Pierre to
Brest and thence on to Paris, a total distance of about seven thousand
miles.
Three years ago, when the great blizzard cut off all communication
between New York and Boston, messages were accepted in New York, sent
to this country, and thence back to Boston.
Some time ago the cables between Madeira and St. Vincent were out of
order, cutting off communication by the direct route to Brazil, and a
message to reach Rio Janeiro had to pass through Ireland, Canada,
United States, to Galveston, thence to Vera Cruz, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Chili; from Valparaiso across the
Andes, through the Argentine Republic to Buenos Ayres, and thence by
East Coast cables to Rio Janeiro, the message having traversed a
distance of about twelve thousand miles and having passed through
twenty-four cables and some very long land lines, instead of passing,
had it been possible to have sent it by the direct route, over one
short land line and six cables, in all under six thousand miles.
Perhaps some of our readers may remember having read in the newspapers
of the result of last year's Derby having been sent from Epsom to New
York in fifteen seconds, and may be interested to know how it was
done. A wire was laid from near the winning post on the race course to
the cable company's office in London, and an operator was at the
instrument ready to signal the two or three letters previously
arranged upon for each horse immediately the winner had passed the
post.
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