, 1864-06-14
GRAND TELEGRAPH LINE,
/ LINE ROUND TIE WORLD
The United States, Russia and ct.
Britain Cooperating.

AL1NE ROUND THE WORL,
! The United States, Russia and G1
Il Britain Cooperating.
aEcntTARY SEWARD TO HON z. CHANDLER,
DEPARTGzKr OF STATE, !
WASHINGTON, May II, 1861
To The Honorable Zachary Chandler. Chairman ,
tse ihe Gommi1tee Commit Of Commerce, In the Senate
SIN: have the honor to reply to your letter (
tie l41h q April last upon tie subject Of The M
morial which has been subjected to Congress
MT. Pe1ry Mcponough Collins:
Mr..Co'1tns ia an American citizen. residing !,
taluesnia. He has been. since 1855, commctcI.
agent Of this Government for the Amoor Rive
gfces furnish satisfactory evidence thst the co1r
" conid not have more enlightened, ..:assiduou
and faithfal representative.
) Tie project which be submits for the conside
tanon of Congress Is the construction OF line q
telegfaph from eomc point on the Pacific Tele
Graph line, OF the northern extension thereof, II
enc or the Northwestern States or Territories
Efft1sh C1umbfa and RuRE,an America to Csp
Prince Of Wales; thence By an inland route aroun,
the sea Of ohkotek to the mouth Of the Amoo
The telegraph line thus proposed Is intended
| primarily, TO connect the last named place with {
@ ans to be extended t. from thence to 1rkoutsk, Ii,
a. that Important town line Of telegraph be
EHs whtch Stretches thsosga Tomsk pa 6nss
,en,ssr n15ea ps Ksthsnoug en he Asia.t
h1es1eu Empire.
Tts lIne projected By Nj. Collins, from the pa,
Ratea as, extension b the Russian Government to
sEpply sp direct and unhroEen telegraph commnulca-
! efn cost OF America across the Eastern and West.
esn continents and the Pacific Ocean to Cape Clear.
In Ireland, the Westernmost projection Of Europe,
y Lid between Cape Clear nnd Cape Race, Il viii
together With the link have LAST before descrbcd'
hs 5e.sgtnph circuit around The earth
~. degrees Of north latitude
., Inese 9aesttons arise from Nj. Colllns' memori-
ts,ss@is1pe sassei enterprise .e,.,b,e,
GkeonG-Wou.d 1t be useful
1ntro!Y-Has 1t inst claim on the Govern
neni aI,an t9 nc patronage which he sollcits.
ns a,lesl'es t. Be surmoqnted msy be classtaed-
The 1nost prominent physicaI dtiIicntty IL the
estent OF territory to be traTersed. The starting
point POI c, must b. chosen IN either Nebraska. Kan.
fae, colorado, Utah. Montana, Idaho, OREGON or
Waenlngtou. Thence the distance to be tn
TeIeed through British .America to the line Of
tn1mah hGsslah pAmeca about ,oQ miles, the distance
taioneh huatian America to Cape Prince OF Wales.
ahtnt 1,Soo miles: the length Of a submarine ca
bic across Behring's Straits wonld be II Riles
.ne 11salss from Fae, cs By inland
tEe settlements OF okbotsk, Asau and shauteF:s
~, ~, which are well Known stations Of tie whale
rs a,t g S Ihs mont month 81 the Amoor Rvor would
would be about 6,040 miles. Operative teiesranh
wires Eare already been stretched on this CONT
sm4 nfnn Of ths length q $1,000 and
Gentlnent OF tue aggregate length OF a00000 miles
prssatfe submarine telegraph wires hare been
se it3 t1%1 p Of 3o1 miles and
Malta to Tripolt. ''~SN1
Thus I, VIII be seen that the mere extent Of the
.e. - oe uaFe1sed III the prrsent case does not
sen,asuintc e,atc an inepfmountahe, nor even serious
TIE physical obstacle which next presents Itself
erEed. That portion Of the route which lies with
IN our oHn tetto1y ts cblenT mountainous and The
projected Pr, teeeraph mnst At least come along de-
1ouna necessary. in any case to suruount tbem
British Columbia presents similar toporranhT.
1nt tnese ths mountains nrs divided Tito three
fsnE es, whose courtcs ase from north to sonth
te,eeraphs and roads. The Pacific COST Of Rnasfsn
aheh Il sxs TIE pofop ef Siberia
sen Of okhutsl .s, for larse extent, steppe or
p,elp. with gentle eleradoG=, occasionally dsne
INTO mountainous ridge.
