Chapter 71: The Undersea Cable
March 22, 1867
Indian Ocean
On the wide surface of the Indian Ocean, a deep-sea cable-laying ship flying the German flag was about to set sail from Mombasa Port, heading north toward the Red Sea.
The sudden outbreak and end of the East Zanzibar War made Ernst realize how outdated communication between the East African colony and Europe had become.
From beginning to end, the entire war was managed solely by the colony, with no time to report to Europe—understandable, considering messages had to be sent by ship.
Because of the colony's distance from Europe, it enjoyed a high degree of independence and authority, and could make decisions on its own during special situations.
However, this war served as a wake-up call for the cautious Ernst. He realized he could not allow the East African colonial government to gain too much autonomy.
Therefore, to strengthen his control and communication with the colony, Ernst decided to invest heavily in laying a telegraph line from East Africa to Europe, to help direct the colony's development.
Back in 1858, the world's first transoceanic undersea cable—linking Newfoundland and Ireland—was laid by the British and Americans across the Atlantic.
After years of development, laying undersea cables was no longer a major technical problem. For this project, Ernst chose to cooperate with Siemens, a German company.
Siemens had laid the world's first underground telegraph line between Berlin and Frankfurt in 1848, so they had solid experience. However, most of their projects were land-based, and Ernst wasn't sure how capable they were in laying undersea cables.
Still, Siemens had a good working relationship with Berlin Electric Company, one of only two major names in the German electrical industry. They had partnered since the beginning—Berlin Electric used Siemens products for its lighting systems, especially generators.
When Berlin Electric proposed the project, Siemens engineers analyzed the plan and concluded that the technical conditions were ready for success.
Siemens actually had some experience with marine cable-laying too, especially around the Baltic Sea.
The full cable would be laid in four sections:
East Africa to Egypt – via the Indian Ocean, Somali waters, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea. This was the longest and most difficult stretch.Across Egypt – a short land segment. Egypt was a major transportation hub with decent infrastructure, so this part was relatively simple.Across the Mediterranean – through the Adriatic Sea, making landfall in Trieste. This segment was entirely undersea but less technically demanding.Through Europe – from the Austro-Hungarian Empire all the way to Berlin.
Egypt already had a French-laid telegraph line for internal communication, but Ernst couldn't use it directly due to its orientation.
In Europe, Ernst could use existing lines, especially those built by Prussia and Austria during and after the Austro-Prussian War. Prussia had built many lines for the war effort, and Austria followed suit afterward.
So, Ernst could simply pay to use these lines to transmit information.
"Woooo—"
The steamship roared across the sea. At the stern, workers carefully uncoiled the cable and lowered it slowly into the water.
The cable was provided by Berlin Electric Company, while most other equipment, engineers, and workers came from Siemens—the undisputed leader of the German electrical industry. Berlin Electric was no match, despite its recent fame due to the invention of the electric light.
In core fields like wiring, generators, and essential components, Siemens had a dominant advantage.
Before electric lighting became widespread, Berlin Electric was essentially just a licensed manufacturer for Siemens products.
The black cable slid off the ship's stern and sank slowly into the ocean. If pulled too hard, it could snap, so experienced workers watched closely and adjusted based on the ship's speed.
Due to the limitations of the time, laying undersea cables was a rough, manual process, relying heavily on the skill of the workers.
The first-ever undersea cable had actually been fished out and cut by French fishermen.
Back then, there was no way to bury cables under the seafloor—they simply sank them to the bottom and considered it a success.
The crew carefully maneuvered the ship to create the best working conditions. The waves and wind of the Indian Ocean posed the greatest challenge.
"Franz, release the cable faster—don't let it get tangled!" Siemens engineer Duden shouted.
"Spin the handle faster—keep the gear moving evenly!" he instructed the worker controlling the pulley.
"And in the back—get the weights on properly! Don't cut corners! If the cables don't sink, you won't get paid!"
Duden supervised every step, making sure the cable sank smoothly into the sea and that the workers followed all procedures strictly.
There was no room for mistakes—one small error could ruin the entire operation.
This ship had come all the way from Germany to the Indian Ocean. Because it had to sail around Africa's west coast, it had previously rested at Dar es Salaam.
The whole project would take one to two months. Crew members would live entirely on the ship—eating, sleeping, working, everything.
The amount of cable onboard was just enough to connect East Africa to Egypt, so no other ships followed.
Another Hohenzollern Consortium ship was handling the Mediterranean section. Their conditions were much better—the distance was shorter, work easier, and supplies easier to obtain.
So the Indian Ocean team had to succeed in one go. Once they reached Egypt, they could rest and resupply.
The entire cable-laying operation from East Africa to Europe went smoothly, with no major accidents or setbacks.
Three months later, the entire line was complete. Information sent from Berlin passed through Trieste and Egypt and reached the East African colonial government.
Communication time between the two regions was drastically reduced. Now, any event in the colony could be reported to Berlin's telegraph center on the same day.
Ernst's ability to remotely manage and control the colony improved significantly, making it much easier to organize daily operations and make decisions.
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