The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-08-03
ADMIRAL BELKNAP ON THE PACIFIC
CABLE.

We publish on our first page of
this issue a most interesting and, to
Hawaii in particular, most i'm
portant letter addressed by Ad-
mIral Belknap, U. S. n, now in
command of the us. Asiatic Squad
ron, to the editor of the Japan Her
aid, on the subject of Trans-Pacific
telegraph cables.
It will be remembered that Ad-
miral, then Captain Belknap, was
at these islands in 1874, in COM
mand of the u. S. S. Tuscarora,
which was provided with complete
deep-sea sounding apparatus, and
was employed in making several
lines of soundings in the Pacific, of
which one was from this group to
the Coast and another from the
BONN Islands to these.
Of these two lines, including a
further distance of 500 miles from
the BONN Islands to Japan, the
admiral says: AS regards the
proposed line for a cable from
Yokohama to the west coast of the
United States via the BONN and
Hawaiian Islands. I consider it
not only practicable but certain
that cable will be laid by that
route in the not distant future"
Furthermore, the Admiral states
that preliminary survey for ca
BILE line to Brisbane, from Homo
lulu, via the Phoenix and FIJI
groups, has already been made by
the Tuscarora, and that the greatest
depth found in 107 soundings was
3,448 fathoms, $50 that that route
may be deemed to be practicable. y
We have had a great deal of talk
both in and out of the Legislature
about the necessity of this cable,
and had the hands of those gentle.
men who were seriously prepared
to take the matter up been sup
ported instead of, as was actually
the case in some instances, hindered
and thwarted, the question might
have been nearer settlement than
it is.
Two Acts referring to telegraph
cables were passed by the Legisla.
ture of 1890, one referring to the
inter island cable prolonged the
period granted for completing the
line, and the other granting assist.
ance in constructing, laying and
maintaining line to the coast
With this latter Act to help, q
gentleman resident here, went
hence to San Francisco and Wash.
ington and used every endeavor tt
enlist legislators, capitalists and en-
gineers to take the matter up, but
found again and again that indie
pendent of financial or mechanical
difficulties. there was some occult
opposition which ) emed to convert
almost imminent success to disap.
pointment.
The United States Government
is prepared to undertake another
survey between the Coast and
these Islands, and will take sound.
ings between the positions of the
Tuscaroras, but it is tolerably GER
tam that about 3,115 fathoms is the
greatest depth between this and
the Coast, and that the floor of the
ocean is suitable for the reception
Vi u cable.
Not only the Legislature of 1892
but public opinion throughout the
group, backed by good, earnest
financial assistance, must be evoked
before the much desired cable is an
accomplished fact.
Always RENDERING that the gods
aid those who aid themselves, we
could turn to other people fol-
assistance with a better assurance
of success, if we had something. Of
an inter-lsland cable for instance, tc
point to as an earnest of deter.
mined action.
n IN III