The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-14

submitted by Russian projectors until suf-
tcient information had been obtained to
warrant the appointment of a special COM
mission, on whose recommendation the Eu-
ropean lines were, in 1878, extended across
the Urals TO Ekalerinburg, and four years
later TO Tiumen, which was at first in
tended TO be the departure point of the
route to the Pacific Further surveys were
then made, and the outcome was the rail-
way now being built which was estimated
to cost 350000,000 rnbles, and Will almost
certainly cost more.
Throughout its length Ii keeps we'll to
the south, that for military reasons 1t may
skirt the frontier, and for commercial pur-
poses it may run through the richest
country and cross the chief rivers as near
their sources as they are navigable. The
main line from St. Petersburg runs
through Moscow to Riazan, and thence
EDWARDS crossing the Noiga at Samara
and the Belaya at Ufa, to Mass and down
to Cheiiabinsk, where the Great Siberian
begins. When the enterprise was under
final consideration, the choice had 10 be
made between three routes, but as ali the
three would inevitably meet near Mimi
Udinsk, the shortest-that through Mass,
and not that through Tiumen-was de-
termined on.
The new line thus crosses the Tobol at
Kurgan the Ishim at Petropavlosk and
the Irish at Omsk where The bridge is
7C0 yards long, and the embankment forty
feet high 1t then goes through Kainsk,
north of Lake CHAM, to Kolivan, where
it crosses the Obi and turns northeast
ward to Atchinsk. Beyond Atchinsk the
country is mountainous, and the road is
one long succession of cuttings, embank-
mentS and bridges over ravines.
The Great Siberian, for the purposes of
organization, bears different names in diff
ferent portions of its center. From
Cheliabinsk to the Obi it is the Western
Siberian, from the Obi TO Irkutsk it is the
Middle Siberian, from Irkutsk to Mysovos-
kaya it is the Daikal, from Mysovskaya
to Stretensk it is the Transibaikal, thence
TO Khabarovka Il is the Amur and then
follow the North Ussuri to Vladivostock.
The Daikal is the central line, east of it
the works were begun at Viadivostock
west of it they began al Cheiiabnsk, and
westward and eastward TO il the lines are
being brought so that it will be the con-
Meeting link.
In 1891 and 1892 the West Siberian and
South Ussuri were begun; in 1893 the Cen
tral Siberian was taken in hand; in 1899 The
work will be in full swing on the Trans
Kaikal and Amur and in 1900, if no other
route can be found. it is to be started on
the Baikal, which, though under two hun
bred miles long, is expected to take four
years TO finish. The West Siberian is open
throughout; the Middle Siberian is open
to Mini Udinsk, and will soon be running
trains into Irkutsk. The Amum line is
rather hanging fire, owing to the much
more promising route afforded by the
ITrans-Manchurian, but the Ussuri section
as already stated, has been in working or
der for some time, and short as it may
appear on the map it exceeds 40 miles in
length.
It's outfit, like that of the other eastern
sections, had to be brought by sea and
river; hence as the rails are laid the rate
of construction increases. On the west
where the plant was delivered by rail and
road, there Is also an increase in the rate
Of construction, but in a less degree; here
branch lines were made connecting with
the foundries. of the -Urals, so that the
steel and iron required could be easily got
on to the new road, and in many i'll
stances where material had to be brought
up by steamer, wharves We're built by the
rivers, and branch lines run to them
In 1895 there We're 81, 600 men employed
on the line. of whom nearly $1,000 were
navvieg, but more were really at WORK
for it. For instance. the minister of agri-
culture has to supply and deliver free tie
timber that may be required, and the
amount of this is considerable; for
strange as 1t may seem, all the sleepecs
have been sawn out by hand, thus max
! ing much waste. the log being rested on
two props, with one man standing on it