1

Crewmembers of the C.S. Colonia split a cable to divert the line to Bay Roberts.
1913
Bay Roberts NF

2

The crew of the cable-ship C.S. Colonia was charged with laying the Anglo-American Transatlantic Cable between England and Canada.

This picture shows where the crew members of the C.S. Colonia split a previous cable to divert the line to Bay Roberts in Newfoundland.

3

Picture of deck of cable ship Colonia showing grapnels used to split cable.
1913
Cable Ship Colonia

4

This picture shows where cable was split in mid Atlantic.
1913
North Sydney, NS Canada

5

Laying the Anglo American transatlantic cable
1913
Colinet St.Marys Bay NL

6

In 1913, an overland section of the Anglo-American Transatlantic cable was laid from Bay Roberts, Newfoundland to Colinet in St. Mary's Bay, Newfoundland.

7

The S.S. Baleine
1913
Workers S.S. Baleine North Sydney, NS

8

As St. Mary's Bay was too shallow for the C.S. Colonia to enter, Western Union contracted the smaller ship S.S. Baleine to lay cable in the bay.

Here we see workers transporting cable from the S. S. Baleine to the cable ship, Colonia.

9

Workers performing the dangerous task of transferring the cable.
1913
Workers S.S. Baleine North Sydney, NS

10

After the S.S. Baleine crew laid the cable in the shallow waters of St. Mary's Bay, Newfoundland, the C.S. Colonia completed its own task. It was the latter crew that laid the remaining cable from St. Mary's Bay to Lloyd's Cove in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia.

During this process workers often performed dangerous tasks with little or no protection.

11

Cable Ship Colonia
1913
Sydney Mines, NS

12

After laying the cable, the crew of the Colonia sailed to Lloyd's Cove, Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia.

13

Floatation barrels bring cable ashore at Sydney Mines, NS.
1913
Sydney Mines, NS

14

Upon their arrival in Sydney Mines, workers aboard the C.S. Colonia used barrels as floatation devices to move the cable ashore.

15

Laying of cable
1913
Sydney Mines, NS

16

Underground cable trench
1913
Sydney Mines, NS

17

The cable was then laid along deep trenches by using cable rollers. Workers wound the length of the cable along the rollers to move it more easily.

Adjacent is the cable roller used during the transfer of cable from Lloyd's Cove to the Western Union Office on Court Street, North Sydney, Nova Scotia, a distance of 3 miles.

18

Cable roller
1913
Sydney Mines, NS

19

The Western Union had succeeded in diverting its transatlantic cable through Newfoundland to Lloyd's Cove, Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia.

Consequently, all communications originally coming to Canso, Nova Scotia were now diverted to North Sydney.

20

Cable house, Sydney Mines
1913
Sydney Mines, NS

21

Cable House, Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia.

22

Cable Hut
2004
Sydney Mines, NS

23

Here we see the Cable Hut as it looks in 2004.

24

Lloyd's Cove, Sydney Mines, where the cable came ashore.
2004
Sydney Mines, NS

25

Lloyd's Cove, Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia in 2004.

26

Cable Street, Sydney Mines, NS.
2004
Sydney Mines, NS

27

Cable Street, Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia was named for the cable that came ashore at Lloyd's Cove.

28

Coal Pier, North Sydney, 1920
1920
North Sydney, NS Canada

29

The crew of the cable ship C.S. Colonia loaded 2690 tons of coal at piers in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. This was sufficient to allow the ship to remain at sea for eight weeks.

30

Cable Ship Colonia with coal on deck
1913
North Sydney, NS Canada

31

Securing the cargo hole
1913
North Sydney, NS Canada

32

Engineer's final report on the laying of cable to North Sydney, NS.
1913
North Sydney, NS Canada

33

The Western Union Cable System published its final report regarding the cable installation in 1913. In the general remarks it was stated:

"The general result of the Expedition may be regarded as distinctly satisfactory. The "Colonia" was away 68 days, on only five of which was work interrupted by bad weather. We believe this to be a record for the Atlantic...

'During the Expedition the "Colonia" had effected two deep sea repairs, raised the cable in 2500 fathoms and laid 597 miles of cable for the Diversion to Bay Roberts, laid a new cable between St. Mary's Bay and North Sydney, and picked up a total of 163 N. Miles of old cable off Canso and elsewhere...

'The ship was engaged a total of six days in picking-up [sic] old cable; the cost of this to your Company was 1200 [pounds] and the estimated value of the cable brought back amounts to at least 13000 [pounds]. The recovered cable is in fair condition, and financial results from the employment of the "Colonia" on this work has been quite satisfactory....."

34

Page from Engineer's book
1913
North Sydney, NS Canada

35

Final Engineers report for the laying of cable from Colinet, Newfoundland to Lloyd's Cove, Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia.

36

Contract for laying of the cable
1920
North Sydney, NS Canada

37

Engineer's memorandum that all work was completed on time.
22 December 1913
North Sydney, NS Canada

38

Heart's Content Cable Station, NL.
1903
Newfoundland

39

In 1903, C.W. Vernon had this to say about the communication industry:

"One of the features which have contributed greatly to the prosperity of North Sydney, Nova Scotia has been the Western Union Cable Office which with Heart's Content, Newfoundland, forms one of the connecting links between Europe and America."