0461 - Transatlantic telephone cable (US material)

Object Type: Asset

Expand to show object metadata

0461 - Transatlantic telephone cable (US material)

Scenes from the laying of the Transatlantic Telephone cable. Includes shots of HMTS Monarch, USA telephone operators, the terminal sites where the cable comes ashore, transmission apparatus, tugboats bringing cable ashore, jointing of the cable. Details of scenes and times: 0.12-0.19 onboard boat cable passing over wheels across deck to the stern. 0.20-0.35 map of cable route from Portland Maine, US to Newfoundland and onto Scotland. 0.37-0.57 engineers working on cable fittings in laboratory. 0.58-1.07 1950s telephone operator with headset working at the 'London' switchboard. 1.08 ship at sea with cable wheel attached to bow. 1.12-1.16 close up of wheel and cable passing over it into the sea. 1.17 sailor standing next to the cable wheel. 1.21 close up of wheel and cable. 1.25 sailors/workmen pulling cable equipment on ship's deck. 1.32 map of Newfoundland-Scotland cable route. 1.40-2.05 graphic showing the cable being pulled from large drums inside the ship over the bow and being laid on the seabed as the ship sails along sea to the destination shore then laying a second cable on the return journey. 2.10-2.16 wheel working and cable entering the sea. 2.26 map of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New York. 2.32 bow of ship with cable wheel and cable line dropping barrel buoys at intervals. 2.39-3.30 tug boats pulling cable line of barrel buoys across water as they descend from the ship, cable line being pulled to shore by men, view of ship, tug-boats and line of barrel buoys. 4.12-4.18 inauguration of cable line connection at Clarenville Newfoundland. 4.28 distant view of cable ship line of barrel buoys. 4.31-4.44 cable station building and negative transmitting cable cabinet showing dials and switches. 4.45-5.02 cable being rolled of huge cable wheel onto a smaller wheel and men laying the cable in the ground trench. 5.04-5.07 bow of ship with cable wheel and line of barrel buoys. 5.09-5.43 various distant views of the cable ship. 5.48-7.46 various views of bow of ship with cable wheel, barrel buoy line, tug-boats. 7.52-8.22 men pulling barrels and cable onto the shore, line of barrel buoys along the water. 8.29 telegraph pole. 8.46-8.58 distant view of ship and cable line with barrel buoys. 9.34 view of cable ship and line of barrel buoys. 9.42-9.45 inauguration with champagne of cable and close up of the cable end. 9.55-10.02 distant view of cable ship, view of the cable station building. 10.04 the front of the cable station building. 10.10 section of the cable with bird sitting on it. 10.12 distant view of cable line on wooden supports and two men carrying equipment. 10.27-10.46 man in tent working on and adjusting equipment. 10.47-12.07 cable being rolled of huge cable wheel onto a smaller wheel and men laying the cable in a water-filled ground trench. 12.11-12.22 cable station building and negative transmitting cable cabinet showing dials and switches. 12.30 distant view of cable ship.

Catalogue

Finding Number: BTA-MI1/0461

Date: c1956

Period: 1950s

Level: Item

Film function: Documenting events

Film subject: Submarine cables and cable ships

Event documented: Submarine cables and cable ships

Year: 1956

Repository: BT Archives (ARCHON 1814)

Show more ▼