The evening times., 1899-09-04
Feverish Activity in Her Industrial
Advancement.
The Empire Assisted by American
EnterprIse English View of the
Unrest I'm India - The Prince of
wales and His Hats-London's Ex-
elusive Clubs-Gossip of the Capital

activity in the great undeyeloped East has
opened TO other countries, it is not because
Great Britain is unaware of the new course
which clearsighted ministers are encour-
aged by the young Czar to pursue. The
Times correspondent at st. Petersburg
writes of this great development in Russia:
Not only is the Russian railway syE-
tenn extended, completed, and developed
with feverish activity at the cost of great
financial sacrifices, but the authorities are
bent upon having the best of everything.
A similar tendency is also shown in a great
deal of the industrial plant which is being
erected in Russia at the present time. In
fact, Russia has begun the development
OF her industrial resources much later than
other nations, but is now pursuing the pol
icy Of starting at least even with older
nationalities by putting up factories equip
ped with the most modern tools and adopt
ing the most perfected methods of manu-
facture. This no doubt, is the wisest
course to pursue, and will yield in the near
future results at which the industrial world
at large will be somewhat-astonished In
this development Russia is being greatly
assisted by American enterprise, and al
ready very large sums are invested in these
various undertakings.
Il ne railways M0lcn are DeiuS Dulll III
almost every corner of this vast Empire
will no doubt contribute powerfully to the
rapid commercial development of the coun-
try, all the more because in many of the
provinces roads and means of communica-
tion are of primitive nature. The enor-
nous distances which separate the various
commercial centres make rapid transit very
desirable, if not imperative, and the au-
thorities have for number OF years given
much attention 10 improvements in the
freight service. Commissions have been
sent out to various countries to study the
methods Of more experienced nations. The
methods followed in the United States were
followed with special attention, more par
ticularly in regard TO the use of contin-
uous air brakes on goods trains. To the
outsider IL has always appeared Illogical
that in Europe passenger trains should be
invariably so equipped while freight
trains, with their enormous weight and
momentum, are unprovided with proper
brake appliances to stop them quickly in
case of need The introduction of contin-
nous brakes on passenger trains has, no
doubt, been beneficial and reduced vthe
number of accidents. but anyone who stud
ies the question will notice that almost
every week there are serious accidents due
to freight trains being unable to stop in
time, or TO parts breaking away on in
clines. The Russian Government, which
has, for number OF years, used air brakes
on its passenger trains has decided to pro-
vide its freight and military trains with
the same appliance. th"e enabling them
to increase in speed and safety simultan-
eously.
"A few months ago mention was made in
these columns that beginning had been
made in that direction by giving the West
inghouse Brake Company a contract for
several million roubles for freight brakes
he ma haS haa
important step further. The official jour-
nal of the Ministry of Ways and Communi-
cations now contains ministerial order
to all Russian railway companies (private
railways as well as the State railways to
equip their freight rolling stock which runs
In direct traffic. with the Westinghouse
quick acting brake in four years from jan
uary, 1899. Russia will thus be first coun-
try in Europe which will use continuous
air brakes for its freight and military
trains. The Russian Westinghouse Com
pany, which works under the general man.
- agement of Mr.. A. Kapteyn, of London, has
erected fine factory in st. Petersburg
equipped with all the best tools and ap-
plIances. A large foundry is now being
added to this factory in order to ensure
the quality of the castings and malleable
iron fittings.
1.-The Westinghouse brake, which has
been adopted in so many countries and
which is well-nigh universal on the Euro
pean, American, and Australian continents,
seems to be so far the only system which
is practicable on long freight trains. And.
although the expense of installing il is
considerable, still. important advantages
are secured by its use, in the way Of in
creased speed and security, while it realizes
O notable economy in the cost of mainte-
nance of rolling stock, and last, but not
least, in the reduction of the number of
brakemen on the train. Commercially,
therefore, as American experience has long
since shown, the expense of equipping
freight trains with air brakes should Tot
stand in the way OF this valuable improve
ment in railway practice. Most elaborate
technical instructions have been published
fn the official messenger of the Ministry
of Ways of Communication, according to
which it is calculated that 1900 engines
and 300 600 freight cars are to be fitted
with the new brake; 20 per cent of the
latter are TO be equipped with complete
Westinghouse apparatus and the rest with
connecting pipes"
The Minister who is chiefly answerable
for this wholesale adoption of modern
equipment is Prince Khilkof. the Minister
Of Ways and Communications.
Unrest I'm India.
A good deal of discussion is going on in
the Indian newspapers on the unrest which
Is said to be prevailing in India. A ma
tive gentleman who writes a long letter
10 the "Ailahabad Pioneer makes some
interesting and suggestive points. He ad-
mits 10 begin with, that there is one kind
of unrest entirely due to English educa-
tion; but this he declares to be a sign
that this education is simply serving the
purpose for which IL was intended. He
says:
Its absence would have foreboded dan
ger and death 10 the people of India. Its
presence lis a sign that they are awaken
ing out of the apathy and torpor of GEN.
turies. Nor is ii possible now TO put stop
20 this feeling of unrest. The clock OF
progress has been set going and no mortal
may stay It, Nor am / willing to believe
that England would be so ungenerous as to
attempt it. The present-day political and
religious movements are the indications O.
this great unrest, the harbnger of this ma
tional awakening. These movements are
not the originators of this spirit of un-
rest; they may help 1t or mar il too. Eng
lish education is the cause. is there q
friend of India who does not want more oi
This unrest? ] am sure / desire II;
wish that il would conyulse the entire pop
uiation."
The other kind of unrest he describes as
being of an undesirable sort, for which
both natives and Englishmen are RESPONSE
BILE This unrest" he says, "is not sedi-
tion. IL is only an uneasiness that all is
not as IL ought to be. a feeling due to g
consciousness that the personal relations
between rulers and ruled are getting
strained day by day. This is not unac-
eouptable. The faith of the Indian ueople