, 1876-05-06

cut canals aoross the ridge dividing tho two
scas, distance OF 250 versta, OF about so
miles, connecting them upon the eauao level.
OF tho operation Of tho water pouring
through this cutting Mr.. SrA1p1no says:
Tho tuo7omcnt Of ths vstcr through channel Of q
By 80 nssts Il ratc Of IL kilometres per hour would
I'LL space in year equal to s71 aquaEn Kilometres.
from the ierel Of the caspan to that Of tho Black Sen.
This would l ths present area OF ths Caspian TO tho
level Of Tho Black sea In about TOO ycarx; hut II
would be enlarged by tho proccss from about tD3 0o
square Kilometres 10 about 600 nquaro Kilometres
tho filling would 60 on very slowly until tho channel
Of tho now hsat should h&ve become enlarged TO its
full Dimensions. This enlargement would proceed
1t te rate OF about ono vcrs+ per woek and, a. tic
tntira distance 10 bo enlarged would probably not e1-
ceed 500 vortts, Il would 10 completed Ii shout sx
years. after which the filling would rrocsod with
cursont Of about 20 kilometres por hour no that 1t
the and OF forty yeara from tho beginning Of tha
work. the feycls Of tho Two seas would be nearly
uniform That navigation Of tho chsnuol could 10.
gin.
This tino 1t Is proposed to shorten still
more by uniting the Don and the Volga,
which would require only very short cut
ting, and, by reversing the current of the
Don as the current Of the Chicago River
was reversed, making 1t empty into the Cas-
pian Sea through the Volga, instead Of into
the Sen Of Azof, its present outlot. BY these
operations 1t is contended TINT m additional
area Of nearly OF nearly one.half would be
mado TO the Caspian Sea, thus increasing the
rainfall proportionatsly Of the districts adia-
cent to tho Caspian, aud also the rainfall up
on the slopes drained into tho Aral sea and
Lake Balknsh.
These natural results are not tho only
changes Nr. SpAIp1Nu foresecs. There arc
also material results Of tho utmost impor-
tanco to Russia. By lis scheme new A1eli-
torranean would be created, nRvigab1e for
large ships from tho borders OF Persia to
about tho Goth parallel Of north latitudc,
along the estuaries formed by the Ural and
tho Volga, and navigable for smaller sea.go-
ing vessels to Orenburg on tho Ural and
point still further north on the Volga, thus
giving access to tho forests, conl, iron, and
other ores Of Eastern Russia. In point of
fact, Mr.. SpA1DHa grows quite eloquent In
his prophecies. He Bays:
By the construction Of lines Of railway from tho
central portions Of Western BlbcrEto orenburg tho
ahiprnent Of grain and othor heavy agricultural pro-
ductiona Of tlat region would greatly increase, bs-
CAUSE lQe*8 require tht chtaftf W&ttF transportation
to stimulate increased production. BY railways from
Toorkistan aud Western China to tho River Emba, q
port in tho valley Of that now uaeess stream would
aoon cous into existence where tho Wool cotton, toa
and ohee productions Of thoso countries would bo
changed with the Mediterranean for the fruits wsuos
and manufactures Of TINT region. The productions
Of Persia and her imports also would bo sent to tho
larbor formed by the At.eck niver Instead Of going
to tho Indian Ocean and the Persian 0uf. And thus
this uew Mediterranean would rival In importance tbo
Nclf'known sea Of ancient and modern times.
Whether all b1r. sPALp1Na'a eloquent proph-
ecies Of tho material results which will flow
from lis scheme will over bo realizcd may
! admit of doubt, but its effectH upon the phys.
ical condition Of the country are in accord.
ance With natural laws, md, aa it is shown
that the work can bs casly and satisfactorily
accomplished at reasonable e1ponso and with.
in reasonable time, it Is not at oil improbable
that the Commission now investigating the
scheme may report favorably upon it to the
Government; and it adds to the probability OF
its acceptance that If successful, 1t ia in con.
sonance with Russia's ideas upon tho Eastern
| question.