The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-04
3lasllrille &Anio1l.
WIN. CAMERON { co., Publishers.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1866.
The World Telegraph.


After the two almost desperate effort
that have been made to connect III,
shores of the old world, directly will
those OF America, by way of the Allan
tic, and the universal disappointment
that followed their failure, II is a relic
TO know that the other great enterprise
seeking the same connection, by way
of the Pacific, promises complete, al
though retarded success. The granC
political preoccupations Of the day, ab
sorbing as they are, should not make
US lose sight OF an undertaking calcu
lated SO Importantly to affect the inter
ests of mankind From time 10 time
We have kept our readers informed ei
the progress made upon the line of the
great Russo-AmeTican Telegraph, and
very lately, sdVerted to the triumphant
advance of the portion assigned TO our
own engineers. The fleet of four yes
sells dispatched from San Francisco to
reconnoitre the coasts of British Co.
lumbia, the Russian Possessions in
America, and the Aleutian Isles, pro
longing their voyage as fer as the Sea
of Okotsk, have returned from their
exploration with most satisfactory re-
suits, after landing and leaving behind
them, at different points, parties of en-
gineers and workmNn ready to com
mence operations upon the telegraph
construction, with the earliest opening
of spring. On all hands, the expedi-
ton was kindly received, the British
and Russian authorities Vieing with
/ ], 9TH IND haT afk
the remotest tribes of the Northern
sboriginees exhibiting willingness to
be employed for what assistance they
could render on the work.
The Golden Gate, which was last
out of these vessels, reached San Fran~
cisco, on her return, on the Both of
November, after having penetrated as
far as the Russian port of PetropRu
lowski, where the officials were warm
in their greetings and protfers of help.
In fine, from all accounts there sp-
pears to be little doubt, that within
eighteen months, Geographic cOmmu
nication shall have been begun, at least,
between New York, and the vast Ais
s6c Continent which lies between Us
on that side; and Europe. The mag
niiicent scheme would, by the time
specified, be complete all the way,
were it possible to attain the same IA
| pidity of action in Russian dominions,
that is characteristic on our side. To
reach that contamination, however,
seems to be out of the question, and the
! business community can only wait, as
patiently as they may the issue of the
movements going on there, striving,
occasionally, TO stimulate them by all
proper means at their disposal
The Car Alexander has not been
slow TO perceive the advantages his
empire must reap from communications
| thus extended across the vast deserts
of Siberia and beyond them, and hence,
while some of the great Powers were
| exhausting their means in striving to
attain the same end, Russia, as though
| to prove that she alone was able to &C
compiish 50 majestic a design, four
years age decreed the immediate estab-
ishment of line of telegraph from
St Petersburgh to the capital Of China,
across the new possessions recently ac-
| auired on the banks of the AmoOr
river. The Emperor had scarcely is-
sued his mandate ere attachments of
military workmen were distributed
from point to point, along the i'm
mense space, and close upon the ter
mination of the four years, dispatches
we're received at the Russian metropo-
lis from the frontiers of China, and at
once bulletined in all the great bust
ness marts of Europe, Every body was,
at first, surprised at the rapid success
of SO difficult an undertaking, but IN
fortunately, their Ipleasurable aston
ishment was not Of long duration
Since the publication Of the first batch
of kilograms nothing more has been
heard from the line and it IS feared
that the rapidity of the work may have
been at the expense of its solidity, and
that it has ceased to operate as prompt
ly as it began.
There are sceptics and croakers who
hint that the Russian Government
cared but little whether the line con
tinued to work or not, provided it could
succeed in making a handsome demon
stration of promptitude If the latter
was really its main object, we must adj
NIT that it was perfectly attained.
But, the Amoor river line having been
hastily constructed, and not having
been entrusted to the care of special
custodians, could not and did not sur
viye the rigors of single Siberian
winter Thus, the poles are down, the
wires broken, the guards dispersed,
and we scarcely hear word about the
enterprise, the triumph of which made
such noise only a few months ago.
A Russian engineer, Mr.. Afonassietf,
| thus expresses himself in reference to
the subject, in an official maritime
publication, entitled the Morskoi Sbor-
nix: "All our enterprises on the con.
fines of the river Amoor fail, as that oil
the Amoursky telegraph has failed
According to Mr. Aionassietf, the tele-
graph is established from Nikolsielsk
for a distance of 300 versts, { 900 miles
but does not work because the posts
are Frustrated, the wires broken, and
the greatest difficulty is experienced in
attempting any repairs, owing 10 the
fact that the utmost confusion prevails
along the roads and throughout the
clearings hastily cut in the very depth
of the wild forest. The roads are, in
places, absolutely impossible, but the
chief obstacle encountered by a line
that extends fully 1000 kilometers il
in the very nature of the desert, and
almost unknown regions which it ira
verses. Among other things, it was
only by means of frequent and labori
Gus artificial constructions, that O suti
GENTLY solid foundation could be go
for the telegraph poles. Again, all o
these difficulties are aggravated by tn,
scarcity of laboring hands in districts
so remote, and by the fact that the sol
diers necessarily employed do not al
ways possess the skillrequisite tor worb
of this kind.
From the statements of this engineer
and private intelligence received from
St. Petersburgh, we have cause TO ap
prehend that much time, labor and ex
; pense are still required to perfect III,
telegraph across Asia, particularly a
there is a gap to fill in Siberia, between
Irskutsk and Kiatcha, city on III,
frontiers of China
Mr.. Alfonassieff INDUCES the fear
that the two years longer set by tbs
Russian government as the limit within
which the line will be actually com
pleted to the Chinese boundaries. viii
: not suffice, but the important bearing
!. Of the enterprise upon the Commercial
and political affairs OF Europe has be
, gun 70 awaken decided interest at Lon
/! don and Paris, and at the latter capital
4 an international committee for Uni
} verssl Telegraph" has Just been organ
ized, under the auspices of Mr.. A. Du
mont, with the approval of the French
and British Governments. Its aim i
- 10 work upon public opinion with
view to prevent the inteT-oceanic cleo
trle telegraph becoming the monopoll
Of any one nation or company, and OF
the other hand, to render il, indeed
4 the means OF inter-commEnicaticn be
tween All thu fnbahf.ert. .,f ,,,-. ,,lsv,e %