on this day in 1858 american and british teams laid the first tell graph line across the bottom of the atlantic ocean. at the time the tell graph had been around for about two decades. and over the years its i object venters samuel morris perfected the device s universal language. morris code. soon more than 20,000 miles of tell graph cable stretched all over the united states. eventually an american merchant had an idea connect the states to ireland through an underwater line. crews from several ships failed four times but then successfully laid the 2,000-foot long cable along the atlantic floor. 2,000 feet. unfortunately, that line would stop working a month later it would take 8 years to lay a working cable across the ocean floor. but the tell graph first went trans-atlantic 155 years ago today. and now you know the news for this monday august the