The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-17
ATLANTIC CABLES RIVAL.
Attempt to Connect Europe and Amer
lea by Wire Via Asia.

From the New York Sun.
The recent incorporation of the Trans
Alaska-Siberian Railway company, which
proposes to transport travellers between
the United States and Russia through a
tunnel about forty miles long under
Boring strait, recalls to veteran West
ern Union telegrapher another scheme of
connecting electrically the old world and
the new by way of the strait.
Electrical experts, engineers and f1nan-
ciers had decided just before the civil
war that an overland telegraph line to
Russia with a cable laid on the bot
tom Of the strait was entirely practicable.
The route planned was over British Co
lumbia, Alaska and Siberia.
The veteran still has some doubt about
the telegraph scheme, and he is pretty
sure that a tunnel will never be bored
under the strait. He recalled the hard
ships of the expedition of forty years
ago that succeeded in constructing a
telegraph line less than half the distance
from Vancouver to the strait. He won
ders what would happen to the tunnel
makers and the layers of ties and rails
over the dreary wastes between Alaska
and Siberia.
The plan of the overland line was sug-
gested originally by Percy Med. Collins,
American commercial agent In Russia,
after a conference with the Russian Of
fclals on the subject The United states
decided to encourage the project, and a
bill was reported to the House of Repre-
sentatives by the committee on commerce
in February, 1861. appropriating $4,000
for a survey of the route.
There was then a telegraph line In
course of construction between San Fran
cisco and Vancouver, and 1t was decided
to make the new route to Siberia an
extension of this. Russia promised to
build her end of the line from Moscow
to the Pacific.
The scheme languished during the civil
war but revived when 1t was apparent
that the confederacy would be defeated.
Secretary Seward, in a report on the SUD-
ject to the Senate IN May, 1884, said
81 do not know any one object lying
within the scope of our foreign relations
more directly important than the pre-
servation of peace and friendship with
Great Britain and Russia, nor can !
conceive of any one measure or national
policy that would more effectively tend
to secure that great object than the
construction of this proposed intercon-
tinental telegraph"
Mr.. Collins submitted his proposition
to build the line to the Western Union
company and the board OF directors
unanimously decided to accept his terms
Russia had assured the United states
line 1000 miles from Moscow to the Pacihc'
prof Morse in letter to Mr. Collins
declared the plan feasible. Hiram Sipley'
Of the Western Union, wrote that mo
work costing so little money that was
ever attempted by man ever VIII De 30
important In results The benef1t TO the
world will pay Its entire cost every year
after its completion so long as the world
Is inhabited by man." But Mr. Slpley
did not think about the proJect OIL the
Atlantic cable, then under consideration;
The expedition that was organlzeu nau
for its engineer in chief Charles o BULK
ley Among the men were many WIN
had won distinction in the federal army
T., .ba civil war. Twenty-four vessels, in
cIudinp one American and one Russian
warshin formed the feet to do the ma
rine work of the expedition. 1t was in
+ended 10 lay two cables, one across
Rehrinp strait, ITS miles long, and one
in the Bay of Anadyr, 2O9 miles long.
The secretary of the Western Union
ssnt ont a glowing circular to attract
suhscribers. saying: ION a line of two
wires 1000 messages day could be sent. y
and that the charge for each message
..might reasonably be put at s25. This
would give us 100000 a year. Reduce
this 10 one quarter and we will still have
s.. $4,000. and the support and mainten-
ance of the line cannot exceed one half
of the latter amount" The stock of the
company was for a time held at prem
ium huctuating between so and 60 per
cent.
The survey of the route between Van
couvers island and the Yukon was In
charge of Frank l. Pope, who, with
George Blenkensop OF Victoria, and two
Indians. all on snowshoes, in the winter