The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-07

sages are sent simultaneously hlther ana
thither from both ends.
The trans Atlantic cables represent a
cost of about 5O.00O.000. and have
carrying capacity of nearly 100000
words a day. The welding togetaer Of
the hundreds of individual cables
which thread the waters contiguous TO
every civilized country into one vast CO.
operative system has been work of he
reic proportion. and which has called
for great organizing ability. The system
is now so perfected that ri the most OBJ
scure hamlet in the United States
through rate can be given with accu-
racy to the remotest region of the ear b,
and the message sent through without
any delay at the exchange points. The
ratio of tolls to which the participat ng
lines are entitled are settled and dis
tributed at regular periodical intervals.
The length o: the life of a cable has
not yet been determined, as the cable
which was laid in the beginning is still
in practical use The first cable was
merely a mechanical experiment to find
out the weaknesses of cable construction
as it was then known. The cause of in
terruption of cable communication which
occurs at times is usually due to the
breakage of the cable caused by the
dragging of ships anchors at the shore
ends, their heavy armor notwithstand-
ing, which is much stronger than the
deep sea portion. Other interruptions
have arisen from typographical causes in
the ocean beds.
THE method of locating the break OF a
cable, while apparently difficult, is really
quite simple to the electrician with the
proper set of Instruments said Mr.. Rib
BILE He is usually able to determine the
point of interruption of the cable within
less than mile. though that point be
1000 miles away in the ocean bottom.
The steamer Mackay- Bennett, of the Com
mercial Cable Company, is constantly kept
under steam with a full force OF electri-
clans and engineers on board ready to
start at moments notice for any break
in the lines of its vast system. The loca-
ton of the break is determined by the
chief electrician on the shore end, the
steamer is notified and sails at once to
that point, where with graphing irons
especially prepared for that purpose, the
ocean bottom is dragged, and the irons
pick up the end. The broken end is at
tached to a floating buoy and thrown
back into the ocean, the steamer locates
the other end, picks ii up. spices it, and
makes connection between the two broken
ends. thus repairing the damage
THE necessity for relaying and retrans-
mission of messages arises from two
causes. One is the limitation of distance
which an electrical conductor can be
speedily operated. and the necessity for
collecting the business from minor points
at some central point for transmission
over the trunk lines.
south American CabIegrams.
1T is not generally understood why
kilograms for Central and South America
should go by way of Lisbon, Portugal.
This fact is indisputahle evidence that the
cable follows the lines of commerce. The
United States has taken little advantage
of its great opportunities for extending its
trade in South America.
There has been as consequence so
little demand for telegraphic intercourse
between our county and South America
that capital has not felt justified TO make
an outlay sufficient TO lay direct cable TO
that southern country. On the other
hand" continued Mr.. Ribble, 1.-The COM
mercial intercourse between Europe and
South America has become SO great as to
require the full capacity of three cables
TO transmit its business. We have, how
ever. considerable traffice with the north
ern ccast of South America, to accommo-
date which cables were laid several years
ago between New York and Haiti, connect
ing them with a cable TO Venezuela, and
from Halifax TO Jamaica, connecting them
with a cable to Colombia, thus giving that
section OF South America excellent COM
munication with the United States. Be-
TWEEN the northern part Of South America
and the central and southern part there
are some lines which, owing to their fire.
quent interruption and indirect cen Jction.
are only utilized for local business. South
America, with its lack of energetic con-
frni baS
Indirect and disconnected system around
the continent said Mr.. Ribble. while
Africa, being largely dominated by English
interests, is skirted around its entire coast
by well laid and efficiently operated ca
bles. which are largely controlled by the
British Government. The British Govern
ment has vast sums invested in cables
which are operated and controlled solely
by Government officials. Other Govern
ments adopt the course OF Substituting
companies TO encourage connection be-
tween the home Government and its col
onies.
The United States has so far no SUBJ
sidized or owned cables. On the other hand
IL has required that in return for the value
OF the landing rights OF foreign cables,
reduced rate for all official business of the
United States Government passing over
those cables, be given. Thus the CONNER
cial rate from Washington to England or
Germany is q cents a word. while the rate
charged to the Government is Is IL cents
per word. The Government takes care of
this end OF the cable in case OF war. The
Government rate to the Philippines is
So. % 1-2 a word-the commercial rate
being s23s. While this oopears at
first TO be an excessive rate, IL is not
exorbitant when considering the vast
distance, the number of hands it goes
of maintenance of system, together with
the salaries of the most expert opera
tors.
1.-THE Governments have different
classes of Codes" continued Mr. Ribble.
Some use a series of figures, and some
use arbitrary words, which are un.n-
telligible to the outsider. The code Of
the State Department is said to be che
OF the best. and II is really impossible
to translate without, OF course, being in
possession of the code key.
"All messages. from whatever land.
are transmitted in the language in which
they are written. except the Chinese.
which is a word language. The most
northerly point reached by telegraphic
connection is Berlevaag. on the northern
coast of Norway, and the most southern
point is Inyercargill. New Zealand"
The One Unspanned Ocean.
Every body of water lying between the
inhabited portions of the earth. with the
single exception of the Pacific Ocean, has
been crossed and recrossed by subma-
rine telegraph !ihes. Our own possession
in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii. is without
any telcgraphic connection with the outer
world.
The chief obstacle in the past in the
construction of grand trans Pacific cable
,ras found in the fact that midncean -.est-