The Shasta courier., 1866-06-02
SHASTA COURIER.
Russian Telegraph.

During the first three years or so of the
Atlantic Telegraph enterprise, the English
papers were constantly filed with details Of
all that was being done or said relative to
the work. Was new wire twisted. or did
one of the Directors utter in public some or
acular sentence, or did some scientific man
express an opinion as to the feasibility OF the
project. details even to the most minute ana
unlmportant particulars were Immediately
prepared bv industrious scribes for the edi
ficati0n and wonder Of the inhabitants df the
United Kingdom and the rest of manAlhu
During the last few months there mas ''ee"
fitting out in this city an expedition ior an
enterprise which. in geaeral Importance anu
magnitude. is second only To- that oil me Az
lantic Telegraph. If indeed it does noI iniis
e1ual tha, enterprise We allnde I" the nus
sian Telegraph Exposition. under c"mh'aho
of General BulkIev. The object oi t"'s Z"
terprise is T., determine the tehsiDiiiiy vi eS
tablishinc teleeraphic cmmunicHtI'n 'et"et''
New York and London by way OF De.r'''e
Straits Kan schatka. the Ochots"' sioe,'a,
and Russia. The vast Importance oi such d
work cannot fail TO lac appreciateu oN any
mind and taken into consideration the char
acter of the country and clima'e tnr"nsh
which the nronosed line must run. If bulli. we
really do not think that the Russian Telegraph
is a work Of any less magnitude than is that
of the Atlantic Telegraph. Should Colonel
RulkIey and his associates finally succeed in
their enterprise. they will be Justly entitled
to as much credit as will Field and his assoc-
ates. If they succeed in theirs. On the Rus
sian line there Is not only quite an extensive
submarine cable to be laid across stormy
straits which are nearly ice bound during six
months of the year. hut to connect Victoria
with the mouth of the Amoor River, land
route of some four thousand miles has to be
Surveyed. all Of which runs through regions
where snow and ice reign supreme for half
the year, and much of which has never been
thoroughly explored by civilized man. To
thoroughly survey this route. erect telegraph
poles and wires along its entire distance. to
provide for the sustenance and supplies OF
the constructing parties, and to establish
way stations for keeping the line in order, is
a work of the magnitude of which few, if
any. who have never seen the region, can
form any proper conception. 1t is within
the reach of intelligence and enterprise to
accomplish this great work, and we feel that
it is in competent hands; yet the people
need not be surprised, or become impatient,
or anticipate failure, if the work is not
completed within the next five years The
task to be accomplished is indeed a Hercu.
lean one. and such tasks are not completed
in day or year by mortals. Whatever
differences Of opinion may exist as to the
final success of the Russian Telegraph as
commercial speculation, no one need doubt
that the party having the work in hand will
build it and when completed its value VII be
demonstrated. Calilornians, especially, have
no little reason TO be interested in the sue
cess aud progress of this, one of the greatest
works If the age. From this State the ma
jar portion of the supplies for the expedition
have been and will continue to be drawn
What with the cost of refitting vessels build
ing steamers clothing, stores, etc., the ex-
penses of fitting out the expedition for the
ensuing season will probably exceed half
million of dollars. the greater portion of
which has been paid either for the natural
or manufactured products of this State As
a community. then. cannot but feel
special interest in the progress of the work,
while the ardent prayers of all will 20 forth,
on the departure Of Colonel Buklev's expe.
dition, for its complete success and trium.
phant return. And when the electric current
flashes intelligence through the bleak wilds
of hyperberean regions, San Franciseans will
stand ready to bestow fitting reward upon
Colonel Bulklev and his associates in this
magnificent enterprise.