-450: The same year, the Bretts had the Channel concession renewed for ten years, but only on condition that communication was established by September 1850. The English Channel Submarine Telegraph Company was formed to carry out this task. The Gutta Percha Company was contracted to manufacture the cable. A paddle tug , Goliath was chartered for cable laying. Goliath transported the cable from

1170-590: The telegraph from Dover to fire a cannon in Calais. In reply, Calais fired a cannon in Dover Castle . The opening had again missed the French government deadline, but the concession was nevertheless renewed on 23 October for ten years from that date. The cable remained in service with the Submarine Telegraph Company for the lifetime of the company. This was the first undersea submarine cable put into service. Werner von Siemens had used gutta-percha-insulated cable to cross

1215-454: The wheels. From 1844 to 1848, Crampton was working for John and George Rennie . In 1845, Crampton received his first order for a locomotive built to his patent. The Namur and Liège Railway in Belgium ordered three locomotives with 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter driving wheels and a 14.5 square feet (1.35 m ) grate. They were built by the firm of Tulk and Ley of Whitehaven . One of

1260-406: The wire. An even bigger problem was caused by the joints. The copper wire was supplied in short, inconsistent, lengths. Initially on the 1850 cable, joints were attempted by brazing a scarf joint with hard solder . However, the heat from the blowpipe softened the gutta-percha which became plastic and dripped off the cable. An alternative method was therefore used. Two inches of insulation

1305-515: The world. The Company continued to lay, and operate, more cables between England and the Continent until they were nationalised in 1890. Through a series of mergers they ultimately became part of Cable and Wireless (CW). The Times commemorated the 50th anniversary of the cable in 1900; CW and the Science Museum, London did the same on the 100th anniversary in 1950. In 1847, the Bretts obtained

1350-485: Was 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) long, far longer and heavier than anything the rope makers had previously manufactured, and there was some difficulty getting the cable out of the Wapping premises. There was no easy access and the adjacent business refused permission to cross their property, thinking that electrical apparatus would invalidate their fire insurance. However, a neighbouring business granted access, but

1395-422: Was a natural rubber that was found to be ideal for insulating ocean cables. Walker laid two miles (3.2 km) of the cable from the ship Princess Clementine off the coast of Folkestone . With the other end connected to the railway telegraph lines, he successfully sent telegraph messages from the ship to London. At the conclusion of the experiment, South Eastern Railway reused the cable in a wet railway tunnel. In

Submarine Telegraph Company - Misplaced Pages Continue

1440-585: Was a partner in the Mont Cenis Pass Railway Crampton was responsible for the laying of the first international submarine cable in the world. This was laid in the Strait of Dover in 1851. The first messages were carried on 13 November 1851 and the cable was in use until 1859. The company behind the project was an Anglo-French undertaking, known as la Compagnie du télégraphe sous-marin in France and

1485-478: Was an English telegraph engineer. Brett was the son of a cabinetmaker , William Brett of Bristol , and was born in that city in 1805. Brett is known as the founder of submarine telegraphy . He formed the Submarine Telegraph Company in conjunction with his younger brother, Jacob Brett. After some years spent perfecting his plans, he sought and obtained permission from Louis-Philippe in 1847 to establish telegraphic communication between France and England, but

1530-604: Was an English engineer born at Broadstairs , Kent, and trained on Brunel's Great Western Railway . He is best known for designing the Crampton locomotive but had many engineering interests including the electric telegraph and the Channel Tunnel for which he designed a boring machine. His locomotives had much better success in France, Germany and Italy than they did in the UK. Born to John and Mary Crampton of Prospect Cottage (in what

1575-480: Was copper inside. It was difficult to wind the cable evenly on the drum because the joints caused bulges and because the manufacturing process did not produce perfectly regular cable. Cotton packing and wooden slats were used to smooth out the unevenness, slowing the process even further. Goliath laid the cable between Dover and Cap Gris Nez in France on 28 August 1850. Unlike later submarine cables, this one had no armouring to protect it. The single copper wire

