The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-30
To Tur FD1TopS or Tup S,rN

CONVENIENTLY attention has been called to the fol
lowing article published in your paper of Thursday
EXTRAORDINARY REVELATION IN Russ1A-Brofher
Jonathan at some Of LIS tricksThe London News of the
10TH contains letter from ST. Petersburg which makes
the following remarkable disclosure 1t is doubt great
ly exaggerated
Tine result of the calculations lately made by the well
known astronomer, Professor Strive, the University
of Dorpa relative to the true geographical positions
St. Petersburg and Moscow and the distance between the
two capitals OF the empire is, that the actual length of
the railroad is by astronomical observations less than
SS% about 60 miles) shorter than its nominal
length COZ werSs or in other words that the govern
ment for whose account the railroad constructed has
had to pay about oneseventh of the value twelve mil
lions of rouhles than it ought to have paid. As the
rolling stock of the St Petersburg and Moscow Railway
is furnished by an American company, who paid for
the at much per wert it follows that in this quar-
ter the government have been paying also most fearful
overcharge The poles erected along the line to denote
the distances have been Systematically fixed in the
places, to misead both the government and the
public
THE Emperor in the most violent state of excite
learning the above and gave immediate orders
for the sricest investigation into the facts of the
be made with the view to inict the summary pun
ishment on the parties incupated in this nefarious trans
acton PIT as 50 mfnS RfTsqnS n t i hFhsS of
that the investigation will he continued but on the con
trary the matter will he hushed up prevent the public
scandal of the real delnquens being exposed and made
to suffer the penalty they so richly deserve for the share
they have taken in this atrocious fraud
The opinion you have kindly expressed that the
ment is greatly exaggerated by does full JUS
tice to the persons who are implicated by it, that
the sta ement ITSELF and every insinuaton of fraud
far dealing by the American alluded false
IN the whole and in every particular Nor do for
ment credit the declaration that any has been
covered in the length of the railroad track between St.
Petersburg and Moscow The line of tie road has been
repeatedly surveyed both before and since built
and by different parties, to preclude the possibility Of
such mistake or such fraud But, besides this the
route of the road had been surveyed by Russian eng
and its cost aScertaned under such surveys long
before Major Whistler or any other American engineer had
been employed had anything do with the road-ong
before the of any of the American Company
ferred to in Russia and of course before they had
hing do Iar And
that the railroad so located to follow the line of
turnpike built half century ago. and without
considerable deviation, and whose length have
been matter OF familiarity to the government and the
people, it will appear almost impossible that discrepancy
Of sixty miles could have existed without attracting at
tention and if fictitious or fraudulent leading to in
vestigation and exposure.
If discrepancy has been discovered it cannot for
these be chargeabe to Americans. Certainly
American company alluded to in the article above quoted
had neither knowledge of nor participation in it. have
received by the last letters 18th October
the latest possible dates from that company, (of which
am myself member,) which make mention of the
traonay revelation out in the above paragraph nor
have ever heard of it before.
The article published in your paper is from the London
Ne,cs ofthe 10th of October The date of its
St Peter sburg is not gven-but it is likely the St
Petersburg letter of later date than mine 1t is
scarcely possible that if such revelation had taken place
my correspondent would have been ignorant failed
to ommunicate it to me-
The inquiry naturally arises how such reports originate
and get into circulation? The answer may probably be
found In the fact that English engineers and manufacur
entered into strenuous competition with the Ame
cans at the time of the original employment of American
engineers and manufacturers by the Russian government
and that this is of the many efforts they have made
compensate themselves for their disappointment by asper
sion upon their successful antagonists.
The most superficial examination of the latter para
graphs of the article will disclose the spirit which dcta
ted it. After making the pernciouS stab the writer
sumes that the matter will he huhed up prevent the
public scandal which will attach to $50 many persons Of
the highest rank and Importance utO compromised IN
it, and the persons aimed at thus to under the
suspicion of being guilty of fraudulent and dishonorable
population upon the Russian government, which that
government itself dares not investigate punish The
object OF the abrcaors of this story is manifest and
the suggestion that the lending itself the
concealment of fraud against itself too absurd to emit
tie it to the least credit
THOS. WINANS