The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-01-09
WHOLE NO, 319.
A RACE FOR A GIRDLE,

The Contest Between the Overland Tele-
graph and the Atlantic Cable.
The race course was between the
old world and the new. The racers
were telegraph companies. One was
called the Russian Overland, " the
other the Atlantic Cable"
The track of the Russian" lay
between New Westminster in British
Columbia and Moscow in Russia. Up
through the unexplored Fraser river
valley it was to run, then ON through
the untracked wilderness of Alaska.
across Bering strait, over the tim
berless steppes of arctic Siberia and
along the dreary coast of the
Okhotsk sea to the mouth of the
Amoor. There the American racers,
called Western Union" were to
give over the race to the Russian
telegraph department, which was to
make its best time in reaching Mos
COW.
Western Union said it would cover
the ground In about two years. The
cost would be about IS, 600, 900, but
what was $4,000, 600 if the prize
could be woman electric girdle for
the earth?
The path of the Atlantic cable was
to be on tableland some two miles
deep in the ocean reaching from
Ireland to Newfoundland.
The summer of 1865 found the
world Watching this race with great
interest 1t opene1ss yhen the feet of
the Russian expedition set sail from
San Francisco, northward bound.
The Atlantic people at the same time
were slowing away gigantic coils of
cable into the oapacious hold of the
Great Eastern-a new cable some
2,000 miles long.
The Western Union directors were
shrewd business men. Five millions
of dollars was little in comparison
with the benefit they would receive
could they get telegraphio oommu-
nioation with Europe, and they then
believed that the only way was by
land. The public agreed with them
nearly unanimously. And so the
two projects-the overland and the
submarine-were pitted against each
other.
A very unequal race it seemed at
the outset. The Overland was strong
and vigorous, the Atlantic was bro
ken by former failures. The Over
land was popular and had plenty of
money back of it, The Atlantic was
derided, and "only FOOLS" it was
said. would invest in it. 4"
The feet of the Russian expedi-
ton which sailed from San Francis
90 In the summer of 1855 was quite
q navy. There were ocean steamers.
sailing vessels, coast and river boats
and Russian and American ships of
the line, with a promise of vessel
from her majesty S navy. The expe-
1ition was we'll officered, and about
l2o men we're enlisted-.men of su-
perior ability in every department.
The supplies embraced everything
hat could be needed, thousands of
jons of wire, some 300 miles of cable,
nsulators, wagons, etc. Aug. 26,
1866, the Great Eastern landed its
'able at Trinity bay and the world
vas electrified by the news that it
perfeotly-that the victory
lad been Won. More than that, the
Great Eastern not long afterward
picked up the cable lost the year be-
ore, and that, too, was soon in work
ng order. Two electric girdles had
,een clasped around the earth.
The success of the Atlantic was
efeat for the Russian. An overland
elegraph line could never compete
With the submarine cables. The first
triumphant "cliok, click at Trim
ty bay was therefore the deathblow
4 the Russian scheme, and all work
with that project was at
nee abandoned.
But the workers-the brave men
aoing famine among the wild
'hookchees-buried in their lonely
uts waiting for some news from
heir comrades or straining every
erve to complete their share of the
reat work-how pathetic that so
,any of them did not hear what had
in some cases for more
nan a year after the success of the
able. Jane Marsh Parker in 81.
ioholas.