SS Great Eastern departs to lay the transatlantic cable

Background. Within a few years of entering service, the Great Eastern was repurposed to lay underwater cable. After the engineering success but financial failure of the 1860 trip, the ship's ownership company again attempted to turn her profitable. The second transatlantic cable was laid in 1865 with improved material; only from 1866 onward has a permanent cable connection existed between the continents.

Preparation. Prior to the 1865 voyage, the Great Eastern had undergone significant refits. In the winter of 1860, Scott Russell refitted the ship and repaired damage from its first year of operations. The ship's capacity to carry large loads without refuelling made it suitable for the long cable-laying journey. The vessel was prepared to carry the necessary wire for the transatlantic connection.

Voyage. At noon on 15 July 1865, the Great Eastern left the Nore for Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, where the shore end was laid by the Caroline. The effort went relatively smoothly for several weeks, but the cable end was lost mid-Atlantic in an accident. The ship returned in 1866 with a new line — a subsequent voyage distinct from the 1865 attempt — and the 1865 cable was also retrieved and spliced, so two cables were in service.