BACK REFLECTION

from SubTel Forum Magazine #124 - Global Capacity

WHERE IN THE WORLD

HISTORICAL CABLE LOCATING (PART 1)

BY PHILIP PILGRIM

Let’s find cables! Who can argue about a refreshing day at the beach?

This issue’s Back Reflections kicks off the cable hunting series. It is based upon the report from an interesting chap on leave in 1943. He shows that with a little bit of historical background, it is fairly easy to find the old cables and cable stations.

The upcoming articles will also focus on finding old cables. It is not that difficult. In fact, two of my friends each found cables from the 1800’s on beaches near their homes. We will go over these finds in detail in a future article so please stand-by. Until then, here is a teaser:

FINDING THE 1858 ATLANTIC CABLE LANDING STATION (IN 1943)

It seems that others have been searching for, and finding, old telecommunication installations for decades. The following scanned pages are from the notebooks of Dr. Cluny Macpherson. (thanks to the Digital Archives of Memorial University of Newfoundland). In 1943, Dr. Macpherson, a Newfoundlander from St. John’s decided to travel to the site of the first Atlantic Cable landing station in Bay Bulls Arm, Newfoundland. He lived in the relative vicinity but journeyed by boat up Trinity Bay to the remote site. In researching this article, Dr. Macpherson turned out to be a very important person.

In addition to practising medicine, he was the inventor of the modern-day gas mask. He had firsthand experience of the horrible chemical warfare having fought in WWI. He also served in WWII.

Back to the 1858 Atlantic Cable Station in Bay Bulls Arm, Newfoundland. (Thanks to Bill Burns and Atlantic-Cable. com for the images).

By December 1858, the cable station had expanded to two connected buildings, one for the backhaul and one for the submarine cable. In the summer of 1858, it was just one building.

The site plan shows the “SLTE” and “Submarine Equipment Room”.

Cable on left was found by Chris Janson (Nokia), Cable on right was found by Kyle Hollasch (Cignal Ai)

The cable at the window seems odd but that was how it was initially brought into the building.

With this familiarization of the 1858 Cable Station, Dr. Macpherson describes exploring this site in 1943, which was addressed to B.D. Barnett, the VP of the Western Union Telegraph Company.

VISITING THE 1858 ATLANTIC CABLE LANDING STATION (IN 2019)

Janet and I visited the site with local residents, Roger Snook and Gerard Lynch. They are keen to have the site recognized for its historical significance and preserved. We had been communicating for over a year and finally met in “Tim Horton’s” meeting room at 8AM. We exchanged data that we had collected then set out to spend the next 6 hours exploring the cable station site and the beach.

Foolishly I took very few photos on our first day and we were unable to return for a second day…but; we did have luck in making a few discoveries and finding interesting artifacts. Here are a few:

Using Google Earth, we were able to place the cable landing station building where the ruins were. We also found the rock cribs of two poles nearest the station. These same poles are shown in the 1858 drawings so it was very special to know exactly where we stood. The rocks were only slightly protruding from

Dr. Cluny Macpherson’s Gas Mask (“Hypo Helmet” Prototype and Revised “PH Helmet”)

Looking North towards 1858 Bay Bulls Arm Cable Landing Station and Centre Hill (350m)

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Looking East towards 1858 Bay Bulls Arm Cable Landing Station

the forest floor so we removed some top moss to verify what we thought they were.

The cable route to the beach is now an ATV path. Perhaps the cable is still buried below. We did not disturb anything to keep it preserved for the archeological experts at Memorial University.

As per Dr. Macpherson’s findings of “insulated wire,” we did find an unusual specimen of a cloth-covered steel wire with no copper. The core seemed to be of cloth with a rubbery material where the wires were placed. It was wrapped with cloth on the outside. We are unable to identify its function. We know that Gisborne started his 40-mile direct burial gutta percha terrestrial backhaul in this area in 1853

1858 Atlantic Cable Terminal (Cable runs along wall from the window towards the clocks) but this sample does not seem to have gutta percha on the outside like in buried cables from 1855. It also lacks a central conductor or king wire. If any 1850 cable experts are out there, please contact me. Note that some images of buried telegraph cable used during the Crimea war appear similar in size but they seem to have gutta percha or a tared cloth on the exterior.

Janet and I returned early the next morning to take some photos at the beach landing site. It was as if the waters and sky posed for these! STF

PHILIP PILGRIM is the Subsea Business Development Leader for Nokia's North American Region. 2021 marks his is 30th year working in the subsea sector. His hobbies include "Subsea Archaeology" and locating the long lost subsea cable and telegraph routes (and infrastructure). Philip is based in Nova Scotia, Canada.

1858 Atlantic Cable Backhaul Terminal (3 Degree Node: 1 wire to St. John’s, 1 wire to NYC and a sheet of paper “regenerator” to the cable terminal room). OK there are cheesy potatoes too.