Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-03-01
The Collins, Overland Telegraph.

had rather have sovereign
As yun pound note"
The ColIins' Overland Telegraph.
While the British are engaged in the
important enterprise of attempting to lay
Geographic cable across the Atlantic, to
connect Ireland with Canada, the citizens
of the United States have commenced work
on the Pacific side of the world, on line
to connect California with Manchooria, by
way of Behring's Straits. This latter line
iscalled the Collins Overland Telegraph,
and the work is undertaken by the West
ern Union Telegraph Company, which is
the largest telegraph corporation in the
world, having capital of $35, O00,O 900. and
owning more than thirty thousand miles
of Geographic line in the United States
The Company have obtained right OF way
through British Columbia, Russian Amer
lea, and Eastern Siberia, and they have Il
franchise from the Russian Government,
authorizing them to connect at Nicolaief-
sky, on the Amoor river, near the mouth,
with the transcontinental telegraphic line,
which that Government is now construct
ing. The distance from St. Petersburg to
the mouth of the AMOR river is ITO deg,
of longitude, nearly one-third of the cir
conference of the globe, though in that
high northern latitude the distance in q
direct course is not more than five thous-
and miles. The Russian Overland Tel
egraph has already been completed from
St. Petersburg. in longitude 80 deg. East
to Irkutsk, in longitude l04 deg. East, and
it is supposed that the line from Irkutsk
to the Nicolaietfsky, in longitude l40 deg.
East, will be completed within one year
from this time.
The Russians 60 eastward; the Ameri-
cans westward. Each nation has wide
continent to travel over. We completed
our Geographic connection between the
Atlantic and Pacific three years ago, and
are now engaged in extending the line
northwesterly along the coast. The line
has reached Seattle, in latitude IS deg,
and within month or two will be finished
to New Westminster, at the mouth OF
Fraser river, in latitude 40 deg, and lon
gitude 1913 deg. w.
Thus we have the two outer Geographic
stations of civilization--Nicolaieffsky and
New Westminster-the latter IN latitude
80 deg, the former in 50 deg, with 81 de-
grees of longitude-about $500 geograph-
ical notwithstanding between them. II
is singular fact, that the shortest course
between the two posts would be by the
segment of great circle, passing over
Behring's Straits, and that is the general
direction which the Collins Overland Tel
egraph will follow. The details of the
route are, however, not yet determined,
and cannot be determined until extensive
explorations shall have been made. The
coast of America, north of 40 deg, is full
of inlets, from which the land rises rapidly
to high and rugged mountains, with nu-
merous and rapid streams. Such coun-
try is so unfavorable for telegraphic pur-
poses that it has been determined to fo!-
low up Fraser river, and if the topograph-
ical nature of the country is favorable,
to continue on northwestwardly, keep
ing 200 or $50 miles from the coast, along
Peace, Pelly, and Youcon rivers, to the
mouth of the Youcon or kwichpak, in
latitude 81 Digs, thence across the northern
part of the Sea of Kamschatka, where it is
about 400 miles wide. Behring's Strait is
only So miles across, but the bottom is
Nrocky, the water is shoal. and the Strait is
oken filled with ice, which scrapes the
bottom. None of these obstacles Is found
$50 miles further south. A distance Of
500 miles on the Youcon, or in its sup
posed course as laid down on the maps
must be explored, and also an equal dis
lance from the Gulf Of Anadir, across to
the Gulf of Penjinsk, west of kamschatka
From Penjinsk to the Nicolaiefsky, dis
lance of 1000 miles, there are numerous
Russian, Cossack, or semi-civilizcd in
habitants, who have roads which the line
will follow. Colonel Charles S. Buckley
who is now in this city, in charge OF the
enterprise, has men now at work in Brit
ish Columbia, and others engaged to star
out soon as explorers. The construction
of the line in Fraser Valley will be COM
menced when the ground thaws. Colonel
Buckley will, in few days, take trip tc
Sitka, to visit the Russian Governor there
and seek information, and employ laborer'
familiar with the country and for tht
trip will use the steamer Shwbrick, which
has been placed at the disposal OF the en-
terprise by the Government.-Ahd.