New-York tribune., 1900-12-23
THE BAIKAL FERRYBOAT.
A LINK IN THE TRANs-sIBERIAN RAIL
WAY-THE MOST POWERFUL ICE
BREAKER EVER CONSTRI1CTED

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sheet of water is almost four hundred miles long.
and extends in a nearly north and south direc-
ton across the route Of Asia's great transconti-
mental highway. Its width varies from twenty
| to seventy-fve miles. II would have been a
comparatively easy engineering task to evade
this obstacle were it not for the situation oE
Irkutsk
That city is the west shore of Lake
Baikal. seventy-fve hundred miles from
the southern extremity of the latter 1t is the
largest centre of population in all Siberia AMI
the necessity for taking the railway through it
was imperative. Hence il was seen that detour
must be made tc circumvent the lake. But here
fresh difficulties met. The adjacent region
is mountainous and no end Of open cuts tunnels
and embankments will be necessary before the
proposed two hundred mile loop can be con-
structed. Tht kind of work costs time as well
as money. As temporary expedient. therefore.
it decided TO establish a ferry to carry rail
way trains The line has been completed
from European Russia to Irkutsk and a consid-
cradle distance beyond. But through traffic
would be impossible were not some such provi-
sion made for crossing Lake Baikal which at
this point is something like twenty thirty
miles wide.
Railroad ferries are no novelty, at least in
America. Boats to carry railway trains across
a river or lake have long been in service in this
country. Lake Baikal. however. is very much
further north than any part of the United States
except Alaska. The place where the Trans
Siberian route crosses it is fully > degrees Of
latitude $50 miles, nearer the Pole than the
Strait of Macknaw, and hundred miles
nearer than New-Yor1 City. Lake Baikal is
frozen for five months in the year. 1t
closes about the middle of December, and gener-
ally opens in May If the line is kept open dur
be an ica breaker and it must be capable of per-
forming that function in a fashion unknown in
the United States. The ferrybOat which main
tains connection between Upper and Lowe
Michigan, across the Strait of Nackinaw, occa,
sionally achieves great triumph; in the wintep
time: but it would not be equal to the emer-
gencies which Lake Raikal is likely to present
after three months Of freezing weather. The ice
breaker of the Sault Ste, Marie is regarded a
wonder. Its best work is forcing its way through
two and half three feet OF ice but it cant
hold candle TO the latest Russian ice breakers.
In order to keep the Gulf of Finland and other
parts of the Baltic Sea open TO commerce il
winter the Russian Government had boat
built at an English yard about two years ago.
This designed by ViceAdmiral Makaron
and largely the outcome of many years of
experience with smaller ice breakers. The E,r-
mack made the trip from the Tyne to Cronstadt
late IN the winter OF 1880 % On entering JtiS
Baltic she passed through drift ice five feet
thick, but afterward penetrated pack ice rang
ing from twenty twenty five feet in thickness.
Well, the BaikaI, the Trans-Siberian ferryboat,
is said TO be larger and more powerful. She
promises to cut good deal of ice.
These Makaroff boats do not rely solely
engine pOwec TO force their way through OBJ
structions. The bow is of peculiar construction.
Its stem has long Overhang, and the lower
part is inclined only 20 degrees from hOri-
zOntaI. This gentle slope enables the forward
part of the boat to mount the ice, if the latter
is particularly firm and bring the weight OF the
vessel into play. The downward pressure thus
exerted is tremendous About twenty-five feet
back of the extremity of the prov the boat has
one propeller There two others astern on
the Baikal The Ermack has three. II is not be-
lieved that the stem would often mount the ice
for a sufficient distance to bring the forward
screw in contact with u. Still. the propeller is
strongly protected. The object of this mechan-
ism is not to prOpel the boat. but to suck out
the water from under the ice Immediately in
front Deprived of it's support. the crust yields
more readily TO the weight simultaneously inn
posed it,
Inasmuch there is not a through water
route from the yards of Sir William Armstrong.
Whitworth & Co. of Newcastle, to Lake Baikal
the ferrybOat was taken to pieces for shipment.
and put together arrival at her destination.
There are three lines of rails along her deck.