THE NEW SUBMARINE CABLE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 52, 20 January 1872, Page 2

THE NEW SUBMARINE CABLE

The rapid development of submarine telegraphy is one of the chief marvels of our age. When we remember that only twenty years have elapsed since the first experimental cable was laid across the English Channel, we shall better realise the extraordinary fact that the construetion of a line between the American coast and the Empire of Japan is the only thing needed to complete the telegraphic circle of the globe. “ The missing link” in this splendid chain of intercommunication is about to be supplied by Mr Cyrus Field, of Atlantic cable celebrity, who has projected a line from Victoria, the capital of Vancouver’s Island, to Ilakodadi, in Japan, and from thence to the Russian naval station on the coast of Asia, where across the steppes of Siberia, the telegraphic wire penetrates to St Petersburg, and is united with every part of the great European system. This new line, the estimated length of which is 4370 nautical miles, will touch at Atcha, one of the Aleutian Islands. A second route, projected by Mr Field, is identical with the first as far as Atcha, from which place, however, it pursues a more southerly course until it makes land at Yokohama—a distance from the United States of 4,235 miles. From Yokohama it describes a segment of a circle until it reaches Shanghai, a further distance of 1,010 miles. Returning to the Japanese city another branch crosses the island of Niphon and the Japan Sea, and joins the Russian lines atPossiette. A third and last route starts from San Francisco, traverses the North Pacific to Honolulu, in the Sandwich Islands, connects this group with Midway Island, and from thence journeys to Yokohama, a total distance of 5,573 miles. Making an allowance of 20 per cent for slack the length of cable required for the first route is 5224 miles, for the second, 5244; for the third, 8643. This calculation of course implies that each line will terminate at Possiette, which is 1480 miles from Yokohama. As the leading statesmen of Russia have already exhibited a keen appreciation of the practical value of the telegraph, is if not surprising that they should take the deepest interest in a colossal enterprise which, when carried out, will bring St Petersburgh into instantaneous communication not only with Japan, but also with the chief cities of the American Union. As soon as either of the routes, which we have have been able authoritatively to describe, is completed, the earth will be belted with telegraphic cables. When “ Puck’s girdle ” has spanned the Pacific it will be easy enough to send a message round the globe in “forty minutes”—a sufficiently near realisation of the great dramatist’s oft-quoted lines to make his fancy ap. pear prophetic. We may also add that it is in contemplation to lay a cabl e between Honolulu and the Australian

colonies, thereby establishing direct intercourse between Melbourne and San Francisco. This line is thus divided : San Francisco to Honolulu, 2,093 nautical miles; Honolulu to hijilslands, 2,950 ; Fiji to New Caledonia, 810 ; New Caledonia to Brisbane, 800—6,653; add 20 per cent for slack, 1,331; length of cable, 7984 nautical miles. Brisbane is already connected by land lines with Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide ; also with Port Darwin on the north coast, from which place a line to Java is under contract for construction. The Dutch colony is now in direct relation with the India and Chinese cables.