The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-12-10

surveyed anu pTbCucaliy sticcteu, Is
that between California and the Phil
ippines. via Hawaii the Midway and
Guam. with a cable to Hongkong and
perhaps another to Yokohama. This
route dips southwesterly from our
coast until below the tropic OF Cancer
reaching about its southern limit at
Guam. thence westerly to Luzon and
northwesterly to Hongkong.
Still another route across the Pacific
is that surveyed and coveted by the
British government for the completion
of an ll-British line around the world,
or rather. two routes have been sur
veyod-the first between Vancouver, IN
British Columbia, via Uniak and the
Aleutian archipelago, to japan, dis
lance of about $500 miles; and the sec
ond to connect Australia and British
Columbia via the Fills, not far from
1000 miles.
Australia and New Zealand are con-
nected with the continental system by
cables southwark from China and IN
dia, and eight years ago queensland,
| Australia, was united with the French
colony of New Caledonia, which lies
about 500 miles northeasterly of Aus
| tralia, or approximately halt way 10
the Fiji islands. This has sometimes
been termed the first section of the
British transatlantic cable which Is to
close the circuit with Great Britan's
dominions across the sea. Unless, then,
the United States shall construct its
/ line very soon, or the perfection OF
wireless telegraphy obviates the neces-
| sity of laying cables in the very near
| future, the British line will probably
eventuate, and the gap will be closed.
Both the British and United states
governments feel the necessity of con-
trolling absolutely at least one tele-
phic cable between the home coun-
| try and outlying possessions, owing to
strategical eXigencies that are sure to
arise in case of war. In truth, our ex-
perience at and after the outbreak of
hostilites in the Philippines. when Ad-
miral Dewey was cut off from COM
munication with his government, and,
having cut the British cable, then In
| hostile hands, had to send his com
munications first to Hongkong by ship
and then run the risk of safe trans
mission around Asia. across Europe or
under the Mediterranean and across
| the Atlantic. are still fresh in mind
The route taken by Dewey's messages
which electrified the world and gave
us news of the destruction of the Span
ish fleet is also the only one available
at present A message must first trav-
erse almost two-thirds the distance
around the globe in order to reach a
point only one-third of that distance
away.
| The advocates of governmental own
! ership of the proposed trans-Paciiic
cable have strenuously opposed any
granting of charters to private COM
panies. One of the principal opponents
of private ownership is Representative
Corliss, of Michigan, who fought the
measure looking to the granting of
rights to the Pacific Commercial Com
pany two years ago and who. 1t was
recently reported, called on President
| Roosevelt to enter his protest against
the granting of landing privileges to
/ that or to any other company. He be-
lieves that the commerce of the Pacific
viii warrant the immense outlay that
/ the construction of a cable would in
volve, and also that the government
would benefit UNNECESSARILY not. only
| by the saving in tolls, but by its free
dom from oversight and hampering re-
| strictions in time of war.
a bill was reported To the last Con-
gress by the house committee on inter-
state and foreign affairs providing for
the construction of a cable connecting
the west coast of the United States
with the Philippines via Honolulu and
Guam. authorizing the postmaster gen
eral to advertise for bids and guaran-
teeing that the government would pay
not to exceed SIS 5000 annually for
twenty years. II was urged against
this bin that the payments as pro-
posed, aggre eating $6,000.000 would be
equal to more than half the expense
of construction; but the latest PROPOSE
ton, by a private corporation. is, ii is
understood, to construct the cable
without any concession from the gov
+ eminent except for landing stations on
+ the shores of the United States and
our eastern possessions. The system
is to be maintained without cost to the
government, which is to have the right
of way in time of war and the privilege
of sending messages at Il reduction of
> from 40 to 60 per cent from present
rates. The line to Honolulu, 1t is
agreed shall be open and in running
order within nine or ten months after
the commencement of the work.
. 1t is estimated that the United States
government has expended all of $1,000
annually since the Philippines came
, into our possession, an expenditure
: which will probably he continued in the
future for some time To come. The cost
$ of cable message to and from Manila
regular rate, is 81 80 per word includ
ing address; to the government from
% Sll0 to 81 So per word, To Yokohama
q the regular rate is Sl.76 per word
, either by the northern route through
Siberia, or by the southern, via tn,
Z Indian ocean and the Mediterranean
The business rate to Hongkong is 81 g.
per word.
!, The line to Honolulu, it is claimed
I can be constructed for about $2,50O,00
, and maintained at an annual cost o
: $4,000, not including repairs and reck
oning the life of a cable at twenty
years. The average cost of n subma
rine cable such as would be required
I in the Pacific is estimated at from
| $1,000 to $1,000 per mile. The estimat,
= on the cost of the proposed British
/ cable from Australia to British Colum
bia, was about SS.50O,O00. The averag,
: depth was given as about 5000 faith
oms, which exceeded. il was stated. tn,
depth of any cable then laid. The av
erage depth along the central route Il
I from two and one-half to three miles
+ There We're $50 submarine cables
with total length of about 1850,
f miles, at the beginning of this year, OF
; nearly enough to seven times girdle tn,
globe, and yet, as already stated, no
one transatlantic cable in existence. O
- the total able mileage Nnripu