The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-06-26
Railroads in Asia.

Railroads in Asia,
The bridging OF the comparatively
narrow tract which separates the civil
zation of India and of Europe is to be
accomplished perhaps even more rapid
ly than anybody suspects. The gradual
advances of Russia toward the PunjNub
frontier have been watched for many
years, and it has been curious matter
of speculation just where the British
and Russian lines should finally meet
and how soon the bNrbarism that now
lies between them should be oblitcratcd
in the contact OF these great and ag-
gressivc powers. But it seems we arc
not to wait for the slow course of con
quest, annexation, armed occupation, or
whatever else the czar may choose to
all his absorption OF the Tartar terrific,
ty. NJ. de Lcsscps has formed II project
or constructing under Russian auspices
railway across Turkcstan, to complete
the chain of communication between ST.
Petersburg and Calcutta. 1t is under
stood that Nj. dc Lcsseps has received
the assent of the imperial government,
and there is no reason TO doubt that the
daring engineer who built the SucH
canal will be able, with the proper OIL
cial encouragement, to execute this
much less difficult and ambitious work,
The locomotive has already penetrated
as far us Orcnburg on the Ural river, II
frontier town of European Russiu, four
teen hundred miles from st. Petersburg.
Thence there will be desert stretch Of
fifteen hundred miles to Sammcand,
across the Kirghis Steppes, and from
Samarcand another stretch of eight
hundred and fifty miles through Box
hare to Pcshawur, ON the borders of
British India At that point the new
line would connect with the railways
already built or now building, the In
glish having rail communication al
ready from Calcutta and the other chief
cities of EIindostan to Lahore, only two
hundred and seventy miles from the
frontier. OF course the construction of
this great road under Russian protection
would be equivalent to the annexation
Of Turkcstan to the empire. Mean
while another scheme OF still grandcl
proportions has been formed in Persia,
where the shah has granted to Baron
Renter, the famous ncws-colIector, GER
tain exclusive privileges which may re-
suit in the entire renovation of the
kingdom. Reuter- and his associates are
to build railways with aid from the
state to construct canals, reservoirs,
wells and watcr-works to utilize the
forests to work the mines and to farm
the revenues. They are to begin by
contracting loan of six million pounds,
upon which the Persian government
guarantees the interest. A new light
may be thrown upon the eastern ques-
tion when the iron-horsc snorts through
Shiraz and Ispahan but there are OBJ
vious reasons why railroad separation
from European civilization on the one
hand by the whole extent of Asiatic
Turkey, and ON the other by the in
hospitable Afghan and Belooch terrific
ries. should not be especially attractive
as an Investment. Whether, however,
the door of communication between In
dia and Europe is to be placed in the
Puniaub or on the lower Indus, it is evil
dent that the world is pressing impa-
tientIy for Il solution of the political
and commercial problem, and that it il
not to be much longer delayed. d.-Ncw
York TribinC.