Milestone-Proposal:French Transatlantic Telegraph Cable of 1898: Difference between revisions

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|a11=Yes
|a11=Yes
|a3=1898 to 1959
|a3=1898 to 1959
NOTE: include the planing and design period
|a1=The French Transatlantic Telegraph Cable, 1898
|a1=The French Transatlantic Telegraph Cable, 1898
NOTE: Year of dedication has to be verified
|plaque citation=The French submarine cable known as Le Direct holds a special place in the history of transatlantic telegraphic communications. It was a major component of France’s  network of submarine cables and landlines connecting  Europe with the United States. Developed by La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques, the network remained in service for nearly 60 years. Le Direct was laid from Brest France to Orleans Massachusetts by cable ship Francois Argo.
|plaque citation=The French submarine cable known as Le Direct holds a special place in the history of transatlantic telegraphic communications. It was a major component of France’s  network of submarine cables and landlines connecting  Europe with the United States. Developed by La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques, the network remained in service for nearly 60 years. Le Direct was laid from Brest France to Orleans Massachusetts by cable ship Francois Argo.
|a2b=Two plaques  are involved:
|a2b=Providence Section
Providence Section
 
France within the jurisdiction of  Oceanic Engineering Society
|IEEE units paying={{IEEE Organizational Unit Paying
|IEEE units paying={{IEEE Organizational Unit Paying
|Unit=Oceanic Engineering Society France
|Senior officer name=Dr. Rene Garello
|Senior officer email=rene.garello@telecom-bretagne.eu
}}{{IEEE Organizational Unit Paying
|Unit=Providence Section
|Unit=Providence Section
|Senior officer name=Cathy Ann Clark
|Senior officer name=Cathy Ann Clark
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|Senior officer name=Cathy Ann Clark
|Senior officer name=Cathy Ann Clark
|Senior officer email=cathy.clark@navy.mil
|Senior officer email=cathy.clark@navy.mil
}}{{IEEE Organizational Unit Arranging
|Unit=Oceanic Engineering Society  France
|Senior officer name=Dr. Rene Garello
|Senior officer email=rene.garello@telecom-bretagne.eu
}}
}}
|IEEE sections monitoring={{IEEE Section Monitoring
|IEEE sections monitoring={{IEEE Section Monitoring
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|Section chair name=Cathy Ann Clark
|Section chair name=Cathy Ann Clark
|Section chair email=cathy.clark@navy.mil
|Section chair email=cathy.clark@navy.mil
}}{{IEEE Section Monitoring
|Section=Oceanic Engineering Society France
|Section chair name=Dr. Rene Garello
|Section chair email=rene.garello@telecom-bretagne.eu
}}
}}
|Milestone proposers={{Milestone proposer
|Milestone proposers={{Milestone proposer
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|Proposer name=Gilmore Cooke, SLM
|Proposer name=Gilmore Cooke, SLM
|Proposer email=gilcooke@ieee.org,  getcooke@comcast.net
|Proposer email=gilcooke@ieee.org,  getcooke@comcast.net
}}{{Milestone proposer
|Proposer name=Dr. Rene Garello
|Proposer email=rene.garello@telecom-bretagne.eu
}}{{Milestone proposer
}}{{Milestone proposer
|Proposer name=Philip Cousins, FCSM committee member
|Proposer name=Philip Cousins, FCSM committee member
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The French Cable Station Museum,  41 Route 28 at Cove Road, Orleans Massachusetts, 02653. USA. GPS later.
The French Cable Station Museum,  41 Route 28 at Cove Road, Orleans Massachusetts, 02653. USA. GPS later.


France Location:
town of Locmarie-Plouzane in Brittany France. Address to be determined. GPS later.
|a7=Cape Cod Location:  
|a7=Cape Cod Location:  
The plaque will be mounted at The French Cable Station Museum, where the French Cable Company's submarine cables came ashore.
The plaque will be mounted at The French Cable Station Museum, where le Direct submarine cables came ashore.
 


