The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1865-08-23
:RUssIAN OVERLAND TELEGRAPH TIC
EUROPE.

Since Balboa frs. stared ct the silentexpanse of
the Pacific from mountain peak in Darien and
carried back to the civilized world IN account of
its existence, no circumstnn in the history of
that ocean has occurred Mt oil commensurate in
Importance with the laying of the submarine cable
under it, to connect, though not perhapsfor the
first time, the continents Of America and Asiu.
This last link of those letters with which the intel
lgence and energy of man hns enabled him to cir
Gle the entire globe around, will be completed
within now comparatively brief period Of time.
On the 18th ult. the barquc Golden Rule, tho flag
ship Of the Russian Telegraph expedition, and the
steamer G.. S. Wright, with Col. Buckley, COM
mandcr of the expedition, his staff, and number
Of employees, sailed for the Gulf of Anadir and the
shores OF Behring's Straits. 1t is not proposed to
submerGe the cable at the Straits, because strong
current exists there which runs from south to
north into the Polar Sea, and this might cndangcr
the safety of the wire. The GTIf of AnGdir has
accordingly been selected for this purpose and the
expedition Will proceed at once to the preliminary
work of sounding the Gulf, and afterwards Of lay
ing down the submarine portion Of the cable.
Commencing ct New Westminster, q town in
British America, just north of the United States
boundary line, and lying on the banks of Frazer's
River, the telegraph line will extcnI northwest
ward along the Pacific coast to the Russian pos
sessions, which begin at Simpson River, and
thence, by way of New Archansel to Ncrton's
Sound, which is opposite the Gulf of Aretir and
is situated in about the sixtyffth degree of north
latitude It will thence be conducted to Behring's
Island, which lies midway between Ncrton's Sound
and the Gulf of Anadir, and is the place whore the
intrepid BEHR1sa YVES wrecked, and where lie died.
From thence it viii reach the continent of Asia,
spanning the at point where it is only four
hundred miles wide, by two submersions of less
than two hundred miles each. Thence coasting
the eastward shore of Asia, southwark to warm
or zone, crossing the of Okhotsk to the mouth
of the Amoor River, the line viii make its why
through the Russian possessions in ASIA across
the entire continent, distance Of four thou
sand miles, to connect with the Russian system OF
telegraph posts Which conduct to st. Petersburg
in Europe. 1t will thus be secure from the inter
ruptions which might occur it to pass through
the possessions Of any Of the bnrbaric nations
which populate the southern portion Of Asia.
What yer may be the ultimate fate of the Allan
tic cable, there can be doubt OF the vast utility
and Importance of this overland enterprise. Not
only will instantaneous communication, which al
ready exists from here to the Pacific be continued
to within aon aratively short distance of the Ja-
pan 1slands but that great desidcratum of the
commercial world, telegraphic communication be-
tween Europe and America, Will be secured beyond
peradventure. Storms may rack the shore ends
OF the Atlantic cable, ships anchors may pull it up
kinks may untwist it, its electrical condition may
bc impaired beyond remedy, or its continuity de-
stroyed by some unforeseen obstacle. No matter:
the land line across Asia will remain, and to the
working OF this, as experience has proved, no more
irrepnrable interruptions can happen than every
day befan those lines which are in constant use all
over the whole civilized world
1t should be source of no genuine regret that
neither Of these great enterprises can ever be
wholly American, since neither the sea to tho
eastward nor the land to the westward form por-
tion Of the empire of the United States. Let it
suffice for our national glory that the inccptors
and practical engineers Of both lines are Ameri-
cans, that the mode Of working them was an
American invention, nay, even that the identity Of
lightning and electricity, that great discovery
which was the necessary precursor of electric tcle
graphy, was the conception of an American mind.
The results Of free institutions, Of our system
Of common school education, of that restless de-
sire for discovery, and of that quick intuition
which accepts innovation where innovation is
benefcial-al Of which are peculiarly Ameri-
can--are illustrated in these great enterprises, in
a wGy which cannot but be sufficiently gratifying
to our national pride.
To people accustomed as we are to The use of
the telegraph wire is scarcely necessary to point
ont the immense advantages of this line Of COM
muncation with Europe. To embrace all its won
drous results within single phase, it will be as
though the entire civilized world were removed en-
naasSe to our doors, and as though we were re-
moved to theirs. Cargoes will no longer be shipped
to losing markets; crops which, when raised, bear
no profa, will no longer be grown; manufactures,
doomed to mouldcr away on ahop-sheves, will no
longer be wrought, or, if wrought and unsulcable,
will quickly learn their why to more profitable
marts; merchants will require longer to be mil
honaires, nor will commercial preseionce be de-
manded for period long enough to embrace two
voyages, for it will be narrowed down to one. For
instance, il the Triestos correspondent ola New
York house advises the latter TINT lous is in de-
aoanu at the former place, and recommends car
go to ba shipped there, itnow takes, eYen with tho
Gid of the telegraph in Europe, two weeks for .he
intelligence to reach it's destination ship il
then dispatched to Trieste with the -four 40 de-
manded, two months more are consumed en- the