Bermuda issued a set of stamps on 18 October 1990 to honor the Cable and Wireless Centenary, two of the stamps feature ships, the 55c the WESTMEATH and the $2 the SIR ERIC SHARP. (see index for her details)
At a telegraph congress held in Barbados in 1882, plans were submitted to lay a direct telegraph cable from the West Indies to Halifax via Bermuda. The first phase of this plan was accomplished on 7 July 1890 when the SS WESTMEATH completed the laying of the cable between Halifax and Bermuda. The cable itself was laid in six days with the WESTMEATH starting the lay from Halifax in dense fog.
Until the laying of Bermuda’s first cable, messages from the colony were rushed by a fast dispatch boat to Halifax and then to the Admiralty and War Office in London over the first successful trans-Atlantic cable laid in 1866.
The Halifax and Bermuda Cable Company Limited opened offices in Hamilton, Bermuda on 14 July 1890. It later merged with other companies to become Cable and Wireless.
Today, cables are laid and repaired by cable-ships such as SIR ERIC SHARP.
The WESTMEATH was built under yard No 115 as a cargo and passenger vessel by Sunderland Shipbuilding Co., Sunderland for R.M. Hudson at Sunderland.
11 November 1882 launched as the WESTMEATH.
Tonnage 3,191 grt, 2,095 net, dim. 320 x 42.4 x 28ft.
Powered by a compound steam engine, 316 nhp.
November 1882 completed.
When the New Zealand Government offered a subsidy to promote the introduction of steamship services between the United Kingdom and New Zealand ports, the first they were looking to was the New Zealand Shipping Co., but Shaw, Savill and Albion Co. tendered also and it was agreed early 1883 that both companies shared the contract, Shaw, Savill & Albion Co. placed orders fro two steamships by Wm. Denny & Co.
When opened the service the Shaw, Savill & Albion Co had chartered first the WESTMEATH.
15 March 1883 she sailed from London with cargo and emigrants and a number of saloon passengers, via the Cape for Auckland and Port Chalmers.
1886 Or 1887 was she chartered by La Societe Francaise des Telegraphes Sous-Marin to lay cables in the Antilles.
1887/88 She was chartered then by La Societe Generale des Telephones to lay cables in the Cuba region. Then was she chartered by W.T. Henley’s Telegraph Works Co. to lay the 870 nautical mile cable between Halifax and Bermuda in 1890.
In 1890/91 she laid cables in the French and Dutch Guiana’s and the French West Indies.
1893 She was sold either to La Societe Industrielle des Telephones or to the associated company La Societe Generale (des Telephones), and renamed FRANCOIS ARAGO.
Her first expedition under French flag was to lay a cable from Mon Repos, Queensland, Australia to Tedoudie, New Caledonia (793 nautical miles).
1895 La Societe Francaise des Telegraphes Sous-Marin and La Societe Generale des Telephones combined to form La Compagnie Francaise des Cables Telegraphiques.
The FRANCOIS ARAGO was most probably then owned by the new company after the merger.
Between 1890 and 1914 she laid cables between Tamative, Madagascar, St Denis, Reunion and Mauritius (1,030 nautical miles) and between French Indo-China and Borneo. Between Brest and Cape Cod (3,173 nautical miles) and between Cape Cod and New York (324 nautical miles).
1914 Sold to La Compagnie Francaise de Marine et de Commerce, and renamed PERONNE.
Again used as a cargo vessel by this company managed by Worms, Le Havre.
31 August 1917 she sailed from Le Havre under command of Captain E. Cazeils 31 crew and 4 gunners (at that time she was armed) in ballast in convoy bound for Barry Roads U.K.
01 September at 10.45 the first officer on watch sighted the wake of a torpedo and the ship was hit in the stern which was completely destroyed, the vessel quickly settled by the stern after ten minutes the vessel sank in a position about 5 miles SE of Berry Head. All the people on board abandoned the vessel and were picked up by the British steamer LANDPORT from Liverpool which drops the crew off at Brixham.
The PERONNE was torpedoed by the German U-boat UC-65 under command of Max Viebeg.
A photograph of the ship as FRANCOIS ARAGO is in the book by Haigh, Cable Ships and Submarine Cables. It appears that the stamp design was based on this photograph, and thus technically the ship on the stamp is the FRANCOIS ARAGO.
On 16 March 1991 Bermuda issued two stamps to commemorate the talks between President Bush of the USA and Prime Minister Major of Great Britain, at Bermuda on that date.
Bermuda 1990 55c sg619, scott602.
Bermuda 1991 55c sg623, scott606