The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-19
Russia's Great TranscODtin-
entail Line Being Con-
Structed Rapidly
WILL OPEN MILLIONS or ACRES
To Russia What the Pacific Roads
Are to the United States -Coun-
try Filling Up.

A recent article describes the progress
that Is being made in the building OF
Russi3s great transcontinental railroad,
connecting the Gulf Of Finland with the
Pacific Coast and opening up to both
the vast interior of Siberia, which con-
tains a million square miles more than
the entire area of the United States
from Maine to California. The line Is
nearly 5000 miles in length. The eastern
terminus Is at V.hdivostcck, nearly op-
posite the middle of Japan, Just north
Of Corea, and but few miles north of
the latitude of Chicago From that point
the road dips northward around Manchu-
ria, then stretches westward to Irkutsk,
at the south end of Lake Balkal, thence
northwesterly to Obi, on the river of the
same name, and from that point to
Chebliabinslk, where 1t connects with the
grand system of Russian railroads al
ready existing including a line to Mos
COW and thence to st. Petersburg. The
distance from Vladlvostock to Chegl.a-
hinslS is about double that between Chi
cago and San Francisco. Adding the
1000 miles from Chedliabinsk to Moscow
and the 500 from there to st. Petersburg,
we have a total of not far from 100
miles of line across European and Ash
attic Russia. The total cost of the 5000
miles belonging to the Siberian line is
about 175 million dollars.
The line Is being CONSTRUCTED rapidly,
the builders working from each end and
both ways from Irkutsh. Meanwhile the
country is filling up owing to the offering
OF sufficient inducements to immigrants
from European Russia, and already there
Is large interior trade. part of which
Is in American machines and other use
ful articles. No doubt this new business
feature for us will be vastly extended
In the near future, as our merchants
and manufacturers grasp the possibilities
of the situation more fully, as the land
Is more densely settled than now, and the
building of numerous branch lines con-
meets other areas with those through
which win run the great artery of com
merce across the continent
When that great road Is completed IL
Will be to Russia what the construction
OF the Pacific railroad from Omaha to
the Pacific has been to the United States
in developing the resources of vast tracts
of country previously unused. II is known
there are many millions Of acres of rich
land admirably adapted to the culture of
grain and other products of the soil, ana
the surveys for the line indicate the ex-
istence Of enormous stores OF mineral
Wed4tn, lncIuulnB precious metals and
fuel. The construction OF the line win
will also add tremendously to the
strength OF Russia in Its relations to
other countries. 1t will give her a
dominating military power over China
and Corea, and perhaps over Japan also.
1t will enable her to obtain a more south
erly seaport and winter harbor down on
the Chinese or Corean coast. Russia
Will be able to transport and supply a
quarter of million of troops on the Pacl-
fic Coast. She can maintain there a big
| fleet of warships, and there VIII be moth
| ing strong enough In those far-off lands
| and seas to prevent her from seizing all
the territory north of the great wall of
China and dominating the Celestials.
Siberia win fill up very fast with Slavic
| colonists along the lines Of the great
railroad and its connections, and the
progress of development may be expected
to compare In rapidlty with that west
or our Missouri river after 1866. Siberia
then will be abe to furnish plenty OF
food for any army that Russia may de-
sire to maintain on the Pacific coast,
and she has millions of men who could
be sent there as disciplined, courageous
soldiers, force which the Japanese
would be foolhardy In attempting to op-
pose. Russia has a great and dominat-
Ing future on the Pacific coast and sea
north of the great wall OF China, and
perhaps south of 1t.