The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-12-12

practicable, since it is the one thai
viii require q minimum length oi
cable in passing over an even bottom
consisting Of soil which is favorable
for its protection and preservation
avoiding submarine mountains and
volcanic regions where substances
exercising an injurious chemical ac-
ton on the covering of the cable are
likely to exist and where future con
vulsions may cause its destruction
Here, then, we find everything
favoring the laying of the cable in q
direct line from Oahu to Monterey
Bay, distance of 2098 miles, on an
ocean bed specially prepared by
nature for this very purpose, and al
an expense of half a million dollars
less than via Vancouver. In every
physical, commercial and financial
aspect that we may view this great
undertaking, the short AID direct
route to San Francisco presents
many advantages, which no business
man nor statesman should overlook
or ignore.
More than twenty years ago the
late Admiral Porter, in letter to
Cyrus w. Field, referred to this mat
ter in the following memorable Ian
gusge:
sHonolulu is bound to be the prin-
cipal stopping place between China
on1 q r1Oipf Of
importance to American commerce,
especially if the Sandwich Islands be-
come, as 1 have no doubt they ulti-
mately will, part of the United
States. We could not afford to let so
important an outpost fall into the
hands of any European power, and we
must, therefore, of necessity, absorb it
into the Union, as we have been in
vited to do on several occasions"
Quite recently the Chicago Tribune
said:
"As TO Hawaii, that is recognized
as q necessity in the laying of the
cable line. 1t is the center from
which other cables will run to China,
Japan and other points in the Pacific.
Ii is the key to the whole system. 1t
is noticeable that Australian protest
has arisen against making New Cali
donia station on the line, because it
would render the line useless to Great
Britain and her colonies in case of
war. How much greater would be the
strategic importance of Hawaii in that
respect? With Hawaii an American
possession, we would have our hand
On fba lrar ond nur aor q Z fba oOunda,.
of the entire Pacific cable system.
The moral is to lay the line between
here and Honolulu, and then annex
Hawaii. We will then have command
OF the post and commercial routes as
well as the telegraphs of the Pacific,
and, sitting at the crossing of the
ways, can dominate the whole ocean"
In a recent Australian paper We
ind seme statements regarding he
cost of a cable from Australia to the
American coast, furnished by Sir
Audley Coote, a gentleman who has
been for several years identified with |
this project:
1.-THE cable from Queensland to New |
Caledonia has beenlaid by the Societe |
Franchise des Telegraphes Sous-Ma-
rims, company carrying on business
in Paris, and represented in Australia |
by Mr.. Audley Coote, M.L.C., of Tas-
mania. The announced object of this
company is to lay cable from Aus
tralia to North America by the fol-
lowing route: From Queensland to
New Caledonia, thence by Fiji, Samoa,
Island, and Honolulu to San
Francisco or Vancouver. Either of
the two last named places to be de-
cided upon by the Australian Govern
nents.
Definite proposals were made to
.he Government of New South Wales
IN March, 1892, by Mr.. Coote, who
wrote 1T is found to be absolutely
necessary that q guarantee of el2,000
year must be secured to satisfy the
The approximate cost
20 complete the main cable is about
$4,000, ,0OO), upon which
; sum equal to per cent. guarantee
will be most likely asked, which
means about eS0,000 (S400,0O0) a year,
If which Canada has promised to give
ler share in proportion to population,
ind the Government of Hawaii has
passed 8 special Act of Parliament,
irving as her share an absolute SUBJ
iidy of e5000 a year. The King of
samoa has given the absolute right
or landing cables into and out of that
and we have every reason
o believe that England and Germany
will assist on behalf of that place to-
wards a guarantee. The authorities
4 Fiji have recommended and asked
hat the Imperial Government give
5000 year, and the last Congress of
be United States of America gave
5000 towards completing the survey
rom San Francisco to Honolulu,
which was finished several months
go.'
"Mr. Coote makes the following
tatement Of the distances in nautical
niles (allowing per cent. for slack
o be trayersed by the Gables: C
: