The overland telegraph

ON THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH.

ON Monday evening the final lecture of the series which has been held in aid of the Building Fund of the Stow Congregational Schoolroom, was delivered by Mr. Charles Todd, C.M.G., Postmaster-General and Superintendent of Telegraphs, on "The Overland Telegraph." His Excellency the Governor presided, and Mrs. and Miss Musgrave, attended by the Private Secretary, were also present. There was a good attendance.

His EXCELLENCY said it seemed almost absurd that he should have to introduce to them Mr. Todd, who was so much better known to them than he had the honor yet to be. In asking Mr. Todd to deliver his promised lecture he felt that that gentleman would say something of so much more interest than anything he could say that he need not trouble them by making any preliminary remarks.

Mr. TODD, C.M.G., then commenced his lecture. After referring to the grand achievements of modern science, he spoke of the gloomy forebodings which many people held respecting the construction of the Overland Telegraph, which was projected two or three years since. The whole history of telegraphy was a series of triumphs, and no country could progress which had not rapid communication, for rapid communication was the life of a nation. Having briefly sketched the early introduction of the electric telegraph into England and America about 1846, he said it speedily became a valuable adjunct to railways, and an important auxiliary of commerce. Having sketched the rapid extension of the telegraph by land and sea, linking country to country, and continent to continent, he referred to the schemes propounded for connecting Australia with the telegraph systems of the world. The British-Indian, now the Great Eastern Telegraph Company, laid a continuous chain of cables from Falmouth to Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria, down the Red Sea to Aden and Bombay. The British-Indian Extension Company carried it on from Madras to Penang, and at this stage the British-Australian Telegraph Company was started to connect Singapore with the Australian land telegraphs, and Commander Noel Osborne visited these colonies in the early part of 1870 to complete the necessary negotiations. The first proposition came from Messrs. Brett and Carmichael, in a letter addressed to the colonial Governments in 1854. This offer was renewed in 1858, and when it first came before him, the proposal was to lay a cable from Ceylon to the west coast of Australia in two sections connecting at the Cocos, or Keeling Islands. Another scheme was submitted in 1857 by Messrs. Carr and others; but the gentleman whose name was most intimately associated with Anglo-Australian telegraphs, although he was unfortunately unsuccessful, was Mr. Francis Gisborne. Mr. Gisborne's labors extended over 11•years, and he no doubt was instrumental in keeping the question before the public, and ultimately inducing English capitalists to take it up. He felt it due to Mr. Gisborne thus publicly to acknowledge his unremitting and valuable services, as it was his misfortune in advocating the Overland Line to have, to some extent, to oppose his views. He visited the Australian colonies in 1859, with a view of obtaining subsidies from the local Governments for cables 3,700 knots in length, to be laid from the east end of Java to Brisbane, the cost of which was estimated at £800,000, which was increased in 1862 to £1,100,000, on which outlay a subsidy of £50,000 a year was asked. He first wrote officially w the subject in the early part of 1857, but it was not until after the explorations of Mr. A. C. Gregory in 1856, and those of Messrs. Babbage, Warburton, and Stuart in 1858, that he was led to consider the feasibility of carrying a line overland from Port Augusta to Cambridge Gulf. In July, 1859, he wrote a letter to Sir Richard MacDonnell, giving plans and estimates of the line he proposed, and these were subsequently embodied in a despatch from the Governor to the Secretary of State in the October following. His estimate showed that a saving of £400,000 would be effected by carrying out the land line, besides which the land line would open up the unknown interior, and form a settlement on the north coast, whence we might ship horses to India. The whole thing, however, was premature then, and any attempt to connect Australia with the Indian telegraphs would have been a failure. Mr. Stuart's explorations in 1860, 1861, and 1862 fully confirmed the favorable view he took, and on his return from his last successful exploration, in which he reached the north coast near the mouth of the Adelaide, he reported that the line was perfectly practicable, and would pass through a vast extent of country avail. able for settlement. Having adduced proof of telegraphy being the forerunner of railways and subsequent settlement, he referred to the energy with which Queensland had extended her land lines northward till she reached Cardwell in 1870, and Normanton in the early part of 1872. In 1869 several projects were started, two of which were for a western route, one to Ceylon, and the other to Java via the North-west Cape. Mr. Fraser also appeared in the field in favor of a line from Java to Normanton; and Mr. Gisbone was hard at work, when the Telegraph Construction Company took it up. The British-Australian Telegraph Company was launched, and undertook to bring the cable to our doors without either subsidy or guarantee. This, while no doubt due in a great measure to rivalry, and a desire to keep others out of the field, was also owing to a timely letter from Mr. R. D. Ross, published in the London Timm, drawing attention to the large trade between the 'Australian colonies and Great Britain, and the probability of the telegraph paying a good return on the outlay. Mr. Ross was the first to place these facts clearly before British capitalists, and this came at a most opportune moment. The British-Anstralian Telegraph Company's scheme comprised a cable from Singapore to Batavia where they would join on to the land line through Java to Banjoewangie, and from Banjoewangie a cable was to be laid to Port Darwin, and a land line thence to Normanton; but, although the prospectus provided for that, it was by no means certain at that time that the Company would come to Port Darwin at all, as little confidence was felt in the land section, which it was seen would be difficult and expensive for an English Company to construct and maintain, as it would require several intermediate stations; and if that part of their scheme were altered, as no doubt it would have been, there remained no inducement to come to Port Darwin at all, it being out of the way, and the cable would have been laid to Normanton. Fully realising that, on the arrival of Commander Osborn in April 1870, he took the first opportunity of discussing with him his (Mr. Todd's) old project of a land line directly across the continent, and pointed out the great advantages such a line would possess over that of Queensland. He also showed that our line world be much shorter, and that Queensland could easily tap it by an extension from Normanton. Mr. Strangways, who was then