Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-18
SIBERIAN RAILWAY.
1t VIII Shorten the Journey Round
the World by Twenty Days.

the World by Twenty Days.
From Engineering.
The works in connection with the great
Siberian railway are being pushed along
with much energy, and there can be little
doubt but that this extended line will be
completed earlier than was anticipated.
Before six, and perhaps even before five.
years have elapsed it will be possible to
complete in ten, twelve or fourteen days
railway journey over vast region winch
a few years ago was comparatively I'M
known, and the trip around the world Will
probably have been shortened by some
twenty days. From st. Petersburg the
journey via Moscow and Sonora to the
Ural mountains can be done in three days.
The distance from ST. Petersburg to the
Siberian frontier by rail is about LOO
miles. At Tschetjubinsk commences the
West Siberian railway, which has a length
of nearly 900 miles. This section OF the
line passes through a fiat fertile, some
what monotonous country, and crosses the
four rivers, Tobol, Ischjn, Irtzsch and OBJ.
The cost of this portion of the Siberian
railway has proved to be rather less than
was originally calculated, and the WORKS
have been So rapidly advanced that It was
possible in the early part of the present
year to open the Siberian section to the
town of Omsk, on the 1rtzsch. Before the
end of 1895 the railway will be completed
as far as the river OBJ, and there will then be
an unbrcken line stretching eastward from
Paris for distance about $50 miles great
er than the longest American transconti-
mental line. In nine days it will then be
possible to travel from the borders OF the
Atlantic into the heart of Asia
Construction becomes more difficult be-
tween the river OBJ and the City Of Irkutsk,
which is close to the Bafkal lake. The
works on this section have been pushed
e.. pr1 JINy 6Yrrfn hn
three years.
At Krosnojarsk a bridge Of $500 feet
length across the Jenisey is required. Al
though the transport of rails has been very
that the railway will be completed as far
as Krosnojarsk before the end of 1896
According to the original plan, 1t was ex-
pected that the line as far as 1rkutsk
would be opened for general traffic by the
year 1900, but 1t may now be confidently
predicted that this date will be consider
ably anticipated. The Observation-Disclosures
section will now be pushed forward with
considerably increased staff of workmen.
There will be about 200 railway stations
distributed over the line. Wherever 1t is
impossible for passengers to obtain private
accommodations hotels will be attached
to the stations. The rolling stock will COM
prise 1000 locomotives, 5000 passenger car
riages and $4,000 wagons. The passenger
traffic WILL with few exceptions, be con-
fined to third and fourth-class, and the
tarlH viii! be very low. Inc whole dis
lance from Tschelbajinsk, at the Asian
frontier. to Omsk costs at present about
OBS third-class, and half that on fourth
class. Between any two stations (Which
on the average are twenty-siX miles apart
the fares are respectively Is I'D and 3d.
According to this tariff, 1t will be possible
to travel from one end of Asia to the other
for about ELS. There will be restaurant
cars on some of the trains.
The average speed decreases eastward.
Whilst from London or Paris to st. Pc
tersburg the average speed is some % to %
miles an hour, 1t is barely % miles be-
tween st. Petersburg and the Ural noun
tains, and in Siberia only Is miles an
hour. The goods tariff will be fixed at a
very moderate basis and although the dis
tarce between Wladiwostok and Paris is
about $3.50 miles, 1t Is expected that valu-
able goods such as silk, tea, spices, etc,
from the east, westward, and dry goods
machinery, in the opposite direction, will
be profitably carried by the Siberian rail-