The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-02-13
CABLES OF the WORLD.

NJ the World" is the title OF mono
praph prepared by the Treasury Bureau
~ statistics which will appear In the
forthcoming Monthly summary oil
commerce and Finance. IL presents
some information regarding the SUD
marine telegraphs of the world wnich
is especially interesting at this tithe
in view of the prospective constructor
of an all-American cable across the
Pacific. Ii shows that the submarine
teleeraphs of the world number Low
Their aggregate length is nearly zoo'oVo
miles. their total cost is estimated NJ
s275 600 600. and the number OF mes
sages annually transmitted over them
is more than 100000. All the grand
divisions of the earth are now con-
nected by their wires, and from couh-
try to country and island to island the
,houphts and words of mankind are
instantaneously transmitted Beheath
oil oceans the universal language when
this system has created flows unihter-
ruptedly, and man talks as race 10
face with his fellow-man at the an
tipodes. Darkest Africa now conNerses
daily with enlightened Europe OF
America. and the great events OF the
morning are known in the evening
throughout the inhabited world. Add-
ing to the submarine lines the land
teIapraph systems by which they are
connected and through when they
bring interior points of the various
continents into instantaneous comihu-
nication. the total length of telegraph
lines of the world is 1,1S0,0OO miles, the
length of their single wires or con
ductors S,S00000 miles, and the totai
number of messages annually sent over
them about 400, OOO 900, or an average
of more than 100000 each day.
In the short half century since the
practicability of submarine telegraphg
was demonstrated, the electric wires
have invaded every ocean. Nearly
score of wires have been laid across
the Atlantic, of which no less thah
thirteen now successfully operate pc
tween the United States and Europe
while three others span the COMPARE
lively short distance between South
America and the African and soulh
European coast lines Throughout the
Indian Ocean lines connect the far
East with Europe and America VIA 'he
Red Sea. the Mediterranean, the west
ern coast of Europe, and the great
trans Atlantic lines. The Medlter-
ranean is crossed and recrossed IN is
entire length and breadth by numerous
cable lines, and the Mediterranean OF
America" the Gulf of Mexico ana the
caribbean Sea, is traversed in all dlrec-
tons by lines which bring Its ISLANDS
and colonies into speaking relations
with each other and with South Amer
lea. Central America, the united
States, and thence with Europe, Africa
Asia-the whole world. Along the
eastern coast of Asia, cable lines loop
from port to port and island to islahu'
receiving messages overland from
Eastern Europe via the Russia-Siperi-
an land lines and forwarding them 10
japan, China, Australia, New Aeaiahu
the Straits Settlements, Hongkons'
and the Philippines, and receiving
others in return. South America Is
skirted with cable lines along It's en-
tire border save the extreme south'
where they are brought into intercoih-
munication by land lines Along the
entire coast of Africa, cables loop from
Mace to place and from colony to
colony. stretching along the entire cir
conference and penetrating the ihle-
rior by land lines at various points
The Pacific ocean has line from
Canada to Australia and one from san
Francisco to Honolulu. 1t has also
been invaded along its margin, marine
wires stretching along its western Dor
der from Siberia to Australia, Whiie
its eastern borders are skirted win
lines which stretch along the western
coasts OF the two Americas.
The chief obstacle in the past TO the
construction of a grand trans-Paclnc
cable was found in the fact that mo-
ocean resting places could not be sat
isfactorily obtained or arranged for, no
single government controlling a sufil-
cient number of suitable landing places
10 make this seem practicable, in view
of the belief that the distance through
which messages could be sent ana
cables controlled was limited. With
landing places at Hawaii, Wake ISL
and Guam, and the Philippines, how
ever, no section of a cable stretching
from the United States to Asia and
touching at these points would have
a length equal TO that now I'm daily
operation between France and the
United States. The length of the
French cable from Brest France, to
Cape Cod, Mass, is $3.50 miles, while
the greatest distance from land TO
land on the proposed Pacific route Is
that from San Francisco to Hawaii,
2,0S9 miles; that from Hawaii TO Wake
Island being 900 miles, from Wake
Island TO Guam 1890 miles, from Guam
TO Manila l,520 miles, and from Manila
TO the Asiatic coast $50 miles, Will,
the depth OF the Pacific Is somewhat
greater than that at which any CABLE
has been laid, the difference between
its depth and the greatest depth reach
ed by cables In the Atlantic would b,
very slight, the cable recently laiC
from Haiti 10 the Windward Islands
being In 5000 feet ~ water, The re-
cent survey for cable between th'
Pacific coast and Manila justihes th'
belief that a route can be- selected IL
which the depth VIII not exceed 5000
feet ana may not exceed n 900 feet
The survey made by the Bureau o
Equipment Navy Department, undo
the direction ~ Rear Admiral n, u
Bradford, disclosed the greatest ocoal
depths heretofore known lying betweel