Attorney-General, and in whom the overland line had found one of its earlist promoters in connection with Stuart's explorations, then took the matter up very warmly, and on receiving an official report from him, a Bill, authorizing the necessary loan, was drafted and laid before Parliament, and notwithstanding a ministerial crisis, the Bill was passed by a large majority, and then, perhaps, for the first time he fully realized the vastness of the undertaking he had pledged himself to carry out. He was as sanguine as ever with regard to the practicability of the thing, but the short space of time allotted to him—only 18 months—greatly increased his difficulties. The Bill was passed in June, 1870, and, under the contract, he had to open communication with Port Darwin by the 1st January, 1872. Only a few months before, the duties of Postmaster General, in addition to the management of the Telegraph Department, had been transferred to him, and then he had to carry a line of telegraph, 1,800 miles in length, through the very centre of Australia, 1,350 miles of which was wholly unsettled by white men —through a country of which he knew positively nothing, except what Stuart had told them of the narrow strip he had traversed. The wire had to be procured from England, the insulators from Berlin, and when the order went home the cruel war had broken out, and serious delay occurred in getting the insula-tors through Belgium. These, on arrival, as well as provisions for the workmen and a vast quantity of other materials and stores, had to be carted over many hundreds of miles of rough country without roads; some from Port Augusta, others, after reshipment, from Port Darwin. He knew that much of the country, north of Port Augusta, was destitute of serviceable timber, and further acquaintance showed him that he had something like 400 miles of timberless country to bridge over. He then referred to the dispatch of Mr. J. Ross to explore the country as far north as the MacDonnell Ranges, arranging to meet him on his return at Mount Hamilton ; also to the various sections which were let under contract to be constructed, the central and Northern Territory portions being carried out by Government parties in charge of competent surveyors, the Northern Territory section being divided between two parties—one working from Port Darwin as a basis, the other to be dispatched to the Roper, to commence somewhere near the Roper. Had that plan been adhered to it was his firm conviction —and he said it with all the experience he now had—the work would have been completed in time, and a vast amount of money would have been saved. He added, however, that everything was done after careful deliberation, that course being adopted which at the time appeared to be the best. The Government parties started from Adelaide in August, 1870. The first pole was planted at Port Darwin about the middle of September, and at Port Augusta on 1st October, 1870. In October, 1870, he went so far north as the Peake to meet Mr. Ross, and make final arrangements for the disposition of his forces. So far all went well, without a hitch. The country in the interior was even better than was anticipated, and there seemed every prospect of the work being completed within the specified time, when their hopes were blighted by the return of Mr. W. W. McMinn in the Gulnare from Port Darwin, who reported that the contractors' expedition in the Northern Territory had collapsed. That was early in July, 1871. In organising a fresh expedition in the Northern Territory. he strongly urged that the Roper should be the main basis of operations, especially as the poles had been erected for 225 miles from Port Darwin, and the adoption of the Roper would save nearly 250 miles of land carriage. It was, however, decided that less risk would be incurred by landing at Port Darwin, and a large expedition was rapidly fitted out, and placed under the charge of Mr. R. C. Patterson. Mr. Patterson fully concurred with him as to the value of the Roper, and, immediately on his arrival at Port Darwin, he (Mr. Patterson) arranged to send the Government schooner Gulnare round to the Roper with wire and stores, but unfortunately she was wrecked the day after starting, and Mr. Patterson transhipped her cargo into the Bengal, which vessel he chartered to proceed to the Roper on the same errand. The time of year was very unfavorable for working stock immediately after a sea voyage. It was drawing towards the end of the dry season, when all the feed was burnt up and the country was bare. Numbers of the horses and nearly one-third of the bullocks died, and the loads had to be lightened or abandoned on the road before the Katherine was reached, and further on it was necessary to sink wells before the teams could advance with safety; and ere this was accomplished down came the rains, and a monsoon of unusual severity set in almost before the work could be resumed, and stopped all further progress for months. In the midst of these misfortunes the cable fleet arrived at Port Darwin; the shore end was landed, the vessels started to pay out the cable to Banjoewangie, and in November communication was established with London, one of the first items of intelligence being—" South Australian land line not nearly completed." It was under these circumstances that Mr. Patterson telegraphed reporting his losses, and urged that large reinforcements should be sent up at once. The steamers Omeo and Tararua were then chartered, and he (Mr. Todd) proceeded in charge to take any steps he might feel necessary to secure the completion of the work. The Young Australian having been dispatched in advance, he sailed in the Omeo from Port Adelaide on the 4th January, 1872, in charge of a shipload of horses; but the day before he left communication was established with the MacDonnell Ranges, and was gratified by hearing that the central sections were completed, and the work progressing fast north of section E. But for their unexpected misfortunes in the Northern Territory he would have been able to fulfil South Australia's bargain. He likewise received the sad news that Mr. Kraagen—who was to have taken charge of the station at Alice Springs, in the MacDonnell Ranges —had died from want of water. He then alluded to his arrival at the mouth of the Roper, his meeting Mr. Patterson, and to his deciding to proceed in the Omeo up the Roper, after signing an agreement indemnifying Captain Calder from any loss which might accrue to the Omeo in crossing the bar. They only proceeded a few miles when the vessel got stuck on a sand reach, where she remained for several days, and in the meantime, the Young Australian having arrived, he went in her up to the landing place with some of the cargo, passing the Bengal, where she had been anchored since the middle of December. Soundings being taken, they found there would be plenty of water, varying from three to nine fathoms in depth, but that care would be required to avoid several nasty rocks. The river was between 400 and 500 yards wide at the entrance, and for some 30 miles up, and at the landing, or depot, about 120 yards wide. At some points, particularly at Moleshill, the scenery was most