The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-10


That's all.
The Grand Jury is now in session. we be-
lieve, and if they were to send for persons and
papers, as we trust they will do all the desired
information might be obtained.
Telssrsphte Com municataon Between
E0roPe, Asia and America.
The fasars of the attempt to raise the sub
merged Atlantic telegraph cable, which we
have learned by the last European steamer, must
not discourage public faith in the eventual reali-
zation of the project of uniting Europe aud Ane-
RIGA by line of telegraph. We do not suppose
that the Atlantic Telegraph Company will
abandon all attempts to lay down new cable
from Ireland to Newfoundland; but, even If it
should, there are other enterprises on foot
having the same object in view, which will not
probably be abandoned. There is Mr. Shaft
ner's plan of telegraph line by way of Ice
land and Labrador, and there is also q plan of
laying cable from Cape Finisterre, on the
northwest coast of Spain. by way of the Azore
Islands. But, even though none of these three
projects should be contaminated, there is still
another one, which will be. and which will not
only unite America to Europe, but also to Asia
and the Japanese islands.
The plan in question is that proposed by Mr..
Perry Med. Collins, formerly United States
Commercial Agent at the Amoor. He proposed
to build line from Moscow to San Francisco.
The Canadian Parliament granted charter to
him and his associates, under the title of the
Transmundane Telegraph Company. That de-
signation has since been dropped, because, per-
haps, it was suggestive of telegraph to the
moon or other points beyond this globe, and
the title of Russian-American Telegraph Com
pany has been substituted. There ought to be,
and probably will be, another change in the de-
signation, so as to include Asia. But, however
indistinct or uncertain may be the title Of the
company, there is no indistinctness or uncer-
tainty about its plans, Of which full accounts
given in another portion of to-day's HERALD.
visits to Russia for the purpose Of enlisting that
government in favor Of his plan. To certain
extent he succeeded. He did not, indeed, pro-
cure concession for the building Of the line
from Moscow through the Russian territories.
The Russian government prefers to keep its
telegraph lines in its own hands; nor did be
succeed in making any specific arrangements
for combination between the Russian lines
and the lines of the Russian American Com
pany, when they would be severally built. But
he did succeed in opening the eyes of the Rus
sian government to the importance Of the pro-
ject and in stimulating it to active operations
to perform It's part of the work. Already IT has
extended line of telegraph eastwardly from
Moscow to PERM a distance of nearly thou
sand miles and is constructing it further east
across the Ural mountains to Ekatarineburg
with the design Of extending 1t to the Amoor
river. II has granted to Mr.. Collins the initia-
tory surveys from the Amoor river eastwardly,
so far as the Russian possessions are
concerned, 30 that If il do not see
proper to continue the line to the mouth of
the AMOR river. he may be prepared to fill up
that gap. II is proposed to extend the line
from the Amoor either by the western coast of
the Sea Of Ochotsk to Kamschatks, and thence
by Behring's Straits into Russian America,
stretching down along the coast to San Francis
co, or else by and down the island Of Saghalien
across the Strait Of La Perouse into the Japan
csc islands, with a branch line to Hong Kong,
islands to Russian America. The details Of the
various plans are given at length in the article
to which We refer
MIR. Collins intends to apply to the American
Congress for aid In this great project 40 far as
to have the necessary surveys made by our GO
vernment in the seas and on the coasts and
islands Of the North Pacific; and il Is also ex-
pec.ed that the Russian. English and American
governments, all so deeply interested in the sue.
cess Of the enterprise, will at least mutually
guarantee q fair interest on the cost of con-
struction. The distance from San Francisco to
the Amoor river will be about six thousand
miles-just half way TO Moscow-and 1t is ex-
pected that the line can be built for million
and half OF two millions of dollars. Interest
on the latter sum, at the rate of seven per cent
would be $40, 900. which would leave only the
small sum of about S47 900 to be annually
guaranteed by each. There can hardly be a
doubt a, to the willingness OF the three govern
ments to aid in SO ineonsiderable a manner a
project Of such vast importance. If they do so
promptly, the work will be pushed on. aud we
may thus, few years hence, realize the
wonderful idea of communicating by telegraph
from this metropolis with Europe, Asia aud the
islands of the East. II not with Australia and
Africa likewise. Mr.. Collins project is prac-
iicabie one, and We hope to see 1t consum-
mated.
THE AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CoNvESfIoN.-The
American Scientific Convention has jus, closed
its fourteenth annual session, at Newport, after