1930-08-01 — Page 12

SUPPLEMENT TO HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1

Cable

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N December 20, 1868, history

'EMPRESS OF CANADA?? was completed south from New ON 200 madh, for on

Westminster connecting with the that day the Canadian Pacific Trans-Western Union Telegraph Com Canada telegraph gystem was linked pany's system at the international up between New Westminster and boundary. Victoria and Nanaimo the Atlantic Coast. Then an his- were connected with New Westmms- toric message was relayed direct ter by land-lines and a cable dcross to Old Westminster in London from the Strait of Georgia, and a line the little namesake city on the was later built through the Fraser banks of the River Fraser. To Valley to Yale, and then along the commemorate the inauguration of famous Cariboo road to Barkerville, this "All Ited" route J. W. Wilson, line branching off at Cache at that time superintendent of the Creek-an important mail and tole- Pacific Division of the Canadian graph centre in the early days- Pacific Railway Telegraphs, con- to Savona's Ferry and Kamloops. ceived the happy idea of sending a In 1867 the Western Union took message from New Westminster to

over and operated the lines, but its ancient namesake in London. abandoned them in 1800, and fur This message was as follows:- -nearly a year the interior of the "December 20, 1886-New West-colony was isolated as far as tele- minster. British Columbia sende graphic, communication was greetings to Old Westminster, 120 p.m. weather cloudy, light rain, thermometer 44 degrees above. What is weather with you? We are work- ing with cable office in Canse over circuit of 4600 miles."

This message was timed as receiv- ed at Causo at 12.23 p.m. and was started across the Atlantic 12: 27: 45.

ith

at

Q

The reply to New Westminster's greetings was in the following

terms:-

con-

cerned. On August 7, 1870, the Government resumed the operation of the lines, and in 1871, when Bri- tish Columbia entered the Canadian Confederation, the telegraph sys-- tem was transferred to the Cana dian Government.

41

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An Expensive Luxury But the service was very unsatis- factory, and the line connecting. the Atlantic and Pacific provinces passed through foreign territory. The business was small, and in 1880 "Old Westminster to New West the number of messages handled at minster sends kindliest greetings to New Westminster averaged only its sister namesake. Weather here twenty daily, and the total revenus is heavy and foggy. Temperature over the entire ayatem amounted to about 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The 87,000 annually. The line was very city enveloped, but about three expensive to maintain, and thus, miles outside the weather, is clear, on July 4, 1888, when the Cana We all send you compliments ofdian Pacific Railway was complet the season, and hope that this yeared to Port Moody, the Dominion which has seen such tremendous Government was quite ready to strides made by you and your transfer its telegraph-lines and friends will be loaz remembered and that in years to come will prove the value and importance of your great undertaking. We wish you the best luck possible."

Sixty Years Ago. One of the strongest arguments advanced for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway was the necessity for military purpose

of a railway through British terri-

tory on the North American contin. ent. And if the necessity for such a railway existed, the neod was equally pressing for an All-Red" telegraph line, to quote the term coined by Sir Sanford Fleming in connection with the installation of the Pacific cable in 1901. British Columbia, had had communication with the outside world by telegraph eince the fall of 1864, when a line

cables to the railway company, that portion of the line from Ashcroft north to Barkerville being excluded from the deal between the Dominion and the Canadian Pacific Railway and remaining under the control of the government.

The Canadian Pacific Railway opened its office for commercial telegrams early in September 1886,

Across

the Canadian Pacific Railway direct telegraph line reached Fredericton, New Brunswick, from Vancouver, and greetings by wire were exchang ed between the Mayors of these citica, The great difference in climate between the extreme west and the extreme cast of Canada in February was emphasized in the wire New Brunswick was in the depths of winter, while British Columbia on the coast was enjoy

Copper Coins.

