Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-11
How War News
Comes by Gable
ohariss .. Crane in Scientific American
IHp next be- news D .peace.

THE next big news Is peace.
i Just hundred years ago from .the very
scene Of todays hostilities the American people
were awaiting this big IL would slgnalize
the end OF our second with England: hopefully
cur last IL Christmas eve that peace was
signed at Client Not until ffty-two days later ala
the news percolste from the Belgian city to the
behind the guns Fighting had gone around New
Orleans and Mobile for weeks after peace. with
needless sacrifice Of several thousand Such
was the speed with which they modified the news.
Your grandfather may remember the days of the
watertght cask In the decade OF 1sls6s the travel
ing editor was in his glory Equipped with armful
OF the latest Paris London and Liverpool papers, scs
sors. and pastepot. and q keg-Dresumaby empty-he
? made regular trips the transatlantic steamers.
writing up during his voyage budget OF European
intelligence.
the steamers veered south off the coast Of New
foundand he sealed his stories up in the big red key
and dropped II overheard. An Associated Press dis
patch boat was on hand 70 pick II up, into ST.
Johns with It. and the news on to New York by
telegraph beating the steamer by at least two days
and sometimes three
The worlds first successful cable had been laid
across the English channel In 1861. and II five
years later that Field began his transatlantic
lures.
The original Field cables are now dead and gone.
slumbering in the globgerine ooze Of the ocean
depths; but sloDgsfde OF them dozen moro
modem cables almost identical In construction TO
those which Field laid.
The shore end Of the Atlantic cable is not larger
than the pig end OF beer bottle; In mid-ocean.
where the cable lies two miles deep. II is bigger
than the bottles cork The shore end Is the heavier
to withstand the action Of the tides. and the in
quistveness OF fish There strands OF cop
per to form the cables core forming single con-
ductor over this laid coatngs OF genuine gutta
percha. layer OF jute or oalsm, then envelope CT
composition rubber several strands OF strength
ening wires wound on. and earTy rope and
tape about the whole The cable complete costs about
$1,000 mile.
The electricity that brings our war news from
Europe would be sufficient to ring front door
bell. In Fields day he once said: MY friend
Mortimer Clark. cabled from valentia Bay this
morning with battery made from tiny cap
a little strip Of zinc, and drop of water-the bulk
Of tearl" II was common stunt to exchange
sages with batteries made in thimbles
Today the fastest cables you may exchange
messages with Europe al the maximum speed OF 400
letters. about eighty words minute. This is by
20 be handled at the same time. Worked to capacity
this single wire might bring three newspaper col
umns from Europe within an hour
From all sources the agencies and the news
papers have been depcsiting cable news ON our
breakfast and dinner tables regularly since the first
OF August at the rate OF 5000 words day OF
such intelligence the passed Notwithstand
ing that few correspondents are getting anything
like smell of powder. they have been shooting tho
stuff over to steadily at the rate of about word
a second since the began.
All this comes by the "wiggiy line" The cable
makes noise like the ordinary telegraph, Sunk
IL Is so deep in water It peculIartes of induction
which makes IT, TO all intents and purposes Leyden
Jar Hence the small amount OF electricity that Is
necessary TO charge It, The electric fluid docs not
| travel along the cable continuously IL does along
the land wire. The Jar is charged and discharged.
| Gable messages are sent by what would call
the panola method The sending operator sits, with
copy before him. at table which three big but
tons mounted With little maet in each hand
he hits this button for dots that for dashes and the
other for space This punches corresponding holes
in an endless strip of paper which Is fed to the
automatic sending through which the perforated
] paper somewhat as the music roll operates in
your piano. Passing between the two little wheels. the
allow the metal TO come in contact in certain
| combinatons-just enough TO record the war news
| 1000 miles away.
forms they would still be puzzle enough for you.
/ Cable ordinarily knows no comma, and only capital
| letters, The news you find in tomorrow mornings
paper column after column, to the cable editor
/ in little snatehes OF al-capalized messages with
unessential words stricken out and without puncua-
ton except for occasional period indicated by the
/ word stop" II Is art TO prepare cablegram.
] and terrible task to read one that is I'll prepared
The present war In Europe was entirely unforeseen
IN the middle OF July. The moment the ball OF bel
| ligerency set rolling. such an organization OF
news gatherers as the Associated Press felt "a thrill
OF life along its keel II had Just spent thousands Of
dollars In mobilizinR It's forces In Mexico. In
day tho spotlight OF public interest was turned from
Ifuerta and Carranzn to Kitchener and the kaiser.
where that spotlight "a the Associated Press must
be in force Within fortnight the regular staffs at
Paris and London had been doubled and men moved
20 all other strategic news oentsrs that could be
reached In ALL nearly fifty saiaried men OF the As
ISOLATED Press have been stationed In Europe since
early in August. and Il would probably not be far
from correct guess 10 say that 800 American news
paper workers OF an kinds IN Europe today. The
newspaper man loves only IN the sense that u
Is big news Everyone from the proprietor, who Is
sure 10 money down TO the preasnan who has &c
work overtime on extras. would rather do without
war So the biggest OF big news would be peace, Tbs
| men behind the papers and the men who man the
wires win welcome It az heartily as the men behind
the guns.