Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-04
BEYOND The CASPIAN.


rSchf. sa;lipg from Bakn fer the Persian
rca-t The first thing on Thursday morning.
On their way TO settle fbe frontier OF Al
thAnl,tsn 10 concert VITA the Russisn flcse-
ysttx. Hove far they viii he able 10 do 20
remains 70 be seen. fan haye noticed that
wherever Russian delegates settle anything
IN concert with anybsdy the settlement
tcypshow leaves very considerable balance
in their own favor. But h wefld he worth
white nowadays TO tnd men who could
really desire the frontier Of Afchar;s,ap.
Colonel stewart. the hero o. that adyen.
furcus tourney from Neshcd to Dcreghez.
witch almost anticipated The exploits Of
toSr O'ponovan. was recently at Baku
This sending out Of such noted explorer
- member II an eastern surveying COM
nslssl0n IL startling innovation upon the
ordinary practice OF the British Govern
mtas, which usually selects for any duty the
very man Who knows the least about II.
Eut II british interests Ia the East -
whatever that elastic term may te sup
POSED 70 pean--are really 10 be taken pro-
l~r csre Of, Il IL fun time that some man
with head on his shoulders were sen.
tht.hcr 10 look after them. Ever5 one OF
Rnssia's recent movements IN ibat ufee-
zion has been masterpiece. la western
f-FIriN sir tI~ fttUf aD Ststbt@'at 7ftN'NNN
sbow of moderation by adding 10 her
border only tiny "trip Of bill country
hardly ferry miles broad, gain when
would seem absolutely vaiueless TO any one
who, not having travelled through iha.
region, Is ignorant that this insignificant
SCRAP al territory includes the only two
practicable passes through the kborassan
mountains into Persia from the Gasp IN
sSabcard. In Eastern Persia, again, she
has merely taken possession OF some stony
and seemingly worthless monnfa'n-ridges
around Mahomcdabad. without thinking
n necessary 10 state that these ridges en-
atlc her 20 swoop down a. Will upon the
aefenceless plain amid which stands
Hesied. the great commercial and stra-
terie centre OF the Sbah's eastern do
yninions. hut Russla's browning achieve
nsnt beyond the Caspian is unque>-
tioDahiy the new military railway across
The Kh,va desert. about which II may
IL worth while 10 say word or two IN
passing.
on the opposite shore OF the Caspian sea,
due east from this great beadland upon
which we stand, lies a deep pouch-shaped
gulf sheltered by two projecting capes.
known to Russian geographcTs as Mikha-
lief Zaiiy" lNicbaers BAY. From the
cresceni-shaped ridge that rises around II
10 the cast. shutting IL OF from The ghostly
. solihIdes Of the terrible khiva desert, a
few hali-clad Yomuts had looked down
spon II for many day, without ever
A.. dreaming that these quiet waters and
silent shores were hereafter 10 take
leading place In the history Of Russia aud
Of the world. But at length. one bright
, morning late IN the autumn Of 1869, the
wondering eyes Of the hillmen saw a Rus
sian Gotilla heading straight for the mouth
os the bay, and presently numbers Of men
began TO pour out OF the vessels on 10 the
northern shore, and lines Of hats and tents
grew up as il by magic upon the lonely
beach, aud the Russian nag tiuttored
iauntily overhead, and little by little the
rude encampment developed itself into the
Iretfy little town Of krasnoyodsk, whittier
a weekly steamer now runs i'm 4 few hours
from Baku.
For q time. however. the town OF red
wafer (aS It's name implies) was simply
remote military outpost. without any token
ihal IL would hereafter become the starting
point OF Russia's advance upon the still
uncongueTod portion OF Central Asia.
