The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-05-19
Lhepemnrraf-S Star
A BAND AROUND THE WORLD.
LAST LINK IN THE EARTH's IR0N
FETTERs.
Chicago Chronicle

Chicago Chronicle.
: The Russian minister Of railroad
Is quoted In recent st. Petersburg de
spatches as saying that there is n,
longer doubt that the Transsiberia,
road Will be finished next year AM
That when it is completed IL will be
possible to make the trip aroundah,
world in thfrty-tluee days. In tbj,
same despatch Bremen is taken as III,
European starting point, for tie rea
o that 1t is reached by steamer from
New York; thence the route indicat
ed IA from Bremen to st. Petersburg
IN one and a half days, st. Petersburg
to Vladivostock, ten days; Vladivos.
tock 10 San Francisco by steamer. by
steamer, nine and one half days: San
FRANCISCO to Chicago, three and one
haif days; Chicago to New York, one
DAY; New York to Bremen, seven
days.
Should this longest railroad in the
world be completed next year it win
nave been nine years in course of con
struction. The preliminary plan of
Its construction was outlined by the
late Emperor Alexander III of Russia
IN his late rescript addressed in May,
1881, to the czarowitz. Surveys were
made for portions of this continuous
Iranssiberian road in 13S7-S8. De-
signed to begin at Chelabinsk. near
the boundary between European and
ASlatic Russia, it was to end in Vlad.
~iYostock on the Pacific. The total
length OF the railroad in Asiatic Rus
STA was designed to he 1907 miles. and
the total distance from St. Petersburg
to Vladlr0stock, or from the Baltic
sea to the Pacific, was estimated at
6,232 miles, This gigantic work has
been prosecuted with marvellous vigol
and steadinesS, and IA year ago was de-
clared to be nearing completion.
Changes have been necessitated in
the line by the recent events in
China-originaIly only one port on the
Pacific was thought of, Nladiyistock. |
and that was to be reached, first, by u,
a n%orthcrly and then by a southerly
bend entirely through Russian terri
tory. But owing to the interests OBJ
tanned by Russia in Manchuria il was
deemed inexpedient to follow the line
as it was originally surveyed, and ac-
cordlngly a new line direct from
lrkutsk southwest to Nladlvostok
was adopted. Still more recent
in China have caused another
change in the main line to be made
and in consequence not N~ladovOstock
but Port Arthur will be the terminus
On the Pacific. Nladivostock is not
be abandoned; it will have its rail
road aud be made in consequence a
commercial place of importance, but +
+ has the disadvantage Of being dur
ng ne-half the year under snow and
Port Arthur is open the year
'ound. But this latter port is in
china and before Russia decided TOT
its Transsiberian railroad
ilther, Russia must have come to a
satisfactory understanding with Chi
IA within the present year, then,
1t. Petersburg will be connected by
all not only with Vladlvostock, but :
With Port Arthur, and probably with
n The next year by branch roads with !
and Pckin. .
1t is estimated that after the road j.,
repaired after the first few years Of ,
rallic the journey from st. Peters :
urg to Pekin will be made in five :
avs. 1t is o possible by the North .
xprcss to 90 from London to St. Pc. 4
in two days and four hours. q
Will therefore be possible TO reach :.
ekin from London in seven or eight .
avs. But this in the future. While i
re road in new and stiff the speed at y
hich trains will run will not be j,
'eater than twenty miles an hour. 4
ut even so it will be possible to 20 /;
ON London to China and japan In q
xteen days. The shortest cut at y
'esent to those countries is across *
lie Atlantic, across the United States .
Canada and across the Pacific, and *
It'll the best of luck it takes from /;
irty to thirty-fve days to make it. {:
t first thought this promised short. \
ling Of the time would seem to bode -
but good to the transconti- /,
'nlal traffic Of the United States
ID Canada, which has been hereto
re afforded by England in her COM
cree with Asiatic countries. But
e intense rivalry existing between
lgland and Russia is to be taken in I
account. The Transsiberian road I
not be extensively p~atronized by
lgland-it Will be supported by Rus I
IN traffic and, in a degree by Ger. Z
IN. Time, it Is true, is a valuable {
'mcnt In commerce, hut it will be +
It sight 0f by the English while g
shing their own interests in opposi- I
ion those OF their most dangerous +
'al. England, at any rate, until the 9
caraguan canal is constructed, will I
to- support the Canadian (
citlcy Railroad by her shipments, 9
q ut the same time and from the :
source the trauscontjnental lines =