The record-union., 1898-05-14
NEWS BY CABLE.
LINES OVER WHICH THE WAR
MESSAGES ARE RECEIVED.
Interesting Information for Those
Who Wish to Keep Posted
on the War.

I
BILE routes news is received in this Of
fee of operations in the Philippines and
in the West Indies knowledge of the
routes will do much to render under
standing clear concerning the dates
and places Of dispatch, for not always
is the news dated at the place of orig
nation.
From Europe we have as the main
lines of service in the North Atlantic
three cables from the British Isles lead
ing to New York and Boston by way of
Halifax. Two lines branching lead to
Boston, one to New Brunswick, and
from Halifax one leads direct to Ber-
muda, thence to Turks Island, thence
through the passage between Cuba and
Hayti to Kingston in Jamaica. There
is also direct line from Kingston to
Aspinwall, and two lines from Kings
ton to San Juan, on the north side of
Porto Rico, and Ponce on the south
shore of the same island.
A line also leads from Kingston to
Santiago de Cuba, thence along the
south Cuban shores to Cienfuegos,
thence to Havana by cable and land
From Havana to Key West there are
four lines; and from Key West to Pun
|
there are four lines of wire in subma-
| rine cable.
From Cape Haitien, Hayti, a subma-
rine line leads to Puerto Plata, San Do
mingo, thence to Martinique, thence to
Paramaribo and the Brazilian and Ar
gentine States generally, and relates
to all South American independencies.
From the south shore of San Domingo,
| o;%x Ia f1o q
leads direct to Curacao, and relates to
Venezuela generally and French and
British colonies on the north shores of
South America.
From San Juan Porto Rico, and from
Ponce. Porto Rico, cables lead to the
islands ST. Thomas and st. Croix. That
Handed at st. Thomas leads southeast
erly to ST. kits, thence to Antigua,
IGuadeloupe, Galante, Dominica, Mar
Unique, St. Lucia, st. Vincent, Grenada,
and the island of Trinidad, off the coast
of Venezuela A line leads also direct
from ST. Croix. near st. Thomas, to
Trinidad. and from the latter island two
lines extend southwardly and easterly
to the States of the South American
continent.
From the island of ST. Vincent dou-
BILE line extends by cable to Barbados.
From the east coast of Florida at Ju-
piter. a. cable runs to the English isle
of Nassau. Now by taking map OF
the region indicated, pencil-tracing will
enable any one to lay down all these
lines between the points named. Near
lly all the lines are controlled by Eng
IIish companies and the English Gov
lernment. and any disturbance of them
will land the offender in trouble with
England Besides, there are treaties
protecting most of the cables laid.
The lines connecting Punta Rassa
Fla. with Key West and Havana and
New York with Hayti are American
the direct line from Puerto Plata, Hay
ii to Martinique is French, and all the
rest are English. Spain does not pos
sess an inch Of cable in the Western
Hemisphere.
The Punta Rassa-Havana line has
been cut by the Spaniards. That Will
of course. make direct communicates
impossible between Cuba and Florida
but an American who may desire te
send a. dispatch, and finds himself any
where near CienfuegoS or Santiago de
C11ba. can send cable message over
the cuba. Submarine Telegraph Com
pany's line to Kingston, Jamaica, ano
thence it will be transmitted over the
direct cable to Halifax, Nova Scotla
and from there to the United States
When the base Of operations is any
where near Porto Rico, dispatches
will have to be sent from ST. Thomas
which is Danish territory, to Kingston
and thus the United States can pe
reached. This can be done, however
only if the Spanish authorities DO no
interfere with the cable which touches
Porto Rico at San Juan. They coule
Inherent the message there, and in tha'
avent the means of communicates
would be made vastly more difficult.
disnatch would have to be sent to Mar
tinioue. and thence over the tTencn In'
TO Puerto Plata and Cape Hayteil
where the American cable to New foff
beeins This latter, in the opinion o.
cable experts could not easily De cut
as it lies very deep, and IS extremely
: difficult to find unless exact maps arr
obta:nable, and. Of course, the maps ar'
: in the hands of the owners only.
But should even this line be cut pA
the Spaniards, there is still announcer Wa.
. of sending a message-namely, from %
Thomas to Martinique, and thence Wa
: the Paramaribo line to Rio de Janelro
or Pernambuco, where connections VIII
. the European line across Soutn Allanei
> waters could be made. The Parainarlo'
line is. however, seldom used in trans
mitting messages from st, Thomas, ane
would be pressed into cervice only II
case of extreme necessity,
: News from any engagement held any
} where near the Bahamas can easily o
obtainable by the short cable Whici
a rms from Nassau to Jupiter, Fla, con
, trolled by an English company. Wher
ever. therefore. the navies OF the t"'
countries may meet, it is thought Una
4 no difficulty will be encountered
{ transmitting intelligence TO the peopl
! of the United States and Europe. IL
: however, the American fleet sails IL
;. the Cape Verde Islands, or the Caharles
the Spaniards will be in better posi-
ton to control the wires.
The direct cable from Rio de Janelf
D to Lisbon, though an Engllsn hhe
e gees directly through both the Cap
Verde Islands and the Canaries. IL Wli
not be necessary for the Spaniards {
cut the cables, but they can merel,
hold UP the ends of the wires whereve
they strike their territory, and Inu
delay communication. There is oni
r one other cable line that runs throug
Y the Canary Islands, and that is iron
{ ST Louis, Senegal. From the latte
q port to Tejita, in the Canaries, the In
is in the hands of an English company
but from Tejita TO Cadiz it is a SPANS
Government line.
The only means of communicate
:, available in the event of hostilities i
tba vicinity of tha CanarieS or Cap