Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-09
CUT OFF FROM THE WORLD.
Madagascar learns What IT is to
Be Three Weeks without IL Cable.
New York SUI, \

| r.
(New York Sum
| II the cable lines that connect US with
! the rest Of the world were suddenly
broken we should feel lonesome, though
there are 100000 of us to keen one an
others company. With fourteen cables
across the Atlantic and others to South
America there is little danger that we
shall suffer from a suspension of cable
service; but we can imagine that the dis
comfort and inconvenience of such a hap
pening would be great. Madagascar, how
eyer, has had that experience, and the
French and English there have not yet
got over bemoaninS ii.
Madagascar is among the four or five
largest islands in the world Most OF
and care less about cable communities
ton with other countries; but some thou
sands OF French soldiers. officials. and
men and missionaries, live on the island
and having tested the advantages of a
submarine cable for some years. they
felt themselves in very hard luck when
one day in June last they suddenly found
themselves unable to hold converse with
Europe.
gable all the way from suez to Cape
Colony. It has shore connections at a
number of points on the African coast,
AND also with Majunsa bay, on the west
This is one OF the largest and finest bays
in the world, but its waters have not
yet been disturbed by the propeller of II
large ocean steamer, for most of the sea
trade of Madagascar is still concentrated
on the east side of the island. But Ma
junga bay is the landing place for the
cable. and telegraph lines connect it with
IananariFo, the capital with Tamatave
the chief port. and few other places
The white folks in Madagascar became
quite accustomed to receiving news from
Europe every day.
Suddenly break occurred in the cable
between Majunga bay and the station of
n n If1I,a on f,-t1
three weeks not bit or intelligence from
Europe was flashed over the land wires
The French and English say those weeks
were the longest they ever experienced
While thus cut Off from communica-
ton June 18th came along a day to
which all the British in the island had
pations. 1t was the day when King Ed
ward VII. was to be crowned
For month many people in Tananarl-
the event. The British have important
interests at the capital and thousands
of natives who all their lives have had
to do with British missionaries. teach
ers. and merchants are very kindly dis
posed toward Great Britain: so the ceie-
hration was TO he big affair. and the
and make 1t a great success.
The day dawned beautifully. OF course
not the slightest suspicion dawned upon
any one that something might occur to
prevent the great celebration In London
But. though London was sorrowing and
nearly the whole world was sympathiz-
ing with the stricken King and his peo-
pie, there was one place where the cele-
bration went off according to programme.
and that was Tananarivo. The whole
town made a glad and festive day of il.
There was procession with brass
bands playing all the British music they
knew. a great open air meeting OF the peo-
pie. which was addressed by number
OF speakers. ard banquet In the evening
with fireworks and other proceedings sp-
proprtate for. celebratinE tbs eerpaatios