A mysterious hatch/cover has been dredged up recently in the Wells Harbour by the dredger Kari Hege while carrying out channel maintenance.
The brass plaque in the middle of the circular steel, possibly hatch, cover has the “Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company London” engraved on it.
On further research the company was formed on the 7th April 1864, which was a company for manufacture and laying of submarine cables. Its first major contract was to lay a cable across the Atlantic for the Atlantic Telegraph Company on the basis of no payment if the expedition failed, which is what happened in 1865.
Another attempt in 1866, this time succeeded, as well as the recovery and completion of the 1865 cable using the Great Eastern. Following on from this many cables were laid all over the world.
“ As to where the cover has come from, we can only surmise that it was lost over the side of a ship and how many years it has been laying on the bed of Wells Harbour is unknown, ” announced wellsharbour.co.uk.
[mappress]
Press Release, May 23, 2014