Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-07-09
The American Pacific Cable.

anything ike the interest ana excite
ment which accompanied and followed the
first successes in ocean telegraphy, yet
the successful accomplishment of direct
communication, by an American wire,
with our possessions on the other side
of the globe, is no small event. The
transmission of the first messages was
expected to take place early on Satur-
day, but it did not take place till nearly
eleven o'clock that evening. Manila and
Midway island were in communication
all day, were San Francisco and
Honolulu; but the cable between Midway
and Honolulu was not working. The
shore end of it had become entaneed on
coral reef, at the Hawaiian end, and
for nineteen hours the operators waited
for the final splice to be made. AT 1o:15
p. m. the first word came from Mid
way island and at 1850 President Roose-
velt's message to Governor Taft was ON
it's way. 1t was as follows:
July 4 1908
Sycamore Hill, oyster Bay, Long Island,
n. Y.
Governor Taft, Manila:--1 open the
American Pacific cable with greetings
to YOU and the people of the Philip
pines.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
In nine minutes this had been repeated
nineteen times, at as many stations on
the line between oyster Bay and Manila
every letter being repeated by each
operator, as he received 1t. and each keep
ing only one letter behind the operator
who sent it to him.
Although the Pacific cable was used by
tho President, and many messages were
sent over it that night it has not yet
been opened for public use. Until it has
been thoroughly tested it will not be
turned over to the company by the con-
tractors. Just when that will be, and how
soon thereafter it will be opened for COM
7nercial service is not announced.
Any one who has come into personal
contact with President Roosevelt can
really understand and appreciate the
enthusiasm with which he has watched
the progress of the work of connecting
all of our Pacific possessions with the
mainland by means of cable. No one
has realized more than he the manifold
and varied benefits which will result
from the binding of our distant isles
to the mother country by means of the
electric current. In time of peace the
cable will contribute to the upbuilding
of our commercial interests, while in a
period of hostilities it will be of inestim-
able Importance in furnishing US with a
line of communication to secure informa-
ton about n possible enemy as well as
| to direct the movements of our own ships
of war in the far Pacific.
Not the least important service Of oui
| cable across the Pacific will he the hand
ling of questions of state With Sc
many momentous diplomatic matters dc
velopng in China, Japan. Korea ant
other points in the far East, this line
of communication will afford US welcome
means of connecting with our represen
tatives in that quarter of the globe. |
is no secret that the difficult transmits
sion of cipher cablegrams during th'
Chinese trouble was a strong incentiv,
to our government to aid in connectin,
the United States with the Asiat
coast by wire and thus establishing
practically under the control of our fed
eral administration an aid to the gov
eminent of our distant possessions a
we'll as a means of defense of incalcul
able value. 1t was peculiarly appro
pirate, therefore that President Roosevelt
should select the Fourth of July as tn
date of the official opening of our neS
cable across the Pacific.
In this connection few facts concern
ing the conception of the project and tn
terms of the contract as we'll as regard
ing the cable and its route, will be o
interest. Soon after our domnatio
was established in the Philippines dill
ferent schemes were started for the lay
ing of cables across the Pacific. BIT
after the rejection of the proposition I
lay cable owned by the United State
itself, an agreement was made with ii
Commercial Gable company, whereby II
government is granted the use Of til
, cable to the exclusion of all others,
the necessity should arise, and the d
rections of the line now ensure ciphc
messages and instructions delivered
ineligible form.
Z The cable covers a distance of 6.S
miles. 1t extends from San Francisco
n Hawaii a distance of 2,OlS miles; then rul
to the Midway islands a distance
40 miles; thence to Guam a distance
4 > 293 miles and then 1860 miles to Manil
- The difficulties attending the laying
9 this cable can be gained from the stat
ment that in places between San Fra
q cisco and Honolulu there are sharp va
( iations in the depth of the ocean be
= jumping at times from few hundr'
= fathoms to over 5000 feet,
10 Hitherto all important messages f
r the far East have been written in i
c tricate code, and it has been necessal
y. to relay them eighteen times before thu
g could reach Manila or points heyol
g Hongkong. so that the trouble eXperien
; ed in getting them to their destinat
Il in ineligible form can be appreciate
e With our new cable perfected it W
be necessary to relay a message on
six times between Washington and Ma
y ia. The course of a message from I
70 war department to Gov. Taft, for G
i ample, will be from Washington to NJ
York, thence to San Francisco, thence
a Honolulu. thence to Midway, thence
n Guam and thence to Manila Abo
IT ninety minutes will be consumed in t
transmission of message through the
~ relays in the ordinary course of busne
le although with everything open for