The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-02-13
another CABLE ROUTE
TO MANILA FROM ALASKA VIA
DUTCH HARBOR.
With a Separate Honolulu Line it is
Declared Less Than Half as Costly
as the Other Line.

People of Portland are agitating the
idea of having the Pacific cable laid
over a northern route from Alaska via
Dutch harbor to Japan, instead of via
Honolulu. 1t is claimed for this route
that it would cost so much less, owing
to shallower water and smaller dis
lance, that if a special line were laid
between here and San Francisco the
whole cost of the two enterprises would
be less than half what will be required
to reach the Philippines via Honolulu.
The Portland Oregonian proposes to
make a fight before the Congressional
Committee having the matter in hand,
in behalf of the northern route, and
makes the following argument in it's
favor:
"To Japan by way of Alaska will
take 4053 miles of cable. To Japan by
way of Honolulu and Guam will take
S17S miles of cable. To the Philippines
the northern route involves 1868 miles,
and the southern involves S137 miles.
Distance is not the only considera-
ton. In fact, If there is any possible
aspect of cable construction in which
the southern route eXcels the northern,
Mr.. Emerson (author of a pamphlet on
the subjecD has failed to discover it.
As to cost, he figures that the north
ern route is about one-third as costly
as the southern, and that if, in addition
I IL
from San Francisco to Honolulu, the
two projects will cost less than half
as much as the long cable by way of
Honolulu. Mr.. Emerson's idea is to lay
the cable from Grays Harbor, MAX
ing stations at Sitka, Kadiak island
Dutch Harbor, Attu (the last of the
Aleutian islands,, the Japan Russian
border Formosa and the Philippines
! This gives a total length of $3.50 miles
/ a nd 70
corresponding lengths on the southern
route would be; San Francisco to Ho-
nolulu, 2403; Honolulu to Midway ISL
and, 1911; Midway island to Guam, $685.
Guam to Yokohama, 1905; Guam to Ma
Mia, 1884; total 9942.
THE elements of cost are not deter
mined solely by distance. The shallow
route to the north will require only one
type of deep-sea cable, and a single ca
BILE steamer at Dutch Harbor, midway
| of the line, for repair purposes. The
| Hawaiian line would require four diff
ferent types of cable and two repair
ships, one at each end of the route.
The cable might prove imperfect under
| the tremendous pressure, or might be
damaged. It's inaccessibility would
then ruin it.
1T is shorter from London to Yo-
kohama by this proposed route 2400
nautical miles shorter, than from Lon
don to Yokohama by the present route
through India. The Alaskan route,
says Mr.. Emerson, with a worlds
! business of it's own in and out Of the
Alaskan gold fields, deriving a sure
support from this source of revenue
alone, can compel the European Asiatic
traffic to come its way, because 1t can
reduce through rates beyond the abil-
ity of its European rivals to compete
Mr. Emerson's pamphlet gives us to
understand that responsible promoters
of the proposed northern cable stand
ready to make a contract to lay 1t with
out government subsidy, whereas a
part of the southern plan is a govern
ment subsidy of large proportions. If
| his assertions can be sustained the
northern route should be seriously con-
81 Ser I by congress before anything is
towards committing the govern
in the Pacific cable project"