This week in Alaskan History: On July 31, 1905 the Signal Corps of the Army began laying extension of the submarine telegraph cable from Valdez to Seward at the head of Resurrection Bay.
Congress Approves The First Cable Lines In Alaska
After the discovery of gold at Cape Nome, a great influx of people descended upon Alaska in the late 1800s. Due to the this, the War Department created the Military Department of Alaska in 1900 to safeguard Alaskan life and property while also directing and coordinating the making of surveys and explorations. Congress facilitated this work by approving several acts that provided for a comprehensive system of military telegraph and cable lines in Alaska.
The First Cable Lines Laid In Alaska
The first cable laid went from Fort St. Michael, the military headquarters, to Safety Harbour: a distance of 133 miles. It connected by land line to Fort Davis in Nome. It began operating on October 17, 1900. The second cable laid went between Skagway and Alaska’s capital Juneau: 123 miles. The cable opened August 23, 1901. However, it was interrupted after only a few working days. The second cable wasn’t operational again until June 9, 1902. Nevertheless, the cable provided both military and commercial value. The combined Government and commercial tariffs during the 21 days of its operation exceeded $500.
The Secretary of War Argues For Lines Between Alaska and Washington
Originally, the Alaskan cable system only brought the territorial military posts communication with each other and with the commanding general of the Alaskan Department. However, it didn’t provide a means of telegraphic communication outside of the Territory of Alaska except over Canadian telegraphic lines. In his annual report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, the Secretary of War recommended Congress approve laying a cable between the northwestern coast of Washington and the southern post of the Alaskan territory.
Connecting Headquarters of the Dept. of Columbia to Military Garrisons in Southeastern Alaska
In 1903 Congress apportioned $485,000 to connect the headquarters of the Department of Columbia with military garrisons in southeastern Alaska. They wanted the cable to extend from a point at or near Fort Lawton, Seattle, Washington via Sitka, Alaska, to Juneau, Alaska. The next year Congress apportioned another $321,580 in order to finish installing the submarine cable from Sitka, Alaska to Valdez, Alaska.
Cable Laid Connecting Valdez To Seward
The Signal Corps of the Army laid the first section of cable from Juneau, Alaska to Sitka, Alaska: 291 miles. They completed laying the cable on October 2, 1903. The cable going from Sitka, Alaska to Seattle, Washington took until October 3, 1904 to complete. The cable stretched a distance of 1,070 miles. The Signal Corps finished laying cable between Sitka, Alaska to Valdez, Alaska on October 3, 1904: 644 miles. However, for the extension of the submarine cable stretching from Valdez, Alaska to Seward, Alaska at the head of Resurrection Bay Congress appropriated another $95,000 in 1905. Work on laying this cable began July 31, 1905 and finished August 3, 1905.
The Value Brought By The Laid Cable
The traffic handled by the cable reflected progress in the development of the industries and commerce of Alaska. The value of the traffic handled during the first year of operation following the laying of cable amounted to $26,977.63. However, the value of the traffic handled during the fiscal year of 1924 amounted to $408,837.32
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Info Source: Atlantic-Cable.com
Photo Source: Pixabay.com
