New-York tribune., 1901-01-14
DEVELOPMENT OF SIBERIA.
WHAT CONSTRUCTION OF GREAT TRANS
CONTINENTAL RAILROAD HAS AC-
COMPLISHED-SOME STAR
TIJNC, FIGTRFS
[BY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE ]
TLING FIGURES.


cation from the Government printing office at
ST. PETERSBURG describing the wonderful devel-
opment Of Siberia IN the last decade. along the
line of the great Transcontnental Railroad,
which If it were not authoritative and fortified
by accurate statistics, would have to be re-
garded fiction. The tremendous growth or
the Russian Empire eastward is shown to fairly
rival American progress westward and in some
respects to have surpassed it, particularly in the
enormous areas recently brought under cultiva-
ton and the almost incredible commercial ex-
pansion which has resulted.
The rapidity with which the great steel high
way has been extended toward its Pacific Ocean
terminus which excited worldwide astonish-
rnent appears by this publication TO have been
merely a single feature Of the great imperial
enterprise for making use of the rich and varied
resources of a territory comprising one-ninth or
the whole continental surface of the globe, over
one fourth that of Asia and half as large again
as the whole of Europe. The vastness OF the
area accounts for the great variety in its nature
When viewed with reference to colonization
Siberia divides itself naturally into two zones
extending east and west, and differing essen
tiallv from one another. The first of these
braces the region traversed by the new Siberian
railway, the more populous southern portion OF
Siberia, in which the conditions of climate and
soil are favorable to the development OF agri-
culture and colonization The other zone occu-
pies the extensive, deserted northern region, the
land Of tundras. polar marshes. with con-
stantly frozen subsoil and a severe climate
dreary tract of land totally unfit for agriculture
Between these two zones stretches broad belt
of forests of tall trees partly primeval pine ana
fir partly leafy trees.
ENORMOUS IMMIGRATION.
The wealth of these broad agricultural and
timber areas is. moreover. augmented by min
eral deposits of every conceivable nature, as
abundant and diversified those of America,
and into this whole region immigration Is pour
ing in volume unequalled except in the history
of American colonization. Ever since the serfs
We're emancipated in 1861 they have formed
the bulk of the emgrants from the thickly popu-
lated agricultural districts of European Russia,
but the great tide Of settlers in the new ter
tory is only now assuming tremendous proper
tions. During the twenty years period of 1860
to 1880 about 10000 persons enigrated to ST.
IBERIA, while for the thirteen years from 1880 TO
1892 there were over 100000. and for the sue
ceedng years since the great railway has been
building the number Of immigrants of both
sexes has been as follows: 1898, $4,000; 1894.
10000 1895. 100000; 1896. 203 600; 1897, $1,000;
1898. 100000; 1899. 225,000. Total, 9710o0.
According to the census Of 1891 the popula-
ton Of Siberia had risen to S1SS,36S inhabitants,
of which the Russian peasantry formed over %
per cent.
The railway was begun in May, 1891. and in
nine years 1875 miles Of line have been laid
down, making 375 miles year. Such results
are considered as very favorable. especially TAX
ing into account first, the difficulty of laying
the permanent way in country intersected
by rivers as the provinces of Tonsk and Tenisei,
and so liable to inundation the -Baikal
region; and, secondly, the great number OF large
rivers TO be crossed by the Siberian railway,
over thirty miles OF bridges being required for
this purpose. The longest Of these bridges is
that over the river Yenisei, $40 feet long, with
spahs measuring 400 feet.
RAPID RAILROAD BUILDING.
In rapidty of construction. the Siberian Rail-
way is unequalled. and excels the Canadian
Pacific Railway 2,290 miles long, which has
much in common with it and which took ten
years to build In the last summer there was
direct steam communication between the Eu-
ropean railway system and Vladivostock, partly
by rail and partly by steamer. by the following
route: From Tchetiabnsls TO Stretensk. by rail.
1852 miles. crossing Lake Baikal forty miles.
by means of an ice breaking steamer especially
adapted for ferrying the whole train across;
from Stretensk to Khabarofsk by steamer; down
the rivers Shilka and Amoor, LAP miles, and
finally from Khabarofsk to Vladvostock again
by rail- AS miles. This journey took about three
weeks. The trains have sleeping cars, dining
car, library bath and gymnasium, and excel
the best express trains in Europe in the COM
forts afforded the passengers.
The journey from Paris or London to Vladi-
postock through Siberia now takes about three
and a half weeks, while the journey by sea- by
way of the Suez Canal, takes about six weeks.
The easiest route between the two oceans is
therefore follows: Havre, Paris, Cologne,
Berlin, Warsaw Moscow, Samara, Tchetiabensk
Irkutsk, Vladivostock, 1900 miles. Of this
6,400 miles, or six-sevenths of the whole trip.
falls TO Russian railways 100 to the great
Siberian main line and 1900 to the European
Russian system-and the remaining LOO miles
are made by 700 in Germany, 100 in Belgium
and 300 in France. From the very first. the i'm
mediate results of working the Siberian rail
way, as shown by the extent Of passenger and
gccds traffic, exceeded all previous expecta-
tions.
AMOUNT OF BUSINESS DONE.
The following are the traffic returns of the
Southern and Central Siberian sections from
October, 1895. when traffic was first opened, TO
1899. when the whole line between Tchetia bensk
and Irkutsk was in operation.
Passengers. goods
1856 $1,000 ls4 600
1895 100000 100000
1883 'IOio'Vto ooiOSo
Totals ......................,.S,5 .S,552,O0o 204l00O
Among export freights from Siberia the first
place is taken by corn, AZ per cent, which is
sent principally to the European market through
the ports OF Reval, Libau. ST. Petersburg and
Riga. Next comes the product of cattle raising