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Land Telegraph to Europe

About This Item

  • Title: Land Telegraph to Europe
  • Date: 6 November 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01115
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 6 November 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Samantha Gilmore Brandi Faulkner Stefan Schöberlein Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Land Telegraph to Europe." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01115.xml (TEI)
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LAND TELEGRAPH TO EUROPE.—

The Albany Journal opines that land lines connected by a short cable across Behring's Straits are more practicable than a two thousand mile cable under the Atlantic. At Behring's Straits, only a distance of thirty-six miles separates the two Continents. The depth is not great, and a cable can be laid there easily as from England to France, under the British Channel. True, the land lines must be of enormous length, running through thousands of miles through bleak and barren tracts almost uninhabited, and traversing the entire breadth of Asia and America. On the other hand, there is the certainty that such a line, if constructed, will work. Individuals would, on this account, more willingly embark on it, as well as Governments. Defects could easily be discovered and cheaply repaired. Settlements would be continually springing up along its line, and it would soon have a large local as well as through business. Its effects on the development of those neglected regions, would be highly beneficial, as it would encourage both Emigration and Commerce. Altogether there is so much to be said in its favor, that it is probable the world will eventually see a line constructed by the Behring's Straits route, whether there is an Atlantic one or not.

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