New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-26
FROM LONDON TO PEKIN.

Mr. J. J. Casey of this. city has written to the
President of the American Geographical Society
letter. of which tho following contains the more
important features
take the earliest opportunity Of forwarding TO you
some account OF Russan-Siberian Chinese rsiro"u
communicated to from 81. Petersburg by NJ AieAs NC
Iomonosson. member OF the Imperial Geograpmoa
soc,etv NJ Pussia This gentleman. with NJ Michael
Routin visited the United states for the purpose oI
iaauiring into mineral resources the n'o'n
OF working mines, and also, beleVe' ior 'no
purpose Of examining into our railway SoVon'
The project OF the Siberian chinese Railroad ""ion'
only few years ago. appeared as phantoh' no" DO
or IN the ordinary railroad enterprises OF the day.
and presents no peculiar difficulties. In reference 10
the fall of snow which is difficulty In the construo
ton Of railroads in high Northern ATTITUDES theresNcr'
great msapprehenson. Snow does not fall 70 such
dcpta in high attitudes in more temperate regions
As general thing between parallels 6o' aud 6c' norm
lattnde the snow rarely exceeds average OF three
feat The roads from ST. Petersburg TO Moscow ST. re-
,cr.brg 10 warsaw and other lines near co., are not
iuter,red with their working on account OF climate
or snow; but facts seem to prove that they can be
more readily worked. and their lines moro easily con-
strncted than IL situated in tropical countries
A special Commission appointed from the Cooper
alive society Of Russian Manufacture and Trade FOUND
that 1t would be TO run the lne not ouly
through the middle region of Russian population III 81
IBERIA but within reach OF those sections whose rlcn
road by their freights In the opinion OF the Oomms'
sion there are two such regions in West SiDera-the
sepne fplain REGION producing great quantity OF tai
low leather WOOL cattle. &C.. and the region Oh inc
AIta Astounding rich minerals and whence coal can
be obtained in large quantities for the engines and sta
tiops Fkatenburg seems to be fixed upon by the Com
mission as the western terminus of this grand system
of railways Ekaterinburg is fortified town OF Russia
the capital of the district of the governments OF Perm IL
is situated the eastern slope OF the Urai Mountains,
and on the River Isset. Its foundations we're laid
by Peter the in 1928. and the Empress Catherine
completed it. Perched upon the very summit OF the
Ural chain half European. half Asatc it takes one by
surprise he entering into dreary and frozen Siberia
Its appearance would do credit to any country IN
Europe or America The descent of the Ura so easy
and regular that would take but little grading to build
railroad track in place of the present post road AS
an impeachment a railroad from Europe into Asia the
Ural Mountains amount to nothing" From Ekaterin-
the profitable route Is through ShadrnsK 10
oGsk where the population is particularly Dense and
where consequently there will be abundant passenger
trafc and large quantities of freight Considering the
character Of the ground Petr0paulovsk, which Is
on the line TO 0msk, road passing through
this intermediate town will be attended with
many dfcues therefore it will, in all probability be
diverted the north Several are or the opinion
that the road should pass through Tumen and not
through Shadrnsk. Tumen is a handsomely situated
city on the western of the Oh, 1873 miles from
Ekaerinburg with population not far from Is 0OO II is
the storehOuses of the carrying trade OF the great
Asiatic- European commerce. 1t is webut place. on
navigabe water, with wide streets and large public
Squares 1t of the most prosperous and pleasant
towns in Western Siberia. We must take into consider
alton the increasing Significance Of the Ivanokres-
towskaa fair and the failure OF the Tdmenskaja fair
The southern line directed shadrnsk, nearer
Ural the Krz steppe and Central Asia and therefore
will strongly promote commercial traffic, which now, 10
seems has tendency southwark.
The road will pass the right side OF the Ishtisb
River, to the east of Omsk. and must be built the
great Siberian post road to TOmsk, it bengiunnecessary
decline the line to the south OF Barnaou is
tempated TO construct special branch from this town
90 the main road. Omsk is we-but place, covering
large extent OF ground and is regularly laid is
the capital of Western Siberia, having superseded |
TobO'sk The latter is 10 the direct road through
both siDorias. very little distance ont of the way,
while Omsk is the very edge Of the steppes, and
leads nowhere. II Prince GOrschakOf the Gov
General who advised the change about lSlo one
OF principal objects lac had in Wow the Orsauiz
ton OF Russian settlement through the Krgiz Seppes,
in the direct line Tibet Birnaou, though not on
the direct road. must eventually be connected with it,
from fact that all the gold from the Atai and East
Siberia is brought here he melted into Dgots, pre-
parlory to being sent to the mint at St. Petersburg
Tue principal part OF TOmsk is situated between the |
right bank OF the Tom and the ridge of hills which &C
company Its bed 1t possesses several tanneries and
cOttOnstuf manufactures but from being sort OF
half way house for all the tea and other merchandise
which sent from Kachta to the fair OF Irbt and Mos
COW as we'll as the point through which everything that
comes from Kanschatka and the northern parts OF Si
IBERIA must pass great quantity of goods de-
posted in the magazine appropriated for that purposes
Future surveys will show whether, behind Tomsk, thet
track can run along the Siberian road north or sout
of A. Considering the industrial importance. the rail-
road Of Euiss.sk could without disadvantage
Tomsk and thence the lower part Of Angora River
NiDeoudinsk and thence to Tkoutsk, BY TINS route IL
would touch gold regions OF Eulsseisk ana would e1
teud through the valleys OF tho great rivers On thor
other hand advantage to runiit from the shores
ot Tbooine southwark along the river, 10 the place
vbero il approaches the Eussei from which IL is separ
ated ny an isthmus only six verst long aoout -FOUR
n,,les, sreh snuosity must DO profitable, because
mountainous places near Kemshoog anf lbrool are
avoided: and again this region includes the 1ertiie
country of Mnoussink and valley of the Enissei
10 Yraspoiarsk The Commission did not place
foo much importance these side dlrec-
,ioos hut rather seemed to acknowledge, as
the most convenient, the middle line through mafunsK
Asbinsk and KrasnOjarsk. The Commission was con-
WINGED that passing the Eussei the survey shouu
mo, only disclose the peculiar land characteristics in
~ the railroad but the shortest possible route
q, Irkoutsk For this purpose NJ Michel Boutin was en-
roved in making explorations between Krasnojarsk
and Irkoutsk The country here Is just as popuous as
are the Governments of Tomsk and Euisseisk' and
Irkoutsk is the industrial and intellectual center OF
East Siberia.
The road from Tomsk to Krasnoarsk is OF much the
same character on the other side OF lomsK- one
sp,a TOWN Ashink is met with before reaching hTGs-
poarsk which the appearance OF being hourlshing
owing its Importance the transit trade from kiaehta
Close 10 Krasnoarsk the scenery In summer Is |
very fine The town of Krasnojarsk is largo
and thSly populated IT is, like Tomsk bat
in minor degree, the place Of rendezvous \
Cor tho searchers OF gold many OF whom have been very