Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-16
Annihila ting Space.

social chat with folks in London, here's your
opportunity" said General Manager George
G. Ward Friday afternoon, at the office OF
the Commercial Cable Company, in the very
heart Of the business life of the metropolis.
opposite the white marble pillars Of the
Sub Treasury Building and within the sha-
dow Of old Trinity;s spire.
Bya final splice at Concy Island direct
communication had ust been opened
though he Aiackay. Bennett cables between
Wall street and Royal Exchange, London.
The story has already been told Of the lay.
ing Of the two cables. After The shore end
of the second one had been brought in near
the Oriental Hotel, at Coney Island, the
work Of laying the land connection under.
ground went on quietly but expedtiously.
Along The six mile drive of Ocean Parkway
the slender thread was laid through Wander
bilt, Park and Hudson avenues, ID Brook
lrn, and along Front street TO the Bridge
anchorage, up the side Of the anchorage IN
iron pipes and suspended under the Bridge
roadway 10 Water street on this side, TO
Wui street, and thence 10 the main office
here 4 few minutes after the last splice
Was made at Coney Island there was IL tap
ping of the keys IL Wall street, respen-
sive tapping in London, and then this mes
sage was forwarded by Director Hector de
Castro 10 Mr. j. w. Mackay, president Of
the Commercial! Cable Company. i'll Paris ::
Il am now in our office, No. q Wall street,
seidn" YOU the first message direct from
.Sew York ever our underground and the
Concy Island cable. Allow me 10 congratu-
late you upon the occasion, III which all the
staff join
When Manager Ward made the remark
with which this chapter opens he told the
reporter TO keep his eye fastened on an uu-
important looking little glass siphon that
was suspended on vertical parallel to and
with its curved point touching harrow
slri;, of rapcr wound on revolving reel.
The siphou, the manager explained, was
filed with electrified ink that WAS supplied
10 i, from . small wei above. The repor-
ter kept bis eyes OH the SIphon and the
strip oG paper anG; awaited developments.
"l'l lust call ZIP Carso," said Mr. Ward,
aud Is h ,ulla, his cigar he touched a lit
lie brass key. t@nso is III Nova Scotla, Il
matter of y thousand miles away fro'H New
York. Two seconds after the touching Of
the key the point OF th, sipion danced isom
side |" SIDE oi the strip Of paper and stop
ped. The ink had left hiercelyphc
on said Mr. Ward. laying down his
cigar, ''hc says, Go ahead Now, l'lI---"
mal he tapped the key again. He was cx-
planning thn, he had asked, Are you
r,ady?n when the siphon point began dang
ue again and left another 'hcn rack on
the snip Of rupsr, which the manager in
erurslrG L. be always ready"
Sow, What would you like 10 know
from London? - he next hriSkiy inquired :;
.,ut, without giving the reporter chance
10 express mi, preference in he matter Of
news. he went on :--"Well .h. weather is
u good y io..ic As uythi"g else, SO we'll
AK ;r,il :" aud Che ''cIck, click, click" Of
the !;". quickly spelled out, Ask London
Wila, weather have ynu today? The
last i1n had no more than sounded when
the sipho3 point began travelling over the
,apsr tape more quickly thar the eye could
fpiirw lis movements. When il slapped
Manager Ward called Time and The
!n:in ~ho held the watch responded, For
ty-iyc .rcor.ls." Then the mysterious
marks on The tape were translated into:
London says, Starry night Very dry .
"Thcre.' exclaimed Manager Ward, tri-
umphamtly: isn't that pretty nearly ami
hiiatiug space2 That message Of inquiry
has gone rom here TO Canso. \. s., from
whence il was transmitted to London the
answer was sen; from London 10 Canso and
transmitted ilere--a total distance OF moro
lhua eightthouSand m'es-al within forty.
five seconds N. I. Herald.