The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-02-26
IoELANp's ISOLATION ENDED.
Connected by Cable Now With the
Outside World.

ne establishment OF Geographic
communication with Iceland and Fa.
roe is now an accomplished fact, and
is an event of no little importance TO
the commercial community not only
OF Scandinavia, but also OF Great Bri.
tain. This country has long had in.
innate relations with these remote
possessions of Denmark. relations
which arc likely 20 increase as the
direct result OF the electric link which
has now bound them to the rest Of
the civilized world To realize how
far removed Farce and Iceland are
from the ordinary channels OF COM
munication it is only necessary to
mention that Farce lies in north
westerly direction from the north OF
Shetland. n distance OF 215 miles,
while Iceland is further distant still
from Farce by $40 miles, the total
distance Of the latter from tho ex-
IRENE north OF Scotland being thus
more than $50 miles.
As the ordinary means OF commu-
nication is by steamer from Leith
and Copenhagen, the passage thither
is necessarily a protracted one, and
many things may happen in either
place before a letter can 20 through
the ordinary course of transmission
In certain circumstances a reply from
Reykjavik. the capital OF Iceland,
would take about three months. prac-
| tically the same as from the United
Kingdom 10 Australia. To such re-
mote community therefore, the tells
graph must come as no ordinary boon
1t Is an event, indeed. in it's history
Of momentous and far reaching con-
sequence Denmark and Iceland have
put the scheme through. When the
| new system Of wireless telegraphy
was SO far perfected as to be success
fully worked at long distances it was
suggested that communication by
this means alone could be obtained
with Iceland and might be sufficient
This, in fact, was actually accom-
plished. On June &c, 1905, Iceland
was partially at least put into CON-
munication with the outer world by
means OF the Marconi system Of wire
less telegraphy. The messages were
sent from one of the Marconi stations
in the north OF Scotland, but the ar
paratus at Reykiavik was only able
| to receive the messages, not 10 send
them.
The cable proceeds from tnc Shet-
land Islands . Thorshayn, the biz
gest town in the Farce Islands. and
| from there goes direct 10 the cast
coast Of Iceland, from which an over
land line will be carried to Reykja-
vik, the capital OF Iceland, which line
Will also touch several smaller Ice
landic towns 1t was found that the
most suitable place TO land the Shet-
land end OF the cable was at Lerwick,
small bay on the west side Of the
islands, near Scalloway The work of
| laying the cable from Shetland 10
Farce was begun in July of this year
by the telegraph steamer Cambrian.
At 430 o'clock on the morning OF
Monday, July 30, the final connec~
tons were made. and at SIS m.
Mr.. Stout, the postmaster Of Lerwick,
SHOOK hands with Thorshavn, and
the remote Farce Islands were
brought into Geographic communities
ton with the rest of the world. The
laying of the cable from Farce 10 Ice
land. This task was successfuug
completed on Saturday, August 20,
when communication was established
between Seydisfjord and Shetland.
The construction Of the land wire
from Seydisfjord TO ReykjaYik is be
ing proceeded with Seydisfiord 10 a
town with about 1000 inhabitants.
Reykjavik has a population OF about
1000. As the distance between these
| two towns is about $50 miles, and as
the roads are practically only bride
paths, the only means OF communise-
| ton is by horse the journey occupy
ing from two 10 three weeks A tele-
graph line between the two towns
will therefore he OF immense advan-
tage. Telephone lines will be used i'm
Iceland 10 connect the smaller towns
with the main telegraph line. end the
telephone will also by utilized In Pa.
roe for the same pur~ ose. IT is ex-
pected that the land wire will be
completed by the end OF this month.
The cost Of telegraphing to Farce
from this country is five and a half
pence & word and TO Iceland eight
and half pence a word
The director Of the meteorological
Office, London. has arranged with the
Danish Government for the trans
mission from October /. Of q daily
weather report from Iceland which,
It IS believed viii be Of much use FOR
forecastinE purposes The Scotsman.