The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-07-27
TO EUROPE BY RAIL.
PARIS NAY SOMETIME Be REACHED
M PALACE CARS.


ties 60 Ne Overcome.
Within the past year great deal has
been said and written about the Cosmo-
politan railway. as 1t IL often called.
railway that shall connect the great GEN.
ters Of commerce and trade In the United
States with the similar centers In Asia
and Europe, says the Denver Republican.
In OTTER words, IL Is proposed to extend
the railway systems Of America and Of
Asia 50 that they will reach the shores Of
Behring Straits, and the two systems are
to be united by bridge across the straits,
80 that the Traveller can, II be wishes,
start from Now York and In q few days
land In Paris without change OF cars. The
writer continues:
This mag be feasible scheme on paper,
but il 1t possible OF accomplishment IL
tooxs reasonable that modern engineering
skill should DO able to construct such o
road. A visionary railroad enthusiast
with map before him and pencil 10 his
mind caa easily lay out road to connect
either the Northern Paciic or the Cana
dian Pacific Railway witD Cape Prince Of
Wales. In the same way road can be
built from the Siberian Pacific Railway
across northeastern Siberia to East Cape.
Barriers would. Of course, be In the way.
as those acquainted with the country
would know. but these would probably
not appear any greater TO him than those
that engineering SKILL has already over
come In other parts Of the world. not even
excepting the greatest barrier, that Of
bridging the STRATA
1t would / think, be comparatively easy
to construct railway through the great
Northwest territory Of British America to
the borders Of Alaska. Such road would
open UP to the world q vast region. rich In
agricultural possibilities and timber and
mining resources; and such q road, or
most OF 1t, will probably be built within q
few years. Such o road too, could proba-
bly, be extended from the borders Of
Alaska at least to the Yukon River. and
perhaps even to Cape Prince Of Wales
without encounterlng great difficulties In
construction. There would be vast noun
tain ranges to 20 around or tunnel
through, and there would be great river
courses To bridge But modern skill ID
equal to these things.
Ignoring the question OF cost, the en-.
cheering work on the American section
OF the Cosmopolitan railway can be ac-
complished. But IL is not alone question
OF the construction Of this road. The
question OF maintenance Is really the
vital question, for the daring OF engineers
stops at nothing nowadays And In this
question OF maintenance have the promo
ters Of the scheme thought OF one barrier
sufficiently, that OF the snow2 At times
the volume OF the snowfall In extreme
Northwestern Alaska lie beyond oil posi-
BILE estimate Of those who have not seen
It. The year was there the captain Of
our vessel went up into the country--snd
1t was In section that the proposed rail-
way would pass through-to examine o
silver mine In which he had an interest
The mine was well situated on southerly
slope, and as the visit was made the first
week In July, be naturally expected to
find the snow practically all gone. In.
stead. however, he found his mine under
fifty feet or more OF snow, as the fall Of
the previous winter had been very heavy
one.
1t Is an important fact that the Esqui-
manx understand the nature of this snow
fall SO well that they never build their
habitations under lee or In a protected
place, for they know that to do so. would
be to insure burial under the snowl'n nearly
every winter. Some winters this snow.
fall is so heavy as to practically prevent
q
time, and II not infrequently drives the
deer and other animals that subsist on
vegetation to extreme measures to secure
food. Now this railroad would OF me-
cessity have to run through river basins,
valleys and other low places, and along
mountain sides. And In doing this 1t
could not escape being buried under vast
deposits Of snow frequently for months at
Il time, and not improbably for occasional
periods of fifteen TO twenty months dura-
ton.
So. though the railroad may be possible
of construction even to Cape Prince OF
Wales do not believe 1t could be posi-
bio Of maintenance and operation except
at rare intervals. and then only by con-
slant and expensive repairs.
And what Is true of the nature of the
country of Northeastern Alaska Is equally
true OF Northeastern Siberia. A large
expanse in the heart of Siberia consists Of
steppes or plains, which at times are bur-
led deep under snow and swept by fierce
and terrific Arctic winds.
Another, by far the greatest barrier OF
all. has not been dwelt upon, and that Is
bridging the straits.
From cape to cape the distance across
Behring Straits Is about thirty-eight
miles. Near the center Of the straits are
two islands. the larger OF which, Rat
MANOR Island, would be In the line OF the
proposed bridge, and Its use would save
five to eight miles Of bridge building.
But it would be equally as expensive as
the bridge in working, as 1t Is mountain
OF rock and would have to be tunneled or
cut extensively for the railway to cross II.
In addition the snow barrier would be
even greater here than on either shore.
Still. to cross the island Is possible. And
as the straits are not deep, hardly reach
ing thirty fathoms In any place. piers for
the bridge could be built without encoun-
teriag insurmountable obstacles. Hence
the bridge, like the railroad. Is possible Of
construction.