The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-03-10
by the committee to which it is re-

| CiuCt NllNu VIC hhNN RNNh Nh1O W.
February 10th, in the passage
through the Senate of the Naval
Appropriation bill, clause was in
serted providing for the survey of
the route between the coast of
California and Hawaii.
We arc not of those who foresee
any very great physical obstacles
in the way. Between the terminal
points, the California Hawaii cable
will be by no means the longest in
successful operation, and at either
end points may be selected which
will compare favorably with the
landings of many of the old cables.
With regard to relative depth,
there is no reason to believe that
any insurmountable difficulty will
be encountered, or that the sudden
decllvities which were met with in
several parts of the Atlantic, will
be met with after once striking
deep water to the eastward and
northward of these islands.
Capt, Belknap in the .. S. S.
Tuscarora found at $500 fathoms
tolerably level telegraphic plateau,
a full report of which sur
vey was published at Wash
ington. and there are ships
and machinery now in existence
capable of laying a cable of say
$500 miles in that depth. Indeed
the greatest depth on the line is
3,1l5, and that only for compare
lively short distance not far
from the Islands, and then
the depth varies, without any
sudden dip, between 1900 and
:, 400, till it shoals on APP
preaching the coast. Every Deep
sea cable that has been laid since
the first successful Atlantic line
has been lighter in proportion to |
its strength than its predecessor,
and the constant improvements in |
both construction of cable and of |
paying out machinery as well as
the great experience gained, render
comparatively easy of solution pro-
blems which, while unsolved thirty
years ago, threatened to forbid for
indefinite period any probability
Of crossing wide oceans at their
greatest depths. Certainly, as re-
CARDS the space which We hope to
see spanned, thorough and ex-
haustive survey is necessary before
4 suitable cable can even be de-
signed. But we believe that in the
present stage of development OF the
science of submarine engineering
hat where there is will there is a
way. In a financial point of view
t is plain that SO expensive an I'M
iertaking cannot support itself, but
must be heavily subsidized. AS
ong as these islands are the west
ward terminus the earnings will
pear but small proportion to the
but when by way of FIJI
,r Samoa connection is made with
Australasia, and so with the whole
world system, the business will be
-ery considerable, and will increase
'apidly with the opening of the
Nicaragua canal.
The south or southwestern por-
ion of the project is more difficult
han that hence to the coast, as
everal soundings of over 5000
athoms have been struck in the
south Pacific by II. B. N. ships
challenger and Egeria, nor Is it
,nown yet whether these great
-epths are avoidable and 1t must
equire much time and money to
scertain this.
On the other hand the induce
nent is very great. Not long ago
9th sytems connecting Australia
With Eastern lines were disa bled
/ the same time, indeed the ca bles
etween Port Darwin and Java are
lngularly liable to accident.
'Ables hence to Japan and Hong
ong are within the bounds of pos
Utility, but let US hope for and
sslst by every means in cur power