New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-10
SECRETARY SEWARD 10 THE HON z. oHaNDIxR.


To me Hon. ZACHARY CHANDLER Chairman y iAe Com
airer on Commerce ne Senate ct The Unifed srtes
SIR have the honor 10 reply 70 your letter OF the
18th of April last, upon the subject Of the memorial
which has been subjected to Congress by MI zen!
McDonough Collins.
Mr. Collins is an American citizen, residing in Cali
tornia He has been since 1885, commercial agent Vi
thjs Government for the AMOR River. The pnbAe
archives as well as the records OF Congress furnish
satisfactory evidence that the country could not have
more enlightened assiduOus ard faithful representative
The project which he submits for the considerations d
Congress is the construction Of line OF telegraph ron
some point the Pacific Telegraph lre or the north
crn extension thereof in of the North esterD
states or Territories and through British Columbia and
Russian America 70 Cape Prince OF ales thence .,
inland Due around inc Sea OF OAhOek 10 inc houtl
Uf the AMOR River.
The telegraph line thus proposed is intended pri-
,nary toeOnHoct at the last named place with line t.
b. extended from thence TO Irkoutsk, the capital Of
Eastern Siberia. -.
Al tbat important town q line Of telegraph begins
which sre ches through TOnsk and Omsk in Western
Siberia Rsthernburg on the Assic European frontier
Prim. Kaan. Eigni- Nongorod and Moscow, TO 81. Pc
larsburgh the Capital of the Russian Empire
The line projected by Mr.. Collins, from the Pacific
Telegraphro AInoOr River with its anticipated exten
sion BY TIC Russian Government 10 Irk0utsk would be
The link wanted 10 supply direct and unbroken
telegraph communication from Cape Race IN New
Fonndland the Eastern Of America across the
Eastern and Western Continents and the Pacific Ocean
10 Cape Cloas in Ireland the Wesern-mos projection o.
Wien ss,marine telegraph sdal be successfully
laid between Cope Clear ard Cape Race, it will togeth
with the lind have las: before described complete
telcgrr phic around the earth between the psra
leis Of Il degrees and 60 degrees OF north latitude
Three questions arise from Mr.. COllinss memorial
namely.
First Is the enterprise feasibei
Second Would it be useful
Third Has il u just claim On the Government to the
patronage which he sOlictst
shall examine these points in their order. First
The feasibility OF The enterprise. The difficulties to be
surnount.d may be cassled-physical, political. So
IRE mos prominent physical difficulty IL the extent
o. .irtory TO be trayersed The starting point must
be chosen IL either Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado Utah
Montana lahO, OTegOn or Washington Thence
the distance 10 be trayersed through British Amcri
cs 10 tn line Of Russian Americe, shout
sx hundred miles the distance through Rus.
sian Aperica to Cape Prince of Wales about l,9OC
IN .es the en,h OF submarine cable Behring's
Straits would be 10 miles and the distance from
En- Cape b, inland passage around TIE Sea Of
Ayln AID Shantcrs Bay which are well known
sts,ioas of the whale fishery. TO the mouth
of The AMOR River would be abont 800 miles. The
erfTe length OF tie line would be about tO4O miles
Opc+1tve lcgrph wires have already been stretched
ON tds eostineDt of the aggregate length OF @oso
miles and smilar wires have been stretched ON The
eastern centUent Of the aggregate length OF 200 0U
Inis Opera. I've submarine telegraph wires have been
laid a. the }sngths respectively, OF JOO ana 3Vl
miles fsen neTer to Hohgoland, and from Maita u
IripolL
tins is seenahat tie sItest of the route to b.
ayeTsed the pesent case docs not constitute an ii
ebImountabk nor even a serious drhcuity. 80 ,
The Pity seal obs,ecle which next presents sefis the
surface formation the regiSss TO be trayersed That
portion ~ tie rOutc which lies within territory
IL chiefly mount inOgs; and The projected telegraph
hue must at least along declyites OF the noun
fals eyeRif shoa,G LOT be found necessary III one
ease to snrponnt theTh. British Columbia presents
similar Topographic. Brt there the mountains are
clvded Into three ranges, whose courses arc from
norfb 10 south while Intervening valleys I1vite the IN
toaAciion OF teegrapbs aad roads The Pacific Coast
OF Russian America is chiefly level. The portion OF
siberia which lies between Last Cape and fhe head OF
tie sea OF Ochoisk, Is, for Uge extent steppe or
PAIN w)th gentle elevations occasionally Using into
mountainous ridges.
At ihehsad Of tie sea Of OchotSk range Of noun.
taIns must be crossed, and the eiOa lying between
.tlat range aud size mouth OF the AMOR River is OF the
aee ebaraetcr 20 Lst before mcntoned which extends