The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
cAnLE eIRpLE ABour TEE EARrH
Sir Sanford Fleminp's Proposed system 60
Connect the British Empire.

Connect the British Empire.
OTTAWA, Dec. 1O.-eir Sanford Fleming OF
Ottawa recently addressed n letter to the Right
Hon. Joseph Chamberlain on the subject Of a
State system OF electric cables for the British
empire to circle the earth. The Pacific cable.
he says, would serve the purpose OF trade be-
tween Australasia and Canada, but these coun-
tries are debarred from establishing tele-
graphic connection with Hong Kong by an
agreement with the Eastern Extension Tele-
graph Company. excluding Canada and the,
Southern colonies from that port. Sir Sanford adj
mits that the proposal for the establishment OF a
Pacific cable would undoubtedly interfere with
the rich monopoly OF the Eastern Extension
Company, but he holds that no private COM
pany should be allowed TO stand in the way
when great imperial interests are at stake.
He lays II down az essential to the imperial
cable service that none Of the lines shall touch
foreign soil. and that they shall be placed so az
to avoid shallow seas. more especially those
seas IN proximity to any country likely Mt any
time to prove unfriendly. He thus describes
the imperial teleRrnphic circuit Of the globe:
Beginning at Vancouver. the cable would cross
the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia from
Australia the main line would cross the Indian
Ocean to South Africa; from South Africa It
would traverse the Atlantic to Canada. where II
would connect with the transatlantic lines.
such a system would constitute q base for CON
R RSStl csar fiHsry ms 81 td shS RiE1sif and PGSSf siss SRs
intelligenee at the disposal OF the Government.
mid-ocean station at flaming Island. a second
e. the Ell I ISLANDS ,;Iao,5h1dir third d. ntNorfolk Island a.
sasfoFn oSSas e f1 Australia zsHPiIsn From anf kf Gfse de to ses
la ilSu The OF ca fI@e w SShsr e e9tend n to Ue coeos 4 fsisnd.
thence to Mauritius and thence TO Natal and
Cocos would become an important teleRraphic
connecting Singapore by a branch cable. Singa-
pore Is aIready IN competition with Hong Kong
hy an nll.British cable via Labuan. and the
twelve month"; notice to the Eastern Extension
Company. India could. be reached by a branch
ceyion. At Nautilus a connection would be
formed with the existing cable to Seychelles.
In order to avoid the shallow seas along the
vest coasts Of Africa, Spain. Portugal and
France. IL is proposed that a cable should ex-
at st. Helena. Ascension. and Barbados as
mtdoeean stations. AZ Bermudaa connection
would be formed with the existing cable to
HALIFAX. and at thnt point with the Canadian
Sir Sanford Fleming estimates the distances
9.1O0 knots; Atlantic Ocean. 5000 Knots:
total, 22.S50 knots: He estimates the costlat
Their says: ~ have long advocated the first
division. OF the proposal-the establishment of
a cable from Candidate Australasia.as. a State
ner Of an all British telegraph system embrace
ing nm the set KaSls e ebaf re- pssi = state ate un nnn1d KIM
as 1t so proved. the cable. extension to South
Africa and India would follow. = =" That a
situation. l am firmly convinced. Exhaustive
examinations have proved its practicability."