Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-12-30
Railway Travelling In Russia.

Railway Travelling In Russia
we proceeded' bag and baggage, TO the station Of
and the hour at which the most important evan, 49,
place lS or ought TO be eleven A. M Travallors aro
commander hy The government be at the station of
ten precsely and even then they are liable TO he to
mat the train is ful!-as it is quite an unheard of
thing to put on extra carriage for anv nnmhor -
passengers. Having arrived therefore, at ten mimi
les before ten, to be quite sure of being in time onr
baggage was setzed by soldier. policeman or rail-
way porter, for they all wear somewhat the same
UNIFORM and carried in one direction while we rush
IN another 10 show our passport for Muscow 10 pro
cure which we had been 10 three different Offices the
day before Here the descriptions of our persons and
our reasons for travelling. which j: contained being
copied at full length, were hurried to another
counter. where we got ii stamped whence catching
sghi OF our baggage en- paSSdnt, we sped on n tbe
tcKet ofhce and then returning 10 our portmanteaux
we went through few formalties, which ended in
receiving ticket 10 add to the number of those with
which our pockets were pretty we'll filled
Inc anxiety OF mind which such variety of doc
uments causes is not 10 be wondered at when the
consequences which the loss of them, woud entail
are considered Ladies in Russia do not think of try.
ing to carry their tickets in their gloves. We now
oelook ourselves to the waiting room, which we
should have thought handsome had we not been de-
Iained IN II so long that got tired of admirino II
For an hour did the destined occupants of the train
sit patiently on the benches, every man with head
uncoVered-tor even a skull cap is an abominaton to
RUSSIAN under roof Every man in military garb
seemed c have the entrec 10 the platform while The
doors was vigorously shut against us unhappy civil
hans. AT quarter before eleven, however thew are
opened-a general rush follows, and we are hurried
through barrier, the doors of W hch close behind us
Soon the whole barrier becomes thronged with peo.
pie waving their adieus ardently as if we were
booked for Australia. bell, a whistle, and sort
OF dull attempt at scream, are, as in more civilized
parts OF The world the signals for starting we leave
,he weeping eyes and waving pocket handkerchiefs
oehnd us ami IN the course of len minutes find, to
our satisfaction, that have increased our speed
to fifteen miles al hour We have hardly done so
ere we arrive al a Stallion. Everybody rushes out and
lights G garelte
We are 10 stop here ten minutes and the people
ou'ihg that lime walk up and down the platform and
SMOKE then we huddle into our old places and have
time to look about US The carriages are large
Nohody seems to go in the first class second class
carriage accommodates about fifty people They are
built as in Austria and America with passage in
the center. perambuated by man in uniform, who
occasionally asks people for their tickets He seems
10 make inquiry the first time to satisfy himself that
you nave got one, and afterwards merely as an anuse.
nent which be apparently enjoys the more if he
RANGES you are going 10 sleep The men are bearded
and dirty, and relate stories in loud tone of voice
Tor the benefit of the whole company most of whom
nave evidently never been in a railway before At
every stauon Inc same scene enSues The unsmoked
7hds OF the last statlons segars having been carefully
preserved, are lighted aresh and vehemently smok-
cd on the platform during five Or ten minutes, as the
Ease may be The stations are all very spacious end
uniformly constructed with an immense domed build
ng Tor engines attaching 10 each. Though there is
only one passengertran daily, there are three goods
rams: always we'll loaded with inland produce tai.
ow fur, Tea, &c, with cotton from ST Petersburg,
o the interior. | should hardly think the line could
possibly pays but as it is government concern nobody
las any means OF ascerlaning this fact.
" heher It pays or not, the railway traveller in
1usSla soon discovers that the requirements OF trade
reeeflqf hg uqayerRnent as his own per.
'enehcla effects Of rapid internal communication
While the difficulties which have always been nlaced
n the way OF fIcU
orce. though the physical obstacles by which 1T has
hitherto been encompassed overcome. in TACT,
hough the public cannot but be benefited by The for
nation Of railroads throughout country 1t IS hardly
for the public benefit that railroads constructed
here Russian railroads seem to be meant Tor Russian
sodiers and it is the facility thus afforded OF NOV.
ing large bodies OF men, that invests this mode OF
in Russia with an importance which
does not attach 10 il in Great Britain or perhaps any
other country in Europe 10 equal extent. When
St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa, and Warsaw become
stead of many months, viii then snfnce eefltep
1ate the armies Of the north and south upon The
Austrian or Prussan frontiers. Through tins same
quarter of the world, many hundred years ago, pour
ed those barbarc hordes which overran civilized
Europe 1T would. indeed, be singular testimony
TO the spirit of the age, If the next invaders maze
their descent by means OF raIroads.-RusStan h0reS
of the Black Sea.