The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-15
Concerning the Submarine and Land Wires
That GiTdh the Earth
REGULATIONS FOR CABLE MESSAGES
More Than One Hundred thousand Offices In The
Word, OF Which Over Twenty Four thousand
Are In The UnIisd States.

graph have any idea or the extent. or
know anything of the history and be-
ginning of that wonderful achievement
of modern science. nor is IL generally
known that about one-quarter OF the
entire telegraph system of the world is
centered in the United States.
The total length OF the telegraph lines
Of the world Is s3500o miles, including
both sea and land wires. The length OF
their single wires or conductors is over
3,500000 miles, over which are annually
sent more than s65, 900 900 messages, or
an average OF 100000 messages each
day
Sixty-two years have passed since the
first actual telegraph was publically op-
Grated in England, July 25, 1857. Seven
years after the English line was opened
the telegraph was brought into use in
the United States MAY "a, 1S44), by the
opening OF a line between Washington
and Mount Clare Depot In Baltimore.
distance OF 40 miles. Since that date
the electric telegraph covered with
many and varied improvements has be
come a commercial industry, reaching
even beyond the outskirts OF civiliza-
ton, the value OF which, political and
commercial, cannot be estimated. Not
only on the surface of the mainland,
but also I'm the depths of the sea, does
The electric current transmit the
thoughts of men all over the globe.
IL is less than half century since
the first attempt at submarine tele-
graphy was made, and from mere
suttapercio coated wire stretched un-
der the English channel from Dover 10
Calais. August %. 1850, the submarine
conductor OF electricity has developed
into a great cable having "A central cop
per cove, surrounded and protected by
layers OF non-conducting material. and
protected by steel wire wound spirally
about it, and in turn further protected
by waterproof and insect-proof wrap
pings. Almost every ocean and every
sea has stretched under IL one or more
cables through which millions of mes
sages are silently but swiftly trans
mitted. Under the North Atlantic alone
there are no fewer than l6 cables, OF
which 13 are now In working order. OF
these, the American Telegraph and
cable company 0eased by the Western
Inion Telegranh- -conpanyl. owns the
cables. having n length of 5l07 miles:
the Anglo American Telegraph COM
pany five cables. having a length of
lO.22S miles the Direct United States
Gable company, one cable, 1854 miles in
length; the Commercial Gable company.
three cables. length 6s93 miles; the
Compagnie Francaise du Telegraphe de
Paris a New York, one cable, 1882
miles i'm legnth: the Compaignie Fran
caise des Cables Telegraphique, one ca
BILE. $3.50 miles i'm length. The Mediter-
ranean is crossed and recrossed
throughout it's entire, length and
breadth. while the Indian Ocean. the
Red Sea the Caribbean Sea and other
l.
cealed beneath their surface perfect
network of telegraphic wires.
. The first submarine cable was 20 miles
in length. In 1852 ten miles OF cable
was laid between New Brunswick AMI
Prince Edward Island, being the first
laid in North America. In 1853 six sub
marine cables were laid, one between
Dover and Ostend, another between
Drford and Scheyenngen, and four
others connecting England with Ireland
and the continent of Europe.
The first proposal for submarine
telegraph across the Atlantic was made
i'm fS4s. but the real attempt 10 lay a ca
bile was not made until 1857. after the
-ferma t4ef4-ef-tAe Electrical Telegraph
company, who with capital or 81, ,t50.-
COO undertook the laying of "A cable
from Nalenta, Ireland, To Newfound-
land. The steamers Niagara and Aga
ing one half OF the cables length sailed
from Nalentia August e. 1851 After
255 miles had been lad the cable broke
and both vessels were Obliged To re-
turn home. as neither had the appli-
ances necessary for recovering and re-
pairing the wire. In 1858 another ana
successful attemt was made. and ON
August >. 1868. actual communication
between the two continents was estab-
lshcd. After about a month of opera
tion the cable ceased working. and "
was never operated further. In that
short tinic. however. $50 messages of
about 10000 words passed over H.. The
cost of this first Atlantic cable was
si.25G $50. In 1853 submarine cable 20
connect England with British India was
laid through the Red Sea and Arabian
Sea To Kurrachee India having a to-
tal length Of 30i5 nautical miles. but
with several intermediate landings. In
1861 cables were laid between Malta ana
Alexandria and between Malta and
Tripoli. Ia 1885 the Great Eastern
commenced ON July II to lay the second
transatlantic cable. but on August ~
the cable broke. ON Juy u. 1856 the
Great Eastern started on her second
attempt 10 connect Cgnada and Great
Britain. and ON August TO- the cable
was safgely landed on the shores of
Newfoundland The length OF this cable
was 2lSi miles.
From that time the submarine system
of telcgraphs increased rapidly. BY
1'6S. 1850 nautical miles Of cable had
been aid. In 1870 more than ~ 1000 miles
were nut down; III 1Nit. If,f miles. and
in 1888, s.3iN miles. In 1874 EGrope and
south America were connected. In tS15
the third Atlantic .di,ie was laid. and
the construction of cable lines has
steadily progressed until al the present
day the submarine telcsraphs " tho
world nnnber l400. having an asgre-
gate length 90 ic6.auu miles their total
c1si being cntimated 40 s.JpV0o.VoU. aud
tho uumber of nessagcs annually
trnnsmliel over lh-m la llnnt G.nyn.-