Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-26
THE PROJECTED TRANS.PACIFIC CABLE

teelng that the government would pay
not to exceed $500, 600 annually for TWEEN
ty years. II was urged against this
bin that the payments as proposed, az
gregatlng s6000,0OO, would be equal to
more than half The expense Of construc-
ton; but the latest proposition, by a
private corporation, Is, 1t Is understood
to construct the cable without any con-
cession from the government except au-
thorlty for landing stations on the
shores Of the United states and our
eastern possessions. The system is to
be maintained without cost to the gov
eminent, which is TO have the right of
way in time of war and the privilege OF
sending messages at q reduction Of
from 10 to 80 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,
II Is estimated that the United states
government has expended all Of 100000
annually since the Philippines came
into our possession. am expenditure
which win probably be continued In the
future for some time to come. The cost
of a cable message TO and from Manila,
regular rate, is $685. per word, includ-
| ing address; to the government from
Sl,10 TO slS5 per word. To Yokohama
the regular rate Is Sl,76 per word, either
by the northern route through Siberia
or by the southern via the Indian
ocean and the Mediterranean. The
business rate to Hongkong is $3.50 per
word.
The line TO Honolulu, 1t is claimed,
can be constructed for about $500 900
and maintained at an annual cost Of
, $40 900, not including repairs and reok-
onlng the life OF a cable at twenty
/ years. The average cost of a subma-
rlne cable such as would be required in
the Pacific is estimated al from $1,000
to $1,000 per mile The estimate on the
cost of the proposed British cable from
Australia to British Columbia was
about ss,5000OO. The average depth
was given as about 5000 fathoms,
which exceeded, It was stated, the depth
Of any cable then laid. The average
depth along the central route is from
/ two and one.half to three miles,
There were $3.50 submarine cables,
with total length of about $4,000
miles, at the beginning Of this year or
nearly enough to seven times girdle the
globe. and yet, as already stated, not
one transpacific cable In existence, OF
the total cable mileage the various gov
ernments Of the world owned about
one eighth, France leading with 5000
miles: Germany being second with
2,225: Great Britain, 1000; Spain, l,SO0,
and Japan, 1900 miles. Indirectly
Great Britain controls and practically
owns vastly more mileage than is given
in the statistics.
The United States Is the only great
power which at the opening OF this GEN.
fury owned no submarine cables; but,
! having come into possession of SPANS
telegraph land lines in Porto Rico and
the Philippines, this government Is for
warding the construction Of cables in
the latter islands, General Greedy being
at present engaged in laying them on
the finely equipped cable ship Burnside.
Having through force Of circumstances
become a cable owning nation, 1t re-
mains to be seen whether the United
States will embark more extensively in
the venture. The question win proba-
bly, be settled by the forthcoming con-
gress EBERT o. WOODSON.