The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-22
RAILROAD AROUND THE EARTH.
Proposed Overland Route to Europe
Via Bering Strait.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.

From the Chicago Times-Herald.
William Gilpin's dream of the abandon
ment of the Atlantic ocean for purposes
Of commerce, is fast coming out of the
mlsts of the visionary into the realm of
the possible.
William Gilpin was an ante-bellum gov
ernor of Colorado. Many years of his life
he devoted to the perfection of a plan for
the construction of a railroad which
should extend from the Atlantic ocean off
the west coast of Europe to the Atlantic
ocean off the east coast of the United
States by way of Bering Strait, thereby
making it possible to abandon the "big
pond" as a necessary highway of the
worlds commerce.
The line his Imagination wrought and
which he described with great detail in
his book, THE International Railroad" is
fast becoming a reality, and, strange as 1t
may seem, it is following almost the exact
route mapped out by the ante-war gov
ernor of Colorado years before even the
United States was crossed by a line of
steel. Russias great Transsiberian rail-
road is more than half completed. AL
ready financiers in Europe and America
are considering plans for the construction
of a line from Vancouver to and across
Boring Strait to connect with the Trans
siberian road, with every prospect of ap-
proval. When these works are compile
ted, and perhaps both may be in 1905, New
York and Liverpool will be joined by tie
of shining steel and Gov. Gilpin's dream,
visionary and impossible of realization as
il must have seemed thirty years ago, will
have become a fact.
Behind this vision which carries a Chi
cago man to Liverpool over a route that
includes only about three miles of open
water is a foundation of fact that cannot
be ignored. 1t is reported in London that
application has been made to the British
parliament by certain parties believed to
be in the interest of three connecting
trunk lines forming a tranScontinental
route from New York city via Chicago,
Milwaukee, st. Paul. Helena and Port
land TO Vancouver for concession or
privilege to construct a line of railroad
from the northwestern boundary of the
United States through the British possess
sions bordering the Pacific ocean to the
southern boundary of Alaska. Simultane-
ously with the securing of British con-
sent to this scheme, 1t is reported. bonds
will be put upon the market for the con-
struction of the international lines
through Alaska to Boring sea, where by
joint arrangement with the Russian gov
eminent, by the use of bridges and a ferry
line, connection will be made with the
Siberian railroad through Russian terri
tory. How much truth there may be in
the report may be judged from the fact
that one of the railroads mentioned as an
interested party is already preparing
maps and advertising matter for distri-
button, advertising the new all-around-
the-world route. 1t is one of the lines
which will be obliged to help produce
funds for floating the gigantic scheme.
and it apparently has faith enough in the
outcome to prepare for il at least eight
years in advance of its Inauguration as a
completed fact.
Work remaining as a necessity for the
Inauguration Of this fact is not. however,
so gigantic and improbable as may at
first seem. Liverpool and Paris. Paris
and St Petersburg. ST. Petersburg and
Krasnoyarsk, 5000 miles east of the Rus
sian capital, already are tied by lines of
continuous steel except for the small gan
between England and France. New York
and San Francisco San Francisco and
Vancouver (via Portland Ore), the pro-
posed southern terminus of the British
American line, are already connected
Russia's railroad in 1900 will be completed
to Naldivostok. Sixty thousand people.
not including experts and officials. are
laboring on IL daily. Not to exceed 500
miles from Boring strait on the Siberian
railroad will be kottomangoo city prob
ably $40 miles east Of Valdvostok From
Boring Strait 10 Vancouver Is about 300
miles. Thirty-five hundred miles OF rail-
road construction now already an assur-
cd fact Of the future win nj IN the gap
Of Gov. Gilpn's international" railroad.
To the student Of geography the cross
ing OF Bering Strait present no great diff
hculues. To railroad engineers 1t Is not
serious problem. This strait n filled
with Islands so close together that no
difficulty will be encountered IN connect
Ing them with bridges which VIII not be
expensive OF construction.
Three miles OF open water will then d.
vide Russia and Alaska. A threc-mile
car ferry line to-day. when boats carry
ing loaded cars are sent from South Chi
cago TO pcshtlgo from Ludlnpton and
Benton Harbor Mich. 20 Manltowoe
WIS, presents no difficulties.
Already students OF railroad problems
nave given TO the subject sufficient con-
sideratiou 10 realize that the Inauguration
OF the year 1906 will make possible OF
realization julie Nerne's dream OF Around
the World IN Eighty Days" with IA dis-
count Of over ~ per cent Leaving out the
proposed British-American road they have
figured that a trip around the world may
then Boz made 90 thirty days. A. present
me shortest route in point or time. g. as
iohoN Days.
New York 20 SOUTHAMPTON ............G
southampton 10 ErndiI ................ 80.
hundisl to Yokohama. via suez Canal
hiN lNNlt .t.....sts. 10000. i........ ~
fpkohoma fo San Franc.sro ..........Io
San frlnciHro to New York ............ a..
After tla complexion VI the Siberian