France Location:
The plaque will be mounted near the town of Brest where the French Cable Company's  submarine cables  terminated in France. Since the shoreline property where the cables landed is privately owned, an alternative historic site will be selected.
The plaque will be mounted near the town of Brest where the French Cable Company's  submarine cables  terminated in France. Since the shoreline property where the cables landed is privately owned, an alternative historic site will be selected.
|a8=Cape Cod Location: Yes.
|a8=Cape Cod Location: Yes.


France Location:  No. The original buildings and surrounds  were converted to private residences.
 
|mounting details=Cape Cod Location:  
|mounting details=Cape Cod Location:  
The address  is:  The French Cable Station Museum,  41 Route 28 at Cove Road, Orleans Massachusetts, 02653. USA. The  plaque will be attached to the building at the main entrance of the museum. It will be readily visible by the general public.
The address  is:  The French Cable Station Museum,  41 Route 28 at Cove Road, Orleans Massachusetts, 02653. USA. The  plaque will be attached to the building at the main entrance of the museum. It will be readily visible by the general public.
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France Location:  
France Location:  
Exact address will be determined during the nomination proceedings. The plaque will be  mounted outdoors and be attached on a public building or a stone monument  in the  town of Locmaria-Plouzané, home of the regional history preservation society. This historical society, aka Locmarie-Patrimoine, had previously shown great interests in preserving the history of La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques. This historical society is  close to Brest where the original submarine telegraph station once resided.
Exact address will be determined during the nomination proceedings. The plaque will be  mounted outdoors and be attached on a public building or a stone monument  in the  town of Locmaria-Plouzané, home of the regional history preservation society. This historical society, aka Locmarie-Patrimoine, had previously shown great interests in preserving the history of La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques. This historical society is  close to Brest where the original submarine telegraph station once resided.
|a9=Both plaques will be readily accessible and visible by the general  public.
|a9=The Cape Cod plaque will be secured to the building,  readily accessible and visible by the general  public.
|a10=Cape Cod Location:  The French Cable Station Museum in Orleans, Incorporated.  
|a10=Cape Cod Location:  The French Cable Station Museum in Orleans, Incorporated. A non-profit enterprise. 
 


France Location:  Locmarie-Patrimoine.
|a4=ROUGH TALKING POINTS ONLY - TO BE COMPLETED LATER
|a4=ROUGH TALKING POINTS ONLY - TO BE COMPLETED LATER
Overview                                               
Overview                                               

Revision as of 14:57, 8 May 2016


To see comments, or add a comment to this discussion, click here.

Docket #:2015-12

This Proposal has been approved, and is now a Milestone


To the proposer’s knowledge, is this achievement subject to litigation? No

Is the achievement you are proposing more than 25 years old? Yes

Is the achievement you are proposing within IEEE’s designated fields as defined by IEEE Bylaw I-104.11, namely: Engineering, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law and Policy. Yes

Did the achievement provide a meaningful benefit for humanity? Yes

Was it of at least regional importance? Yes

Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to pay for the milestone plaque(s)? Yes

Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to arrange the dedication ceremony? Yes

Has the IEEE Section in which the milestone is located agreed to take responsibility for the plaque after it is dedicated? Yes

Has the owner of the site agreed to have it designated as an IEEE Milestone? Yes


Year or range of years in which the achievement occurred:

1898 to 1959

NOTE: include the planing and design period

Title of the proposed milestone:

The French Transatlantic Telegraph Cable, 1898

NOTE: Year of dedication has to be verified

Plaque citation summarizing the achievement and its significance:

The French submarine cable known as Le Direct holds a special place in the history of transatlantic telegraphic communications. It was a major component of France’s network of submarine cables and landlines connecting Europe with the United States. Developed by La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques, the network remained in service for nearly 60 years. Le Direct was laid from Brest France to Orleans Massachusetts by cable ship Francois Argo.

200-250 word abstract describing the significance of the technical achievement being proposed, the person(s) involved, historical context, humanitarian and social impact, as well as any possible controversies the advocate might need to review.


IEEE technical societies and technical councils within whose fields of interest the Milestone proposal resides.


In what IEEE section(s) does it reside?