beautiful, and some large swamps were profusely covered with blue lilies, while all around was fine park-like country. The river was navigable up to the depot for vessels drawing ten to eleven feet all the year round, but in the dry season the navigation was difficult and dangerous because of the rocks. Above the landing there were several bars, the first of which, some miles higher up, being known as Leichardt's, which impounded the water in the upper river, forming fine long deep reaches, with high banks thickly lined with melaleuca, corkscrew pines, and fine casuarinus. The river during the wet season is subject to immense freshets, when the waters rise at the landing over 80 feet, and the country is flooded for miles. It did so when he was at Maria Island-14 miles from the mouth. A jetty had been erected at the landing, where the horses were landed. Continuous and heavy rains lasted all through February and March, during which nothing could be done, but directly the fine weather set in and the roads became passable, they loaded up teams, and Mr. Patterson went on to the working parties, while he went to Port Darwin to complete all the arrangements, and inspect the building there, and have the line between Port Darwin and the Katherine thoroughly overhauled, their enemies, the white ants, having brought it to grief during the wet season and stopped the communication. He arrived at Port Darwin on 8th May, and was very pleased with the place, and greatly admired its fine natural harbour, which was destined, he believed, to become a port of large commerce. The only decent buildings were the Residency and the Telegraph Offices, which stood on elevated ground commanding a fine view or the harbour. He went up to Southport, where he landed a large number of iron poles, and carefully inspected several miles of line, and having completed his task, started on his return to the Roper on May 22nd, arriving on the 31st. He wished, if possible, to return overland from Port Darwin, but no horses could be spared. After staying at the Roper he started with Mr. Patterson for the Daly Waters on his overland journey to Adelaide, on June 13th making a final start, arriving at Daly Waters on the 22nd, where he met Mr. Boucaut. He then referred to the establishment of an estafette, or horse express service between this point and Tennants Creek, and to his having spoken Port Darwin, and sent a message to the agent-General, in London, informing him of the state of the work. On the following day a number of messages came through from London, but before he could get a reply the cable between Port Darwin and Java broke, and communication was not restored for several months. Mile after mile the communication with Adelaide was maintained on the land line by a field operator, and the gap was then gradually closed, and finally the two ends of the wire were joined on August 22nd, and communication was established right through between Adelaide and Port Darwin—a distance of nearly 2,000 miles. Thus the great work, notwithstanding all disasters and mishaps, was successfully accomplished within two years, and he thought he might with confidence assert that no line passing through a similar extent of uninhabited country, where the materials had to be imported and carted over such long distances, or country representing similar natural obstacles, had been constructed in the same short space of time. When the wires were joined he was at Central Mount Stuart, and in the evening he was inundated with kindly-worded messages of congratulation from friends in all parts of the colonies. He had intended giving some description of the country, but time would not permit. Travelling in Australia was, after all, very monotonous. There was an absence of life except occasionally a few poor wandering blacks, and a general scarceness of scenery that was rather depressing, to which, however, an antidote was found in the bracing south-east breeze and wonderful transparency of the atmosphere, which were most enjoyable and exhilarating. Of course the journey was not all monotonous, for he had plenty to occupy his thoughts, and at every station he was busily employed from morning till night. The stations were all well stocked and supplied with every requirement. On his arrival at Beltana on October 18th, he heard that the cable had that day been picked up by the repairing ship which had signalled the Port Darwin Office, and on 'the following Monday communication was restored, and Australia for the first time reaped the fruits of South Australia's enterprise. He remarked that he need not enlarge on the advantages to the other colonies of telegraphic communication. The work which they undertook and successfully consummated, though single-handed, had, it was true, proved a costly one—far more costly than they anticipated, but repayment would be speedy. To take one fact—without the telegraph it would have been impossible for South Australia to have disposed of the large surplus produce of last harvest, except at such a sacrifice as would have ruined their farmers. With the telegraph, the wants and prices of all the markets of the world were known to them without delay. And beyond that they possessed the means of securing ships from every quarter, till their ports were crowded with the finest fleet ever seen in South Australian waters, ready to carry away their golden grain to the millions who were eager to consume it. He was assured by merchants, most competent to form an opinion, that the telegraph had realized for the colony at least £150,000, in the advanced price it had enabled us to obtain for our wheat. The telegraph might check unhealthy speculation, but it made commerce safer, tended to equalize prices, put the farmer, merchant, and consumer on a footing of fair equality, and by the more speedy liberation of capital it cheapened all commodities and the necessaries of daily life. '('lie telegraph had already led to the taking up of large tracts of country in the interior and had done more than anything else to develope and make known the rich resources of the Northern Territory. On a map of the world he had shown all the principal lines of telegraph, and it would serve to show the importance of the line they had constructed, when he told them that it connected them with a telegraphic system whose ramifications extended over 330,000 miles, or about 600,000 miles of wire, besides 33,000 miles of submarine cable. In Great Britain alone, there were 25,000 miles of line and 85,000 miles of wire, through which 15,500,000 messages were transmitted last year, no less than 28,502 messages passing through the London Office in one day (February 26th, 1872), whilst in the whole of 1851 there were only 48,490. In America they had about 77,000 miles of telegraph, or 165,000 miles of wire ; and it might be interesting to know that in Australia and New Zealand there were about 20,000 miles of wire, through which nearly 2,000,000 messages were passing yearly. In the first six months of the present year, the value of cable messages transmitted over their Overland Telegraph amounted to no less than £54,000. With such facts as these before them, well might they say, with Mr. Schutz Wilson—

