The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-21
The Atlantic Cable-A Telegraph via
Behring's Straits,

Behring's Straits.
The following paper was read before the Polytechnic
Association, June 0, 1859, by a. Megs, ESQ.,
In May 1857 the Mechanics Club said that the project
a. then proposed would fall but the opinion offered by
Mr. limAn that the proper route would BIO by Behring's
Straits and thar the Gear Of Russia should undertake it,
map of that strait was then drawn by the Secretary
Of the Club and is in the OF the institute
transactions OF 1867
Great opposition was made to the proposed plan.
the Gar took up the plan some time ago, but the
cuon thereon Is not known here.
Toe Parliament OF Canada have already passed an act
reanng compsay 70 connect the East and West by tele
graph wires across Behring's Straits.
Our map drawn according to the best authority end
ing with the ateet surveythat by Captain Beechey The
whole distance from Cape Prince Of Wales TO East Cape
Is tfty miles, and midway between lie the islands
Ratmapon, four miles long, and Kruzenstern two miles
long, and bare rock near-so that from our Cape
TO RatmanoG 10 twenty .eght miles, and thence 70
East Cape twenty two miles. From a moderate Gle.
vaton on Ratmanor both continents are at once
visible The depth of water ia about 200 feet The
cannot come down from the Arctic because tie
current always sets through the strait, TO the north
ward. Here then be laid, II necessary thousand
wires and thus enable the world to maintain CORES
pondence which would be impossible even
many ocean wires We al kpo how difficult is for our
telegraph lines 70 avoid cut when great speculation
neeos It, AT any rate unless the telegraph cables made
highway and post roads for every Dody, their utility
mseraby reduced. Aud II the lines can be made acces
sibe to everybody, millions Of messages will pass Instead
OF Few hundreds. Relations, friends and Of bust
0ess all over the world will keep thousands Of telegraph
wires ia constant employment.
The cables laid in straits will be readily taken up
for repair the nations will protect lines using them
AS they pass through their towns; altogether a)rding
an iocome greater than any national revenue from all
other sources
Toe 500 mie cable in the Mediterranean has ceased to
operate
vitus BehrDg q Dane--entered the Russian navy in
1907.
The Empress Catharine wanted to know whether Asia
ana America were united and sent Behring there
anime 1t IN l725. He went overland by the way OF
Yasutsk ca the river Lena, Ochotsk crossed
Bochectsk and reached Nischne Kamschatka Ostrog in
i.2S ana but saal boat; coastng along Kamschaika
made mistake as 70 the cape; went back to Nlschue
next year tried again. but 1913 got back ST. Peters
ourg, and took command OF squadron for discovery,
anG Ia l140 reached Ochotsk He died in l74l on an
Island called after his name.
The ST. ats were we'll examined by Captain Cook in
l779. He named the western cape OF America Cape
Prince of Wales, and stated the distance from that to
East Cape at thirteen leagues only He traversed
ed the north Of the until stopped by ice Our
oountyman Lsdyard undertook TO walk TO the straits
and cross over 70 America. He set out in 1885. He
reached Lkusk, in Siberia, but difficulties and the
government stopped him.
Captain Beechty, Of England is the last who examined
the straits The little ISLANDS called the Diomedes
The ice ID not heavy rs in Balus Bay, and il is be-
eved that the straits not blocked up by ce
the winter.
St. Petersburg is in latitude $685. Cape Prince William
n :35.