The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-07
THE MIDWAY ISLANDS
An Estimate Of Their Value to
the Pacific Cable.
BIG SAVING IN COST OF MESSAGES

the Gable only six words Gould BE
sent q Minute Instead Of Twenty.
Both Islands to Be Improved with
Rich SON.
With the opening of the Pacific cable.
which directly connects the government
fat Washington with the insular pos
sessions Of the United States to the
west of the national capital, attention
is called TO the important part which
the FIRST and smallest tinsuar posses
sion Of the country, the Midway is
lands, IS to play il bringing Manila
within a few minutes Of the White
House, says a Washington dispatch to
the New Yo-k Tribune. without this
little group Of coral, which po1es its
nose out Of the brine to the north and
west Of the Hawaiian Islands, the ems
cheering features Of the Pacific cable
would have been entirely different and
negotiations for a cable station on the
Pacific possession Of some other gov
eminent would have been necessary.
The value to the government which
this first colonial possession has now
become can readily be realized when it
is said that without the Midway as a
landing place for the cable its long
stretch from Honolulu to Guam could
not be broken, and instead Of being
able to send twenty words a minute
the speed would be reduced to six
words and the service made proportions
ately less satisfactory.
/ What benefit this isolated cable sta
ton in the center Of the Pacific may
prove from a strategic point Of view
| may be demonstrated some day by
/ timely orders to a feet Of battle ships
That the station is considered valuable
from this point Of view and many 9TH
ers is shown by the determination Of
the navy department TO fortify the is
lands in the future fo~ the protection Of
the cable station The islands also AFT
/ ford a snug harbor and in an emer
gency might be used as a base Of naval
operations.
| Since their discovery in 1859 by Cap
/ tain n. G. Brooks, an American sailing
/ from Honolulu on sealing voyage
under the Hawaiian dag, and their re-
/ discovery and possession in the name
Of the United States in 1867 the Mid
way islands have been more OF less
| neglected by this government, but
never to the extent Of being allowed
to pass into the hands of any other
4 government, although Japan on sew
eral occasions made inquiry of the
Hawaiian monarchy regarding their
title. with propositions TO annex or
4 lease them. They were used for
time, thirty years ago, by the Pacific
Mail Steamship company to the extent
of storing there huge pile Of coal
1t is to Rear Admiral X. p. Bradford
that credit is due for discovering the
utility Of the Midway islands as ca
bic station and to his representations
that the two tiny specks on the map Of
the Pacific were transferred from the
Jurisdiction of the interior department
to possession Of the navy Of the
4 United States. The Pacific Cable com
pany secured the right to break its
4 long stretch Of cable and land on one
Of the two islands. The United States
viii fortify this island sufficiently to
| protect the cable station, and hereafter
there will never be a question as to
who is the rightful owner.
4 The islands are both Of coral forma
! ton. One Of them, Sand island, con
tains $50 acres, while the other, East
I ern island, has 32S acres. a quantity
Of rich soil is to be carried to the Isl
lands iii order that the forces who will
have to take their turn in manning the
guns Of the Notifications may have
some occupation to divert their atten-
i ton from sea and rock.
/ Naval officers who have visited the
/ islands say that the Midway harbor
constitutes the finest fishing ground in
the Pacific. The coral formation in
closes a lagoon Of depth enough for
anchorage bat more shallow than the
/ surrounding waters, and makes an at
tractive feeding ground for fish, seal
and turtle. The fish belong to the null
let, perch and maekerel families. Many
of them Of brilliant colors seem to
belong to the dolphin family. The fish
attract the birds, and the islands are
covered with plumed tenants.
Under the new order Of things the
Islands will be made to bloom with
frnit trees, vegetables viii be raised
and, with the ideal climate, the shell
tered bay, the splendid fishing and the
direct connection with the world by
cable, the cable operators and forces
who man the guns win have an assign
ment which viii doubtless become the
envy Of the service.
What the improvement is to be in
| the cable service between the United
/ States and the Philippines may be
/ seen BY a comparison of the present
route and cost Of message from
Manila to Washington The tolls will
be reduced from S1.56 to 80 cents a
word BY the old route a message
| aSaM a