The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-05
TO LONDON BY RAIL.
IN ALL ROUND The WORLD ROUTE
WHICH IS PRACTICABLE.

stan Government Already Helping
Could Distance Jules Nerne's Travellers
1t is quite probable that some cf those whe
read this page will make an all rail. Journey
from New York 10 London, or from London
/ 20 New York \ recent writer has been
carefully thinking out the whole scheme How
can this ever be when 3.O0J miles OF Atlantic
ocean separate the two places he asks
England lies 10 the cast OF The United
States, but % reach it hv railway the trav
eler win start westward, and, riding day
after day and night after night. until hs
reaches the opposite side OF tue globo, whor,
west and east meet and separate, and then
/ keeping on still westward. be will arrive at
/ London, having well nigh travcrsed round
the world.
This is no idle fancy. Tho scheme involve.
no ocean ferrying. no stupoudous and i'm
practicable bridge building From the east,
orn shore Of America 10 tho western border
/ 4 England there stretches continuous dry
land, with the exception OF the narrow and
comparatively shallow straits OF Bchliu-
between America nnd Asia. that are a small
obstacle, the narrow English channel. only
j ANtlAit Ilue0 WADn-s anu TIC ilftlr WHICH
! science already knows how 10 span.
/ Tho English end Of the projected line. how.
over, Is OF comparatively small importance
Tho real problem lies in spanning the ;r-
mondou5 distance that lils between The north
western boundary Of the United States and
/ the eastern frontier Of Europe.
TdE PROPOSED ROUTE.
From New York 10 a little be7oui tl.
northwestern boundary Of the United States
continuous rail communication e alrpad r
open by way of the Canadian pacnc railway
which will soon be supplemented by tue com
petion OF a connection between th- Northern
Pacific and the British American lme.
Europe. from the Atlantic ocaan to the
Ural mountains. which separate it from Asia,
is now crossed by tho locomotive. It's eastern
border being reached by two great Russian
railways, one terminating at Oronburg and
the other az Ekaterinburg, which la-t lies
nearly due east from Moscow aud southeast
from St Petersburg The vast Russian om.
pire n Asia stretching from the bral noun
tains 10 the North Pacific, and tar up almost
T. the Arctic circle at Behriug strait a
distance Of thousands Of miles, has not %.
set one solitary line Of railway IL is acros-
this prodigiois stretch Of country. much Of ii
we'll peopled, but much. also, an unknown
wilderness. locked d large part of tho year ia
the embrace of tho Arctic winter. that ihe
trans-Asiatic line must penetrate.
Buta Great step in thisdircction hasalroady
been taken. The Russian government iccl
tho necessity of railway communication
across It's Asiatic empire and tho ear has
sanctioned q project for the gradual construc
tion OF a railway from tho JraI mountain
20 tho waters Of the Pacific at NlaliyostoCk.
the extreme southcastcrn point Of the Rus
sian empire. living about latitude -. directly
opposite tue northern, most II the chief
Islands IN japan Whom that great work Is
accomplished. central Asia viii be brought
into much nearer connection with America
than now, as Nladivost0ck lies almost due
west from Portland, Ore, and tho distance
between the two continents is much les than
It is farther south
But this will not do for our all rail route,
which must be made by line brancAin. oil
from the great Russiau Pacific railway al
some point perhaps thousand mics west OF
Nladigo,fock, and running northelsierly
through Siberia 90 Behrlng straits
The crossing Of tho Behriug straits is de-
clared by some experienced travellers o. Dc
entirely practicable In the narrowest place
they are said to bs only ten miles wide, and
while tor part OF the year boats can easily
cross. il is asserted that the straits are dotted
with islands, hy means Of which, and inter-
vening bridges, continuous passage could
bc effected
Alaska does not, it must be- admitted, Offer
a very encouraging field fJr railway build
ng 50 far as either climate, typographical
features or productions ale concerned, bui
it interposes no obstacles which money and
skill could not overcome.
THE DISTANCES
The distances over which the railway would
nave 70 bs built tocarry out this sreat 4chem-
aIe, in round numbers. about a., follows
yIles
United States hoaniary t. beAr.l- straits. 2ool
Behng Straits ~ Junction Dtl Russian
Ia-lfic ralNut ..+ ip
Junction 20 European line It Ekat-gnbors a-J-
Total set to be constructed DO. ......... JCl
This looks like a tremendous length OF line
to build AMI yet about an equal amount ot
railway mileage vas probably built Ia the
year lsss ia the United States alone, and ~
one recent year almost double that mileage
was constructed.
Some Of the distances by our great railway
and It's connections would be- about - fol.
lows
New York to Port Moody CBri,.sh America. go.
Port Moody % Belung straits DO. ..-..-.- sVl
Dehuug straits t0 .-i mountains ...-..-.- o,.5
Cral mountains % london ................. 800,
Total New York 70 London all rail .....li0O
This would be pretty long raI journey
bat Il would be short compared with many
ocean voyages that srs now made; IL fact, 4.
would be only about three and half time
as long as - Journey from New York T.
san DECO. which Is undertaken every day.
Allowing thc moderate average OF twenty
five miles an hour. the trip from Now lorl.
20 London would take about twenty-thrcc
iavs. Then tho tourist might add a 'oven
iavs' san from Liv--pool 10 New York, and
thus accomplish trip around tho world Ia
thirty dl,s. which would beat Jll@ Noros
d