THE FIRST LINK UP The All-Red Route
In the late 19th century, Britain’s global reach depended on more than ships and colonies, it hinged on the cables that carried messages across oceans. By 1870, a telegraph network already stretched from Cornwall to Bombay, and soon after, to Australia and the Far East. Messages that once took weeks could now be answered within 24 hours. For those who could afford the cost, the telegraph revolutionized business, diplomacy, and governance.
As Britain’s telegraph empire expanded in the late 19th century, ships like the Iris turned vision into reality. Equipped with cable drums and laying machinery, she laid and maintained the submarine lines , including routes to India and the Pacific , that made 24-hour global communication possible. Active: ca. 1880s–1900s
Yet, one great ocean remained unconquered by cable: The Pacific. The idea of a direct link bypassing politically unstable territories gained urgency. In 1879, Sir Sandford Fleming of the Canadian Government Railways articulated the vision: Britain and its Pacific colonies should be joined by submarine cable, ensuring Imperial communications independent of foreign powers.
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