Wichita eagle., 1888-03-14
RAILROAD TRAVEL IN RUSSIA.

Cheap Equipments and Limited Accomo-
dations-Slow Time and Long Stops.
Railroad travel in Russia reminds one
of that in certain sections of the United
States, where the roads are very new, the
equipments cheap, the employees inexperi-
enced, and all kinds Of accommodate s
very limited It was only since the late
rebellion in America that Russia has
figured at ell in railroad circles. The
line. built by Wimans, of Baltimore were
well built, but they were not well equipped
and have been poorly maintained. The
arbitrary direction OF the car, that
all the lines should be perfectly straight
from one large city to the other, or from
the beginning to the terR.iHi, regardless
of the lesser points on the way, VIII be q
greet drawback to the country for many
years Tho strangers attention is directly
attracted to the large number of small
cities and important villages he sees from
one to five miles off the railroad lines.
These marts OF trade are more or less sub
stantisl, and generations viii come and
80 before the stations are as plentiful
along the railroad lines as they would at
first have been made but for the inter-
ference Of the casr.
1t is very seldom that a house is pro-
yided for locomotives, or there is shed
for any class Of material or equipment,
notwithstanding the fact that the nine
months of rain or snow in each year make
them more necessary than in other coun-
tries. Locomotives, rusting and falling
TO pieces, although but few years old,
and tools of every character are seen
strewn about everywhere. The stations,
however. are commodious and comfort
able. The fastest express trains, which
make about twenty miles an hour, stop
at every station from five to forty min
utes. The guard comes to your carriage
door when the train stops, opens it, and
tells how long the stop will be. He alsa
points to the restaurant hard by, and tells
you what can be purchased, and, further,
that there is ample time. 1t Is probable
that there is a commission arrangement,
or all the railroad restaurants are run by
the company. Few passenger trains that
have not some freight cars. The trains
are long, the rails heavy and good, the
ballasting fair, but the equipments are so.
inferior that the employees refuse to make
any speed.
But one passenger train . day, even on
the principal lines, and very seldom is q
sleeping car or carriage that can be
utilized Cd sleeper encountered. For a
run between two cities distant like New
York and Washington, or New York and
Boston, which occupy i've and a half or
six hours in America, day or night CT
twelve to fourteen hours is consumed.
There are seldom closets or drinking
water, or similar accommodations. AT
every station, day or night, old women OF
children visit the carriages aud sell drink
ing water.
There is one comfort, however, on a
Russian railway train. There are no
cinders. The old fashion wood burning
locomotives are used, and as they have
spark and cinder protectors and burn
pine or white poplar or similar woods,
there is freedom from both cinders or
smoke. The roads are too new for dust,
too, when there is period dry enough to
make dust. - Moscow Cor. Cleveland
Leader