"That does not seem possible. Why, if I remember correctly Cuba and the Philippines belonged to Spain. When did the United States purchase them?"
"We had a war with Spain, and we took the Spanish possessions, as well as Porto Rico. Manila was captured three days after war was declared."
"Three days after war was declared! How could our fleet, which must have been half the way around the world, get the news that war had been declared in that time?"
"The commander of our fleet at Hongkong, was notified by telegraph."
"How could that be done without a telegraph line? Over what part of the earth are the lines now running?"
"Everywhere; but there are many running under the sea and are called _cable lines_."
Ephraim looked at John for a moment, as though he doubted the meaning of the words just uttered, and then slowly inquired: "That must be a remarkable thing. I do not see how it would be possible to string wires under the sea."
"They are encased in water tight coverings, and some of the lines are four thousand miles long. But nowadays we do not need wires for telegraphing."
The deformed figure arose, and appeared to be agitated, as he said: "Do you mean to say that messages can be sent without wires?"
"Stations for that purpose are now in operation all over the world."
"That is as improbable to me as though you should tell me that it would be possible to talk over a wire," he answered.
"But we do talk over wires, and it is possible to talk over distances hundreds of miles apart, without wires even."
He glanced at those about him, and shook his head. He appeared to hesitate about asking any more questions, and after shambling back and forth a dozen times, or more, he stopped at the pile of debris, and picked up a thick disk-like piece of metal, to one side of which was a short broken tube attached.
"I have examined this many, many times. Perhaps you can tell me what it is?" and he handed it to John.
"An instrument which will reproduce the human voice, or any noise, or the sound of music."
"I do not understand what you mean. If I talk to it will it talk back to me?"
"No; it is so arranged that one form of the instrument receives the sound of your voice, and impresses it on material in the form of a cylinder, or a disk, and if this cylinder or disk is put into another instrument, this little apparatus, which I hold in my hand will speak the same words you uttered."