Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-21
A MIGHTY ENTERPRISE.
A Railroad Across she EaAterB Con
ttnent-A Great W OFk for Russia.
Il. wHrTMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.


A Railroad Across she EasterB Con.
Scientific Americana
The great feat accomplished by the
United States in connecting the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans by railroad across
the United States is stimulating enter.
prise in Europe; and ii is How proposed
indeed, the plan is matured--to connect
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by a
railroad through Central Asia. At con-
ference Of the geographers, recently
held, Colonel Bogdanowitz explained
some Of the details of the road, which it
is expected will overcome one of the
greatest obstacles to the extension OF
civilization, namely, the separation Of q
large part Of Asia from Europe by vast
deserts, in which no means of transit
but a railroad could be Of any use. A
railrsad alone can develop the resources
Of the many lands through which it
would pass; and as the mineral wealth
Of Siberia and the Ural Mountains is
we'll known, the exploration and mining
of these regions would be encour aged
and their resources developed.
Itis proposed that the road shall start
from Mini Novgorod, in Russia, where
is now the extreme eastern station in the
net work Of European railroads; it will
run along the Volgs, the Kama, to Eka-
teriubourg, on the Asiat.c side of the
Ural mountains, then enter Asia, pro-
ceed in the direction of Treumen and
Omsk at the Irish, cross the river, pro-
ceed by way Of Kainsk, to Tomsk on the
Ten, q branch of the Obi, and cross that
river. Tomsk is the principal center of
commerce Of Western Siberia; thence
the road will run directly to Irkutsh, at
Lake Baikal; thence the road is to pass
to the frontier Of China, and thence it is
no longer an exclusively Russian, but
an international undertaking.
And here. also, the only serious engi-
neering difficulties commence, and at the
mountain range of Kioghan, which, in its
northern part, is crossed by the Amoor
river. This range is the greatest OBJ.
staole, and it viii be necessary to pass
by the Msntchooria, and to lay the road
from Baiksl to Verheoudinsk, through
the valley Of the Selenga. Then the best
route by which to reach Pekin the capi
tai of China, near the Yellow Sea Ia bay
Of the Northern Pacific Ocean has been
found to be that Of Tehita and Dolounor
At the southern end the famous great
wall will be crossed; it already lies in
ruins in many places. The whole dis
tanoe from Mini Novgorod to Pekin will
be 800 miles, Of which 28O0run through
Russian territory.
When this plan is closely examined,
according to known Typographical data,
the apparent difficulties dwindle down to
nothing, when compared to those en-
countered in the western section Of our
Pacific railroad. The first section from
Mini Novgorod to Tomsk runs on per.
fectly level land (the so-called steppes),
similar to our prairies. In the second
sectiou from Tomsk to Lake Baikal the
country ;;s rolling and interspersed with
rivers and stfeams; but the great hight
is only $500 feet a1d the largest rivers
are but Of moderate with and depth
The only serious difficulties, as we have
said, lie at the Chinese frontier, anu they
are inferior to those overcome in the
Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada
by the American engineers.
I Russia has raised in fifteen years more
than 81 900, ,0O0,0 900 with which TO con-
sTuct 5000 miles of railroad, and can
easily 6nd $500, 100000 or $4O0, 900, 600
to construct line Of such value to all
the civilized world