Built as the CS Hooper, in Newcastle, launched 29 March 1873 for Hooper’s Telegraph Works. It was the first cable ship designed to lay trans Atlantic cable.

Renamed CS Silvertown in 1881. In 1901–1902, conducted the first trans-Pacific telegraph cable laying, from San Francisco, California along Hawaii, Midway, and Guam to Manila, Philippines, and continued undersea along China and Japan. This was a collaboration with two other vessels, CS Anglia and CS Colonia, and the two operating companies of the vessels: India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Works Company with Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company.