New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30
TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.
FULLY 1.OOO.OoO MILES OF WIRE DAILY
BEARING THE HOPES AND FEARS
OF THE NATroN-75,OOO.OO 900 MES
SAGES A YEAR.
HOW PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGES AND NEWS FROM
ELECTIONS ARE FLASHED ABoUT-cHEAPEN-
ING OF CABLE MEssAGEs-YEARLY RE-
cErPrs APPROACH CLOSE TO sc5-
100000 CABLE COMPANY
EXTENSIONS.

EXTENSIONS.
New-York Is the telegraph centre of the coun.
try. Through the mechanism here employed the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts are put In communi.
cation with each other. and the shores OF the
Gulf Of Mexico kept in touch with the bor-
ders Of tho Canadian wilderness. The intermedi-
ate distributing centres though seemingly inde-
pendent. are not really so. Their operations are
all planned. and every detail is dictated at the
controlling centre.
The advantages Of this centralized co-ordina-
ton manifold. though not always taken into
consideration. II. for example. there were differ
ent companies north. west, south and east. the
resulting transference Of messages from one to
the other would involve so much loss Of time and
great an increase OF expense that the efflcien-
cy Of the telegraph would be seriously impaired.
Any whose experience goes far enough back
to afford a comparison Of the delay and expense
attendant on telegraphing even short distances.
thirty years ago with the celebrity and cheapness
of the long-distance service to-day realize
how much the country owes to New-York for IT.
means Of communication.
The growth Of the business testifes to the popu-
lar appreciation Of the concurrent increase Of IA
clities and decrease Of rates. Thirty years ago
there were less than 5000 telegraph offices. and
little than $4,000 miles OF wire strung
throughout the length and breadth OF these Unit
ed States. In 1896 there were in round numbers
900 offices and 100000 miles Of wire The
number Of messages annually handled thirty
years ago was 5.s792S2 to-day it is over 75,-
100000 The average cost Of a message to tho
sender at that day was 104.7 cents; the average
cost to-day is 800 cents The cost to the COM
pany Of sending a message then more than
twice what 1t 8 to-dav to the sender
There two companies dividing between
them the business Of the country. the Western
Union Telegraph Company and the Postal Tele-
graph Cable Company. The former Is over
thirty. and the latter only thirteen years old.
Each has its own cable connections with Europe.
the West Indies and South America. The West
ern Union connects with the Anglo-American
Telegraph Company which has five cables the
Direct United States Cable Company with one
! cable. and the American Telegraph and Cable
Company. with two cables. The latter company Is
leased by the Western Union. The Anglo-Ameri.
can cables run from Valentia. the coast Of Ire.
land, TO Cape Breton. One cable from Valentia
runs through the English Channel to Emden,
Germany. On this side Of the ocean short cables
run from Cape Breton to Duxbury. Mass, where
they connect with the land lines
The Direct United States Cable Company's
cable runs from Ballinskelligs. Ireland to Hail.
TAX nova Scotla, ana thence to Rye Beach, N. H.
The American cables ere laid from Penzance on
the coast OF Cornwall. to Canso. Nova Scotia. and
are there connected with two cables belonging 70
the Western Union Company. which land at
| Coney Island. and are continued by underground
wires directly into the central cable office at No.
| 10 Broad-st All the termini Of these cables arc
| connected by direct land wires with that Office
but they are so connected that they can be served
, by the Coney Island and other short cables and
| make an interruption Of the service impossible.
For several years the uniform cable rate has be
% cents per word, and the business is steadil,
! growing.
The international telegraphic service for the
| different markets is wonderfully systematized
| and the transactions made, say between tha
| Cotton Exchange In New Orleans and the Cotton
| Exchange in Liverpool, between the Stock Ex-
| change in London and the Stock Exchange
| in New-York. between the Produce Exchange
| in Chicago. the Produce Exchange in New-York
| and the Produce Exchange IN Mark Lane, Lon
| don, almost easily as between mouth and
| mouth. The difference Of time between the two
hemispheres making the business hours so short
! acts as tremendous spur apart from the zeal
of the companies. to reduce time and promote
| the efficiency Of the service. When 1t is -emem.
| bered that the results Of the Derby and of tho
| oxford Cambridge boat race were known in
New-York within few seconds of the finish Of
| the races. it almost eliminates the question Of
| time from this wonderful means Of communica-
| ton.
| The Western Union Company has direct cable
| communication with Cuba and the entire group
of West India islands. II also connects with the
| Mexican and Central and South American Tele-
| graph Companys lines at Galveston, establish
! ing direct communication through Mexico with
| the west coast Of South America. and across the
/, Andes with Buenos Ayres and the Argentine.
| II is not uncommon for messages to b. sent b.
II [N'SsaaAIhalkz -; q 81