Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-11
10 ~ i'-I'T az l.It'-
Mr.. Gardiner G.. .Hubbard's Talk to
the Scientific Societies.
FACTS ABOUT TIE CZhR'S DOMINION
Interest in the Future Of the Great
Empire.
A VARIETY, OF RACE

The scientific societies of Washington
held their first joint meeting last night at
the National Rifles Hail. which was made
the occasion for the reading of an interest
ing paper by MIR. Gardiner c. Hubbard
Notwithstanding the warm evening
good-sized audience WAS present, although
more could have been seated. Mr. Goode
presided at the meeting. and in introducing
Mr.. Hubbard. spoke of the rapid growth of
scientific societies in this city within the
past twenty-five years He explained that
the idea of holding joint meetings of the
societies was of recent birth, and deemed
II eminently fitting that the first meeting
should be addressed by Mr.. Hubbard whom
he thereupon introduced. Mr.. Hubbard an
nouncei the subject of his paper to be
Russia in Europe" and his descriptions
the result of personal observation and
travel number of stereopticon views
were exhibited during the evening
MIR. Hubbnrd's Address.
Mr. Hubbard said that England, the
United States and Russia have each made
greater territorial acquisitions during the
present century than all the other coun-
tries of the world together. In the case of
the British empire these have been larger
and more important than those of either
the United States or Russia: indeed. so per
Iean powers. other than Russia, belongs
to England, these possessions being sixty
times larger than the mother country. The
United States and Russia have only an
neXed contiguous territory-save Alaska
the United States extending her western
border from the Mississippi to the Pacific
ocean.
Russia, when first enrolled among civil
lied nations, in the time of Peter the Great,
lad 40 outlet to any ocean, except the
Arctic, and consequently no possibility of a
navy or of commerce. Since then she has
extended her dominion northwest to the
Gulf of Bothina and the" Baltic sea, build
ing st. Petersburg on the marshes of Fin
land: south to the Black and Caspian seas,
southeast to Afghanistan and China. and
in the extreme east, on the Pacific coast, to
the mouth of the Amoor and Vladivostoc
Tine acquisitions of the Russian empire
within this century are greater in extent
and Importance than was the whole of Euro
pean Russia before that time; her frontier
has been advanced toward Stockholm $50
miles, toward Berlin 100 miles. toward Con-
Stantinople 500 miles, toward India 1900
miles. Her territory in Europe comprises
more than one-half of that continent, yet
with all these acquisitions she has only one
Fort. Sebastorol. open to navigation
throughout tbs year, the others being
closed by ice from three to six months.
Until within forty Or fifty years. southern
and southeastern Russia was infested with
hordes of Tartars. Kalmucks and Cossacks
who overran nearly one-third of Russia:
wandering tribes, without fixed habitation
tr permanent government
Russia, for the protection of her new
agriculturalists, was obliged to subdue
these unruly tribes. and extend her do
miEfon still further to the east, until the
Russian empire finally reached a barrier in
the Parnir and the mountains of Afghanls-
tan.
A Railroad to the Pacific.
Russia will soon have railroad and steam
communication from Petersburg to the
Pacific ocean. passing through rich prairies
and mineral lands in Siberia. There with
a coast OF several hundred miles, and
vast territory on the. Pacific, she has no
port for her navy open all the year-no
woEt-r she demands such a port from
Colea and the nations of the east. The rea-
sons which induced England to obtain con-
troll of the Suez canal, to hold Egypt and
to acquire coaling stations in the islands Of
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are the
same as those which lead Russia to seek
these new outlets, which will be a benefit
to the countries themselves, to Russia and
to tn. world. ..s.. o..
Mr.. Hubbard then proceeded to a descrip-
ton of the physical features of Russia, its
mountains. SteppeS and rivers. Speaking
of Russiass natural resources. he said:
AT the southern extremity of the eau
casus- on the Caspian sea, at Baku. there
stands an old temple. where for centuries
beacon has been kept burning by the
fire worshipers of India and Persia The
priests in the olden time declared the fire
was the gut OF the god of
fire. Modern science shows that the sup
ply came from oil wells. On one side of
the old temple of the fire worshpers are
now huge derricks pumping the oil, on the
other q great stone embankment stretch
ing for over mile along the sea coast
where several hundred steam and sailing
vessels and long trains. of railroad cars are
loaded with oil. Here is a population of
!1.Wo where twenty years ago We're less
than $40. The Parsee tending his fire
syn1bolizes the past: the Russian with his
oil wells his railroads and steam boats,
the future. The pc :rOleum is used for fuel
on the Caspian and Volga steamers; it is
cent up the folga and It's branches to all
parts of Russia, and is carried ny rail from
Baku to BatolIm on the Black sea and
thence by steamer to different parts of
Europe. 1t has now superseded American
oil In Russia and competed with it in
Vienna. until consolidation of the Ameri-
can and Russian interests was made"
4 Variety of Races.
Touching upon the subject of races, Mr.
Hubbard said:
although Russia is one OF the most Uni
form and compact Of countries. yet few
are occupied by greater variety OF races.
Southern and middle Russia was for many
centuries the great highway from. Asia TO