The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-11

bill for the construction OF telegraph TO the Pacific
was reported 10 the Senate Tuesday by Mr.. Weller,
from the Committee Territories Il provides for the
completion OF the line from st. Louis to San Francisco
in eighteen months from the passage of the bill Although
the plan for railroad TO the Pacific embraces the feature
of telegraph the bill reported by Mr. Weller conflicts in
no degree with that, since OF necessity many years must
eapse before the road and the concurrent telegraph can
be completed In the time the business intercourse
OF the shores OF the continent will have increased
that there will be sufficient business for two lines at
least
The report and bill OF the committee are based upon
the memorial of Messrs Hiram O. Alden and James Ed
dy whom the report states to be PERSONS from their
tecedents and position in every way competent Tor the
accomplishment OF this enterprise The bill provides Tor
the free and prior use of the line the governmental
provision OF the first Importance and OF great value to
every department of the public service. Weeks now
eapse before any exigency in the public business the
Pacific shore can be known at Washington, and weeks
again before the proper directions to meet such exgency
can reach their distant destination By aid OF the telegraph
one day will suffice to communicate with the Pacific and
receive 1t requires no argument to show
that such result will be of immense advantage to the
government and that the telegraph may be the means,
in many unforeseen, but not the less unlikely conn-
gen cies of saving much Of difficulty and expense 10 the
nation. In particular branch of the service-the
coast survey-he aid of the telegraph is invaluable.
The report states that nights work with the tee-
graph is worth the labor OF month with all other
tvances in determining the distances and position OF
points along the coast Professor Walker in whose
cent demise science met with great loss was the
first believe, to apply, under the superintendence OF
Professor Bache the telegraph to the of the
He has been heard to say that in hour. in clear
night could be done with the telegraph in deter
mining the longitude OF given points than in three hun
drsd years by the old methods In article written by
him upon he of the telegraph in the cost survey"
he stated that in few evenings work, between two
points on the New England coast where the telegraph
put requsition, he was enabled TO fix the long
tude of those points accurately than that be-
tween Greenwich and Paris known, though obser-
vaons had been compared between those two places for
centuries, and at expense Of MILLION DOLLARS
at each.
In return for the services rendered to the nation, it is
proposed to grant to the Messs Alden and Eddy fifteen
thousand OF land along the line OF the ee
graph-land worthless 10 the country, but which
will doubtless attain fair compensating value IN the
hands OF the grantees who 10 be put possession Of
/, when they shall have completed the line The tele
graph is TO be suberranean perfectly insulated, and
sure lis working through from ST. Louis 10 San Francisco
to have operating stations at every hundred miles For the
purposes OF repairs testing tubes 10 be established
every five miles.
OF the value Of the line TO the commercial world, and
to those whose kindred dwell the shores OF either
nothing need be said. Their appreciation OF its value
will be shown in the to which they will put it.