The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-10-09

ability Of opening way Of communi-
cation through Siberia was recognized
and surveys were made with that end
IN view, it was not until March Of 1891
that the present route and plan of the
great Siberian railway was approved.
Two months later, on May II, the
work was formally inaugurated at
Vladlvostok under the personal super
vision of the then czarewitch, who is
the present czar,a Nicholas II. wheeled
away the first barrowful of earth and
laid the first stone Of the mighty work
The construction of the road was
placed in4the hands of a committee of
which the czar was and is still the
PRESIDENT and the rapid execution of
the colossal project is largely due to
his great interest and enthusiasm. 4
f. An army Of 10000 men, besides Off
GERS and engineers has been constantly
employed in good weather on the three
sections into which the work was di-.
V1ded, and they have built an average
OF two miles a day. Considering the
difficulties encountered and, in many
instances, the primitive methods en-
ployed, this is very rapid work.
Every sleeper has been sawed tedi-
ously by hand in old-fashioned saw pits
with one man above and another be-
low. In the construction of high en-
bankments the supporting piles have
been driven in by a most primitive
contrivance. !, This consists of a giant
wooden tripod over a pulley on top of
which runs a rope with a heavy fiat
bottomed stone attached. This stone
is raised and dropped, on the pile until
it is driven into the required distance.
AS this method has been used on each
pile an idea can be obtained of the
immense amount of time and labor
That has been expended on this fea-
ture of the work alone.
1t is a matter of serious interest to
the United States and the VIII ole world
that Russia is preparing to become
one of the great maritime powers of
the Pacific: Evidences have long been
multiplied of Russias definite purpose
to take a leading part in Pacific affairs.
Since the strong military and naval &C.
cupation of Vladivostok that policy
has been yearly growing; more mani
fest. 1t has been greatly emphasized
Dy the recent energetic progress of the
trans-Siberian railway. That road has
already become the highway of vast
current 0f R1ccio1,
the fertile regions of Central Siberia.
. OF greater Immediate Importance to
Russia's aims on the: Pacific will be the
provision, by means of the great rail-
way of. rapid transp for military
forces and supplies over an interior
route absolutely removed from hostile
interruption. Her great fortress, Via
dlvostok; and the other fortresses
which she will create on the Pacific,
will he placed within rapid connmuni-
cation. In time Russia will create in
the Armoor and other back country
near the Pacific all the sources of such
supply that she will need, not only of
provisions aud men, but of munitions
OF war. At the forts will be built the
needed warships and the Pacific arse
nails will manufacture the armor and
the guns. At present her communica-
ton with Vladivostok is remote and
tedious, as well as costly. The new
railway will remove this difficulty.
One of Russia's first and most i'm
portant steps towards: the proper es-
tablishment of her maritime power on
the Pacific is to secure better seaports
than she now has in Vladivostok. The
chief ports available to, her use for
that purpose are those Of the renin-
sula of Corea. With Russia's other
wise magnificent and unique oppor-
t11nity of becoming a irst-class COM
mercial power on the Pacific, it is not
to be expected that she should forego
any opportunity to take possession of