Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-03-06
A RAILROAD ACROSS THE EAST
ERIN CONTINENT.

The great feat accomplished BY the
United States in connecting the Attain
tic aud Pacific Oceans. BY railroad
Across the United States. Is stimulating
enterprise in Europe: and is now pro
POsed-indeed the plan is matured-to
connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,
BY railroad through Central Asia At
conference Of geOgraphers recently
held. Colonel BogdanOwitz explained
some Of the details Of the road. which.
il IS expected. viii overcome one Of the
great obstacles 70 the extension Of civ
iliEztiOu. namely. the separation Of q
large part Of Asia from Europe by vast
deserts. in which no means OF transit
but railroad could Be Of any use A
railroad alone can develop the resources
Of the many lands through which 1t
would pass and as the mineral wealth
Of Siberia and the Ural Mountains is
well known. the exploration aud mining
Of these regions would be encouraged.
and their resources developed.
Ii Is proposed that the mad shall
start frou N1ui-NOvgOrOd. in Russia.
where Is now the extreme eastern station
in the network Of European railroads:
it viii run along the YOlga to kazan.
then up the tributary Of the NOlga. the
Kama, to Ekaterinbourg. on the Asiatie
side Of the Ural Mountains. then enter
Asia. proceed in the direction Of TrOu-
men and 0usk 1t the Irish. cross that
river. and proceed by way Of kainsk to
Tomsk on the Tom. branch Of the Obi.
and c.uss that river. TOmsk is the prin-
eipal center Of commerce Of Western ST.
IBERIA; and thence the rad will run d.
rectly TO Irkutsk at Lake Baiksl. Thence
the rOad IS to pass to the frontier Of
China. and then it IS no longer N sx-
elusively Russian. but an international
undertaking. And here. also. the only
serious engineering difficulties CON-
uenee, 1t the mountain range Of King
han, which, in its northern part, is
crossed by the AMOR river. This range
is the greatest obstacle; and it will Dc
necessary to pass by the MautchOoria,
and TO lay the rad from Baikal to Yer
hneoudinsk through the valley Of the
Selenga- Then the best route BY which
TO reach Pekin. the capital Of China
near the Yellow Sea. has been found Ii
De that Of Tehita and DolOunor. A
the southern end. the famous great wal
viii be crossed it already lies II ruin
in many places. The whole distanei
from NGui-NOygOrOd to Pekin will o
$500 miles, Of which $500 run througl
Russian territory.
When this plan is closely examined
according to known typographical data
the apparent difficulties dEindle dow
to nothing when compared to thOse Ell
countered in the western Of cur Paeif
Railroad. The first section, from Mini
, NovgOrod to Tsusk, runs on perfect
level land (the sO-eAlled steppes) SIM
lar to our prairies- In the second SCI
ton. from Touzk to Lake Baikal, Il
country is rolling, and interpreted Wit
} rivers and streams; but the creates
height is only 800 feet, and the lar!
est rivers are but Of very moderat
width and depth. The only seriOJ
difficulties, as We have said. lie at Il
|, Chinese frontier, and they are inferi,
!. to those overcome in the Rocky MOul
: taius and the Sierra Nevada By Il
American engineers
Russia has raised in 10 years ne
than 200, OOO. 900 with which to CO
\ struct $1,000 miles Of railroad. and c.
-. easily find $500. 600, 900 or $780, 900
600, to construct line Of such value
: all the civilized world