Providence Section

IEEE Organizational Unit(s) which have agreed to sponsor the Milestone:

IEEE Organizational Unit(s) paying for milestone plaque(s):

Unit: Providence Section
Senior Officer Name: Cathy Ann Clark

Unit: Providence OES Chapter
Senior Officer Name: Albert J Williams

IEEE Organizational Unit(s) arranging the dedication ceremony:

Unit: Providence Section
Senior Officer Name: Cathy Ann Clark

IEEE section(s) monitoring the plaque(s):

IEEE Section: Providence Section
IEEE Section Chair name: Cathy Ann Clark

Milestone proposer(s):

Proposer name: Steven Crocker
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public

Proposer name: Gilmore Cooke, SLM
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public

Proposer name: Philip Cousins, FCSM committee member
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public

Please note: your email address and contact information will be masked on the website for privacy reasons. Only IEEE History Center Staff will be able to view the email address.

Street address(es) and GPS coordinates in decimal form of the intended milestone plaque site(s):

Cape Cod Location: The French Cable Station Museum, 41 Route 28 at Cove Road, Orleans Massachusetts, 02653. USA. GPS later.

Describe briefly the intended site(s) of the milestone plaque(s). The intended site(s) must have a direct connection with the achievement (e.g. where developed, invented, tested, demonstrated, installed, or operated, etc.). A museum where a device or example of the technology is displayed, or the university where the inventor studied, are not, in themselves, sufficient connection for a milestone plaque.

Please give the address(es) of the plaque site(s) (GPS coordinates if you have them). Also please give the details of the mounting, i.e. on the outside of the building, in the ground floor entrance hall, on a plinth on the grounds, etc. If visitors to the plaque site will need to go through security, or make an appointment, please give the contact information visitors will need. Cape Cod Location: The plaque will be mounted at The French Cable Station Museum, where le Direct submarine cables came ashore.


The plaque will be mounted near the town of Brest where the French Cable Company's submarine cables terminated in France. Since the shoreline property where the cables landed is privately owned, an alternative historic site will be selected.

Are the original buildings extant?

Cape Cod Location: Yes.

Details of the plaque mounting:

Cape Cod Location: The address is: The French Cable Station Museum, 41 Route 28 at Cove Road, Orleans Massachusetts, 02653. USA. The plaque will be attached to the building at the main entrance of the museum. It will be readily visible by the general public.

France Location: Exact address will be determined during the nomination proceedings. The plaque will be mounted outdoors and be attached on a public building or a stone monument in the town of Locmaria-Plouzané, home of the regional history preservation society. This historical society, aka Locmarie-Patrimoine, had previously shown great interests in preserving the history of La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques. This historical society is close to Brest where the original submarine telegraph station once resided.

How is the site protected/secured, and in what ways is it accessible to the public?

The Cape Cod plaque will be secured to the building, readily accessible and visible by the general public.

Who is the present owner of the site(s)?

Cape Cod Location: The French Cable Station Museum in Orleans, Incorporated. A non-profit enterprise.

What is the historical significance of the work (its technological, scientific, or social importance)? If personal names are included in citation, include justification here. (see section 6 of Milestone Guidelines)

ROUGH TALKING POINTS ONLY - TO BE COMPLETED LATER Overview Brief History beginning in 1895 with Pouyer-Quertier the founder / entrepreneur

What obstacles (technical, political, geographic) needed to be overcome?

ROUGH TALKING POINTS ONLY - TO BE COMPLETED LATER Address French company goals - commerce, business, national interests; Address concerns over security and independence New technology, manufacturing and cable laying experience Description of French Cable Stations

Political issues and opposition were well documented in a New York Times interview with M. Depelley, the managing director of La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques. The interview took place 13 June 1897. The newspaper reported that Mr. Depelley had come to Washington DC to obtain Government permission for his company to land Le Direct submarine cable on Cape Cod. Depelley stated that he had the wrong impression thinking that his company would encounter opposition to bringing the cable ashore from Western Union or British lobbyists, from American citizens and the press. He was pleased with US officials for granting approval to land. Interestingly, the French Cable Company had already laid 1000 miles of cable from the Brest landing, coming westward. France feared landing the cable on Cape Cod. To avoid possible confrontation at the Cape Cod beach, the work was done under the cover of night. The rumor in Orleans was that the French Cable Company had already buried the cable on the beach and installed 150 miles of line from the Cape Cod side. This section of cable had apparently been "laid with great stealth and at night".

