368 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



by an exchange of letters with these gentlemen, to many 

 of whom he was indebted for most valuable material 

 sent to the Museum. ... In 1863, the first Atlantic 

 cable having proved a failure, it was considered very 

 doubtful whether a cable could be laid between America 

 and Europe which would be of any permanent com- 

 mercial value, many eminent physicists declaring that, 

 while, of course, the possibility of laying one and accu- 

 rately working it had been proved by the temporary 

 success, it w r as, nevertheless, a fact that the obstacles 

 were so great to its continued usefulness that no hope 

 could be entertained of its permanent efficiency. In view 

 of this, the Western Union Telegraph Company began 

 to consider the possibility of carrying a telegraph line 

 along the Western coast of America, across Bering's 

 Straits, where, of course, the comparatively short dis- 

 tance under water afforded fewer difficulties; then to 

 Europe through Siberia. Plans were made for surveying 

 parties who should carefully examine and report upon 

 the territory through which the line would have to 

 pass. 



"The headquarters of the Western Union Telegraph 

 Company were at that time in Rochester, N. Y., where the 

 President of the Company resided. Dr. Sewall Sylvester 

 Cutting, a cousin of my mother, and a Professor in the 

 University of Rochester was an intimate friend of the 

 President and other leading men in the company. He 

 was asked if he knew of any one acquainted with the 

 region to be explored. A conference with my father 

 followed and Kennicott was suggested." 



The letters of Dr. Cutting to Professor Baird which 

 followed refer to the negotiations, which, after a visit 

 of these gentlemen to Rochester and Montreal, were 



