Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-03-09
CABLE OPERATORS.
The Little Army OF Men Who Work
the Long Ocean Wires.

between Ireland and Newfoundland
such vast strides have been made In the
perfection, construction and laying oil
deep-sea cables that the earth is al
most entirely girded by them. The
coast lines OF the Americas, Europe,
Asia, Africa and Australia arc festoon-
cd with countless miles OF submarine
cables that loop gracefully from the
ocean bed at regular intervals TO touch
at some busy seaport or relay oftices.
There are now, says the New York
World, nine great submarine cable
companies in tho world, with over Co.,
900 miles OF cable extending TO the re-
hottest parts OF the inhabited globe.
The greatest OF these companies Is
tho Eastern Telegraph Company OF
London, with SO. 900 miles Of cable I'M
der its control. This line starts from
Lands End, Eng, and runs under the
ocean TO Lisbon. From there IL loops
to Gibraltar. then under the Meditera-
mean 10 Malta and Alexandria. Over
land TO Suez. under the Red Sea 70
Aden, under the Gulf Of Arabia 10 Bonn
bay, looping around 10 Madras, TO Sing
apore, TO Saigon. 10 Hong Kong, Annoy
and Shanghai In China, 10 Nagasaki,
ending at Yladivistock. Eastern sibe-
ria. Africa is looped on the east from
Alden to Zanzibar 10 Cape Town. On
the west coast 100 miles OF cable only
touch at four places. Another long
cable runs from Lisbon TO Pernambuco.
South America is festooned on both
coasts us far south as the Argentine
Republic. The Eastern also has line
to India through Persia thence through
the Persian Gulf There are nine
working cables between America and
England. All the West Indian Islands
the GrecIan Archipelago and
Australasia are all reached by cables.
To work tho vast lengths Of sibma-
rine cables q good-slzed army OF opera
ssrs is employed. Not much has bcon
written about these men. but those
deep-sea cable operators constitute one
OF the finest bodies OF skilled workers
In the world. All tho cable lines arc
manufactured and Owned in England.
and tho operators arc almost without
exception Englishmen. These cable
men arc brave, fearless and far above
the average intelligence. They never
finch from going whore duty calls them.
ard they are most important factors In
commerce, diplomacy and provincial
government. They arc great travel
ers, and numbers OF them have been In
every part OF tho known world. Tho
deep-sea cablcmeu are taught the rtdi-
mentary elements Ia London. They
arc then sent TO Porta, KAruo. Pom
zanco, where they become familiar with
the working Of the syphon recorder, the
spark and tho transmittSr. When pro
fcient they arc detailed 70 any place
touched by cable. These operators arc
we'll paid, work short hours and very
seldom leave the service. They arc
called upon 10 work In the deadly
fevors OF Panama and Africa, 20 faco
wild boasts In India, 10 work among
proving bands Of robbor nomAds In
Arabia and Persia, they must live ia
the choiera-stricssn cities Of Siam and
China, tho yellow fever Of Cuba, tho
torrid climate Of South America and
the bioak coast OF Eastern Siberia. But
in spite of the fact that the cable lines
arc laid through such pcstilential coun.
tries, the mortality rate among tho en-
bic operators Is very low. This IL no
doubt due to tho fact that the companies
are continually changing their men
about In such places. An oporator Il
detailed TO very unhealthy places for
ax months or year. He Is then sent
TO some very healthy spot Men arc
often transferred from Panama Y
Nagasah or Cape Town.
The largest force Of operators ar,
kept at tho repeating stations, wher,
ali messages have to be transferred.
AtSuez and Alden sixty cablemen arc
employed at each station. On The
American side tho largest force Is a,
Hearts Content, Newfoundland. where
thore arc forty mon. This Is a steady
colony OF cable operators. Nearly ali
Of the older men arc married and are
bringing up families. They have \
chapel, school, clubhouse and owr
their own houses. At the cabel sta.
lions the company builds several build
ings, including the Office, clubhouse
furnished with piano, billiard tabl,
card-room and all conveniences. Single
men live here. Marriage Is encouraged
and when man marries, he is given d
small house, his fuel and the doctor,
services, all free. Life is made az pleaa
ant as possible, and the stations are fur
nished with lighthouses, sail and row.
boats and firearms. The men mr.,
given thirty days vacation, with pa,
yearly. The leave is cumulative, and
II man works fvo years he is eiyer
nve months leave with m,
and his passage paid 20 Uha,avar -, I