The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-11
THE T~RANSCASPIAN.
RUSSlA'S NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY
TO SAMARCAND.
An Important Event In the Old Worlds
Hisory-Asia to Reawaken to CONNER
clai Activity-Modcrn Civilization Reach
Ing The Orientals.


An important event In the Old Worlds
history has been the completion by Russia
of q narrow gauge railway from Oren-
burg. IN the Transcaspian province, to
Samarcand. tho holy" Mohammedan city
of BOki!ara on western Turkcstan. The
sbrill Shrek of the locomotive within 800
miles Of the gates of Iicrat and within,
TOO. atout coo miles Of the northwestern
military frontier OF British India, is an
event 10 give pause TO the observant pub
licist In MI lands, just rs surely as it will
arouse another spasm Of terror and de.
spar among our British cousins. especially
Of the lingo faith in politics.
The appearance by rail of the Russians
within comparatively easy campaign dis
.anccs Of Herai, the gateway of Afghan
istan. and e Teheran. the capital OF Per
STA is unquestionabiy. as affairs stand. q
menace to the British Indian empire. 1t
is perhaps an even more direct menace 10
the great Chinese kingdom and power. 1t
certainly threatens. as n near possibility
the Independence Of Persia. and il %, the
possible and probable absorption of Beelo.
chistan on the Persian gulf. But the
military character of the situation will be
found. when analysed, 10 be the smaller
factor In it
Without doubt Russia has driven this
little tract; across the Merv desert to the
east Of the Caspian sea and over the fer
tile plains or pyaries of Bokhara for q
military purpose But on its existence
Russia can haze but slight hope. as any
u can see who has any experience In
military matters. Of making it the means
Of precipitatiug operations against the
British power In India There is in the
Russian Caucasus but one railroad, and IN
the adjacent parts of European Russia
but one other well equipped road on which
troops 10 any number could be moved to
the shores Of the Caspian. The fleet on
that inland water is quito large and could
be rapidly made available for military
transportation. 1t has been reported that
at least one thousand vessels navigate
that sea. OF which one-half are steamers
of considerable tonnage The railroad
east Of the Caspian. which is now at
Samarcand. 800 miles beyond the sea. and
the petroleum fields which have created
its large marine. is but a poorly equipped
rold II will not carry over fifty
tons per train. according 10 David ker
and other travellers. It's cost is said not
10 have exceeded 3G. 900 roublcs per mile
that is TO say, about SIS, 600 in our
money A bare statement of the fact
that this Samarcand Caspian road is Of
the character indicated shows quite plainly
that the Russian war office. which is ably
directed and understands of necessity the
science of logistics. especially in view OF
the territorial difficulties they must over
como In all their movements. can have
no idea of p|recipitating an army on Brit
ish India All Russia can do now I'm a
hostile sense 10y means OF this new rail
road of hers is TO annoy the An~glO-lndian
empire. and prevent. perhaps, that full
concentration about ~COnstantinoplc which
British statesmen are O likely TO deem
most desirable
In other aud more Importantly perma-
nent ways the entrance OF the locomotive
into the ancient capital Of Timour, the
Tartar, IS a matter of first class import
ance 1t is far more likely TO tell, and
very early too. in favor of the peaceful
and material development aud rehabilia
ton of central Asia than 10 the provoking
of more hlooished 1t will of course con
ceutrate Russian power 10y its existence,
and II will also fOcalize The diplomacy Of
intrigues which its ambition created. al
this new center. one thousand miles be
yond the Transcaspian province. now
wholly secure in the hands Of lis pcrma
nent army Of 100. 600 Russian soldiers
From Samarcand will 90 and 10 il will
come the agents who will bring all Turk
ish nomads to the Russian standard. who
will plot and cabal in Persia. who viii ex
plore Tibet and the great Himalayan
plateau. who will press forward into the
northwest among the Mussulman Chinese
of the empire of China, and also those
who will in one way and another creep
into British India, with the view of 70
menting disaicction there among the vast
native population, which il is conceded
bv all is sufficiently disturbed TO be good
material for such operations.
All this presupposcs that neither the
sagaciOus and able Anglo Indian soldiers
and statesmen. nor the very astute rulers
Of the vast Celestial nationality. will do
anything TO prevent or counteract the eX
pected movements of Russia 1t also
ignores the largest factors in the problem
which the railroad exploitation of central
Asia and Siberia must produce. Those
IaclOrS are lnNOlNeu III lnc new INDUSTRIAL
and commercial relations and conditions
that are constantly being evolved Cen
turtles since all this central Asia region
was the seat of powerful and prosperous
peoples We imagine that they have al
together passed into what might be lin
nocuous desuetude in these respects,
but the traditions and some of II forces
Of their former power and activity have
not been entirely obliterated. The ex
periences Of Bicyclist Thomas Stevens, III
his journey round the world. have proven
his
The Samarcand Caspian railroad will
inally conquer a new development and Il
fresh power for native races of Asia. The
commercial prize for which Russia con
tends is a greater one than the territorial
acquisitions TO which of necessity she yet
sspires She wants TO get TO the India
ocean, and Great Britain will be wise to
allow her to do so. by means of a road
through Persia and Beelochistan.-New
York Graphic.
-t--
The Immigration of Fo Nssners.
There Is no line Of statistical figures