The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-24

Monday there arrived at the Rainier
Grand fine-sooking middle-aged gentle
man with a military bearing who regis
tered himself as ~ p. Demons, Los An
geles." Whether Demons Is really the dis
tinguished strangers name IL would be a
hard matter to say. but that his home is in
Les Angeles Is not borne out by his con-
yersatfon. although ne Is a cosmopolitan
and speaks with but a small suggestion Of
foreign accent. Mr.. Demens claims to be
Russian. and says that he is an officer
In the Russian army. What his rank is he
positively refused 10 state. and when asked
yesterday IL the rumor were true that he
has been detailed by the imperial Russian
government 10 visit the United States and
investigate possible steamship and railway
connections for the Trans Siberian railway,
he replied that ne is travelling unotiicially.
although he admitted that he is looking
into the commerce and railway situation on
the Pacific coast.
You do Things here much differently
from the way we do in Russia said he.
There we do not say what We are going
to do. but we make our plans privately and
go ahead. After we have accomplished
something We are ready 10 talk about it.
Here you tell what you are going to do,
and then perhaps you do it and perhaps
you do not.
NO. this is no; my first visit 10 America.
| have been here several times and have
seen the large cities of the East
as my visit in the interest of any COM
mercial scheme?'' he asked repeating a
question. Il cannot say: l am travelling
quietly and gathering information as go
along that may he of value TO me. I had
intended going east as far as ST. Paul over
the Great Northern, but am compelled to
change my plans. My idea in taking the
former route was 10 see 1t: l have been
over the Northern Pacific and the Cana
dian Pacifc before. ! shall look up the
business OF each road and the steamship
connections Of both when get 30 ST. Paul
have letters TO Mr.. Hill. the president OF
the Great Northern.
Mr. Demens during his brief stay In the
city. examined the bay and the wafer
front and collected much information con-
corning the city. He visited the chamber
Of commerce, where he obtained some sta
tistical matter which he said was for his
private information. His visit at this time.
however il more or less significant as III Is
known that the Great Northern has been
compiling information on the subject OF
| the Trans-Siberian railroad, the Pacific
terminus of which, at Niadivostok, Is
| leached by It's connecting line, the Nippon
| Yusen kaisha.
Mr. pemens appeared to know much
| about Seattle and spoke of the city $
| growth since the great frs OF lsss. and OF
| It's commercial Importance abroad. In
| talking of the Indictment weather and the
| effect Of the rains and high water on rail-
| way operations. he remarked that the Rus
| sian roads are much pctter built; that
| their construction is more substantial. and
| they are not subject to annoyances from
/ the changing of weather vane or a ba-
| rometer. There was murn concerning the
| great engineering feat ot building the road
| that will lead across Russia to the Pacific
ocean that Mr. Demons spoke of interest
| ingly. hut at all times unofficiai1y.
4 GREAT Project.
| 1t was after many projects had been
| discussed for building the road. the earliest
| Of which was held In 1858. that II was de-
| cidcd I'm iSao to proc sed with IL, employing
| only Russian capital and Russian engin-
| GERS. said he.
A change in the imperial ministry which
| placed Serge White. former director of the
| department OF railroads, az the head OF the
ministry 81 NHaUse. ftNtfEfu the ipl
| policy. Serge White decis-S that the ST.
| beriaa railroad should be built with Rus
sian capital by Russian engineers. and
! that work should begin as soon as possible
| Accordingly, on Febrr airy 81. 1891 this plan
| was presented 10 the emperor for approval,
| on March H. OF the same year. the ques-
ton was decide : in the affirmative. and on
| May T. 1891 while Nicholas IL was still
| czaroVitch. he turned the first spadefuI Of
| earth al the suauguration Of the construe-
ton In Vladiyosiok
The plan sCtfisti upon was tha. CT an all
| raf route and the lire chosen begins nj
S,a1ausk and proceeds easteriy through
| TchvliahiuSk Between the last-uamed
pIace and Niadlvostok the work Is di
vided into three parts, and these again
into sections. of which there are seven in
! all. viz The Western Siberian from
| rcheljablnSk - Atchlask I.279 miles: the
middle siberian. fgom Atcnin9k 20 Irkutsk
/ near the west shore Of Lake Balkal ~
miles; the BaiEal circuF from Irkutsk q
| MisofSkta. near Lake Baikai Iai miles
/ from MSsofskia 10 StratenSk ea miles
! the Anaor section. from Stratonsk e
| khRhar0Vka. 1.E5e miles. the North Jrssuri
| from khaharuvka - 1itafstnya 2i5 nile
| and the South UsSuEi. from t;TafSkaYa q
| NladiFoStok. a distance of - miles max
| ing total az AIS miles. noc including III
| principal hrarches from the main Iine
/ Fey nearly the whole of the Western ~
| heYjsn >@ctton-thSf Is from the Russian
| frontier eastward 20 Tom<k. about las
| miles the road follows q ccTpaYativei,
| s,Faisht hue acvoss "A vast plain. 3 grea
! deaf ~ which s. marsh ana swamp lani
| -