The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-03
The Alleged railroad Frauds In Ru
DEFENCE Oh THE AMERICAN sONTkACrOG-LkrrLR
IRON THOMAS wISA>s.

IRON THOMAS wISA>s.
We rali.shcd. about n week ago, paragraph from the
-, vburp correspondent IL the Iondon ys,rs IN
which the writer stated that the railroad from 81 Peters
burg t. Moscow Ind been. by recent astronomical cacu
a,ns Professor strive discovered o. be sixty
mikes shorter than the distance rckoned by the Russian
engineers psid by the Russian government ami upon
winch the contracts ~ the Americans whO supplied
rolling stock aud manage the road werc based 70 these
Implications Mr. Tho Miuaus, 'he chiei engineer, makes
the following reply -
Petersburg correspondent Il LONDON ply.r the imer
can company with which am r0nuecl and rio crcum-
stantAny With whch the statement j. Inade. make u
obligatory upon mc cRy deny We truth bat to al
duct tie facts and reasons Which tend T. SLOW how In
cfccbc. unworthy Of belief, aud even rrcPosteros tn
IL liz 0st place Il Is u bc observed n have already
stated that tbe - Petersburg and Mst0w Railroad VA
ccaicd, surveyed and all the necessary preininarics
gone through vita before any American HI been
employ e1. rud he;orc any u The members y thc Aner
can company alluded to had been IL Russia Lad any
connect 0n whatever with the work The Tu11 Ms con.
siruced ~ Russian tnnt hmcrclul cpntfac,ors except
the la lng litetn miles 81 rails ami super
viaed Throughout ~ Russian engineers Major whistler
acting consulting engineer ouy. furnishing 20 the RAJ
sian engineer the all o. h vast cx md rare talent
IN tho construction q The road
Mem RI the persons coratee the American company
bad any ;niclcr, con With tie building u the
road hut tho contrary. thse persons together With
anothor. constituting auosher arm ucu executing
contract or rrn shng the engines AMI ears - T. used
thC read These Cnk aud car ~ lad tor " the
piece and u the compensation y r. contractors
Tor ruppltnr them hat no reference ~. AMI could
not - iuueuCgt by, tue correct Incorrect CDmpu-
,aun 81 The leBgh 81 tn road or The disposition
q ~ mite posts. The read va. measured ~ kussian
cucin,ors ana the mc pests placed Nv Hassln eng
uecrs, exclusively before Tie American COMPANY ever
entered Hip any contract iof The repairing II ~.
ohnery 10 h. raid tor according ~ TIA number " vcrss
run and. indeed bcilr, they had male any contract
whatever fo- repairs u follows - couYse that Il there
be 10 fact any ID the III 30 II The road a. hereto
fore measured and estimated thc American company hid
no part in 4 caunot ~ Implicated the rrrOr or
"atroc.ous fraud. - the English paper pleased 10
term ~
Bat beg leave 10 rciterntc ms strong disbelief n the
existence any such ami found such belief upon
facts and circumstances Which M ms 0gnun render The
occurrence such the thug B. az lnpos-
sbnity when the American company entered into its
existing contract or rcIar ng Tie mlc cry used on the
road the Russian government furnished the company
with the lcneth II the road which Wa then com.
pued al COZ vcTsts But, With a view 10 greater &C.
cyfary and certainty tn government caused the
Rad 10 BE- actually measured BY is own officers
pnd furnished the American company with such cor
fcctous as were determined by tho re- survcyhy which
WIS established that the cxari length Of the track from
~ Petersburg Moscow Goa yerss instead OF GOT a.
shown by previous surveys And upon tbs official basis
n COO verss the accounts between the government and
lie comtyany have been adjusted nee the correction
Ipersuade myself that this plain statement will suffice
to show.
error a. the correspondent 81 the london paper asserts
to have been discovered existed, in the nature o.
things can exist
Kind of accountability for OF completely in such error
Il Is quite probable tina, the observations o. Professor
struv, tic astronomer have established The fact that The
true stance between 81 Petersburg and Moscow by
straight linz Is less than that by the line Of the railway
u would H. strange, indeed Il were otherwise. But
difficult 10 conceive bow the length Of railway
between two slant prints be established BY calcua
tons made bv an relative 10 the true geo
graphical psitlous ~ those two paces II whcr,
stated tn itc from 81 Petersburg that the observation
" tho er have sugecs tel and lc 81 the reneasurc
ment M the railway track-the ONLY proper mode ~
eertsnng s Highland W msy fairly conclude tia, !