The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-25
.RDs3N'S GREAT RAILROAD.
OWING TO CHEAP CONSTRUCTION
1T WILL DE REBuILT
Light Rails ana wooden Bridges
Mako Travelipg slow snd DAM
gerous-when Finally Completed
VIII Ne Shortest Route to East.

IN
Special Dispatch TO the Post-Intelligencer.
WASHINGTON, Jan. ar. T. Gree
er. commercial agent of the United States
at Vladivostok Siberia, sends to the sec
rotary of state an interesting summary OF
an article published In a Russian local
paper about the building OF the Siberian
railroad. It says:
In the haste of construction and the
anxiety to get everything cheap. on both
the Siberian and the Tranabalkal lines,
special kind of light rails. weighing
twelve pounds To the foot, instead Of the
usual twenty-four pounds to the foot,
was used, Wooden bridges were built
were made far apart. Under such condi-
lions, quick travelling on the road is al
most an impossibility, and more than
twenty miles an hour cannot be made.
Only one passenger and two freight trains
day are run. TO add to the danger they
have put on the line one OF the heaviest
engines in existence-the compound sys-
tenn. The light weight of the rails, the
steep inclines, and the high gradings COM
bined to make travelling risky. On steep
inclines. the compound runs at rate OF
nifty versts (thirty-three miles) an hour.
turning the rails out. and there Is no way
Of stopping 1t. At the station Of Polo
vinoy, eleven cars were thus DESTROYED.
VIII he Reconstructed.
berian railroad at the present time. Fast
travelling Is impossible, as the rails are
too light. while. on the other hand, slow
travelling cannot be always controlled, as
the heavy engines cannot be held back on
the inclines. The committee OF Michal-
oyski have come to the conclusion that
everything must be reconstructed. But
this will cost q great sum of money-on
the Transbaikal line alone there will have
to be spent not less than H. 900 rubles
07,723,O oo), almost 30 per cent. Of the en-
tire cost of the line; on the whole Siberian
less than $1,000, 900 ribies CO.'S, $780, 600. The
lightweight rails must be put aside and
wooden bridges turned into frewood; ev-
erythfng must be rebuilt and the number
of stations increased.
Another newspaper tthe Dainy vostol)
says: ~ -
road vary widely. We think that its gem
eral plan IL excellent. but there IL room
buzz sh e. is s..s r. sGss .ss
In many places; rails. on the western half
fs.a e Raj sRss's TX, T poas s & H tss
meter, thus making II Dangerous sfor
speedy travelling. Rtwis 5nay7'
yisable t6 lay the ilne on marsRy ground
where the ground Is solid ana firm; and
was committed In the choice Of the direc-
ton OF The line Tomsk the capital e
iniles) on the side. and connected with the
railroad by bad road. Further, in order
plies ana rails were ordered prioipaiiy
from Russian iron works in the Uraf disc
trtcts. and they cost twice as much as II
great deal of material was provided in
advance. and rotted before II was used.
Cost Of the Road.
THE general cost of the Great Siberian
railroad II 81, estimated t. Be $sS egg egg
of the Amur line from Stretinsk to Kha-
barofsk,. which project has been changed
~ th last o VIII cost Il tss ass Rs
O0Q). II is true that the Manchurian rail-
road is constructed by. a joint stock com
government hands, the greater part of
the money must come from the govern
treasury
culated at about 5000 rubles cslS.025) for
the West Siberian division; $1,000 rubles
(s27, 75e) for the Transbaikal and Ussnrian
line; 'rheA construction Of the railroad
in North America under similar circuIn-
stances cost great deal less than the
ISL The win Re
rfubiss Isae. 800 oOo) more, or s7.ooo rnbies
leS3DUDt Per ffttfe, LOT Tie .IfdNSDa1kal line,
Fit Is asked: What international in
fiuence will the Siberian railroad have?'
When the Manehurian line. which is
about 200 miles long, is finished. the dis
tance from ST. Petersburg to Port Arthur
will be SITS versts (5,61e miles,; from Ber-
lin, $3.50 versts 6,3a niles: from Paris
1850 versts (7,O6o miies) This distance
could have been traversed In one week,
but such speed is impossible on the 81
berian line at the present time. AT a
speed of twenty-five miles an hour. 1t will
take two weeks to traverse the distance
between London, Paris and Berlin to Port
Arthur or vladivostok. When the road Is
improved this can be shortened to about
eleven days. As soon as the road Is fin
ished it will be the shortest route between
Europe and the far East; from Paris one
will be able to go to the capital Of Japan
---Yokohama--in seventeen days At pres
ent there are two ways Of communication
between Europe and the far East--west
by way Of Canada: east, by the Suez
canal. The first takes twenty-five days.
the last thirty-fopr days. The center
Of Oriental trade-Hpng be
It takes twenty-five days by the way or
Suez and thirty-four days by way OF
America.
Freight and Travel Charges.
mot only will travelling by way Of ST.
IBERIA be quicker. but II will be cheaper.
The fare now from London or Paris to the
ports Of the far East is, first class, 1900
to 1910 francs Cs367 to $3.50; while in Rus