Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-09
ALL-RAIL ROUTE TO EUROPE.
Preliminary steps Already Taken In
nm Enterprise of Vast Magnitude.

Before long the project of an all-rail route
between America and Europe. thus virtual
ly connecting the two hemispheres. will re-
ceive the attention of minds given to the
promotion of great enterprises. Prelimi-
nary steps in this direction have, according
to the Pittsburg Dispatch, already been
taken in procuring expert opinions on the
route. 1t is not believed that the engineer
ing difficulties are at all insurmountable
the main question being a. financial one,
rather than otherwise. Leaving the United
States at some point on the northwestern
boundary of the state of Washington, the
proposed line would be located some dis
lance inland from, but parallel with, the
Pacific coast, traversing northward through
British Columbia, then leaving the Domin-
ION, enter ALASKA, cross the Yukon river
and touch Berlng strait at Cape Prince of
Wales.
This strip of water that divides eastern
Asia from Alaska, and is the link that
unites the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is
only thirty-siX miles wide, and is inter-
spersed with islands, between which are
considerable expanses of intervening water,
but which seldom exceeds depth of nine
ty feet. Government soundings have been
taken across the strait, and the ocean
floor found To be of substantial rock Once
across the strait, Siberian Russia is en-
cOuntered, and, passing the coast of the
Gulf OF Anadir, the road would touch the
H..
ing the Lena river. then on, continuing in
a diagonal direction through the Russian
empire into the orient.
y branch road OF less than 5000 miles
may diverge from the main line 20 south
ward beyond the domains of the car.
swing round the great desert of Obi, pene-
tTate into the dense populations of China
and her southern satellites, and thus con-
meet with the great network OF celestial
railway systems which the loud neishing
of the international iron steed shall call
into existence. The scheme when fully ma
tured may embrace the commercial control
of HindooStan, Afghanistan and Persia,
sweep the entire Levant and, leaving the
home OF the Euroclydon, would then be
ready to penetrate eastern Europe and,
following the setting sun, join the rails of
our knsnen on the western side of the
continent.
The strong point for the people of the
United States in the construction of this
road is the rail connections with our Alas
kan possessions and the opening up of what
bids fair 10 prove unprecedented mineral
and other wealth. We are also brought TO
the long chain of Aleutian Islands that we
acquired with the purchase of Alaska,
which chain extends so far westward be-
yond Asia that when the evening shadows
lengthen on our most western land the
morning rays already strike PaSsamaQuod-
dy bay, gliding the headlands on the east
ern coast of Maine. Some of these islands
have an area as large as Pennsylvania,
and. being tempered with favorable isother-
NAL lines. abound with the finest grazing.
The road once built the now disciplined
disciples of agriculture from the older au-
tonomy can retire to these islands, which
are peculiarly adapted TO wool growing,
| where they can engage in producing this
invaluable commodity and mediate on
progress.
To our Canadian cousins this stupendous
project can also be presented in most glow
ing colors. 1t will give them communica-
uon with and market for vast areas of the
/ finest timber, give them access to their
great fur-bearing country and will supply
the ak OF settlement to their great north
ern wilderness On the Siberian side of
the strait in addition to the immense de-
posts or ivory and bones. the remains of
myriads OF the colossal creatures of the
pre-glacial world, there are the inexhausli-
bic mines worked by the Siberian exiles
and this entire region. while cold and in.
| hospitable, Is literally magazine OF
wealth, cold storage of the mea sureless
product Of former and more generous