The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-05-05
EXPLORED RUSSIAN WILDS
Observations Of an 14nae,vcau Mining Engiueer L1ho
Ma0e one Of lie Most remarkable .7azbs on.
RecoyQ-Saw 1A1ac1eut. cites and Fonghl
Persian BumQlks.

VI.
Fitzhugh, an American mining engineer;
for many years a resident of California,
has just completed the most remarkable
Journey through Russia which it has ever
been the privilege of an American to
make. More than two years ago he went
to Siberia on a, mission for a London
syndicate, which desired to have a num-
Der OF gold properties exported and want
ed general report on the naturalization
of the country. During the trip Fitzhugh
seized the opportunity offered to travel
extensively through Siberia. He assembled
the Ienesei river to a point we'll within
The Arctic circle, and then swinging to
the southwest went down into Mongolia
AT the conclusion of his tour to Siberia
ne was commissioned by the Russian gov
eminent to visit Southern and Southeast
efn Russia and report on a series of irTt-
cation schemes and examine a number of
naphtha properties While carrying out
that work he made an extended tour
through the Caucasus. and transcaspian
country and into the East as far as Thibet
He was given a military escort, and wher-
ever possible the strong hand Of the White
Gar reached out to protect him from the
savage people "ver whom his sovereignty
is not complete. He visited all Of the
ancient cities of Central Asia from Bat
Jun to Andijan, and returns greatly i'm
pressed with the promise that the future
holds for the already vast and powerful
empire that is ruled from ST. Petersbures
Reluctant to have his travels exploited
and DESTROYS e" professional reasons to
withhold The result of his explorations
and examinations, Fitzhugh disposed to
refrain from discussion of his trip, but
finally consented to furnish the Ioneer
Press with tn rf9iloWing sl;etchy nlr1 ativa
Of his trip, ii
II was first engaged by an English syrd-
dcate to make an examination of number
OF Siberian placer properties, and later
In behalf Of the Russian government Wis,
tied Southern and Southeastern Russia
and Central Asia as far as 'rhibet to make
a general examina ton Of the country, es-
pecially with regard to the gold and naph-
that deposits which exist there and to re-
port on the feasibility Of extensive irriga-'
ton and reclamation schemes which have
long been in contemplation. AS you know,
Russia has had a long and grim struggle
with famine, andNfo years past vast
amount Of money has been directed to-
ward the formuiatio and execution Of
remedial plans The Trans Siberian rail-
way was projected and built to draw the
excess Of population from the over
crowded centers, and give the products of
their energies in that virgin soil a market,
and 1t is now proposed to make great
arid areas in Central Asia productive BY
leading water on to them. The latter
work has an especial interest for the
student, for they are taking up the work
commenced hundreds, if not thousands, of
years pefore Christ. where it was left off
centuries age. PERHAPS tho nest idea Of
the nature and extent of the famines of
the past tea years may be gained from
the fact thai they have actually cost
the RUSSIAN government E1crG than S4OO
00O,OOO roubles. l took occasion on my
various trips IN connection with the two
missions which I undertook in Russia to
see as much cf the country as possible
While in Siberia, after travcrsing the
country east and west for a distance Of
$500 miles, went north ana penetrated
well into the Arctic circle, ard then went
into Mongolia. Later. whom in Central
Asia, l visited the ruins of the ancient
cities thai t1out' Il when Central Asia
boosted that it was the center Of the
worlds civilization. I also saw &c n
siderable part Of Thibet. Pro-r.reI ~
the strong hand of the Russian govern
ment 1t WAS my good fortune to enter
some doors that ale usually barred. and
to go among people who have turne.l
their backs upon the rest cf the world
With my escort :! several times crossed
the line where the law fales out anu
might rules, 3It this was done practically
without trouble. We were in danger a.
times, out only once in over two years
Of travelling and that down near the Pers-
ian frontier, did it come to bloodshed.
There the Cossacls who guarded, me
routed band of Persian bandits or rob-
bers, who had been looting the country,
and killed q dozen Of them.
My first journey was from ST. Peters
burg to Krasnoyarsk, Central Siberia, a
rity OF $4,000 people on the Yenesei river.
That part Of the journey was compare
lively easy, for 1t Is made with all Of the
comforts of the modern railway train.
Speaking Of the Yenesei river, may say
chat it is an important factor in the
of that section for its
largest tributary, the Angara river, Is
the outlet of Lake Bikal. Lake Bikal Is q
almost as large SIS our own Lake Superior
and is, I believe even deeper than SUI
perior. You can at once see the utility
of this lake and river, first In opening
up the country, and later in caring for
hts commerce. All the caravan trade be-
tween Russia, Manchuria and Mongolia
which is enormous, consisting of tea,
silk, etc, comes up to the Bikal lake and
is there shipped in large, strong barges,
which are towed or rowed across the lake
to the outlet CAngnra river), there they
at first drift quietly down the river until
they come to the gorge, or Narrows,
through which they simply fly a distance
OF over fifty miles at the speed of an ex-
press train. No boat ever goes up, and it
seems miracle any ever survive going
down, how one goes through that mad
Whirl of waters is almost Incredible yet
they say that they seldom meet with an
accident. The hundreds of barges which
go down each year are sold for fire wood.
With Krasneyarsk as my headauar-
tiers, first went down the Yenesei and
up the Angara, penetracting the Arctic
circle toward thes hea dwatefs of the Yen
esei. II found a country of vast resources
IN about the same condition that we are
told the middle West of the United
States was at the beginning of the nine
teenth century. The buildings of the
trans-Siberian railway has been just
about what the construction OF the Pa
cifie railway to the Rocky mountains was
In this country. There are vast areas Of
slightly rolling plains. dotted with
punches gof forest that look as IL they
had been placed by q landscape gardener.
The grass Was rank and nntriti ous for
animals. ard the fertile soil produces az