Indo-European Telegraph
1862 The Indo-European Telegraph Department was founded as a department of the Government of Bombay
1864 A submarine cable was laid under the Persian Gulf to connect with overland cables already in use to enable faster communication with India. The name Indo-European was given to this venture although, confusingly, a commercial company later adopted a similar name[1]. Various ships were involved (hired) in the work including the Marian Moore, the Kirkham,the Tweed, the Assaye, and the Cospatrick, In addition to these ships the Government purchased a small screw steamer of 441 tons, called the Charente, and re-named her the Amber Witch. She was fitted with three water-tight tanks, for receiving cable, a break, and a complete machine for picking up cable by steam. She would be stationed in the Gulf as support vessel and for repairing the cable should it break at any time.
The cable was 1,250 nautical miles in length, constructed at Henley's works, North Woolwich, under the superintendence of Messrs. Bright and Clark, the engineers appointed to superintend the cable as well as construction of the various land lines. The arrangements of the stations and the permanent staff were entrusted to Lieut-Col. P. Stewart, R.E.
1865 Colonel Stewart, Director General of the department, died on the same day the Persian Gulf cable was completed.[2]
From about 1865, its main administrative offices were in London. It managed the telegraph lines maintained by the department in Persia and the Gulf, as well as certain lines belonging to the Persian Government, as part of the network linking England and India. It liaised with the governments of the states through which the line passed and the other telegraphic administrations involved. The department also supplied technical advice on telegraphic matters to the India Office.
1870 The Department was transferred to the Government of India. F. J. Goldsmid was Director General.
1875 Director-in-Chief is J. U. Bateman-Chamberlain.[3]
1878 the Indo-European Telegraph Department entered into a Joint Purse arrangement with its two competitors (i.e. Indo-European Telegraph Co and the Eastern Telegraph Co). Under this, all three paid in their gross receipts, less 'paid-outs' such as royalties due to the Persian government, to a common pool and drew out a percentage calculated on the basis of traffic carried.
1879 A new cable ship, the Patrick Stewart, was introduced to replace the Amber Witch [4]
1881 'The two cables in the Persian Gulf between Bushire and Kurracheo belonging to the Indo-European Government Telegraph Department, which were broken down November 25, have been repaired, and communication is now restored.'[5]
1885 the Persian Section of the Department took over the running of the Persian Government line from Tehran to Meshed.
1887 Control of the Indo-European Telegraph Department passed to the Indian Telegraph Department in India, and the London office was closed.
1893 the Department once more became separate with its own Director in Chief directly answerable to the Secretary of State for India, and with a headquarters in the India Office in London.
1928 Following the Imperial Conference on Wireless and Telegraphs of 1928, it was decided to amalgamate all cable and wireless enterprises into one communications company under the control of a Government supervisory board. Initially these changes proceeded without affecting the Indo-European Telegraph Department. However, ultimately it was decided that the Department's Persian lines and assets should be transferred to the Persian Government while the Gulf lines and assets were to be transferred to the communications company Imperial and International Communications Ltd. The landline in British Baluchistan and the Jask-Gwadur line were taken over by the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department. The Tehran-Meshed line had already been transferred to the Persian Government in 1928. The Joint Purse agreements were terminated.
1931 the Indo-European Telegraph Department closed and its residual functions were taken over by the Economic and Overseas Department.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] National Archives