Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-11-28
ACROSS SIBERIA BY RAIL.

The Tiumen- Omsk section of the
Siberian Railway, which was opened
for passenger traffic on the 10th of this
month, formed the first installment of
this colossal work which is to dwarf all
the longest continental lines of the
world. 1t is to be 6,700 miles in
length, and as yet 800 miles only are in
actual use. From Omsk, which is in
the extreme west of Siberia, it is to
extend in an eastern direction to Cras-
noiarsBi, distance of nearly 1000
miles.
The embankments and cuts forming
this division are already made, and the
work is already being actively con-
Quoted toward completion. From this
point the road will follow more
southerly course to Irkutsk, go along
the the southern shore of Lake Baikal
and through the valley Of the Seeluig
river, cross the valleys of the Lena and
the Amur to Lake Colan, where ex-
cellent 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 it will turn southwark along
the right bank of the Ussuri, run to
Graffsky, and terminate at Vladivo-
stock, on the Sea of Japan.
From this port operations have been
commenced in a northwesterly direc-
ton for some 200 miles, and the road
is actually running to Grapska. Thus
it will be seen that about 1000 miles,
or nearly one.sixth of the entire dis
tance, is virtually accomplished. But
innumerable and almost insurmount-
able difficulties surround the bridging of
the gap between these two extremities
Siberia is big country. 1t is twice
as large as the whole of the United
States. Nine tenths of it's territory has
never been explored. The route of the
railroad is near the fifty fifth parallel
that is, as far north as Southern
Alaska, and consequently the climate
is very cold. The difficulty of pro-
curing and transporting men and ma
terial is considerable. The iron will
come largely from the Ural Noun
tains, near the western terminus of the
road.
Rails are shipped from England
through the Arctic to the mouth of
the Yenisi, somewhat venturesome
undertaking, and from there they are
carried up the river by two steamboats,,
one drawing eight feet of water and
the other for service on the Augura,
which drains Lake Baikal, having a
draught of only three feet six inches.
These vessels are fitted out as for an
arctic expedition.
On the eastern portion of the line
the labor of convict exiles is being en-
ployed to considerable extent, and
25, 900 of these are said to be now at
work upon the railway. The Russian
engineers estimate that the coast of
the line will vary from 100000 to
$67, 900 a mile, according to the diff
culties to be overcome, but the entire
sum cannot be less than $500, 900, 900.
This enormous expense will be entirely
betrayed by the Imperial Treasury.
1t is not supposed that the road will
pay for great number of years, but
the Gar is fully aware of its strateget-
ical value. 1t will enable him to COM
mand the northern boundaries of his
political neighbors, with a very much
smaller military force than is required
to-day. When this railway is COM
pleted, and official surmises fix the year
1901 for its opening, journey about
5000 miles long can be made from
Paris to the Pacific at Vladivostok.
1t will probably require about three
weeks of continuous travel to make it..