Connecticut western news., 1888-12-19
DEEP SEA CABLES.
The Earth Encircled by Nine
 Great Submarine Wires.
How the Work is Done by a
 Little Army of Operators.

briof period since the first submarine telegraph cable was successfully laid be- tween Ireland and land, such vast strides have been made in tho per- lection, construction and laying of deep sea cables that tho earth is now almost entirely girdlci by them. The coast lines of the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Au,tralia are festooned with countless mlos of submarine cables that loop gracefully from the ocean bed at regular intervals to touch at some busy seaport or relay office. Thero are now nine great submarine cable companies in the world, with over sixty thousand miles of cable, extending to the re- motest parts of tho habitablo globe.
 Tho greatest of those companies is the Eastern Telegraph Company of London, with 39, 900 miles of cable under its control. This line starts from Llnd's Eud, England, and runs under the ocean to Lisbon. From there it loops to Gibraltar, thon under the Meditorra- mean to Malta and Alexandria, overland to Su z, under the Red Sea to Alden, under the Gulf of Arabia to Bombay, looping around to Madras, to Singapore, to Saigon, to Hong-Kong, Annoy and Shanghai, in China, to Nagasaki, end- ing at Vladivistock, Eastern Siberia. Africa is loop,d oa the cast from Alden to Z.rzibar to Cape town. On tho west coast 4O0O miles of cable only touch at four places. Another long cable runs from Lisbon to Pernambuco. South America is festooned on both coasts as far south as the Argentine Rspub- lie. Tho Eastern also has lino to India throu 5h Persia, thence through the Persian Gulf. There are nine working cables betwcon America and England. All tho West India islands, the Grecian Archipelago and Australia sia are reached by cables.
 To work these vast lengths of subma- rine cables good sized army of opera tors is employed. Not much has been written about theso men, but these deep sea cable operators constitute one of the finest bodies of skilled workers in the world. All tho cable lines are manu- factured and owned in England. These cablemen arc bravo, fearless and far above the average intelligence. They never finch from going where duty calls them, and they arc most important fac tors in commerce., diplomacy and pro- vincial government. They arc great travellers, and numbers of them havo been in every part of tho known world. The deep sea cablemen are taught tho rudimentary elements in London. They are then sent to Porta Kurno, Penzance, where they become familiar with the working of the siphon recorder, the spark and the trans hitter. When pro- fcient they are detailed to any place touched by cable. Those operators are we'll paid, work short hours and very seldom leave the service. They are called upon to work in the deadly levers of Panama and Africa, to face wild beasts in India, to work among prowl- ing bands of robber nomads in Arabi j and Persia; they must live in the cholcra-strickcn cities of Siam and China, the yellow fever of Cuba, the torrii climate of South America anl the bleak coast of Eastern Siberia. But in spite of tho fact that tho cable lines arc laid through such pestilcntial countries, the morality rate among the cable op,ra- tors is vcry low. This is no doubt duo to tho fact that tho companies arc con. tinually changing their mon about in such places. An operator is detailed to very unhealthy places for six months or year. He is then sent to some very healthy spot Mn are often trans ferred from Panam, to Nagasaki or Cape Town.
 To keep these vast lines in order Q number of steamships are fitted up for that purpose aud tho men spend a few pleasant mont hs on board them, takin 2 turn about. II an operator marries an d locates in place h, is allowed to re- main there. Tho men live very pleas ant life, except when they are detailed to dangerous or unhealthy stations. The men always rely on tn, protection of the homo Government and they fe ar
 lessly go to stations il the willcst spots of Arabia, Turkey, Persia or Africa, conscious of tho fact that if tho natives molcst them a British gun boat will oon make things howl in that vicinity.
 The largest force of operators arc kept at the repeating stations, whcro all 1 messages havo to bo transferred. At Sucz and Adon 60 cable mon are en- ployed at each station. o! the Ancri- can side the largest force is at Hearts Content, Newfoundland, where there are 40 men. This is a steady colony of cable operators. Nearly all of tho older mon are mario ] and arc bringing up families. They havo chapel, school, club -housc and own their own houses. At tho cable stations tho com pany builds several buildings, including tho officc, club house furnished with piano, billiard tablo, card room, and all convcnioa ces. Single men live here. Marriage is encouraged, and when man marrics he is given a small house, his fue! and tho doctors services, all free. Lifo is made as pie casaat as possi- ble, and the stations arc furnished with boat houses, sail and rowboats ard fire arms. The men arc given thirty days