The French Cable enterprise had previously relied on British companies and Britishers who had that time monopolized the submarine cable industry. Now the French Cable enterprise had decided to do everything in-house. They had to come up to speed fast to fabricate the longest submarine cable in the world, nearly 3200 nautical miles. Then it had to install the cable at sea along a great circle from Brest to Cape Cod. Cable laying apparatus was installed on a French vessel, the Francois Arago. History does not record whether manpower to lay the Le Direct cable came from France or England. Soon FCC gained the experience and skills necessary to lay and repair cable at sea. The Direct was unique, big and heavy, subject to twisting and kinking says Rene Salvador. The cable was so heavy that Francois Arago had to make four expeditions going back to sea with an additional lengths. Politics of Landing the cable on the shores of Cape Cod.

What features set this work apart from similar achievements?

UNIQUE TECHNICAL AND OPERATING FEATURES - TO BE COMPLETED LATER Le Direct was manufactured and laid by the Society Industrielle des Telephones. A special ship had to be brought in. The ship Francois-Arago was fitted to do the laying of this cable, which was at the time the longest submarine cable in existence. Le Direct was 3165 nautical miles long connecting Brest France to Cape Cod. The runner up was an Anglo-American cable of 1845 nautical miles. Le Direct was also remarkable in having a heavier copper core than previous designs. The conductor consisted of a strand of 13 copper wires weighing 660 pounds per nautical miles and composed of a central wire of 0.12 inch in diameter surrounded by 12 joined wires wound in helix form. Compare the performance of Le Direct cable with English and American cables that were routed together near Newfoundland. ... during and post earthquake of November 1929 ... during the Irish Revolt in Ireland ....French telegraph system preferred by US military during WW!.

Supporting texts and citations to establish the dates, location, and importance of the achievement: Minimum of five (5), but as many as needed to support the milestone, such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or chapters in scholarly books. 'Scholarly' is defined as peer-reviewed, with references, and published. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. At least one of the references must be from a scholarly book or journal article. All supporting materials must be in English, or accompanied by an English translation.

1. The New York Times 6.13.1897. The New French Cable. M Depelley (also email for copy right)

2. Karl D. Stephan. Liberte Egalite Telegraphie: The French Cable Station In Orleans, Massachusetts

3. Rene Salvador. Les Cables Sous-Marins Dans l'Avant Goulet de Brest

4. Rene Salvador. A Short History of French-Transatlantic Telegraph Cables from French Viewpoint

5. Scientific American Supplement 9.25.1897. Submarine Telegraphy A New French Transatlantic Cable

6. The Electrical Engineer 11.10.1898. The New French Atlantic Cable

7. The Electrician 8.19.1898. The New French Atlantic Cable

Supporting materials (supported formats: GIF, JPEG, PNG, PDF, DOC): All supporting materials must be in English, or if not in English, accompanied by an English translation. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. For documents that are copyright-encumbered, or which you do not have rights to post, email the documents themselves to ieee-history@ieee.org. Please see the Milestone Program Guidelines for more information.

STATUS of SIGNED LETTERS of FINANCIAL SUPPORT and SITE APPROVALS Need a signed support letter from the Providence Section Chair We have email of interest from OES's Dr. Rene Garello. Now need a signed IEEE letter (s) from OES / France Section. We have a signed permission letter from the French Cable Station Museum. Now need a signed permission letter(s) involving the designated site in France.

Please email a jpeg or PDF a letter in English, or with English translation, from the site owner(s) giving permission to place IEEE milestone plaque on the property, and a letter (or forwarded email) from the appropriate Section Chair supporting the Milestone application to ieee-history@ieee.org with the subject line "Attention: Milestone Administrator." Note that there are multiple texts of the letter depending on whether an IEEE organizational unit other than the section will be paying for the plaque(s).

Please recommend reviewers by emailing their names and email addresses to ieee-history@ieee.org. Please include the docket number and brief title of your proposal in the subject line of all emails.