Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06
SPARKS TO eIRpLE THE EARTH.
Cable Across the Pacidc Ocean-wonders
1t Will Accomplish.

1 oC00n-"
1t Will Accomplish.
WHEN PUCK OFFERED TO PUT A
w girdls round the earth in forty min
utes" he was very far from realizing that at .
later day such a performance would be re-
garded as very inferior time. Before very long
there viii be . continuous belt Of telegraph
WIRE encircling the world, so that one will
actually be able to send a dispatch to himself
around the terrestrial planet This is to be
| accomplished by simply laying q cable across
the Pacific ocean. Large subsidies are at
present being sought from Congress by
people who consider that line Of electric COM
munication between SanF Francisco and Honolulu
would be profitable, particularly to themselves
Another company, however. now In process Of
organization, is being got together by Mr.
homyn Hitchcock for the purpose Of putting
down cable all the way from this continent to
China, without asking any pecuniary aid from
the government.
COST OF rRASs-PAcIFTc CABLE.
mr.. Hitchcock has been in China for more
tnan year In the interest of the worlds fair at
onicago. Incidentally he has picked up lot
OF information relating to the possibilities of
pront, DC, for trans-P Pacific cable He finds
that Sl0, 100000 would establish the plant, al
lowing one-half of this amount for the mere
cost G OF the big wire itself. telegram from
hong hong to New York has now to travel by
way OF Europe 1884, 900 miles under water and 700
mics over land, costing S2.25 q word. The
same business could be done by the proposed
nhe at the rate of 81 word. This great re-
oucuon would necessarily withdraw a large
amount OF traffic from the hands of the old
companies and turn it over to the new one
THE TELEGRAPH FROM CHINA
to the United States is at present.in the hands
OF British concerns. Its route is by way Of
India. Surprising that there were trouble with
England. that government might prevent the
passage of any kilograms between this country
ana ASIA, which would be extremely awkward.
For tins reason 1t is urged that there should be
means OF communication controlled here.
Inc saving 20 American merchants would be
considerable. and the facilities would likewise
De OF service to Chinese merchants at seven
teen ports. all Of which will be connected with
the trans-Faclfic wire. For diplomatic corre-
spondence 1t would be invaluable.
TO TOUCH HONOLULU.
Tho wire would certainly travel by way Of
Honolulu, which is 2.0S6 miles from San Fran
cisco In a straight line. From Honolulu it is
proposed that it shall go to Yokohama, Japan;
thence to Nagasaki by land and from Nagasaki
under water 500 miles to Hong Kong. Sound
ln8s recently completed. in addition to those
u,
the character Of the bottom pretty well known
The Tuscarora came across a huge mountain
under the sea about 900 miles from San Fran
clsco-three miles high and with half a mile Of
water flowing over it; but the late inyestiga-
tons show that this tremendous peak can be
avoided by laying the cable few miles farther
to the north.
THE CABLE
The cable required weighs little over a ton
to the mile and cost $3.50 per mile. 1t is about
an inch in diameter. the central core being
bundle Of twisted copper wires one-eighth of an
inch through. Around this is gutta percha,
wound with hemp and finally with steel wire
mus II Is 80 strong that a break is a very rare
occurrence. When such a thing happens it is
usually near shore, and is caused by chatting
upon rocks in the shadows. In the depths
Of the ocean it will lie for centuries without
suffering any injury. Corrosion cannot attack
II, the big carnivorous fishes of the black deem
are not disposed to interfere with il and the
moilusks which cover it with an incrusted mass
serve to further protect it. Simply BY the
resistance to the current of electricity
the operator on land can locate a fault in the
cable as far out as z, 600 miles within quarter
OF mile. SO that ship go straight to the
spot and rake up the broken or injured wire
from the bottom. This work at great depths is
necessarily difficult, but is made comparatively
easy by most ingenious form of grapple,
which will not hold anything smaller and Will
not catch anything larger than the cable for
which it is dragged
THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
1t Is easily remembered what q storm Of
ridicule assailed Cyrus W. Field when he es-
saved the stretching of the first cable across
the Atlantic. The notion was generally de-
clared impracticabls and absurd. There are
now ten wires crossing that ocean, and
no ono imagines that there would be any seri-
Gus difficulty in spanning the vastly wider
Pacific In similar fashion. Before long the
thing will doubtless be accomplished and a
spark conveying intelligence will literally
girdle the earth. not in forty minutes, but
In fraction of q second. kilograms will
doubtless be flashed by British merchants from
London to Hong Kong by way of the United
States and beneath two great oceans The idea
Is very picturesque altogether. Modern inyen-
ton has brought all mankind into such close
mutual contact as to go far toward establishing
universal human brotherhood.