Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-11
THE CARS RAILROAD.
1t Costs 5000. zoo, 900 and Traverses the
Wastes of Siberia

1
only one that has an emperor for a
president, is fast nearing completion.
| When it is running, which will be in
about three years, it will be easily pos
! sible to make the trip around the world
in thirty-five days. Probably after a
smoothly, four or five days will be
knocked off even this record. Then
you will be able to put a girdle around
the globe within the month.
Jules Verne doubtless thought that
he had cut to the lowest limit the time
necessary for trip around the world
when he sent Phineas Fogg on the
journey in eighty days. Nellie Bly,,
| The Worlds special courier, proved
that the trip could be made in seven
ty-two days. But soon one will be able
to go twice around the world and beat
! Phineas by ten days and Miss Bly, by
| forty-eight hours in their trips once
around.
The Trans-Siberian railways divides
wo prongs out towards the eastern
end of the line. One prong goes
straight on to the Russian Pacific
port of Vladivostok, the other strikes
down through Chinese Manchuria i'll
southeasterly direction to Peking-
a shorter cut to the sea by 331 miles
than the Vladiyostok line, and termi-
mating, moreover, in a port which is
open all the year round. Vladivostok
is tightly covered up with ice during
the winter. But the Vladivostok line
is much nearer completion and will
soon be open. By this coming fall
it is expected that trains will run to
the AmoOr River, then by fast steamer
passengers, mail and freight are to be
pushed on to Kharabovka; thence in
eighteen hours, over the Ussuri Sec
ton, to Vladivostok, making the dis
lance from London to the most i'm
portant harbor on the Japan sea in
seventeen and a half days.
1t is estimated that when the road is
repaired after the first few years of
| traffic and the contemplated branch to
! Picking is completed, train travelling
at the rate of the Pullman service
| between New York and Chicago will
be able to make the journey between
st. Petersburg and Peking in five
days.
1t is now possible by the Nord Tx
press to go from London to st. Peters
burg in two days and four hours. 1t
will, therefore, be possible to reach
Picking from London in seven or eight
days. But even with the low speed of
twenty-three miles ali hour, which is
pretty sure to be averaged while the
road is new and stiff, it will be pos
sible to reach Japan in sixteen days
and China in seventeen days. The
journey hy the shortest cut at present
that is across the Atlantic, across
America and across the Paciic-takes
from thirty to thirtyiye days, even
with the best of luck.
The total length of the Siberian road
proper is 4,741 miles, and OF this near
ly 5000 miles already have been built
and equipped with stations and water
tanks. Russia already has appropriated
| $751; 100000 for the work. and there is
next to a certainty that the $500. OOO.-
600 mark will be passed before the
work. is done. The original estimate
was $175,0 100000, and it has long been
evident that this was going to be far
from adequate. And yet SITS, 600, 600
is rot such bagatelle. If it were in
American silver dollars and the dol
lars were placed side by side and
| touching each other, the line wouln
stretch along the enriIe length of the
Siberian railway from start to finish
and still leave dollars enough to make
a silver streak ninety-tWo miles in
| length.
| The completion of this remarkable
line means nothing more nor less than
an entire revolution in the freight
! and passenger business between Eu-
rope and the far East. That it means
a revolution in great many other
things is equally evident, while the
momentous possibilities that it dimIy
fCreshadows for the near future are
| truly portentous. But it's effect upon
traffic is sufficient for present consid
Grafton.
To begin with, it is perfectly safe to
say that fully 80 per cent of the
| travellers who now go to Europe by
the overseas Twenty eight to thirty
| day route) will much prefer to make
the journey in ten or twelve days at
very much less cost. This sounds
very much like the death-knel to the
steamship passenger carrying trade
| between Europe and China and Japan
Millions of dollars that now go to
steamships, in other words, will then
| go to railroads. Doubtless certain
kinds Of freight will still continue to
take the water routes between the
orient and western Europe, but even
OF the through freight an enormous
quantity will go by the trans-Siberian
| route.
AS to the passenger traffic, take the
/ cost and time Of the journey from
London to Shanghai for example.
Under present conditions, by the most
| popular route, the time is two DAYS
from London to Brindisi and from
| Br1ndisi to Shanghai thirty-seven DAYS
-forty-nine days in all. 1t costs first
class s377.5O, or second class 1912. By
| way OF Marseilles it takes thirty-fiye
| days to Shanghai and costs s347 so for
first class and 1924 for second class.
By way Of America it takes from
thirty-four to thirty-nine days from
Liverpool to Shanghai and the voyage
I D-+-