The story of the Sun, New York: 1833-1928 / by Frank M. O'Brien ; with an introduction by Edward Page Mitchell ...

"THE SUN" DURING THE CIVIL WAR 143
papers, was laid. On August 6, 1858, when Cyrus V.
Field telegraphed to the Associated Press from Newfoundland that the ends of the cables had reached both shores of
the sea, the Sun said that it was "the greatest triumph of
the age." Eleven days later the Sun contained this article:
We received last night and publish to-day what
purports to be the message of Queen Victoria, congratulating the President of the United States on the
successful completion of the Atlantic telegraph. Ve
are assured that the message is genuine, and that it
came through the Atlantic cable. It is not surprising,
however, that the President, on receiving it, doubted
its genuineness, as among the hundreds who crowded
our office last evening the doubters largely preponderated.
The message, accepting it as the queen's, is, in
style and tone, utterly unworthy of the great event
which it was designed to celebrate.
The message is so shabbily like royalty that we
cannot believe it to be a fabrication.
Perhaps that was written by John Vance, the Irish
exile. And perhaps the editorial article which appeared
the following day was written by Beach himself:
Victoria's message.. in its complete form, as it
appears in our columns to-day, is friendly and
courteous, though rather commonplace in expression
and style.
New York had a great celebration over the laying of
the cable that week. The Sun's building bore a sign illuminated by gaslight: