The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-03

| Siberia to Russia, Germany, France sud
| Spain-These systems are Slowly EsiDg
Cuiit and There May be thu New York
and BerIiu Railroad Some Day.
Chicago, Aug. 2.-William Gilpin' 2
dream Of the abandonment of the Allan
| tic ocean for the purposes Of commerce
| is fast coming out Of the mists Of the
visionary into the realm Of the possible.
William Gilpin was an ante-5e.lum
governor of Colorado. Many years OF
his life he devoted to the perfection OF
plan for the construction Of 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 Boring Strait,
thereby making it possible TO abandon
the big pond az a necessary highway
Of the worlds commerce.
The line mis- imagination wrought and
which he described in great 6etain in MS
book, The international Railroad, is
fast becoming a reality, and, strange as
il may seem, it follows 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 Russia's great Trans-Slberian
railroad is more than half completed.
Already financiers in Europe and Amer
lea are considering plans for the con-
struction Of a line from Vancouver TO
ard across Boring Strait 10 connect with
the TranS-Siberian road, with every pros
pect of approval. When these works
are completed, and perhaps bot1 may be
in 1905, New York and Liverpool will be
joined by tie Of shining steel and Gov
ernor Gilpin's dream, visionary and I'M
possible Of realiZa ton as it mus have
seemed thirty years ago, will have be-
come a fact.
Beyond this vision which carries
Chicago TO Liverpool, over route that
includes only about three milts of open
water is a foundation of fact that cannot
be ignored II is reported in London
that application has ben made to the
British parliament by certain parties be-
lieved to be the interest Of three con-
Meeting trunk lines forming a transcon-
tinental route from New York City via
Chicago, Milwaukee. ST. Paul, Helena
and Portland 10 Vancouver for conces-
sion. or privilege, TO construct line Of
railroad from the northwestern boundary
of the United States through the British
possessions bordering the Pacific ocean to
the southern boundary Of Alaska. Sim
ultaneously with the securing Of British
consent to this scheme, it is reported.
bonds wiz be put upon the market for
the construction Of the International line
through Alaska 10 Boring sea. where. by
joint arrangement with the Russian gov
eminent by the use OF bridges and a
ferry line, connection will De made with
the Siberian railroad through Russian
Russian territory. How muca truth there
may be in the report may be judged
from the fact that one Of the railroads
mentioned as an interested party in al
ready preparing maps and advertising
matter for distribution advertising the
new al-around- world route. 1t is
one of the lines which will be obliged -
help produce funds for floating the gigan-
tic scheme, and it apparently mas faitn
enough in the outcome 10 prepare for IL
at east eight years in advance of lis
inauguration as completed fact.
Work remaining as necessity for the
Inauguration of this fact is not. however,
so gigantic and improbable as may a;
first seem. Liverpool and Paris, Paris
and s.. Petersburg, st. Petersburg and
K-asnoyarsk, 5000 miles east Of the Rus
s:sr capital already are tied by lines Of
continuous steel except for the small gap
between England and France. New
York and San Francisco. San Francisco
and Vancouver (via Portland. Ore.) the
proposed southern terminus Of the Brit
tsh-American line. are already connected.
Russas railroad in 1900 will be COM
pletsd to Vladivostok. Sixty thousand
peop.e, not including experts and OFF,
Gals, are laboring on it daily. Not to
exceed 1900 miles from Boring Strait on
the Siberian railroad will be kottoman-
geo. a city probably 500 miles east OF
Vladivostok. From Boring Straf: TO
Vancouver is about 1000 miles. Thirty
five hundred miles Of railroad construc-
ton now already an assured fact Of the
future will fill the gap Of Governor Gil
pins international railroad.
To the student of geography the cross
ing OF Boring Strait presents no grea-
difficulties. To railroad engineers il is
not a serious problem. The strait is
filed with islande 50 close together thai
no difficulty will be encountered in con-
Meeting them with bridges which viii
not be expensive OF construction Three
miles Of open water Will then divide Rus
sa and Alaska. A three-mile car ferry
line today. when boats Carrying loaded
cars are sent from South Chicago TO
Peshitigo. from Ludington and Benton
Harbor. Mich. TO Manitowoc, Wis. pre-
sants no difficulties.
Already students OF railroad problems
have given - the subject sufficient con- !
sijeration 10 realize that the Inaugural
ton OF the year 1905 will make possible /
Of realization Jules Verne's dream OF
Around The World in Eighty Days" with I.
a discount OF over 80 per cent. Leaving I
ont the proposed BTitish-American road 4
they have figured that trip around the 1
world may De made in thirty days. At I
present the shortest route. in point OF 1
time is as follows:
Days.
New York 20 Sou,hampton......-.
Southampton To B-indisi .....-...-... 3js 4
Rrindisi 20 Yokohama. via Suez Ca
nal and India .--.--. -.---..-.-.....E
Yokohama and San Francisco.
San Francisco 10 New York Al
-
Total ......'.-..-...'.''. '..-.....--s
After the completion Of the Si5erian
road the Journey can De made in TIE fol-
lowing manner;
Day.
New York 20 Bremen ..-.............f