The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-08-03
SCRYNSER TALKS CABLE.
TELLS or THE COST or THEIR
MAINTENANCE.
Life OF Submarine Cable Is Only
Twenty Difficulty of Cutting
Them.

NEW YORK, July 23.-Thc New
York Evening Post publishes "A long
interview with james \. Scrymser,
the president of the Central and
South American Telegraph Company,
and the head of the Pacific Cable
Company, on the proposed cable from
California to Hawaii.
THE importance of Pacific cable
is now in some measure realized by
the government, thanks to recent
happenings IN the Far East, brought
about by the war with Spain, and
there appears to be great probable
ity that the necessary action author
izing the cable will be taken by Con-
gress. 1t would seem that there GER
tainly should be no hesitation when
the opportunity is now offered the
government of commanding such inn
portant communication to be estab-
lished absolutely without risk to it.
self, and at such comparatively small
outlay for the advantages to be gain
ed. All that is asked of the govern
ment is to grant to this company the
right to lay a cable from the Pacific
coast to Hawaii. and to pay 100000
year for twenty years, in return for
which the company is to transmit
gratuitously forever the official mes
sages of the government. Personally,
] am of the opinion that these terms
are excessively favorable to the gov
eminent, and that the Bennett bill
before Congress ought to be amend
ed so that after the expiration of
the twenty years the government
would pay at least half rates, or press
rates. All South American countries
pay such rates for official messages,
and why should not the United States
do SO? However, the opportunity to
get this service perpetually for moth
ing after twenty years is now open to
this country.
ut is generally not understood
what the risks involved in cable laying
and maintaining are. How many per-
sons know that four Atlantic cables
have been abandoned on account of
old age, and that each of them cost
$4,000,000? Nor had they been in
operation over twenty years. That
period is supposed to be the life of
cable. Some, however, last much
! longer. The cable out of Santiago for
instance, which has been cut 50 many
times, and which apparently has
more lives than a cat-the last strand
| having been cut by our cruisers re-
peatedly without in any way interior
! ing with the working of twas laid
by me in 1869.
eff" continued Mr.. Scrymser. di-
crossing for a moment, "recent histo-
nv could be told about the cable and
others in West Indian waters, it
would be astounding. The United
States was totally unprepared for ca
bic operations. | gave the govern
ment full information concerning all
the cable lines in West Indian waters,
but apparently very little good has
come of it. To cut a cable effectually
is an art which seems to have been
totally unknown to our cable cutting
cruisers. To cut a deep sea cable, its
exact location and that of all its
branches must be known. Our cut
ting always appears to have been at
the wrong end. We have seemed to
think that it was perfectly effectual
to cut cable wherever we could pick
it up. That is a great mistake.
"To return to the risk of maintain
ing cable. The cable across the At
lantic of one of the companies was
interrupted for over a year, and was
finally recovered and repaired at a
cost of $5O0,OO0, Notwithstanding that
the point of injury was not more than
700 miles off the coast of Newfound-
land. Now, naturally, the repair of
a cable in the Pacific would be apt to
be vastly more difficult and expensive.
on account of its greater distance
from the base of operations. From
1
be freed by entering into the pro-
posed contract with our company.
Yet there are those who advocate the
cable being constructed by the gov
eminent.