The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-26

What 1t Involves Indirectly Well
Directly.
Engineering


The Siberian Railway has justly been
called genuine Russian undertaking. mas
much as everything in connection with IL
is OF Immense not to say unPreeeoented d.
mere figures, although they are telling
enough. but the magnitude of the railway is
than one is at first inclined TO imagine.
Beginning with few figures. not less than
nineteen million working days have been
required for the earth work alone. The
length of the railway, apart from European
connections and the Manchurian Railway
from Tschieljabinsk (Which is 2.7eo kilo-
amounts TO 6.053.s3 Kilometres: the aggre-
gate length Of the bridges is ass kilo-
distance Of 999 kilometers. The rolling
stock necessary for the traffic at the out
set has an aggregate length of sos kilo-
meters and theNtelegraph wires have an ag-
gregate length of l1.000 kilometers.
The cost Of the railway was originally
calculated at comparatively low inquire.
but there was not taken into consideration
the innumerable undertakings which are
more or less inSeparable from the building
OF an6 the future satisfactory and adequate
working or this immense line and which
entail vast and additional expenditure.
And these subsequent expenses are. OF
mere connection of various localities by
means or additional railways with the trunk
line or with each other.
There are considerations OF industrial,
commercial, civilizing and scientific nature.
pure and simple connection by means OF
railway between the Paclnc ocean ana
European Russia would mainly serve mill
tary purposes. But Russia has other and
far wider plans with her new railway
plans which have grown with the railway
and which are still growing. There Is, In
the hrst instance. the colonization OF ST.
IBERIA, the laying down of boys. the cutting
down OF forests utilization of peat. sani-
tary measures for the protection OF the
settlers and their cattle, the building OF
schools. the supply of the requisite agri-
cultural machinery and implements, loca-
ton or settlers, the supply of building ma
terfal. the making of roads and bridges,
the establishment of mutual insurance. the
survey of the country and the establish
ment of the postal service
The building Of the Siberian Railway
naturally led TO the task of making numer-
Gus rivers navigable. so as TO facilitate the
transport of building material; to the for
nation Of an extensive mining industry for
erection of rolling mills for rails; to the
building OF workmens colonies and OF tech
meal railway schools and to the erection OF
cement and numerous other factories. 1t
became necessary to fully investigate the
possibilities OF navigating the Arctic ocean
/ to be surveyed and provided with marks
l Tor navigation, and IL became necessary
1 to increase the volunteer fleet with three
| large ocean-going steamers for the trans
port OF persons and goods. The desirability
| of connecting the Siberian Railway with
| Russian colonization IN Siberia has been
| going on very gradually for hundreds OF
1 years, but the new era commenced with
| the year 1850 when the Amur and the
| Ussun districts were ceded to Russia by
| China On May 30, 1891, the present Car
vladivostok as the representative Of his
l father.