The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-11-19
THE sLBERIAN RAILWAY.


The Timun- Omsk section of the Sibe-
rian railway, which was opened for pas
HengEr traffic on the 10th of this month,
formed the first lnstallment of this
colossal work, which was to dwarf all
the longest continental lines of the
world. 1t is to be $500 miles in length,
and as yet 800 miles only are in actual
use. FIom Omsk, which is in the ex-
treme west of Siberia, it is to extend in
an eastern direction to Crasnoiarski,
distance of nearly 5000 miles.
The embankments and cuts forming
this division are already made, and the
work is already being actively conduct
ed toward completion. From this point
the road will follow more southeriy
course to Irkutsk, go along the southern
shore of Lake Baikal and through the
valley of the Seeluig river, cross the val
leys of the Lena and the Amur to Lake
'Colan, where excellent coal has been
found.
Thence it runs eastward to the steam
boat station at Szejetinsk, on the Amur
river, and follows the course of that
stream southeastward to Khabaroffka.
There 1t will turn southwark along the
right bank of the Ussuri, run to Graft
sky, and terminate at Vladivostock, on
the Sea of Japan.
From this port operations have been
commenced in a northwesterly direction
for some 200 miles, and the road is actu-
ally running to Grapska. Thus it will
be seen that about 1 900 miles, or nearly
one-sixth of the entire distance, is virtu-
ally accomplished. But innumerable
and almost insurmountable difficulties
surround the bridging of the gap be-
tween these two extremities.
Siberia is big country. tits twice as
large as the whole of the United States.
Nine-tenths of its territory has never
been explored. The route of the rail-
road is near the 55th parallel; that is,
as far north as southern Alaska, and
consequently the climate is very cold.
The difficulty of procuring and trans
porting men will come largely from the
Ural mountains, near the western term
mus of the road.
Rails are shipped from England
through the Artic to the mouth of the
Yenesei, a somewhat ventursome un-
dertaking, and from there they are car.
ried up the river by two steamboats,
one drawing eight feet of water, and the
other for service on the Angura, which
drains Lake Baikal, having draft o.
only three feet six inches. These yes
sells are fitted out as for an Arctic expe
dition.
On the eastern portion OF the line the
labor of convict exiles is being employed
to considerable extent, and $4,000 o
these are said to be now at work upo1
the railway, The Russian engineers es
mate that the cost of the line will vary
from 100000 to 81 900 mile, according
to the difficulties to be overcome, bu
the entire sum cannot be less than 800,
100000. This enormous expense will b.
entirely betrayed by the imperial treas
ury.
It is not supposed that the road will
pay for great number of years, but tn,
czar is fully aware of its strategica
value. It will enable him to commanC
the northern boundaries of his politica
neighbors with very much smalle
military force than is required. Whel
this railway is completed, and officia
surmises fix the year 1901 for its open
ing a journey about 5000 miles long cal
be made from Paris to the Pacific a
Vladivostock. 1t will require abou
three weeks of continuous travel t,
make 1t.