At the head Of the Sea Of Okhotsk a r,npe of
mountains must be crossed, and the region lying
ts petween e tnat range and the mouth Of he Ataoof
,ioned, which extends from he sane ranoe north-
Ta1d 10 ast Cape. The highest elevation to Be !,
Ie5cosne on TIE Whole line would be found ia thr
Mocky i3 Monntatns, within the United States, pad
.hts elevation may be ca,imated at eight lhousaud
to ten thous and feet
operative telegraph lines have olready been
to ttosc thus described. The Pacics Telesraph
Ing, n CROSSING The slcrra Nayads, r1scs to an
elevation greater than that which 10 to be sur
with The exception Of ,tmbex ali Tie materials ne
OF teef;rnph line arc light ari portable. Metallic
Hirs sufficient for mile Of telegraph, together
than four hundred pounds. Sualclent timber
awsits the builder oag the route through tie
United I; sts1es aDs British Columbia. Timber is
which lie within the Russian domains On eaeh con-
tiEent, with the exception Of q timbe1iess steppe
aEs hnaarsd ad nss wids on each side Of Behring's
near to the line, cthtr by Sea or from the forest
roEe ed shores Of nasigaole rivers.
=, The temperature Of the region through which
low. Eevestheless, Winter is less severe than Il
y between tue Fame parallels Of lat,tuoe on the
aa atlaaas coast: The te1esfaphie liue which con-
White Sea, and also The te'ceraphIc .iine which
3asees e around the Gulf OF Bothnra and CONNECTS "
sla,ion, without difficulty, although they cross as
1ieh parallels Of flatftude as those which lie In
'hG e. var Of Mr. Coltns's line.
iund1ed and eighty feet deep. and theg are frozen
.l1oueh one;half Of The year; bu. the congealcd
takes the om
nate seems ts offer no serious obstacle to the en-
er1rfSe; while II ia not entirely unworthy OF con
':detaton hat in cold lati1udcs: timber used Ia t
imbcr used in warn iatitudes, wfiic less Of insn.
at1ng material IL demanded Ia high ATTITUDES than
s required in more genial climates,
The only political difficulty il the way OF the
:nfs!ps!se 10 the fact that it requires concerted
ia rom three several States. namely-the United
G5st btsn and Russa The tSo Last
nd hatyrnal lbezal1ty towards the Uuited States,
nnae 81 the 1e sontessloHs which were demanded
'f Mr- Collins, political obstacle viii rem in,
.Ihat portion Of our own country Ia which the
.n'erptise Ia to be carried on IL 10 well known
han ! hare already given. Il ia newly and a.
re- thin,y settfed. The case Is the same IN Brit
"a ,s C1nmbia; indian tslbes arc found nlong the
20 well subjected to the influences Of society and
;ovstnment. through the operations Of tie FUR
1sae, thst 70 ser1ous resistance from them need
Tie inhabitarts Of Aeiatic Russia, who dwell
HAND arc nomadic Txttars, affecting much In
lie the American natives. After centuries Of IN. !
! tfnat WAT, they have now settled Inte State Of
in which. they are accustomed
md with the Government agents OF Russia. and
hey IRE Hospitality Inclined 3, that intercourse
The result Of the euryey Of ficts TINS far made
,hysieal. political or Social IN the way Of fhe nrs
ecttd line OF telegraph.
In r gard to the expense which It reqsires, I
Eust be content to ref,r the Committee Of thn |
'e1ate the estimates which have been submit !
60 by Hr. co;}ine. They have been made with a
Jew 10 eecure from pr1va1e eources al, advance of
he moneys to be expended, and at the sane time |
9 obtain iron the Goyernments Of Great Britain.
III III. and the Unitsd Statcs, the necessary poll
tczl a.d- It may be assumed, therefore, that they
Fere prepared honestly and cautiously. and With
# near approach 70 accuracy Id possible in re-
:afu TO design (which 10 much thst is to he |
!oEe Ia und dEf conditions never before tried. Mr.
io!ltns estimates the whole cost 1t fire millions Of
olara, A tast legislative caution would proba.
" il duce Congress 10 dorb;e that estimate. /,
l understand that an association IL already |
ormeG with capital Of ten millions, to BE- devot-
q to the enterprise. am, therefore, Of opinion j
hat 1t Is tnit-ely 1eesfbic.
Proceed IN the next place, to eons1dar the pro-
asie Eseinlnces OF the enterprise. Il Is needful
ere 70 assume that the lfne Of telegraph propps-
d Will be eItcnded Immediately from Auloor
siver to lrkoulsk, 10 complete the telegraph
E cha!o oses the two continents. Tae agreement
nm Russ'a leaves no room Of doubt on this
.,*
Setting aside the Temporary disturbance OF var.
be merchant. or the manufacturer, the miller The .
amer, tho 1afnez, or the fisherman Of Ha,lfax, :