The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-18

TWEEN AOOIhhl1lh AMI OAhlf On-
From tire NJ y. Herald
The public mind of the world is kept on
the stretch of excitement and anticipation by
one great project after another to bring all
nations into rapid communication with one
another. Atlantic telegraph cables, the Suez
Canal, the great continental Pacific Railroad,
new steamship lines to different and the most
remote parts of the globe, the proposed ship
canal across the Isthmus of Central America,
the Pacific telegraph cable project to connect
China and the East generally with the Ameri-
can Continent, and many other grand works,
show the wonderful progress of the age One
of tie latest of these great projects
is the establishment of steamship COM
munication between Australia and Calfor-
mia. The steamer Idaho, which arrived at
San Francisco from Honolulu, Sandwich
Islands, on the 9Th of this mouth, brought the
mails and passengers that come from Austria
liza by the steamer Wongawonga There were
one hundred and forty passengers, nearlysall
of whom were en- route to England. This is q
new line, and it is intended to either connect
with the line between the Sandwich Islands
and San Francisco or to ply directly from
Sydney and Auckland to California. The
Wongawenga was full of passengers and the
mails from New South Wales and New Zea-
land were very large. The time from Sydney
to San Francisco was thirty-one days. Much
better time than this will soon be made We
believe the passage has been made from
Australia to England in forty days by
this route and by the Pacific Railroad
and Atlantic steamships. This is great
progress in the commerce of the Pacific
and in traversing SO large portion
of the globe. The Wongawonga was to be
followed by the City of Adelaide and the
City of Melbourne, two other steamers of the
new line.
A few years ago, just before the gold dis
covery in California, the Pacific Ocean, ex-
cept along the American coast, was little
traversed by ships of commerce. There were
only few traders to the Sandwich Islands
and the islands of the South Pacific and the
whale ships that navigated that vast ocean.
Now there are steam lines to China and
Japan, to the Sandwich Islands, and to the
different countries of Australia. What revo-
luton within SO short time But we are
only on the eve of still greater progress. By
the aid of telegraphs and steam power the
English speaking people on each side of the
vast Pacific will soon develop an extensive
commerce between themselves and among
the islands and countries in and bordering
that ocean. The dense populations of Asia
will soon feel this too But our own
country. is destined to obtain the greatest
share by far of this commerce. San Fran
cisco will become, probably, second only
to New York in commercial importance.
We shall draw the surplus population of
China and other countries of Asia to
do our labor cheaply, and we shall increase
largely our expectations and importations
Indeed, we can hardly imagine what the next
twenty years will develop in the way of trade
and intercourse and in the march of civiliza-
ton in Asia. We have no doubt that a large
portion of the travel between England and
Australia will come this way. If it be a little
farther than by the Indian Ocean, Suez, and
the Mediterranean, it is more direct, with
fewer changes, and probably less expensive.
The Pacific is delightful ocean to navigate.
and with steamship and railroad connections
all complete we think the passage this way
can be made in as short or in shorter time
than by the other route. The one hundred
and forty passengers in one steamer en- route
for Europe by San Francisco and the Pacific
Railroad gives an idea of what may follow.
In view of these developments and prospects
we recommend Congress and our enterprising
merchants to turn their attention to the
trade of the Pacific Ocean. A great future
is before us in that part of the world if we
will seize the opportunities that are within
our reach.