The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-10
The Alaska Telegraph System.

The completion Of Geographic COM
munication with Nome was announced
three or four days ago. This represents
an undertaking of much greater magni-
tude and difficulty thaneis probably I'M
derstood generally. The construction
of the telegraph to Alaska has been
most remarkable contest between man
and nature.
The first telegraph line into the far
northwest was constructed by the Brit
ish government, running north from
Ashcroft on the Canadian Pacific to At
lin, thence northeast to White Horse
Rapids, at the terminus of the White
Pass railroad, and down the Yukon to
Dawson. That line was constructed
three or four years ago. An extension
was made to Forty Mile, northwest Of
Dawson, along the Yukon, to Fort Egg
bert at Eagle City. The government
also built a line at great expense Of eff
fort and money from Valdez, on the
south coast, to Eagle. A line from the
Eagle and Valdez wire ran down the
Tanana and the Yukon to st. Michael.
These, with railroad line from White
Horse to Skagway, constituted the tele-
graph system in Alaska and the British
Yukon, when our government began this
year the construction Of cable lines to
points on the south coast. The gov
eminent at one time laid cable be-
tween st. Michael and Nome, but a
breakup Of the ice in the spring car
ried it away, and demonstrated that the
cable could not be maintained under
frozen seas.
BY this combination Of British and
American government lines Skagway,
Dawson, Eagle City, st. Michael and
Valdez were kept in Geographic com
nunication most Of the time with the
outside world, altho the difficulty at
times of maintaining these lines thru
such vast stretches Of uninha bited coun.
try was very great.
During the past summer the govern.
ment has been engaged in laying a
cable line from Seattle up the "inside
PASSAGE to Juneau, Skaguay and Sit
ka, and from Sitka across the North
Pacific to Valdez. This cable has just
reached Valdez, connecting there with
the land lines. At the same time there
has been constructed at st. Michael anc
Nome a wireless telegraph service
across Norton sound, SO that now by {
combination Of cable, overland wire ant
wireless, amounting to 1868 miles
Nome is brought into Geographic com
munication with the outside world Al
Seattle.
The distances on these various di
visions are: Seattle to Sitka, by cable
1910 miles; Sitka to Valdez, by cable
565 miles; Valdez to st. Michael, b,
circuitous lines, 1920 miles; and st
Michael to Nome, 10s miles.
The schedule Of rates has not bee1
announced, but it will probably not fal
below S. for ten words between Nom
and Seattle. The present rate between
Nome and Dawson is $3.50 for tel
words and At cents for each additional
word. At the same time the Britisl
government has been extremely liberia
in the matter Of press service an
makes a rate to the newspapers Of DaW
son and to Dawson correspondents o
papers in the states which makes j
practicable to receive and send news i
considerable quantity. Our own gov
eminent ought to be equally lii
eral in the transmission Of news be
tween Valdez and Nome. The chic
hardship Of the winter at Nome here