Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-26
ACROSS SIBERIA.
VIEWS OF THE PROPOSED TRANS
SIBERIAN RAILWAY.
Character of the Country aod People
The Eject the Road win Have
on American Trade.

49,
tudes. endless deserts, terrible in contrast
with those of Sahara. To-day we begin
to know that if portion of Siberia justi-
fies this reputation, there is another large
portion, several times larger than France,
whose climate, fertility, and mineral riches
constitute one of the most interesting re-
gions OF the world.
If one viii cast his eyes on map of the
ancient continent, he will be struck by the
immense extension, in longitude, occupied
by the Russian Empire. From Pyzdri,
the most occidental point of European
Russia, to the oriental cape in the straits
of Behring Sea, are III fact counted not
far from 10 degrees of longitude. That
is almost the one-half of the terrestrial
circumference. Still this vast extent of
land does not possess, in fact, many water
ways; on the north side large extension
of seas rendered impracticable by the ice;
on the west the Baltic Sea, often closed by
the climate, and also, politically, by the
Danish Straits, the same as the Black Sea;
on the east and south by the Dardanelles.
There remains the Oriental port of Vladi-
yostock, the only gate through which Rus
sia obtains safely and in every season the
free breeze OF the ocean.
Now let US suppose an inhabitant from
Moscow desirous to go to Vladivostock;
does one know how many days are re-
quired for him to accomplish his trip by
land? In the best conditions and at the
cost of a Thousand kinds of WEAKNESS, it
would
Thus, he will rather prefer to go through
Odessa, Port Said, Singapore and Japan.
The construction Of the Trans-Siberian
Railroad was thrust on the minds of the
Russian nation as an economical, political
and military necessity. Treated as a
utopian scheme for long time this idea
ended by being incarnated, and has been
encouraged by the success of the great
Transeontinental American lines. The
imperial sanction is to-day an acquired
fact, the studies on the largest portion of
the line are made, and it only remains to
make sure of the ways and means for the
execution.
Looking on map of Russia, one sees
that the southern frontier of this empire
begins from the Caspian Sea, north of
Persia, and goes, by the side of the deserts
of Mongolia, in a general direction west
east, to the river Amoor. On the southern
part of this line, except in the last region,
the Manchouria, are nothing but deserts
and solitudes.
Let US imagine another line drawn a
little parallel TO the north of this frontier
and distant from seven to eight hundred
miles from this one; we will thus have
obtained an ideal ribbon about 5000
miles long and constituting a passage
which places Europe in communication
with the far east. This rich and fertile
zone is surrounded on the north and on
the south by sterile lands between which
it brings abundance and life. II is the
true Siberia, at least the one of which we
are occupied at present, that which de-
serves the attention of the politicians and
the economists finally, that large portion
which the Trans-Siberian Railroad must
have almost to cross in its longitudinal
axis.
The colonization of Siberia, its conquest
from barbarism, work commenced three
centuries ago and since pursued without
interruption is, certainly, of those works
which do the most of honor to Russia by
giving measure of her persevering gem
ius. This work will be almost completed
by the construction of the Trans-Siberian
Railroad.
Let US examine on the map the pro-
iectea outlines. Till now, the train of the
Russian railroads has many Oriental ter
mini. Among these the city of Zlataoust
has zen selected for head of the line of
the railroad.
Fr Zlataoust, the Trans-Siberian will
rea the city of Onlsk with $4,000 in
habiiants), capital of the general govern
men i the steppes, then the city of Koly-
vane $4,000 inhabitants), where it will
cross the OBJ, one of the largest rivers of
Asia, and even of the world.
The line continues to Mariinsk $4,000
Inhabitants), and crosses at Atchinsk
$4,000 inhabitantsl, the Tchoulym, i'm
portant tributary stream of the River Obi;
then il touches at knasnoiarsk %, 900 in
habitants), and thence it arrives at Ir-
koutsk $4,000 inhabitants), the capital of
the general government of Eastern ST.
IBERIA.
After Irkoutsk, the railroad, convolut-
ing on the south the Lake Baikal, will
reach Ingoda, tributary stream Of the
River Amoor, at Stretensk, head of the
AAaiC VI AhN BiCSNIL vi tie upper
Amoor. Here the line crosses the Ingoda,
then the Amoor, which it only quits at
khabarouka, at the tributary stream of
the Oussouri, another tributary of the
Amoor, whose valley is yet to be followed.
but this time by remounting it till Boussee,
from whence it finally reaches Vladi-
vostock, after having run nearly 5000
miles.
ALONG THE ROUTE.
The tarantass is the uncomfortable We
hice which is used for the long distances,
If it would be that this word Comfortable"
could be used for carriage which the
Russians themselves declare to be "an in
strument of torture"
The tarantass may be briefly described
as a long bed box, sheltered by a
capote in the rear, and which is carried on
long, wooden, spring shafts, resting right
on the axle-trees. 1t is into this box, in
which the horizontal position is strictly
required, that the traveller rolls day and
night across the roads, dug and bemired
during the rain, dusty and rough during
the dry weather.
AT present the traffic of Siberia is eff
fected by water through Nijni-Novgorod,
WHeie the sleauipodts U tne NOIga take
the passengers to Perm length of the
journey, four days.. There the railroad
of Ural works carries them to Tiumen q
days). Thence again by boat on tributary
streams of the Obi-the Toura, the Tobel,
the lrtich, they arrive at Tomsk 10 days),
then by tarantass they Join again the OUT
line which we have above described.
A good tarantass must have at least three
yards three inches between the two axle
trees; there are no seats, and the passen-
gers baggage is so placed as to form a
longitudinal line which serves for bed;
the vacuum is filed with straw and furred
skins, and other comfortables are placed
upon 1t. As we said above, capote (sort
oil heavy coat covers the rear, and an
apron Of brass protects the rest.
At Paem the passengers take the rail-
road of the Ural works. This railroad