The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-24

/ the magnitude or the undertak king they
show nothing of the delicate encinee~-
/ ing problems involved in the const-uc-
+ ton OF the cable. problems oniy equsled
{ oy those that confronted the builders OF
/ the all British cable from Canada To
Australia, which was ready FOR business
I last November. Indeed. il Is safe 10
say that were il not FOR the advances in
/ engineering science during recent wears
/ the construction OF such monster links
as those joining sand island aud Guam
( or vancouver and Tanning island would
4 nave been out OF the question Apsrr
from this the builders OF the All
f American line encountered two oh
/ stacles which. while not insurmount-
able. necessitated some skiIIful cable
laying.
one OF these was a submarine noun
tain west % the Midway group. rising
/ from a depth OF :. 200 fathoms TO within
eighty farhoms of the surface. The
| other was encountered about 500 mites
east of Guam and was one OF the deem
est marine abysSes ever found. having
a depth Of nearly 5000 fathoms. or near
" six miles. Each OF these involved the
making OF a detour and 4 correspond
ing increase in the length OF the cable.
Great as has been the task the tri
umph VIII be still greater. and thoSa
VINO have been instrumental in bringing
about this latest American achievement
must feel pardOnable pride when. on
independence day. they start on its
world girdling tour the message that
will proclaim the opening OF the ali
American link between the two heIni-
spheres. IL is not such far cry back
10 the time when II required not forty
seconds. but forty weeks. to convey a
message over the territory that will be
covered in the course Of the coming test
nor is il so very long ago that the first
cable was laid. Although il was in the
eighteenth century that the Spaniard
Saliva suggested the possibility OF sub
aqueous biography ii was not until the
closing half Of the nineteenth that his
/ theories were put to practical use.
! True. there are evidences of successful
| subaqueous telegraphy as long ago as
d, 1888. but it was 1851 before the cable
/ gram became public utility In that
year communication was definitely
established between England and
/ France and the line then in operation
is today practically intact. the gutta
percha insulation having withstood the
action of the waters of the English
| channel. Other attempts soon followed
I eliminating in 1855 in the building OF
| the first transatlantic cable. in which
+ Cyrus w. Field one OF the original
+ projectors OF the Pacific scheme took
a prominent part Today the cable
lines in operation are long enough To
girdle the earth eight times or reach
two-thirds CT the distance 70 the moon
| And 10 these will soon be added the al
I American line across the Pacific The
dream of the late John ". Mackay win
/ thus become the realization OF his son
! Clarence
| Clarence Mackay is not only an ex-
, ceedingly clever business man. but has
a sporting strain in his blood which has
/ manifested itself in several ways. He is
/ a skillful polo player and until his ia
I theirs death was devoted patron Of
! the turf Altogether he is a healthy.
ambitious American. unspoiled by the
/ inheritance of riches. the type OF man
/ from whom great achievements may be
! expected. LEE NJ. HARRISON.