Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-05-08

manner of the working of those first
laid gave rise to the opinion that
failure would be the ultimate out
come.
Perceiving the wide demand for
telegraphic communication between
the two continents, Perry Macdonald
Collins, an American engineer of
note, conceived the idea of an over
land route. His plan was for
private company, backed by the
United States government, to build
telegraph line north from San
Francisco, through British Columbia
and Alaska, to point on Bering
strait nearest Siberian land Stimuli
taneously, the Russian government
was to build from st. Petersburg
across Siberia to a point opposite
the American terminal on Bering
strait.
Just how the wires were to be car
ried across the thirty or forty miles
of water separating the two conti-
nents was never fully worked out;
but a series of floating buoys, or
small ships. firmly anchored. was
thought to offer a solution of the
problem.
The enterprise advanced in due
time to the point where representa-
tives were sent to St. Petersburg to
lay the plan before the Russian gov
ernment. Success attended the mis-
sion to the extent of tentative
agreement whereby the czar was to
order the construction of the Siber-
ian line whenever its practicability
was demonstrated by the American
promoters Full permission was
granted for an American engineer
ing party to explore Eastern Russia
and the great Siberian wilds for
wilds for the purpose OF locating a
route and testing the feasibility OF
maintaining telegraph lines in that
region.
Numerous surveys were made
through British Columbia and Alas
ka and a route was practically de-
cided upon. Nearly all of the way
it led through an uninhabited coun.
try remote from sources of supply,
and into vast region locked in ice
and snow during seven or eight
months of the year. Throughout this
region, It was proposed to maintain
relay stations at frequent points
where operators and linemen would
always be on duty.
From 1868 to 1865 many parties
and expeditions were organized and
sent out to explore and demonstrate
George Kennan, afterwards well
known in the United States as q
I traveller and lecturer, joined one OF
the expeditions, when only Is years
of age. and spent over two years IN
/ Siberia. building and operating ex
perimental lines. Keenan, was al
expert telegrapher, and his mission
was to prove to the satisfaction o.
governments and capitalists tha
telegraphic communication could b'
maintained constantly in the semi
polar regions.
In Siberia. the Keenan, expedition
travelled thousands of miles by dog
sledge and on horseback, investigat
ing climatic conditions and making
surveys Its report to the czar an
to the American promoters was tina
the project was entirely feasible
It is said that the Trans-Siberiai
railway subsequently followed muc
of the line marked out by the Amei
leans.
1t was while engaged in maxim
further surveys, believing fully tina
the American end Of the line wa
already under construction that
message, by courier from st Peter
burg, reached Kennan informing hil
that the enterprise had been aba
doned and ordering the expedite
to return to the United States Il
discharge
h The successful laying and oper
g tion OF the second Atlantic cable
, 1865 blasted the hopes OF the pr
). moters OF the American-Siberis
n line Governments and capitals
g looked coldly upon the great outl'
! necessary and refused to fnan
}, further experiments Thus. all
i the expeditions we're recalled al
10 the promoting company dissolve
K The irony OF Fate made possif
e. for Kenuan. when he finally reach
London. to send message by cai
to friends In America
Viewed from the standpoint
Rny years ago, the project was
~ Of the mesi gigantic ever consider
"A by meu Today the undertaking
he virtually accomplished the only
ot malulne link being that bridging
Boring strait