The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-02-27
A RACE FOR A oIRoLE
The Contest Between the ovsr1sn
Telegraph and the Atlantic Cable

Inc contest between inc Or4rl4u0
Telegraph and the Atlantic Cable
The race-course was between the Old
World and the New. The rncers were
telegraph companies One was called
the Russian Overland" the other was
the Atlantic Cable"
The track Of the Russian" lay be-
tween New Westminster In British
Columbia. and Moscow In Russia. Up
through the UNEMPLOYED Fraser River
Valley 1t was TO run. then on through
the untracked wilderness OF Alaska.
rcross Boring Strait. over the timber
less 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 Moscow.
Western Union said II would cover
the ground IN about two years. The
cost would be about FIVE millions OF
dollars; but what wa five millions OF
dollars II the prize could be woman
electric girdle OF the esrth7
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 inter-
est. II opened when 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 capacious hold OF the
Great Eastern"-a new cable some
1000 miles long.
The Western Union directors were
shrewd business men. Five millions
OF dollars was little In comparison with
the benefit they could receive could
they get telegraphic communication
with Europe. and they then believed
that the only way was by land The
public agreed with them nearly unani.
mously. And so the two projects-the
overland and the submarine-were
pitted against each other.
A very unequal race II seemed at the
outset. The Overland was strong and
vigorous. The Atlantic was broken
by former failures. The Overland was
popular. and had plenty OF money
back OF Il; the Atlantic was derided
and 'only FOOLS" l. was said. would
invest In IT,"
The feet OF the Russian expedition
which sailed from San Francisco In
the summer OF 1865 was quite a navy
There were ocean steamers. sailing
vessels. coast and river boats. and
Russian and American ships OF ;hs
line. with a promise OF a vessel from
her Majesty's navy. The expedition
was well officered. and about 40 mel
were enlisted-men OF superior abllit.
in every department The supple,
embraced everything that could b
needed. Thousands OF tons Of wire
some 300 miles Of cable. insulators
wagons. etc.
August 20, 1866. the Great Easter;
landed its cable at Trinity Bay ans
the whole world was electrified BY
the news that 1t worked perfectly
that the victory had been won Nor
than that The Great Eastern no
long afterward picked up the cable los
the year before, and that. too. wa
soon In working order. Two electro
girdles had been clasped around III
earth.
The success OF the Atlantic" wa
defeat for the Russian" An overland
telegraph line could never compeu
with the submarine cables. The firs
triumphant 'click. click at Trinit.
Bay was therefore the death-blow o
the Russian scheme. and all work con
nected with that project was at one
abandoned.
But the workers-the brave men FAC
Ing famine among the wild ChOok
chees-buried In their lonely huts wait
ing for some news from their CON
rades. or stralning every nerve TO con
plete their share Of the great work
how pathetic that so many OF thcr
did not hear what had happened. 4
some cases for more than a year afte
the success OF the cable.-Jane Mars
Parker In St. Nicholas.