Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-07


ST. PETERSBURG. July BIN the
whole of Siberia there are not many more
people than there are in Greater New
| York, and yet you might put all the
United States within its boundaries with
out touching the edge anywhere, and I'll
| up the gaps and odd corners with all tbs
| States OF Europe west of Russia. II is an
enormous territory-in fact, in which nc
one district can be taken as representing
the rest, so that the most contradictory
opinions concerning it appear I'm books
according to the localities visited by the
writer's.
DIVIDED INTO THREE ZONES.
In general way It can be divided into
three zones running right across. To the
north, the Tundra, stretching inland from
the Arctic Sea, swampy and treeless,
ranging $50 TO 400 miles in width. Then
the Taiga throwing its spurs northward
along the river valleys, as in its turn it
is broken into by the arabic lands TO the
south. This Is the Siberian forest. siberian
poplars," says Mr.. ]. Y. Simpson, with
ash-gray stem and quivering leaves;
spruces. with their regular isosceles TRAN
giles contour and dark shading; giant
larches towering above their fellows;
cedars whose peculiar branches are
crowded with knob-like punches Of green
needles; Scotch frs. with cinnaman-col-
ored upper trunks toning down 10 sombre
iron-gray; the Oriental pitch-pine, and TO-
wards the outskirts, birches, with pure
white gentle stems, or moisture-loving
alder-these form the body. while the pad
ding is largely left 10 the small, but
graceful. Siberian spruce, with smoother
bark and darker leaves than the ordinary
spruce fir. 1t is a place of gloom below
and silent conflict in mid-air." Through
1t and the third zone Of rich agricultural
land on which 1t borders, runs the new
railway that is TO open up the country to
colonization. as the Canadian Pacific is
doing for Western Canada.
A POOR INVESTMENT.
This wonderful railway. the longest
ever built by government. has nothing
10 pay for its land, nothing 10 pay for
parliamentary expenses, legal charges,
or compensation. and is not expected 10
yield a dividend for generation.
Inc BTcdl ptOJtCl loOh dDOul Lolly
years to think out. and was not OF native
origin. Soon after Muraviev carried Rus
STA 10 the Pacific seaboard by annexing
the mouths OF the Amur, an English en-
gineer offered to lay a tram road across
Siberia. In 1857 Collins. the American,
came forward with his scheme of the
Amur Railway Company from Irkutsk 70
Chita, which is TO form part Of the pres
ent line. Next year three Englishmen-
Messrs. Morrison, Horn, and Sleigh-pro-
posed TO build a railway from Moscow
through Mini Novgorod 10 Tartar bay.
But in their case, as in the others, no
thing was done beyond a polite acknow-
ledgment OF their suggestions, which
were accepted as stimulants 10 native
energy.
AS 1t had become obvious that, as was
only natural and polite, the railway
would be entirely a Russian enterprise,
foreigners ceased to apply. and plan after
plan was submitted by Russian projec-
tors, until sufficient information had been
obtained 10 warrant the appointment OF
special commission, on whose recon-
mendation the European lines were, in
1878. extended across the Trials 10 Eka-
terinburg, and four years later to
Tiumen. which was at first intended TO
the Pacific. Further surveys were then
made. and the outcome was the railway
now being built, which was estimated to
cost 350.000.Ooo rubles, and will almost GER
tainly cost more.
SKIRTS THE FRONTIER.
Throughout it's length it keeps well
10 the south, that for military reasons
IL may skirt the frontier. and for COM
al ft ~
richest country and cross the chief rivers
as near their sources as they are navi-
gable. The main line from st. Peters
burg runs through Moscow 20 Riazan,
and thence EDWARDS, crossing the VoIga
al Samara and the Bielaya at Ufa, 10
Mass, and down TO Cheliabinsk, where
the great Siberian begins. When the en-
terprise was under the final consideration.
the choice had TO be made between
three routes. but as all the three would
inevitably meet near Mini Udnsk, the
through Mass, and not
that through Tiumen-was determined on.
The new line thus crosses the Tobol
at Kurgan. the Ishin at Petropavlosk.
and the Irish at Omsk, where the bridge
is 700 yards long and the embankment
forty feet high. II then goes through
kainsk. north of Lake CHAM. to Kohl
van, where 1t crosses the Obi and turns
to Atchinsk. Beyond At
chinsk the country is mountainous, and
the road is one long succession of cut
iings. embellishments. and bridges over
ravines.
1T BEARS DIFFERENT NAMES.
The Great Siberian, for the purposes OF
organization bears different names in diff |
ferent portions OF its centre. From |
Cheliatinsk 10 the Obi it Is the Western |
Siberian; from the Obi TO Irkutsk II is the |
Middle Siberian: from lrkutsk TO Mysov- |
skaya. IL is the Baikal; from Mysovskaya |
10 Stretensk II is the Transbaikal: thence |
10 khahardovka il is the Amur. and then |
follow the North Ussuri TO Vladivostock. |
The Daikal is the central line: east OF IL |
the works were begun at Vladivostock. |
west OF II they began at Cheliabinsk, and |
westward and eastward to IL the lines are
being brought so that 1t will be the con-
acting link.
In 1891 and 1872 thu West Siberian and /