The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-16

The Russian-American telegraph Line and
Il Its Extensions.
We published yesterday batch Of highly
interesting news and Information from our spe-
cial correspondent on the line of the Russian
American telegraph operations. The latest
dates from the expedition Of Colonel Charles s.
Buckley, Engineer-in-C Chief, are up to August S,
from Petropaulovski, Kamtschatka. The work
Of exploring for the most suitable route for the
telegraph and locating it was going on bravely.
1t is now firmly believed that telegraph be-
tween the Old and New Worlds by way of Asia
and the western shore of North America will be
completed within three years. Indeed, it is
probable that before the close Of 1868 we shall
see the continents united and instantaneous
communication established between London
and New York by the way OF St. Petersburg,
Eastern Asia and San Francisco. Thus will
the astonishing fact Of placing "a girdle round
about the earth in forty minutes" which the
great poet dreamed Of, be accomplished. Truly,
we live in wonderful age. The completion
Of this work will be Of immense advantage,
both In stimulating and extending commerce
and in reducing the present high charges for
telegraphing. It win tend greatly to make the
United States the centre Of all movements,
commercial and intellectual, in the world
But still more surprising results are contem-
plated as the work progresses. We see, for
example, that company has been formed
"T'he East India Telegraph Company"--in this
city, under the energetic action Of Mr.. Perry
Med. Collins, the original protector Of the
Russian-American Telegraph and the well
known Amoor River explorer, to extend
branches Of this line to China and India. The
privilege Of establishing telegraph along the
coast Of China has already been obtained from
the Chinese government, and efforts are now
being made to obtain the further privilege
Of carrying It into the heart Of the Celestial
empire The parties engaged in the enterprise
have reason to believe that they will soon be
able to extend the telegraph among the hum
dreds of millions of Chinese, and to Pekin
ITSELF The Chinese merchants of San Francisco
have taken the deepest interest In the matter,
and have memorialized the government in
China to favor 1t. When this network Of tele-
graphs shall penetrate, as 1t doubtless will
soon; the four hundred millions of people in
the "Flowery Kingdom" and the other vast
populations Of Asia, what revelation
will be producedl The annual external
commerce of Eastern Asia is estimated
at sixteen hundred millions Of dollars. This
enormous amount will be vvtly increased
under the influence Of DE telegraph, and
Americans may reap De greatest advantage
from it The old barriers Of exclusiveness
and separation cyaong the races and nations
OF mankind VII be broken down, the highest
civilization will spread over the whole earth
and the prophetic era Of universal brother.
hood may be realized AT all events this il
= wonderful age Of progress, in which the tele-
graph il mighty power, and 1t would hardly
be safe to conjecture rs to how far we may 20
or what may yet be performed by the genius Of
man and modern science.