Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-24
RUSSIA'S BIG CANAL.
Waterway viii he One Thousand Miles in
Length.
UNITING THE BALTIC AND BLACK SEAS.
To be Completed In -Four Years-Wil Give
Russia Vast Military Adj
vantage.

New York, Dec. PA special to the
Herald from Washington says:
The Russian government will begin
next spring upon a stupenduous piece
of engineering work which, like the
trans Siberian railroad. will be Of great
strategic and commercial value to her
when completed.
The project contemplates the con-
struction of canal connecting the
Baltic and Black seas, which can be
traversed by battleships of the heaviest
tonnage at six knots per hour. BY
means of this canal Russia will be able
to mobilize huge fleet in the Baltic
in one hundred and sixty-seven hours
BY bringing to that sea the Black sea
squadron, or can collect in the Black
sea in the same time the Baltic and
Black sea fleets. In case of a general
European war over the division of
China at the time of the completion
of the canal, 1t would not be difficult
for Russia to send her fleet through
the Bosphorus. the sea of Marmora
and the Dardanelles into the Mediter-
ranean. down the Suez canal, across
could utilize the trans Siberian railroad
to transport troops. The canal will re-
move the necessity OF sending a fleet
across the North sea and down the At
lantic in order to reach the Mediter-
ranean, and through that sea reach the
Suez canal and China, and it was
pointed out that in case of war Great
Britain or Germany would take meas
ures to see that the Russian fleet did
not pass through their waters without
hard struggle.
1t is officially stated here that the
canal when complied will connect
the city of Riga. on the Baltic. and
Cherson, on the Black sea. Advantage
will be taken OF Dwina river at the
mouth of which Riga is located, and
of the Dnieper river, which flows into
theBlack sea and at the mouth of which
Cherson sits. 1t has been estimated by
the engineer that to connect the two
rivers, one 125 miles of excavation
must be made. The length of the canal
VIII be thousand miles. 1t will have
an average depth of 2S.4 feet.
The cost of the work will be s97 000,-
900 and Is must be completed by 1902
1t is frankly admitted by the Russian
authorities that the canal is being built
for military purposes just as the trans
siberian railroad Is being constructed
but they say that the waterway will
be of benefit commercially. The wheat
raised in the southern part of Russia
near the Black sea and the coal and
petroleum obtained from that section
can be transported more cheapiy 10
markets than by steamers.
Sixteen cities are situated along the
route of the proposed canal and they
Will be benefited by its construction.
Russia maintains formidable fleet
OF battleships and cruisers in the
Black sea-" said a well known naval
commander, such action being in
violation of the Berlin treaty. The
construction of the canal will mean
that this fleet can be re-enforced with
in seven days at the utmost by an
equally formidable fleet from the Baltic
and in case of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
Turkey, or necessity for a large force
of naval vessels In Asiatic waters. Rus
sia would be able to get her reinforce
ments to that section ahead of any
other European government, which
would be compelled TO use the At
lantic ocean and the Mediterranean.
So far as Turkey and China are con-
cerned, the completion of the Russian
canal will place the czar in position
which Will be envied by all the Eu-
ropean governments"