1620-409: Was discovered that there was no one on board who knew how to find Sangatte. They arrived a day late and missed their rendezvous with HMS Widgeon which was tasked with making the splice at sea. The cable was finally landed and the splice made aboard Widgeon on 19 October. The line was finally open to the public on 19 November 1851. The occasion was marked by setting off an electrical fuse over

1665-572: Was elected vice-president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1883. Crampton entered a partnership with Sir Morton Peto and Edward Betts to undertake part of the construction of the London Chatham and Dover Railway . When the partnership became insolvent in 1867, Crampton was made personally bankrupt, but, unlike Peto and Betts, managed to retain his good reputation and continue in business. Crampton was, wholly or partly, responsible for

1710-810: Was exhibited at The Great Exhibition . In 1854, Crampton became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and in 1855 he was responsible for the building of the Berlin waterworks. In 1856, Crampton was appointed to the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle . In 1859, Crampton formed the Broadstairs Water Company, building a water tower 80 feet (24.38 m) high which now forms the Crampton Tower Museum. The water tower could hold 83,000 imperial gallons (380,000 L) of water. Broadstairs Water Company

1755-508: Was full of air pockets due to the gutta-percha being applied in one thick coat instead of several thinner coats. All these issues with the insulation caused inconsistencies in the electrical properties of the cable. Quality of the conductor was also inconsistent. The diameter of the copper was variable, again leading to inconsistent electrical properties. There was little experience with annealing long lengths of copper. This resulted in inconsistent mechanical properties with brittle portions in

1800-433: Was involved in the design of the "Firefly" class of locomotives. Gooch's aim was to produce broad gauge locomotives that were better than those on the standard gauge lines, thus proving the broad gauge system was the better technically. Crampton, unbeknown to the GWR, had the idea of improving standard gauge locomotives so that they could match those of the broad gauge. In 1843, he left the GWR. Crampton realised that

1845-435: Was never put back into service. While it is certainly true that French fishing boats recovered lengths of the cable hauled up in their nets, and in some cases cut the cable to free their gear, it remains unclear if this was the initial cause of the failure. A story circulated much later (from 1865) that the fisherman who initially cut the cable thought it was a new species of seaweed with gold in its centre. Although this story

Submarine Telegraph Company - Misplaced Pages Continue

1890-402: Was protected only by the layer of gutta-percha insulation around it. This made it very light, and it was necessary to attach periodic lead weights to make it sink. Messages sent across the cable were unintelligible due to dispersion of the signal, a phenomenon which was not understood at the time, and would be an even greater problem to the first transatlantic telegraph cable . Dispersion was

1935-514: Was stripped from each end, the exposed wires twisted together and soft soldered . Sheets of gutta-percha heated to a plastic state were then wrapped around the joint and clamped in a mould. This resulted in a cigar-shaped bulge around the joint which was undesirable for cable laying. The Submarine Telegraph Company went on to lay many more cables between Britain and the continent. In 1870 the inland telegraphs in Britain were nationalised, and in 1890

1980-484: Was taken over by Broadstairs Urban District Council in 1901. In 1860, Crampton designed a tower for Holy Trinity church, Broadstairs, which Dickens had described as a "hideous temple of flint, a petrified haystack". Crampton donated a clock as a personal gift to the church. he also donated a wrought iron bridge which was built across Goodson Steps. This is the Louisa Gap bridge, named after his youngest daughter. Crampton

2025-714: Was to marry Sir Horace Rumbold , the Ambassador to the Netherlands. He died at his home, 19 Ashley Place, Westminster on 19 April 1888 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery . Crampton entered a career in engineering, initially with Marc Brunel and later with the Great Western Railway (GWR) in Swindon . Crampton worked as assistant to Marc Brunel and on joining the GWR in 1839, then Daniel Gooch . Crampton

#353646