"Lords of lightning we; by land or wave

The mystic agent serves us as our slave."

Mr. Todd was frequently applauded, and at the close of his lecture he was very heartily cheered.

Much interest was felt in the fact that the telegraph wires were laid on to the room, and at the termination of the lecture, Mr. Todd sent messages to Alice Springs Station, on the Overland Line, and to Port Darwin, and also to Banjoewangie, Singapore, and Batavia, and answers were returned in a very few minutes. In reply to a question, the Port Darwin Station said—"The Omeo will sail in about a fortnight." Mr. Todd sent the following telegram to Banjoewangie, Singapore, and Batavia:—"Adelaide. I am giving a lecture on Anglo-Australian Telegraph, Governor in the Chair. Parliament met Friday. Change of Ministry. Have you any news? What time is it? "The following were the replies received: —From Mr. Bell, Superintendent of Telegraphs in Java—"Batavia (a distance of 3,700 miles by telegraph)—Mr. Todd, I am perfectly well and hope you are the same. Regret cannot be present to profit by your lecture. No news whatever here. 17 minutes past 7 p.m." From Banjoewangie:—"Fever raging here. Weather hot. Dutch making active preparations renew attack Acheen in December. Reinforced by troop ship and commander of expedition from Holland. Time, 7.11 From Singapore—"7.30 p.m. No news to send. Wish you success. Am quite well; hope you are the same." All present seemed to be delighted with this practical illustration, as Mr. Todd termed it, of the way in which they almost annihilate space.—Australian Paper.