The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-19
RHODES'S
The Line From Cape Tow to Cairo Is
Now Far Advanced.

The African overland telegraph line
which Is to connect the north and south
coasts Of the great continent, has been
completed as far as Viii on the eastern
shore Of Lake Tanganyika. In other words.
messages may now be sent from Cape Town
about $500 miles north, which Is nearly
three times the distance between this city
and Chicago. 1t is probable that the whole
work would have been completed by this
time II it had not been for the Boer war.
Under the circumstances il has made re-
markable progress.
Tho wire has been strung on insulated
iron posts sent out from England. or
course the wild nature of tho country has
made the work difficult, FOR IL has been
necessary 70 transport all material by
human or animal portage for hundreds OF
miles. An enormous amount OF work
was also necessary to prepare the route
for the construction parties.
Five parties are engaged In the work,
the total force averaging 10 white men and
about 1900 blacks. The advance party.
consisting of 2 whites and 200 natives. has
charge OF surveying the route and clearing
a path for IL about fifteen feet in width.
This is no easy matter. for it involves cut
ting a way through dense grass and jungle.
often eleven feet high.
The second party follows two or three
days after and widens the path to sixty feet,
more or less, according to the nature Of
the country. 1t is easy to see why 30 wide
a path is necessary. There will DO no line
men every few miles, as in our country,
TO keep the service in repair, and it will be
far more costly han In civilized lands TO
mend a broken wire or repair other dam
ages. Every preliminary caution. there
fore must be taken. No tree must be left
which, falling, would break the wire; there
fore thousands of trees, IA Of them Of
great size, are cut down.
linen comes the third party, which dig
the holes; IL Is closely followed by the
fourth detachment, which plants the
posts, and finally come the wire stringers,
who complete the work. None of the
iron posts weighs less than 100 pounds and
most of them rise iOuTtecn feet above the
ground. Iron is used because wooden
posts or poles would not long withstand
the attacks Of white ants, which M large
parts Of Africa play havoc among all o n
structions of wood. Higher and heavier
posts are used when IL II necessary 20 make
spans Of unusual length. When the line
ha- to cross gulleys or streams IL u not
unusual for the spans 10 attain a length Of
CO.. To- $50 feet.
For some time The work has been carried
on IN German territory. a. the line passes
completely through the western part Of
German East Africa. II was necessary.
Of course. TO secure the consent Of Germany
TO build the line through it, territory.
and the ITun,-Afrioan Telegraph Com
pauy. rs b. l. called. agreed "a a part Of tho
bargain o. build "A SEPARATE line across
German lat Africa from north 90 south,
90 be- the property Of the German Govern
mont and 10 be- used wholly for tho tele-
graph traffic 81 tho German colony Tho
Government viii connect it, ports on the
coast with tHn iii station Of the line A
German f~uuHfloLlIy h. NOW Ola hls way
o. 1~alEauy.ka 90 select various other
station. au ,rr lake 90 he CONNECTED both
with tNr uar~H'utin"ntal line and with
The w.rs- fYw f.r German coast
Nj Rhodes great enterprise viii now
10 pushed HDrthEard into British East
Africa and down tho Nile a. far A. lashoda,
which b. CONNECTED by wire with Khartum
and A|.,aldrla When the wires are
stretched 90 Tar a. Fashoda. therefore,
a.. work will have h..n oompl-tsd. and
one ~ tle longest telegraph lines In tho
world will rtrufch from the northern 20
the rHu'h,ru ooa-ts - Africa