The morning call., 1893-01-15
A TRANS-PACIFIC CABLE.

The bill just introduced into the Senate
by Morgan IF Alabama and into the House
By McCreary OF Kentucky to encourage the
laying of irans-Pacifc cable does not
contemplate any subsidy TO the enterprise.
but merely proposes 10 revive the charter
granted to Moreno in 1876 and forfeited for
Noncompliance with its conditions. 1t
would seem that more substantial grantor
than that person might easily be found.
He processes now to rely for thu money
needed upon private capitalists. some Of
whom he expects to find in China, Japan
and Hawaii.
Attention has lately been drawn to the
subject OF trans-Pacifc cables by the pro-
posaI of the Canadian Government to sub
sdize line from Vancouver to Australia.
and by the contract which is reported to
have been made by some Of the Australian
colonies with French company for a cable
from a point in Queensland to Fiji and
Samoa, aud It is possible that his expecta-
tions may not be disappointed.
The general notion In this country is that
we want cable to Japan and China more
than one to Australia. Our trade with Aus
tralia is much smaller than our trade with
Asia, and the population of the former is
increasing so slowly that our commercial
exchanges cannot grow very rapidly. And
again, we are almost without information
regarding tie bed of the Pacific between
the Hawaiian Islands and Brisb ane. A
hasty survey was made by Captain Miller
Of the. TuscaTora in 1876. and soundings
were taken at distances Of about one hum
dred miles; the greatest depth was found TO
be 344S fathoms. But, from rough obser-
walton of the soundings it seemed that the
bed of the ocean was scanned with ranges
of nearly parallel submarine mountains
probably with sharp SUBMITS and jagged
edges, which would interpose serious OBJ
stscles to the maintenance of submarine
cable without extraordinary outlays for re-
pairs
For an ocean cable between San Fran
c!a 20 and Japan two routes have been con-
sidered. The northerly route, as traced by
Admiral Belknap, starts from Puget Sound,
crosses the Gulf of Alaska TO the Aleutian
chain, skirts that chain to Attu. the west
ernmost island, crosses the mouth Of Boring
Sea to Petropaulovski and turns southerly
along the Kuriles and the coast Of Yesso and
Dai Nippon to Yokohama. The trouble
with this line is that at the mouth Of Boring
Sea depths of $500 and 1900 fathoms are en-
countered, and the difficulty of hauling up a
broken cable through four or FIVE miles of
water can be appreciated.
The other route runs from San Francisco
TO Honolulu. This portion Of the route has
been carefully surveyed aud presents no
difficulties. From Honolulu the cable would
run to Port Lloyd in the Bonins. distance
of about 1900 miles. A TASTY survey of this
route was made by the Tuscarora, and it
was found that while the bed OF the ocean
was badly broken, submarine mountains
being encountered which rose from 1000 to
II, 800 feet from the bottom. no sounding
showed a greater depth than 32S7 fathoms,
three and tbree-quarters miles. Ii the sides
Il the mountains are sloping the LAYING and
9intenance Of a cable would encoun ter
insurmouniabe obstacle. From Port
sd to Yokohama the distance is about
miles. and the depth Of water is moder-
until the trough which lies south Of the
Anese islands is reached. Here depths
90 and 2435 fathoms are found, but they
not be fatal. 1t will be seen that the
serious problem which would have to
we'd would be the feasibility of cross
e submarine mountains between Homo
md Port Lloyd.
we are all agreed that trans-Pacifc
ought TO be laid is would seem that
first thing in order would be to survey
part of the route as thoroughly as the
from this port to Honolulu has been
ID. The Albatross has now COM
ner work on this coast and would be
pose. Captain Tanner
business, and he could
Of nsxi~summer. fur