The times., 1899-03-09

waterproof material, and in turn COW
cred and protected by eighteen iron wirss
wound spirally about this core. This cab.e
proved permanent success and went into
general operation shortly after its con-
struction. The speed of transmission,
which, on the Atlantic cable and shorter
submarine lines, had been three words
per minute. was brought up to ten words
per minute on each separate section, but
was only three words per minute when
all the sections were united and operated
as single line of 1881 miles.
4 Mediterranean Failure.
lS62-A submarine cable which had been
laid across the Mediterranean Sea between
France and Algeria in 1861 proved com
plete failure after a few months of expert
ment.
INSTRUMENTATION of cable line to
connect India with England. undertaken
by the Indian government, the line TO be
laid through the Arabian Sea and Persian
Gulf to connect with land lines, thence
TO Calais and by the short submarine line
under the British Channel to Eng and.
The submerged line in the Arab..n Sea
and the Persian Gulf had total length
of $50 miles but with three intermediate
landing places. This line consisted of a
copper core surrounded by layers of gutta
percha alternated with other non-con-
Quoting and waterproof material, being
protected by an outer sheathing OF u gal
vaniZed iron wires wound spirally about
it, which in turn were protected by dou-
BILE wrappings of tarred hemp yarn. All
of these materials and the various seq
tions of the cable were constantly and
thoroughly tested electrically and other
wise during its construction. The line
when laid proved a complete success, be-
coming the first successful telegraphic
connection between England and India.
1865 Another attempt made by Cyrus
W. Field. of the United States, and his
associates in the United States and Eng
land to lay submarine telegraph cable
from Nalentia. Ireland, to Newfoundland
and the United States. The cable, for
which the contract price was $3,GG0.00O
partly in cash and partly in shares of the
company, consisted of seven copper wires
surrounded by numerous coatings of gutta
perCba and other waterproof material non
conductors. This was in turn surrounded
by ten Bessemer steel wires, this being the
first use OF steel wires for cable protection,
each wire being separately wound with
pitch soaked hemp yarn, the shore ends
being also further protected by thirty-siX
heavy iron wires wound spirally about the
completed cGble. The steamer Great East
ern, then the largest steamship adoat, was
specially fitted up .or laying this cable.
Great care was exercised in every particu-
lar but after 1856 miles had been laid
westward from Nalentia. the cable broke
in water eve" IL 600 fert deep. and the at
tempts to recover it were unsuccessful.
The CrowninG Success.
1S66-Mr. Field and his associates re-
newed their efforts TO lay a cable across
the Atlantic. new company with $1,000,
900 capital was formed with the double
purpose of attempting TO find the end Of
the cable partially laid in 1865 and com
plete the line. and also to lay another
cable parallel with and near to il. The
cable manufactured for the proposed new
line was similar TO that of 1865. The Great
Eastern was remodeled TO further meet
the requirements of the work, and left
Nalentia, Ireland, July Is, 1866, paying
out the cable in a line about twenty-five
miles north of that followed in the preced-
ing year. She safely arrived at Newfound-
land in fourteen days from the date of leav-
ing Valentia, and electricatacommunicat
was Immediately established between the
United States and England which has
never since been more than temporarily
interrupted. The Great Eastern then re-
turned TO the spot where the cable was
lost in 1865, and after eighteen days work
succeeded in bringing the end on board
from a depth of over IL 600 feet the tests
Immediately made showing il to be in per-
/ fecting working connection with the Nalen-
tia end. a splice was made and the laying
of the line toward Newfoundland resumed
and on September the cable was landed
at that point and the second successful
line of communication between the United
( States and Europe thus completed. New
foundland being already in submarine tee-
/ graphic communication with the mainland
/ and telegraph systems of the United
! States. The length between Trinity Bay,
! Newfoundland and Valentia. Ireland is
! given by the American cyclopedia at 2 14a
| miles. The rate OF speed in transmission
! over these cables was at the beginning
/ eight words per minute, but increased tC
/ fifteen words per minute.
Rapid Development.
The success of the 1866 cables so COM
pletely demonstrated the practicability OF
submarine telegraphy that its progress
/ thenceforward was very rapid. second
| Anglo Mediterranean line was laid from
| Malta TO Alexandria in 1868. proving
complete success; a cable between Franc.
and Nova Scotia was laid in 1863 and an,
! other from Suez to Bombay. India Ii
! 1871 a cable line was laid along the east
ern coast of Asia 10 connect with land line:
already constructed across Siberia anC
Russia.
IutSe idnu lines Hdu Detl Uulll SUOTIl
1 after the failure of the first Atlantic cabl,
experiment in the hope of connectin.
Europe and America by way of Siberia
Behring Straits. Alaska, British America
/ and the United States, but that plan be
coming unnecessary after the success o
the 1866 cable experiments, the land line
across Russia and Siberia were utilized I,
connect a cable system Of the eastern
shore of Asia with the land and cable sys
TENS OF Europe and America. In lST
South America was connected by cabl
/ with the United States and thence will
Europe; in 1875 cables were laid aloni
the coast of Africa, connecting its i'm
portant points with Europe and America
in 1880 cables were laid across the Gul
of Mexico and along the western coas
of South America and connected by a
overland line across the Isthmus @
Panama.
The invasion of the Pacific has bee
I already begun by the construction of line
: extending from Australia 200 miles south
eastwardly to New Zealand and 500 mile
enthusiastically to New Catalonia, bu
= leaving the Pacific the one great body
: water which has not yet been completed
spanned by submarine telegraph wire:
This il is believed is now practicable, sine
| the distance between the four landin
places now under the control of the Unite
, States Hawaii, Wake Island, Gaum. an
the Philippines. is in each case less tha
, that through which submarine cables AZ
now being daily operated between Franc
and the United States.
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