Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-02

q right to land an electric ca
BILE on the shores OF this coun-
w try and Of any OF Its possess
sions,t there Is no longer doubt
that telegraphic communication soon
will be established between San Fran
cisco and Hawaii and Manila. John W..
Mackay seems to be about ready to be-
gin the construction Of his proposed
Pacific cable, as 1t is reported that al
ready his orders are placed for the ma
terial.
The enterprlsing and wealthy Cali
fornian appears to have gone about this
gigantic undertaking with light heart
and certainly without serious misgiv-
ings. says writer In the Los Angeles
Express. There is no evidence that he
has expended much time In studying
the problem. and II Is probable that he
has not regarded il thing requiring
much preliminary investigation TO
him apparently the laying OF a cable
under the Pacific ocean is a simple mat
ter, relatively, as the stringing OF miles
Of wires on one Of his Postal telegraph
routes.
How different the case now from
what It would De had Mr.. Mackev TO
begin as Cyrus w. Field began fifty
years ago.
Professor Morse, the inventor, togeth-
er with Professor Henry, Of the tele-
graph. was the first TO suggest the pos
sibility OF establishing Geographic COM
munlcation across the Atlantic ocean.
In ls4S, after he had made certain ex-
perments In the harbor Of New York
TO show the power OF electricity to CON-
munlcate great distances. he wrote;
THE practical inference from this
law Is. that telegraphic communication
on the electromagnetic plan may with
certainty be established across the At
lantic ocean. Startling as this may now
seem, am confident the time will come
when this project will be realized"
Ten years later, in 1854, Cyrus W.
Fields attention was invited TO @ pro-
ject for laying telegraph across New
foundand by which the time should be
shortened In communicating with Eng
land. The protector of this line, Mr..
Osborne, visited New York for the pur-
pose OF interesting capitalists with HIM,
and the readiest listener he found was
Mr.. Field. At the close OF the interview.
and while turning over library globe,
the idea occurred TO him that the tele-
graph might be carried further still and
be made TO span the Atlantic ocean.
The Newfoundland scheme had not
greatly interested him, as he cared lit
tie about shortening communication
with Europe by day or two by relays
OF boats and carrier pigeons. But when
~. ILL L ta
of a further and grander undertaking |
the idea took q strong hold OF his inn |
agination. II was an enterprise Of |
which no man could see the end, and |
he anxiously asked. could a cablevbe |
were would Il be good for anything to |
he made bold TO answer IN the afilrma-l |
tive.
DoUBTING FRIENDS HELD ALooF
Mr.. Field set out alone to carry a
telegraph across the Atlantic. But II
was not an undertaking for any one
man, and he sought TO enlist a number
OF his wealthy neighbors and friends
with him. Peter Cooper, Moses Tay-
Tor, Marshall 0, Roberta and Charles
W iiAbt NNAt atiOut lupot app |
II was extremely difficult TO secure their
At length he had them
6ll at his house, when he unfolded his
plans. showed maps on which he had
marked the route 10 be trayersed by
the line OF telegraph, submitted esti-
mates OF the work to be done, and Of
the cost. The result was an agreement
on the part OF all to enter on the under
taking, provided the Newfoundland
could be brought into It, and
the government Of that country would
grant new charter concedlng more ia
vorable terms. Both OF these things
we're accomplished. The new charter
was entitled the lntercontinental tele-
graph. Its termini were to be New
York and London. The company was
for fifty years, established
perfect equality. in respect to corpora
tors and officers, between citizens OF the
United States and British subjects, and
allowed the meetings OF the stockhold-
ers and directors to be held In New
York, In Newfoundland or London. At
he first meeting OF the organization
II 500, 900 was subscribed, a small sum
10 carry a line Of telegraph TO st.
Johns, more than a thousand miles
rom New York, and then ito span the
Wild sea-
When the company began the work.
I hoped TO complete the line across
Newfoundland In one year. and In this
belief a cable was ordered In England
% span the gulf OF ST. Lawrence. Then
began the deep sea soundings, which
'evealed such wonders on the bed OF
he ocean. Submarine mountains and
enormous depths were found, but a
plateau also was discovered extending
nearly the whole distance between
and the Irish coast. AL.
'eady the attention OF capitalists OF
london had been called to the enter
Prise by Mr.. Field, who had made half
/ dozen trips thither on business OF the
telegraph The company had expended
III the capital that had been subscribed