The herald., 1898-10-16

! between the 5oth and b5th parallels, nearly
corresponding in latitude with the position
! of the Canadian Pacific in America The
shortest direct and practicable line across
the eastern continent has thus been select
a. ed. 1t traverses broad. untitled steppes
not unlike the great pratr1es Of the Upper
= mississippi valley. extensive enough to
carve out q dozen states like Illinios or the
& DakotAs.
. Mines Of gold, silver and copper, worked
from prehistoric times, exist in the slopes
kand foothills Of the Ural. the Altai and the
= Yablonoi mountains. and vast deposits OF
I iron ana coal are In convenient juxtaposi-
ton. The 1nterlocked branches Of great
e rivers furnish an almost continuous water
way for 10000 miles Of steamboat naviga-
y ton. Dense forests clothe the mountain
sides in the lower attitudes. which will sup
(; ply timber for building and manufacturing
purposes for generations to come.
n A wonderful development Is now going
q on along the line of the Siberian railway.
{: From 10000 to 200, 900 people are migrating
; to that region annually; principally from
b European Russia, but also from other
& European countries. There Is a small
[ sprinkling Of English and Americans. and
( the latter aPs welcomed and treated with
7 special consideration.
The Trans-Sbertan railway proper be-
gins At Cheiiabnsk at the eastern base OF
the Ural mountains. Thence 1t proceeds
directly east across the vast sparcely set
tied Siberian steppes, bridging the brood
streams in Its course and completing the
f,-% L clr tina YnDi.
sci, q total distance Of 1877 miles.
"A large portion Of the level tract" says
Reclus, "!s a natural park, presenting an
endless variety Of landscapes. and yet the
only clements In the ecene are Its pines.
bdrches. grass, and preirie flowers Not
rock Is anywhere to be seen. and the sur
face is pleasantly diversified with groves
and clusters Of pines and birch, disposed
as II by the hand Of an artist in pictur-
esQue disorder
Cheliabtnsk II also tho southern terminus
of the railroads which accommodate the
Ural mining region. Omsk, tho capital Of
West Siberia, is a fourishins city Of about
60 600 Inhabitants. 1t has a military gym
nasium, q museum of natural history and
a branch Of the Russian Geographical So
ciety. When the illimitable steppes are
transformed into the wheatfieids OF the
future, Omsk will be their Chicago.
The second division of CIT miles winds
through the spurs Of the Altai mountains.
terminating at Irkutsk, the capital OF East
Siberia, about thirty miles west of Lake
Baikal. This important town. with popu-
lation of about $1,000, Is in many respects
the chief city Of Siberia. Several industrial
enterprises are located here. including the
manufacture OF porcelain from excellent
clays obtained in the vicinity.
While the railroad has been completed
to Irkutsk only O few months. energetic
work has been performed by an army Of
workmen on the next division extending
77O miles to Nertchinsk on the Shilka river,
an affluent of the Amur. The distance
mentioned includes a long dbetour around
the southern end of Lake Baikal, where,
owing to the rugged mountains abutting
upon the Lake. expensive cuts will have to
be made.
But this distance has been temporarily
much shortened by ferrydng across the
lake In summer. and using Its frozen eur
face in winter.
From Nertchensk the road, in order to
keep in Russian territory. makes a north
ern detour along the Amur and Ossuri val
Ieys to the Pacific terminus at vladivos-
took, $3.50 miles from st. Petersburg. To
avoid that eircuitous route q right Of way
has been secured across the Chinese prov
incs of Manchurta. whioh effects O saw
ing IN distance of about 500 miles.
At Vladivostock, picturesquely located
on a fine harbor called the Golden Horn"
pists and docks have been built and arsen-
ais established, and IL is already great
pawal station with q population Of about
10000. Its name signifies ''Rulcr OF the