On August 5, 1858, the first transatlantic telegraph cable is completed. The process of laying the cable began on July 28 of that year when the converted warships HMS Agamemnon and USS Niagara met in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and splice their lines together before dropping them in the ocean. The ships then proceeded to their respective destinations, laying their cables along the way. On August 4, Niagara arrived in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. The next day Agamemnon arrived at Valentia Island and the cable was finished. Though it would only remain functional for one month due to deterioration of its insulation from poor handling and design, this telegraph cable marked a major milestone in communication by providing a rapid transmission of information between Europe and North America. Later cables improved both the durability of the line and speed at which messages could be sent.