The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-14
The MILITARY TELEGRAPH.
4 Report UPon the Extension of the
Service ira AIaSI,n

The construction. maintenance and opcr-
alton Of the United States military teIe-
graph lines in Alaska 10y the Signal Corps.
It. =. A., is described by Lieut. William
Mitchell in a report just received at the
Vi ar Department The expedition com
nGndsd by Lieutenant Mitchell LEFT Seat
tio August lS ON che steamer Cottage City.
landing 20 SkaEway 1--WE DAYS later The
work or the Signal Corps contingent is
Illustrated Dy map and number Of pho
toGraPhs- The latter are remarkably
clear ard perfect in detail. their excel
l'nce being attributed to the rarified at
m"s3hera of the regions which they were
taken
Regarding the doubt previously felt as
90 the practicahuity of the plan attempt
CD, Lieutenant Mitchell, in summarizing
his experiences, says
Il think that the telegraph lines In
Alaska can be built and maintained The
progress Of the work VIII be slower. as
long as the labor Of troops is used. than
If men hired 10 work at prices prevalent
in the country We're employed" The rate
Of wages is reported to be from 50 cents
TO 81 per hour in most localities and more,
rather than less. elsewhere. The expense
attached 70 any work in Alaska is from
I'VE TO seven times as great as for like
services in the United States.
The Canadian Government line is touch
ed upon in addition TO the lines construct
ed by this country From St Michael 20
Nome city, a distance Of about 100 miles.
communication is had by cable for 20
miles ana the remaining distance by mill
tary telegraph.
The construction of land cables is re-
ported upon UufavorabIy- Lieutenant
.fr..TH
ion. will never be as success uI as a tel
esraPh line in Alaska. The latter can be
built to any portion Of Alaska necessary.
and after once being constructed will be
much easier to maintain than a cable
In traversing the country a land cable
would have TO cross innumerabie streams
and rivers. During the spring freshet
when the thawing Of snow in the noun
taius impels great cakes Of ice down the
streams. no cable could stand the strain
4 cable would therefore have TO be eIe-
waited 20 a considerable height above these
streams. which Is not practicable. The
tremendous weight of a land cable as
compared with line wire. is also truu-
DleSome matter, as far as TRANSPORTATION
IS concerned The operation Of a line
partly of land ca bic and uartlv reIacrra nh
me would also be difficult. owing 10 the
h.ductlye effects of ground currents on
The cable. which are especially strong in
. Alaska"
The report speaks Of the good general
supply OF poles obtainable in Alaska.
though the growth Of timber is stuufed
by The cold However. Lieutenant Mitch
eli says II Is safe 20 assume that teIe-
graph poles will last for q longer time
here than IN any other country in the
I world. as few parasites. ants. or Insects
attack the poles. as I'm the tropics
The difficulties Of construction are re-
| ported as greater probably than those en-
c"untered IN any country in which a teIe-
graph line has hitherto been built due 10
] transportation
In that climate dogs have no equal as
carriers. as has been shown by these ex-
peFlnentS- Where there are well Travelled
trans. horses and SIcds are Of value. and
unCer other circumstances pack horses
and mules are considered best. The value
81 the telegraph lines completed is re-
garded as most important in reducing
considerably the necessity for overland
travel.