New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-23
ACROSS SIBERIA.
THE GREAT RAILROAD TO BE BUlLT-WHAT
IT WILL ACCOMPLISH.


gun at once and pushed vigorously 10 completion
surveys have been made with sufficient accuracy
10 determine the most practicable ronte. and also
10 indicate the cost and time that Will I've required
for the enterprise Operations will be begun 81
multaneously all along tie line 50 far as grading
and the LAYING of ties are con erncd. The laying Of
rails will of course have TO be carried forward en-
tirely from the western terminus. General An
rcnkon. the builder Of the Transcription road
Ieckons that the entire line 10 NladlVos'ocK VIII
cost less than 5000 100000 and that through
trains from the Baltic 10 the Pacihc can he run
within five years from the beginning OF the Joo'
There are those of course who think this estimate
far too low But there were also many who letrea
al General AnneukoG's scheme. ten years ago. ioI
railroad 10 Merry and Samarkand HIS schemes
have. however. been justified by successful eAccu-
ton. and the Trans, aspian Railroad Is not only
an accomplished fact. but 1t is highly pioh'apie
fact as we'll Il has given such an impetus 10 'nc
agricultural rehabilitation Of Central ASA an"
afforded in that direction such general heid loI
Russian enterprise on Russian territory as 10 e'ec'
almost a commercial and industrial revolution.
And although the line from MlchailoVsN u N"i'
Arvat cost the Russian Treasury S2o,ooo hilc-
and there are 30 miles of tilt IS now Sc" "
have been a most desirable investment. II Is very
largely this fact. of General Annehhoh sIc"U
success in Central Asian railroad building, thal
has determined the Car TO give nm a IIec nun"
in tie stupcndous Siberian enterprise.
Another highly important consideration III 'hS
matter is tie colonization of the country along
the Amoor River Pesides its vast agricultural
possibilities. this 1e-ion is exceedingly nch III
precious minerals For many years 1t has hcch
'snoNn 10 contain some OF the richest deposits OF
oold in the world and vast stores OF gems nave
also beeu taken from the mines. There are credl-
bic tales of ruby mines equal to those OF Burmah'
ard diamond mines that will rival the kim' berry
All this lcion and is products belong to the kuS-
sian Crown Bat il borders on the northern part
OF China. and the boundary line IS lIl5u'rdeu'
The Iesuit Is thai tLc Chinese swarm across p|
Thousands and are really securing the Hon snare
OF the spoil. Besides the many Chinese coIohlS'S
who make their permanent homes on Russian SoH'
there are counte,s raiders Who come over loI
few weeks at time, or iog rs long as theN ca"
oludo IN, vi,iianco Of Tic scattered Russian police
rle, sc.,, iustioctivcv TO know where the richest
"pav-gr.vcl" is - be found, and in ie" days
al tic placer mines VIII wash out a small loIlu"
in co!ica sand Tor several years there nave hecn
standing orders 10 lie Russian police to shoot Such
advcnfircrS al s-ht orders which have been car
rcd ont 80 the letter whenever opportunity Afford
cd But such opportunities have been few, ana
the Guycrnr en- has at last come 10 the conclusion
iiai re oaiy way to keep the Chinese ou' Is 10
pu: uorc russians in. Accordingly, thousands oil
families OF settlers axe being sent tmther every
year at Iareral expense. The journey, however
Is long, tedious and costly one, ana IL mas ne
cole evident that complete colonization OF those
Ich provinces Is impossible without betler l"oin-
ties Tor transportation.
Nor is the colonization Of other parts of SIDE
ria 10 I've ovcrlookcd During all the eight cen
tuIics that have elapsed since the Coss1ckS re-
paid the Gar for driving them from Europe by
ccnouerine for him the empire of Northern Asa.
Siberia has suffered from an undescrvcd bad name.
IL Is not vast desert of snow and ice. II IS not
4 .ast penal settlement True considerable por-
ton OF il IS as desolaic in its Arctic inAOsptaltE
as II could possibly 5c, and many of tie largest
settlements are occupied chiefly by cAlcs and con
vIctS Hut there are also thousands OF miles OF
fertile hnd, with hamy climate, and every
natural ,n.t that makes "a country desirable for
hab!tation. and thousands Of miles where the foot
of the convict las never trod. 1onSk is the
iavOrtc coloniZing country OF the Russian peas
ant Every year thousands OF Russian mouJIks
Of their own free viii trudse from the populous
Russian provinces 10 form new communities IN
Siberia and tAcsc think no more OF the uibu-
latiOns OF The eAIes there than English cmlsfdnis
10 Australia tIO"1Ic themselves VIII Jhc history
of Botany Hay. luIs stream OF emigration Wi! OF
course greatly increase with better facilities Tor
travel the opening of the railway 10 OTcnhurg,
Tor instance. having been followed hN nlisrd-
ton thlther by rail Of 1000 or 5000 Russian
peasants eycrE year. on Their way 10 the cult
Niblc districts OF NOutLcrn siberia and the MI
clZ stcppeS. Since The Russians finished TIC
railway from the Caspian 10 the OXUs Russian
peasants have begun using that route 10 uiokc
tleir way 20 the settlements IN lurkesian
There Is still another immense advantage 20
be secured to Russia hy the construction OF this
railroad, and that is. the trade of the Pacific
Ocean. At present, his traffic reaches Europe
almost exclusively 10y English routes. The North
rrn Pacific trade IS carried across America by
the Canadian aud United States Pacific railroads,
and bneucc shipped 10 Europe by the Atlantic
lines. The trade of the central part Of the
coast finds its way to Europe by English routes
through the Suez Canal. With the opening Up OF
China and Japan to commerce. this trade Is enOr-
mOusly increasing in importance, and II Is 10
capture a portion 81 il that Russia now aims
The Pacific terminus Of the road will be at
Nladivostock. There will presently be running
another road. from some point III China 10 Nlad-
ivostock. which will convey 10 the latter point the
traffic OF China. Steamship lines will also con
rect II with all important Chinese ana japanese
ports. Thence The transit across the Russian
Umpire TO Europe will he much easier quicker
and cheaper than by the American route. In
point of time it will have the advantage by at
least week. 1t will also avoid the risks and un-
peasantnesS of the voyages across the two oceans.
And it will requiN far less handling and rcship-
ment of goods Whether or not il be truc that a
sea-voyage impairS the quality of tea, here, al
any rate, Will be the possibility Of conveying all
the tea of China TO Europe overland.
Although there are numerous steamboat lines
on the various Siberian rivers, IL now takes about
ten weeks to travel across the continent, ana
costs one some $500 Starting from Europe, one
goes to Mini Noygorod by railroad, and thence, in
summer, by steamer TO Perm. There is a railroad
from Perm, running across the Trails 10 EkatcrlI-
berg, and thence 10 Tiumin. At Tiumln begins
The, real Siberian journey, by slcdGc IN winter
and largely by steamboat in summer Another
line Of approach 10 Siberia from Europe il by
the way of Orenberg, all by rail 1t, however
enters Siberia at a sparselY settled point. BE
tween these two is third route. from Samar1
10 Ufa, railroad is now nearly finished on this
route, and it will doubtless be in future the most
important Of the three, and it is at Xataoust
near TIA, that the great road to Nladiyostock
is TO begin. Thence the route will he by WY
of Tcheliab, kurgan, the southern part Of the
Ishcm District, Omsk. TomsS, Lake Baikal land.