Another curious foault of the tak ing-over of telegraph service by the Canadian Pacific Railway was the fact that the railway was the first to put copper ecins into circulation in British Columbia. This occur- red in 1897. As in most Western cities, coppers were unknown in Vancouver in those days. The ruto was that when anything came to an odd three cents, the buyer, paid dro crats, but if it was one or two cents the seller lost that amount. This practice was also followed with telegraph tolls. But an Eastern mah one day demanded exact change, and on being told that the office had no copper coins wrote an indignant letter to Sir William Van Horne, the President of the system. The latter at once shipped out several sacks of coppers to the office, and wrote a courteous reply to the angry Easterner, informing him thut in future he would be ablo to get his exact change. At the same time. Sir William ques- tioned the wisdom of introducing coppers, as if would probably tënd to lower wages generally. But though the telegraph-office after that would always offer the exact change, few people wanted the cop- pors, as they wore thon of no use, and it was not until this century that copper cents came into general circulation.

160,000 Miles of Wire.

On December 31, 1886, the outside plant consisted of 1535 miles of poles, 14,506 miles of wire, and 50 miles of cable, most of the latter being used to connect Vancouver Island with the mainland. The wire was of No. 9. and No. 6 BWG ron. Extensions of the lines and the provision of facilities for in- creased traffic were so great that on December 31, 1928, there were 10,301 miles of poles, 160,987 miles of wire, (of which 81.2 por cent were copper and the balance iron), and 324 miles of cable, containing

"EMPRESS OF RUSSIA."-

1, 1930.

A Continent

Bedroom in Private Suite on "Empress of Japan."

United States, the former being direct cables to the British Isles and continental Europe, as well as Japan, Chins, and other countries in the Far East, while the Postal Telegraph Cable Company connects with all points of importance in the United States,

and telephone wires used for rail | capacity as the first was added by Telegraph Cable Company of the way seriven are under the supervi sion of the Commercial Telegraph Department. Telephone lince were used to a considerable extent in the mountains to connect the watchmen and other people with nearby stations, but were not generally used for despatching trains until June 1908, when a trial circuit was put in operation between Montreal and Farnham, Quebec. This me thod of handling trains was found

the end of the year in this con- nection, John McMillan, general manager of Canadian Pacific Tele- graphs, gives the following descrip tion: By means of this new sya tem Canadian Pacific is speeded up, as the carrior system will give an equivalent of ten channels of com- munication as well as, a telephone circuit from the Atlantic to the cutered into with the Halifax and Pacific. It is effective from Van- Bermuda Cable Company Ltd., and couver to Montreal, and, of course the West India Cable Co. Ltd., over to intermediate points. The first which direct connection was obtain- carrier system, was operated via Led to the West Indica, Bermuda, Toronto, and Winnipeg was a "and islands to the south.

strategic point on the line." More than 83,000,000 will be expended in improvements and extensions in

1030.

In 1890 a traffic agreement was:

Service to Australasia.

Direct service to Australia, New Zealand, and countries in the Enter Radio.

Southern Pacific was established in The year 1930 was marked by the 1920, through the completion of the entrance of the Canadian Pacific Pacific Cablo Board'a Pacifio cable. into the radio field with its "Choer-connecting Bamfield, on the western ful and Good" music every Friday coast of Vancouver Island, with night from 10 to 11 Eastern Stan Sydney, Australia. Ia 1910 the dard Time. This radio service traffic over this cable (principally thoroughly blankets the Dominion, from Europe and the United and is accepted by the National | States) had grown to such propor- Broadcasting Corporation of the tions that a wire was leased from United States, who send it out over the Canadian Pacific from Montze- the Eastern United States. Toronto, sl to Bamfield. In July 1917 the. Montreal, and nine other Canadian British Government aequired one stations are linked together in a of the former German Atlantic transcontinental network by the cables, which was brought into and new broadcasting. programme terminated at Halifax. Upon the transmission system of the Cana- completion of this arrangement au dian Pacific Telegraphs. Stations exclusive working agreement was in this network are Quebec City, entered into between the imperial Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Recabla authorities and the Canadian gina, Fleming, Edmonton, Calgary, Pacific whoreby traffic was to be Red Deer and Vancouver. The exchanged exclusively, and in addi- programme sent out is of two kinds, tion thereto a wire was leased by the selections from a series of ballad Imperial Cable authorities from operas and dance-music from the Halifax to Montreal, connecting Royal York. Hotel, bronto,

