Cape Flattery Telegraph Line Fails
The expensive underwater cable connecting the mainland to Tatoosh Island has snapped, and the government may abandon it rather than foot the repair bill.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The cable connecting the United States government telegraph line with Tatoosh Island, at Cape Flattery, broke about 6:30 a.m. today. This cable has been in operation for nearly three years, and is one of the heaviest cables made. It was laid at a cost of $8,000, and broke the first winter it was down. It is not definitely known where the break is. Should it prove to be in deep water the cable will very likely be abandoned, as it would hardly pay to repair it. On account of the extreme roughness of the coast where it crosses, it would be breaking continually, and the cost of picking it up would be considerable.
“Should it prove to be in deep water the cable will very likely be abandoned, as it would hardly pay to repair it.”
Infrastructure maintenance in remote coastal regions has always been a battle against the elements in Washington. Just as the 1894 government weighed the cost of undersea telegraph repair, today's agencies balance similar risks for remote internet and power connectivity.
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