The San Francisco call., 1899-04-13
SUBMARINE TELEGRHPHS.

q CCORDING to publication OF the United
States Bureau OF Statistics, the submarine tee-
graphs OF the world at the close OF last Febru-
ary numbered 1900, had aggregate length OF I7o-
miles, represented estimated at $25oooo ooo
and transmitted annually about 5000 900 messages
The greater number OF these submarine telegraphs
are comparatively short cables owned by govern
ments and employed in connection with FORTS light
houses and signal stations There are about 800 com
mercia cables owned by thirty five companies These
control about 10000 miles OF cable leaving for the
governmental cables only about 10000 miles OF the
total 1t is noted, however, that the governments Of
the world hold something more than $4,000 miles OF
cable stock for purposes ready hand be laid
at moments notice when the emergency arises.
Every great body OF water lying between any inhab-
tied parts OF the earth has been crossed and ecossed
BY submarine elegraphs The Mediterranean is trav-
ersed through its length and breadth by numerous
lines the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea are
almost equally well supplied and their islands are con
nected with another and with both the northern
and southern American continents thirteen lines con-
meet the United States with Europe; three span the
ocean between South America and the Old World;
the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean are traversed by
lines bringing Asia into communication with Europe;
while in the Pacific Ocean series OF cables stretches
from Siberia southwark to Australia and from that
continent other lines extend New Zealand and to
New Caledonia.
The one link lacking to the completion OF the world
system OF submarine telegraph is that portion OF the
Pacific extending from America across to Asia Con-
corning that link the report says The chief obsta
Gle in the past to the construction OF a grand trans
Pacific cable found in the fact that midocean
resting places could be satisfactorily obtained or
arranged for, single government controlling suf-
hcent number OF suitable landing places to make this
seem practicable in view OF the belief that the distance
through which messages could be sent and cables con-
trolled was limited"
The results of the war with Spain have put the
United States in position to overcome the difficulty
CT the past. With landing places at Hawaii Wake Is
land, Guam and the Philippines, we could lay c, bic
section of which would have length equal to that
in daily operation between France and the United
States The engtht of the French cable from Brest to
Cape Cod IS $3.50 miles, while the greatest distance
from land to land on the proposed Pacific route would
be the 2o8o miles between San Francisco and Hawaii
Along with the extension Of ocean cables there has
been an extraordinary development and improvement
IN the methods OF their operation On the first cable
across the Atlantic the speed but three words
minute, several hours required for the trans
mission OF message and the receipt OF response
and the cost to the sender was $Ioo message At
the present time the speed of transmission averages
fifty words minute, with higher speed on the auto
matte transmitters; the price has been diminished TO
IS cents per word and is noted that message sent
from the House of Representatives in Washington to
the House OF Parliament in London during the chess
match OF 1893 was transmitted and reply received
in 1917 seconds.
Summing up the benefits to be expected by the
United States from the construction of transPacifc
cable, the report says 'The commerce of the coun-
tries of Asia and Oceanca amounts to more than ST.
oooooo,ooo annually, their imports alone averaging
more than $Ioo,ooo,ooo month OF this enormous
market the United States present obtains less than
per cent. With direct cable communication across
the Pacific, direct water communication through the
Nicaragua Canal, and increase in the number and
capacity of American steamships it seems not i'm
proper to suppose material addition might be made
to the share obtained by the United States in the trade
OF that part of the world"