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Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
153
Jenkin's
position
at
Edinburgh
led
to
a
partnership
in
cable
work
with
Sir
William
Thomson,
for
whom
he
always
had
a
love
and
admiration.
Jenkin's
clear,
practical,
and
business-like
abilities
were
doubtless
an
advantage
to
Sir
William,
relieving
him
of
routine,
and
sparing
his
great
abilities
for
higher
work.
In
1870
the
siphon
recorder,
for
tracing
a
cablegram
in
ink,
instead
of
merely
flashing
it
by
the
moving
ray
of
the
mirror
galvanometer,
was
introduced
on
long
cables,
and
became
a
source
of
profit
to
Jenkin
and
Varley
as
well
as
to
Sir
William,
its
inventor.
In
1873
Thomson
and
Jenkin
were
engineers
for
the
Western
and
Brazilian
cable.
It
was
manufactured
by
Messrs.
Hooper
&
Co.,
of
Millwall,
and
the
wire
was
coated
with
india-rubber,
then
a
new
insulator.
The
Hooper
left
Plymouth
in
June,
and
after
touching
at
Madeira,
where
Sir
William
was
up
'sounding
with
his
special
toy'
(the
pianoforte
wire)
'at
half-past
three
in
the
morning,'
they
reached
Pernambuco
by
the
beginning
of
August,
and
laid
a
cable
to
Para.
During
the
next
two
years
the
Brazilian
system
was
connected
to
the
West
Indies
and
the
River
Plate;
but
Jenkin
was
not
present
on
the
expeditions.
While
engaged
in
this
work,
the
ill-fated
La
Plata,
bound
with
cable
from
Messrs.
Siemens
Brothers
to
Monte
Video,
perished
in
a
cyclone
off
Cape
Ushant,
with
the
loss
of
nearly
all
her
crew.
The
Mackay-Bennett
Atlantic
cables
were
also
laid
under
their
charge.
As
a
professor
Jenkin's
appearance
was
against
him;
but
he
was
a
clear,
fluent
speaker,
and
a
successful
teacher.
Of
medium
height,
and
very
plain,
his
manner
was
youthful,
and
alert,
but
unimposing.
Nevertheless,
his
class
was
always
in
good
order,
for
his
eye
instantly
lighted
on
any
unruly
member,
and
his
reproof
was
keen.
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