with the leased wire that had been

For the purposes of the system the Dominion is divided into Eas- tern Lines Fort William to Sydney and Western Lince-Fort William to Vancouver. These are in turn, divided into four districts on each divison. Headquarters of the Atlantic district is Saint John; for Quebec, Montreal; for Ontario, Toronto and for Algoma, Sud headquarters for the Manitoba dis trict is Winnipeg; for Saskatche wan, Moose Jaw for Alberta, Cal gary and for British Columbia,

in operation since 1810 between Montreal and Bamfield for the Pacific Cable Banrd, the latter be- ing composed of representatives of the British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Governments. At the present time the leased wire re- ferred to it worked continuously 24 hours of the day between Halifax on the Atlantic coast and Bamfeld. and a big business was done from ing high spring. So the Vancouver | 5505 miles of wire. The number of so satisfactory that it has been ex-burs. On the Western division, on the Pacific coast, with the same the very start, as besides messages wire ran: "Wish we had transcon- telegrams handled in 1867 were tended, and now the entire maiu line

speed and accuracy as any wire of originating on its own system, it tinental telescope as well as tale 567,840. in 435 offices: during 1998 of the Canadian Peific Railway is

100 miles in length. In connection: handled all the business of the Unit-graph so that you could take a thero were handled 6,858,507 tele-operated in this monner as well as

with the Imperial Cable traffic from continental States Postal Telegraph Company peep at our gardens and fields this grams from about 1650 offices. Cable a large number of main and branch

the British Isles, Vancouver. 2. Tek

Europe, and beyond, destined to between points in the Eastern, morning. Take my word, they look grams filed in 1928 number 440,539, lines.

From its inception the Canadian Canada, United States, and coun States and San Francisco and other glorious." The Frodericton Mayor, and cablegrams received were 383,707, Trans-Continental Telephones.

A new carrier and telephone eye Paelic Telegraphs has had exclu- tries farther afield, it is interest- Coast cities, in addition to Press with his city feet deep in snow; totalling 823,336 in all for the year. reports for the Coast. newspapers, replied: "On ropt of your tele Outside of a few short pieces in tem was completed in 1929 for the sive connection with the Mackaying to note that all this traffic passes A Humorous Interlude. gram several of the audience faint cities the first copper wire erected Canadian Pacific purposes, and a system, comprising the Commercial over the lines of the Canadian Pacr An interesting ovent occurred oned and the few remaining got up in 1803 from Montreal to Vancouver second carrier system between Mon- Cable Company's Atlantio and fic Telegraphs, radiating out of

the Postal Halifax. weighed 300 lbs per mile. This treal and Winnipeg of the same Pacific Cables, and February 17, 1880. On that date and left for Vancouver."

copper has since been found so effi cient that it has been very exten sively brought in use, and now com prises asetated above 61.2 porcent. of the total wire in, use. This cop per wire is No. 6 and No. 9, the first weighing 300 lbs per mile, and the second 210 lbs per mile..

Blue-stone gravity batteries were in general use throughout the sys fem until 1800. Storage batteries were installed in Ottawa in 1806 and afterwards at various other: main points, but wherever more than one source of power could-bë obtained, it was replaced by motor generators, and today all farge offices of the company are supplied with curront either from storage. battery or machines. Where only ohe source of outside power can be obtained, storage batteries are used to bridge over any breakdown in the source of power. But where more than one source of power: 1s available, motor generators aro used.

Bedroom in Private Suite on Empress of Japa

The printer telegraph was first InstRTICO On the hues of uns com Hanx between Montres) and Torents on August 1, 1912, Additonal circuits have been put into opera tion from time to time, until now all the important cities in Canada are connected by this method. For examples, Halifax to Montreal; Montreal to Toronta, Toronto to Winnipeg, Montreal to Winnipeg; Vancouver, Calgary, and Moose Jaw; Winnipeg to Vancouver, Cal gary, Moose Jaw, etc. beside other shorter circuits. All the telegraph

EMPRESS OF ASIA”!