Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-26
COST OF CABLE MESSAGES.
$e.35 N Word 10 Manila--S1.0S to
Curacao.
(New York SUM-

(New York SUM-
The many cable lines and the resultant
competition have brought the cost Of
communication between New York and
London down To a fairly low figure, 25
cents per word. but when one tries TO
reach more remote parts of the world,
where the line is controlled by single
government. or company, or where there
Is little business TO support it, the cost
OF sending messages amounts TO alarming
figures. To send ten words from New
York 10 Manila, for instance, costs $3.50,
or S210 per word beyond London. This
Is the commercial rate. Newspaper dis
patches 20 for about half this sum, but,
even so, the cost Of bringing column
OF news from the Philippines amounts up
TO nearly four figures. Even from a
point so near as Curacao, which became
for q short time the centre Of news IN
terest. the commercial rate by the cheap
est route is $l9S. These two samples
will give a fair intimation Of the i'm
mense sums being expended by the news
papers in gathering information about
the war. -
IL may seem at first thought that $3.50
Is a large sum 10 pay for sending a SIN
gle word from New York TO the Phlllp-
pines. but when one reflects that sucn
message travels 10000 miles, and thar u
must be received and transmitted over
score OF different lines or branches, ne -
more likely TO come TO the conclusion
that II IS very cheap. all things cohS'ueI-
ed From New York the cablegram goes
first 10 Halifax. and from there by an
other loop 20 Hearts Content, Newiound-
land. where IT dives beneath the Allahuc
10 reappear on the coast of Ireland ana
10 again forwarded to London, which Is
the great centre Of cable and telesrapRic
communication for the whole world.
From London to the East there are two
Great routes. The first via either the
Eastern or Indo-European Company
lines. will take the message across the
channel aud overland 70 Marseilles, or py
the all-water course around the spanish
peninsula, stopping at lAsboni heh1e
through the Mediterranean 70 Alexandra
,cross Tgypt by land down the Red Sea
"a Alden. through the Arabian Sea 10 Bonn
bav. over India by land, across the Bay
~ bengal TO Singapore. along the coast
20 uongkong, and across the China sea
70 Manila.
the other route from London Is even
1,.nger aud covers a much greater part or
the tourney by land. 1t takes the mes
sage from London by the lines of the
Great Northern Company across Russia
and Siberia 10 NladiVOstock, ana thehee
across the China coast TO HongkonS.
In IT'S long voyage, occupying from
three 90 twenty-four hours, according.
10 It's urgency. the message has crossed
or skirted a score OF countries, repre-
sentng almost az many different ma
tionaltles. and yet the sender may rest
assured that IL will be transmitted with
promptness and secrecy and at a fixed
and known charge. This assurance Is
provided by the Bureau of international
'felegraphs, which has headquarters at
Perne, Switzerland. 1t was inauguratcd
thnty years ago for the purpose OF col
ltCting. arranging. and publishing inform
alton" ION this subject, regulating ae-
counts. and guaranteeing the interest %
senders and receivers. II brought order
out OF the chaos previously enyeoping
International communication by wire. and
mas made II possible - cable 20 any
part OF the world as suy as one sends
q telegraph message fom his Office 20
his hone.
ihe question OF cable cutting is one that
"~S '''esiFsd considerable attention since