Interior of one of the tanks on board the Great Eastern.

Interior of one of the tanks on board the Great Eastern. © National Maritime Museum, London

Repro ID: PX8268

Description: In the cable tanks the process of paying out the coil was constantly supervised, while technicians watched their instruments to check for continuity of the signal. The electrical department was supervised by Mr de Sauty, Professor Thomson and Mr Varley. It was their job to ensure that the high performance standards built into the cable in the production plant at Greenwich were maintained during the laying operation. Any deviation in the electrical resistance in the cable meant a fault in the insulation or a break in the copper core.

Creator: Robert Dudley (artist): G. McCulloch (engraver): Day & Son (engraver)

Date: 1865-1867