The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-02-14
DEEP-SEA CABLING IN THE
FUTURE.
Cyrus W. Field Takes an retrospective View
of Ocean Telegraphy = An Intere sting
Forecast-A Line to Asia and Big Sys-
TEN in South America Will Be Put Down
in Comparatively few Years.


According to the father of the deep
water cable, Cyrus W. Field, submarine
telegraphy is only in its infancy.
Thirteen cables are stretched from Amer
lea to Europe today. Communication
with London can be had more quickly than
with Poughkeepsie. In the space of five
minutes the President of the United States
can fash his congratulations to the English
Queen or announce the declaration of war
on her people All these are feats that
only forty years ago would have seemed
utopian dreams.
Yet Mr.. Field says that within the next
twenty-five years the work already accom-
plished will seem but a puny effort, and
that where Il bakers dozen of cables now
suffice, probably five times that many will
be required, while the system will be ex-
tended in all directions.
MIR. FIELDS VIEWS.
''For various reasons, said Mr.. Field,
ocean telegraphy can never be as cheap as
telegraphing over land lines. In 5000
miles of wire in an ocean cable there are
only two points from which messages can
be sent-one on each side of the water
In land lines there is a receiving and dis
patching Office every few miles. In a land
line from New York to Philadelphi, tolls
are collected at Newark, Paterson and a
dozen other stations along the route In
an ocean cable there can be no interme-
diate Office. and two stations must bear all
the expense and provide all the revenue.
''Then, too, the cost Of constructing and
maintaining land line makes much
cheaper rates possible for this service.
During the last storm | read that a tele
graph pole blew down on which $50 wives
were strung. In a cable covering, which
corresponds to the pole in land line, only
one wire can be carried. Then, to keep
up deep-sea line involves a terrible ex-
pensc A break that once occurred in one
of our cables cost us half million dollars
to repair. When land line goes down it
is comparatively easy and Inexpensive
matter to restore it. In cable IA steam
ship has to be sent out, and sometimes the
repairers have to grapple for weeks in
three thousand fathOms of water before
they can find the two ends.
"And while this is going on all revenue
from the cable is cut off. On the other
hand in land line the intermediate points
continue TO earn money.
"But while all these facts will keep the
price of ocean telegraphy higher than it is
on land for the same distance, the price
per gord will, no doubt, continue to grow
cheaper with increased business, as it has
in the past, and cabling will become almost
as popular as telegraphing is today. Even
now it is very generally employed by bust
ness men. Take my own case. 1 send
seven cables where send one letter. In
this age people can't afford to trust to the
slow ocean mails where important matters
are concerned.
SOME STIFF RATES.
"When the cable was opened for business
in 1869 the messages for several weeks did
not exceed daily average of fifty each
way. To-day they average 5000. The |
rate at that time was S. word for ordina-
" messages and so n word for cipher dis
patches. Less than twenty words was not
is, the least message
would be taken for was 500 for plain En-
fish and 5000 in cipher, The United
jtates Government paidAs $4,000 for
Message sent to Paris. 1t related to til
emand that the French troops must leave
Iexican Territory. The Russian Govern
tent sent a number of long messages, for
ne of which, | remember, we got S11 900,
hilc the New York Herald often sent
.blcs that cost $4,000 for transmission.
o-day you can send messages across at %
nts word for as many words as you
&c. We get lots of messages that con-
in only two or three words. Press mat
i is sent at half rates. So you can sec
iat change has come in cabling, and {
nat promises for the futare. !
Sin few years l feel certain that ca o
. will be stretched across the Pacific, con- Il
citing San Francisco with Japan. 1t will !
n from the California coast to the Sand