The San Francisco call., 1903-01-03
THE PACIFIC CABLE.


Pacific cable is matter OF world wide inter
Il est and congratuation. 1t viii ultimately
give direct telegraphic connection between the
United States and Asia, and will be no longer
under the necessity OF resorting to the long and
roundabout route through Europe, which ac
count of Gts land. links is subject to accident and
delay. and because it is under many different
ganizations and crosses the territory OF many diff
ferent nations may, at the time of our greatest
need for its use, be closed to us. With our own
cable to Honolulu and Manila we divide jurisdic-
ton of the route with Neptune only, and can have,
if we choose, or necessity require exclusive use of
the line.
While California is in fellowship with the rest
of the Union in satisfaction that this great Amer
ican work is being successfully accomplished, and
while we share the worlds pleasure that its civil-
zation and commerce are promoted and joined sby
another link in that great system which makes near
neighbors in time of those most apart, San Fran
cisco has especial reason for great JOY the
result. In past discussions of this scheme other
points on the coast have taken it for granted that
the topography of the oceans bottom would COM
pei their selection for the land end Of the cable.
We owe it to the genius of the late John w. Mac
kay and to the loyal projection of his plans by his
son that this city gets the terminus.
The cable that will eventually traverse more
than 5000 miles of the oceans bed, ends here. It
will thrill with the giving electricity in its
subway under the streets of this city, and its
sages of business, politics, personal affairs; its
of tempest and wreck, of argosies that have
sailed safely into port, of changes in markets. and
Of natural or civic convusons that concern all the
world, must land here. We get nothing second
hand. We will not wait at the end of land sec
tion to have our share of the words brought by
the wire dribbled to Every message goes
TO the rest of the world imprinted with the name
of San Francisco
It is of joyful significance to people that in
this respect San Francisco enjoys situation that
lis not shared by any other American city. The
Atlantic cables make their landings far up the
other coast, and their currents are broken at the
landing and transmitted by long land lines to COM
mercial centers. We get no broken currents. The
thoughtbringing force is continuous in its passage
to our doors. It passes, from its inception,
.the great spaces far under the ocean, to emerge
directly here Hence it will seek the distributing
facilities of e,many land lines.
! To pioneer of 40 this seems like conjuring.
To the who watchfuy and laborously made
the haf-years overland journey here In the old
days, with possibility of speedy communication
en- route, and who waited months after arrival to
get messages from their Eastern homes, it seems
the work Of magic that they stand in San
Francisco and in the winkng of eye speak to
far Honolulu and soon to farther Manila and
all Asia Siberia will be brought nearer here than
Sacramento and San Francisco in those
| primitive days, the most distant of the worlds
capitals nearer than Washington was this coast
when Sloat's flag raised at Monterey.
The effect upon the commercial primacy of This
city will he permanent.
When the first ocean cable was laid in the At
lantc: San Francisco made holiday and gave en-
phass to an event that held the center of the
worlds st-,ge. The eloquent Baker, the Demos
there's of Our pioneer history, with his tongue
touched by that inspiration which made him 8 a
leades of men, delivered that occasion ora
ton that Is in the Libraries of many countries. Il
5othey uttefances by which the whole world sought
expression of its appreciation b the work Of Cyru:
W. Field 90
When our Pacific cable accompshes its last link
and its far end is landed and thought pulsate:
through its thousands of miles, San Francisco will
hold greater celebration. The voice of Baker i:
silent, but kindred inspiration will thrill some
other to adequate expression OF Californias appre
citation of the wonders wrought by science and TIL,
feats accomplished by American enterprise ir
making this city tue immediate terminus of the
greatest of the cables of that link in the total sys
tenn which finally belted the planet with the elec
trio WIRE At that time let there be made tn,
greatest and best holiday in history, excelins
even that which celebrated admission into The
Union for the event to come will be our direct ad
mission into 'the Parliament of nations-the fed
Grafton of the world"