The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-01

The Russian minister OF railroads 10
quoted IN recent dispatches from ST. Pet
ershnrK al saying that there Is no longer
any doubt that the Great Siberian rail-
road viii be- finished next year. and. as
has been tod in the Pest fntesisgencer.
IL viii then be possible 10 make .
trip around the world ia thirty-rhree days
II this longest railroad In the world
should be completed next year 1t viii have
taken nine years TO construct t. The
preliminary plan of its construction was
outlined by AlexaEa~r Ill. az Russ in his
message addressed 10 the czarowitx IN
ISL. Surveys for portions OF the line were
made in lsss and Isss
Designed TO be commenced al Cheia-
bsnsk. The work was divided into three
parts. The hrsf consisted of the West
ern Siberian section. frcm Chesabinsk to
the Obi river. 81 miles. and Of the middle
Siberian section, from the Obi to frkussk.
i.iss miles. together with the completion
OF the yiadivostok- ;rafskaya section. and
the building Of q line TO connect the 81
berian system with the Crai mines The
second included the SECTIONS from firags-
kaya to khabaruvka. 80 miles. and from
the station Aysosskaya, the commence
ment OF the line on the other side OF Bal
kal. To Sretensk 5gS niles. The third In
ciuded the building of the Circumaaikal
lire. ~ miles and the road from SEetensk
to Khabarovka. las miles. So. the total
length of the railroad in As.atic Russia
was intended to be 4a0e miles and the
total distance from -. Petersburg TO
vladivostok, or from the Baltic sea to the
Pacific, was estimated at s.:52 miles.
IL Is estimated that when the road is
rehablitated. after several years OF use.
the journey will be made from ST. Peters
burg TO Pekin in five days. This will
make marvellous transformation In che
M H..
er parts of Europe. 1t - now possible to
so from f.ondon to St. Petersburg Ia two
days and four hours, and with the COM
pletion and improvement Of this transasi-
attic line IL will be possible to reach Pekin
from that mart In seven or eight days.
The shortest cut from London to China
and japan Is across the Atlantic, over
the United States or Canada. and thence
across the Pacific. taking from thirty to
thirty-ffve days. But owing to the intense
rivalry existing between England and
Russia. the transsiberian line will not be
extensively patronized by the former
country. but viii be supported by Russia
and partly by Germany. So, England Will
probably continue to patronixe the long
route. using the Canadian Pacific across
this continent. and therefore indirectly
giving some OF the American roads the
benefit Of extra freight and indirectly
the benefit of the development of rail-
road that skirts the northern border OF
the United States This condition will
probably continue at least until the Mic
aragua canal Is completed.
Pacinc's Bright Future.
TT In for other reasons not TO be feared
that the course OF commerce will be
changed turned back on Itself. and made
to move toward the East" says the Chi
cage Chronicle I'm this connection. "Our
interest In empire is. or was until the
other day, limited 10 these United States
How far that interest may extend and
how permanently nobody just now can
ray. But ii Is absolutely certain that the
part the United States In 10 have In the
trade and commerce OF the bsyond--os all
the As!atic countres--is to be immense
and soon to be realized. The completion
at the transsiberian railroad Is an event
OF the greatest significance to this coun-
try. II means. first that Siberia a coun-
TRY As large az all North America and
about diversified, as respects climate
and soil and general fertility. as large por-
lions CT North America. Will be filed up
with industrious people. and before the
Z twentieth century Is half out all Asia
! will be teeming with new life and sharing
modern prosperity.
Secondly. II means that the United
States will then change products on a
large scale with Siberia China and every
Then the Pacific ocean will be white with
steam and sail. as the Atlantic now is.
and cur Pacific states Will be populated
perhaps not less densely that Japan The
civilization on the Pacific coast will be the
best on this continent. and III. spendor
OF its trading and commercial achieve
ments will eclipse anything that has been
known In the past on tho eastern side OF
this continent. oniy-~the United States
hesitates to face about and face the Pa
csfie and the Orient. Some day soon ii
viii do thls-it is the command OF des-
siny.''
Such sections Of the Siberian railroad
as are In service are reported TO be earn
Ing operating expenses. The western sec
sion earned expenses the first year os IT,
operation. 1884. II carried ls2sl5 passen-
gers and took fss 5&+ settlers into the
eogntry, in addition 10 3sa9 workmen and
Ass eoayiefs. IN tSs the connecting sec
ZION took into the country g $40 passengers
and iis. oes settlers In the same year the
third secsien carried 3 TsS passengers and
ana settlers +. il stated that with the
improvements and Developments tha.
have been made along the Hines s3nce then
she passenger traffic has largely lneraas~
81. THE total receipts last year from
passengers and freight carrying amounted
10 I.as fsa. Tickets from Warsaw %
vIaasvostok cesg ahgnt So ana from
t~aaGst1 10 td@2bts1oA wa ErSs-c43Ss.
BuiIt for Commerce.
correspondent cf the f0nston Times
ssla. Il cannot share IN tbs general epgn-
.an that the sranssiserian railway wxs
designed chiefly for ssraseg!eal purposes
/; ~ quite :~2le that shs completion ~ this
egtsnsatai highway Will enable Rus
Ella at vary short notice 70 III up tire
weak gaps afong her spsrsely s.tslsg:
Chinese flank and ~ the Sanse tirre "a
sren up sn avenue TOR the ready trans
yaxtats0a ~ troaps tn tha Pacific aiftaras
thereby greatly s&ggus.ssus her influence
Ia Eastern waters. Nevertheless tne
commercial development - Siberia which
With every announcement from tbs COS.
eminent IL foFicwsns rapidly III the wake
~ tass opening enterprise. seems f0 RE
- have hsrr tae paramount chyecs IN the
usivS.S q SIS orsgtas.ovs
This Is ere 81 the a-st asses 10 which
tie RAILWAY IS being Fs4. ara N, -s~sa~