Even the famous expedition against khiya
in 1918. which called INTO shortliyed i'm
portance 30 many obscure spots on the
eastern shoreoi the Caspian, ignored kras-
noyodsk altogether. Colonel Lowakin's
column started from hinderli bay 20 the
north n il, Colonel MarkaZoil's from Fort
Tchikishliar far away 10 the south. This
latter place. indeed. which lies close 10 the
southeastern corner Of the Caspian. and
IS also visited by the Baku steamers. was
formerly the recognized starting point OF
all Russia's expeditions against the TurcO-
mans, on account Of It's abundant supply
of fresh water. But General Lac ref's eX-
perience i'm 1879 showed the folly oi using
as base of operations an open roadstcdd
whence all vessels had 10 stand out 10 sea
on the first sign & wind from the north.
west. The General failed utterly to collect
the stores required for his projected eSpe-
slitiop, and the Russian military admins
trnlion. looking r6und for Il fresh point OF
departure. fixed upon krasnov0dsk and
began to consider the feasibility Of con
structing railroad thence across the khya
Desert.
The characteristics % the new fort eX-
actly reversed those Of the old one. Tchi-
kishiiar had offered an ample supply OF
water, but no anchorage. krlsnoyOd>k
possessed a safe and coinmodiOus anchor
age, but not drop of 'resh water. More
over, the tract extending IRON tue south
ern side 81 Mikhailofi Way (wheuee the
railway was to START A. Ear a. kazanchik
was mere waste oI shifting sands, water
hess. and burning rs. the Sahara Itself.
Russian military critics laughed TO scorn
the very idea Of q railway across such re-
ricn. 'Ilow T. v possible they cried.
.to lay any durable u l upon a surface
n unstable a. quick sauis Ard Of what
use are locomotives i a :, gion where
ntiti,er fuel nor waie ~ be hads But
sst;, we're ~ this possible, v ho c'uhi iir"
'he 81 i..fnrns y iifh dnf'u- n.
psa,l.0n across these deserts. ci,Ukcd ~
and rendered useless The very rides NJ our
Csssacksi The camel, The ship Oi the
d,sert.' l. the only possible means Of loco
N,stIon IN a country Ike this,
sRnt the Russlan authqrllles. remember.
ing that three qlhrlcrs OF Colonel Marko'
zon'. cAmels had persisted during NJ
ahbrtiye advance upon khila IN 1873,
and that ia Gcacral lazareh's Tureo'
man expedition six years later o.fIJ
eamels had dicd out Of 10000. thought
fnat the ship Of the desert was begin
ming 10 prove unseaworthY, and uC
eiJed In favor az the railway. Energy
and perseverance, speedily Nanquished AZ
ohs,aelfS. The condcpsers furnished bl
Me-srs. Nobel \ Co.. the great petroleum
Manufacturer whose works We inspected
the other day ~ Baku and Balakhanl-
turned out 10000 gallons II excellent watc
daily. Sea water, brought up In tank'
was sprinkled ever the slopes u The en-
bngs aud entertainments, which u b0un
Sorc,her WIN drm crust OF salt a.
dried. std clay from the ncighborin
marshes Wa employed 10 consolidate III
sandy portions oi the line. While the San
was used 20 dry and siiilen the mudd
spots. Light hurdle shields. such a. thos
which protect the railways Of Eur0pca
Russia against their hyc-monlhs' SNOW
were employed with equal success 10 che,
the drifting sands OF the desert. A slna
rocky island In N,khailod hay fufnish'
the ballast required for the line; and
ably was the work carried ON that even Z
terrible ssnd.storms Of September aud q
tober never DELAYED ihe Traffic Tor mo
than three hours.
ny September. iSSo. when General II
helea was preparing 10 start icr the q
plan seaboard on his memorable campai
against the Tekke rurComans ~ Ge
Tspe, the new railway was already or
~ faf A. Mulla Mari IA distance OF
m,lesl, and Pc more were trayersed by no
iram-cafs on The French De nor, al syslc
s,nce that time both The hue itself and
acce.ories have advanced RAPIDLY. q
may now cross the Caspian la one MI hi
steamer from Baku and travel eastwa
Ny train the next morning. over the wi
waste u gray, hfeless sands heyond u,