Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-04
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHS
The Total Number l,75o on the
Entire Globe.
Aggregate Length Is Nearly 100000
Miles and Total Cost $275, 100000
100000 Messages Annually
Monograph, by Treasury De-
partment.

THE submarine and Land Telegraphs
of the World is the title OF a monograph
prepared by the treasury bureau of status
tics, which will appear in the Forthcoming
monthly summary of commerce and ii
nance. 1t presents some Information re-
garding the submarine telegraphs Of tho
world, which is especially Interesting at
this time in view of the prospective con
struction of an all-American cable across
the Pacific 1t shows that the submarine
telegraphs of the world number 100 Their
aggregate length is nearly 100000 miles.
their total cost is estimated at $40 OVOOH,
and the number of messages annually
transmitted over them is more than sun,
0co. All the grand divisions of the carth
are now connected by their wires, and from
country to country and island to island
the thoughts and words of mankind are IN
simultaneously transmitted. Beneath all
oceans save the Pacific the universal lam
guagc which this system has created flows
uuinterruptedly, and man talks as face to
face with his fellow man at the entipodeS.
Darkest Africa now converses daily with
enlightened Europe or America, and the
great events of the morning are known
in the evening throughout the Inhabited
world. Adding to the submarine lines the
land telegraph systems by which they are
connected and through which they bring
interior points of the various continents
into instantaneous communication. the
world is 1,lSo 900 miles. the length of their
single wires. or conductors, 3,S00,On miles,
and the total number of messages annua l.
" sent over them about 400,0000Jo. or All
average of more than 900 each day.
In the short half century since The prac-
ticdbility OF submarine teleEraphy was
demonstrated the electric wires have invad-
ed every ocean except the Pacific. Nearly
a score of wires have been laid across thu
Atlantic. of which no less than thirteen
now successfully operate between the Unit
cd States and Europe. while three Others
span the comparatively short distance be-
tween South America and the African and
South European coast lines. Throughout
the Indian Ocean lines connect the far
East with Europe and America via the Red
Sea. the Mediterranean. tho western coast
OF Europe, and the great transatlantic
lines. The Mediterranean is crossed and
recrossed in its entire length and breadth
by numerous cable lines, and the 'Mediter-
ranean of America" the Gulf of Mexico
and the Caribbean sea. is traversed In all
directions by lines which bring Its island
and colonies into speaking relations with
each other and South America. Central
America the United States and thence
with Europe. Africa, Asia--the whole
wrold. Along the eastern coast OF Asia
cable lines loop from port to port and is
land to island, receiving messages overland
from Eastern Europe via the Russia Der
ian land lines and forwarding them t.
Japan China. New Zealand the Straits set-
Elements, Hongkong and the Philippines
and receiving others in return. South
America is skrted with cable lines along
Is entire border save the extreme south
whore they are brought into intercommuni.
cation by land lines. Along the entire
coast of Africa cables loop from place tc
place and from colony to colony. stretching
along the entire crcum ference and pene-
/ al r
| ious points.
Every body OF water lying between the
| inhabited portions Of tho earth, with tn,
single exception of the Pacific ocean. has
been crossed and recrossed by submarine
| telegraph lines. Even that vast expanse
Of water has been invaded along it's mar.
| gin, submarine lines stretching along its
| western border from Siberia to Australia
while it's eastern borders are skirted witt
lines which stretch along the western
coast of the two Americas Several adven.
! turous pioneers in Pacifc telegraphy have
Ventured to considerable distances and
| depths in that great ocean, one cable line
| running from Australia to New Zea,an nd
| a distance of over 1000 miles, and another
extending from Australia to the French
colony Of New Caledonia, 500 miles sea
ward. cable which is to connect Canad1
with Australia across the Pacificis now be
ing laid at the Joint expense OF the United
! Kingdom, Canada and the Australian com
monwealth and has already been completed
| from Vancouver, British Columbia to Fan.
ming Island, just south of the Hawaiian
Islands, and it is expected that the entire
line will be completed by the end of ths
| present year.
The chief obstacle in the past to the con
struction of a grand transatlantic cable
was found in the fact that mid ocean rest
| ing places could not be satisfactorily oh
tanned or arranged for, no single govern
mont controlling a sufficient number Of
suitable landing places to make this seen
practicable, in view OF the belief that tn,
distance through which messages could b,
sent and cables controlled was limited