The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-05
OCEAN CABLES i'm TIME OF WAR.

10 the Direct United States. one TO the
French Atlantis and two TO the American
Telegraph and cafse Company. which Is
operated in connection with the Western
Union.
what ~ Costs to Use Cables.
The many lines and tire resultant
competition have brought the cost OF
communica ion between New York and
London down - a fairly .ow figure.
g cents per word. but when one tries
20 reach more remote parts Of the world.
where the line rs controlled by = sing.e
government or company, or where there
l. little business 10 support 4. the cost
OF sending messages amounts up 20 alarm
ing figures To send ten words from
New York 70 Manila. for instance. costs
the modest amount OF <sAsa. or & " per
word beyond London. This is the COM
n1ereiaI rate; newspaper dispatches 20
for about half this sum. but even so. the
cost OF bringing a co.umn OF fews from
the Philippines mounts up TO nearly four
figures Even from a point SO near as
the island of Curacao. which became for
a short time the center Of news interest.
the commercial rate by the cheap pest route
Is sl-9s. These two samples viii give
fair in;imation Of the immense sums be-
ing expended by the newspapers in gath
ering information about the war.
II may seem at first thought that
SIS Is large sum TO pay FOR sending
a 'signle word from New York 10 the
Philippines. but when one reflects that
such a message travels - 600 miles. ard
that il must be received and trans
mitted over a score OF different lines
or branches. he IS more likely TO come
TO the conclusion that IL is very cheap.
al things considered From New York
the cablegram gees first 10 Halifax. and
from there. by another loop, 10 Hearts
beneath the Atlantic 10 reappear on the
coast Of Ireland and again be forwarded
TO London. which is the great center
of cable and teIegraphic communication
for the whole world. From London to
the East there are two great routes.
The first. via either the Eastern or
Indo- European Conpany's lines, will take
the message across the channe; and over
land 10 Marseiiles. or by the aii-water
course around the Spanish peninsula,
stopping at Lisbon; thence through the
Mediterranean TO Alexandria, across
Egypt by land. down the Red sea to
Alden, through the Arabian sea to Bonn
bay. over India by land. across the bay
OF Bengal TO Singapore, along the coast
to Hongkong and across the China sea TO
Manila.
The other route from London Is even
longer and covers a much greater part
OF the journey by land. 1t takes the
message from London by the lines of
the Great Northern Company across Rus
STA and Siberia to Viadivustok. and thence
along the China coast TO Hongkong.
In its long voyage, occupying from
three TO twenty-four hours according TO
its urgency, the message has crossed or
sk.rted a score OF countries representing
almost as many different nationaiities.
and yet the sender may rest assured that
II viii he transmitted with promptness
and secrecy. and AT a fixed and known
charge. This assurance is provided by the
bureau OF International telegraphs which
has Its headquarters at Berne, Switzer-
land. 1t WAS inaugurated thirty years ago
for theAplIrpose 81 collecting. arranging
ana p1biishing Information" on this sub
ject. regulating accounts, and guarantee
ing the interests of senders and receivers.
II brought order out of the chaos previous
ly enveloping International communica-
ton by wire. and has made Il possible IN
cable to any part Of the world as easily
az one sends telegraph message from his
office 10 his home.
Across the Naval seat of War.
The West Indies and the islands OF the
Caribbean sea. the scene of the principal
nayai operations Of the present war are