This section is from the book "Scientific American Reference Book. A Manual for the Office, Household and Shop", by Albert A. Hopkins, A. Russell Bond. Also available from Amazon: Scientific American Reference Book.
Length of first successful cable, miles......................... | 25 |
Length of first successful Atlantic cable, miles......................... | 2,134 |
Length of direct United States cable (Ballinskelligs Bay, Ireland, to Halifax, Nova Scotia), miles......................... | 2,564 |
Length of French cable (Brest, France, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts), miles......................... | 3,250 |
Distance from San Francisco to Hawaii, miles......................... | 2,089 |
Distance from Hawaii to Wake Island, miles......................... | 2,040 |
Distance from Wake Island to Guam, miles......................... | 1,290 |
Distance from Guam to Manila, miles......................... | 1,520 |
Distance from Manila to Asiatic Coast, miles......................... | •630 |
Depth of water in which first successful cable was laid, feet.. .. | 120 |
Depth of Atlantic cable lines,feet. | 14,000 |
Greatest depth at which cable has been laid between Haiti and Windward Islands, feet . . | 18,000 |
Greatest depth between San Francisco and Hawaii, feet. . . | 18,300 |
Greatest depth between Hawaii and Manila (estimated), feet. . | 19,600 |
Capital of first Atlantic cable company........................ | $1,750,000 |
Contract price of cable for first Atlantic line.............................. | $1,125,000 |
Contract price of cable for first successful Atlantic cable line. . | $3,000,000 |
Present cost per mile of cable (estimate by Bright) | $750 |
Cost of laying per mile, average.. | $375 |
Number of words per minute sent on first line.............................. | 3 |
Number of words per minute on first successful Atlantic cable line at beginning | 8 |
Number of words per minute on first successful Atlantic cable line after experimental stage. . | 15 |
Present rate of speed (without duplex)...................................... | 25 |
Present rate by automatic system (without duplex).................... | 50 |
Increased use of wire by duplexing, per cent............................. | 90 |
Number of cables laid across the North Atlantic | 16 |
Number now working | 13 |
Average life of cable, years | 25 |
Original rates for messages, first Atlantic lines (minimum 20 words or less)....................... | $100 |
On first reduction (minimum, 20 words or less)....................... | $50 |
Original word rate, without minimum.................... | $1 |
Present word rate, without minimum..................................... | $0.25 |
Length of telegraph cables of the world, miles...................... | 193,000 |
Length of land lines of the world (1898) (estimate by Bright), miles........................................................See page 185 | |
Cost of cable lines of the world (estimate by Bright)......... | $250,000,000 |
Cost of land lines of the world (estimate by Bright)......... | $310,000,000 |
Total length of telegraph wires, land and cable (estimate by Bright), miles..................... | 2,300,000 |
Number of cable messages sent annually (estimate by Bright). | 6,000,000 |
Per cent of world's lines built by governments................ | 10 |
Per cent built by private enterprise........................... | 90 |
Time of message and answer, Washington to Santiago battlefield and return, minutes................ | 12 |
Time of message, Washington to London and reply in chess match of 1898, seconds.................. | 13 1/2 |
Number of cables owned by nations........................... | 1,380 |
Length of cables owned by nations, miles..................................... | 21,528 |
Number of cables owned by private companies..................... | 370 |
Length of cables owned by private companies, miles. ...... | 171,679 |
Longest single line without intermediate landing, miles........................... | 3,250 |
 
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