Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
AROUND THE WORLD.
Young Chicago Boy Makes the Trip
In Sixty Days.

To circle the world in 60 days, IL
hours, 29 minutes and AZ As seconds, as
did Charles Cecil Fitzmorris, the Chi
cago school boy, who was sent around
the globe in a race with several other
representatives of different newspa-
pers, by w. r. Hearst's Chicago Ameri-
can, is no easy task to be undertaken
lightly and without great preparations.
Travelling in Europe and Asia, espec-
tally in the far east Of the latter conti-
nent, is vastly different matter from
the free and easy transportation facili-
ties Of the United States.
The boy, accompanied by S. M. Will
liams, an experienced man in the
newspaper profession, left Chicago on
the afternoon of May Goth at 4.05. The
trip from Chicago to New York and
thence to London, was no more than
could be done by any ordinary tourist
and took nine days. From London
eastward, it was constant fight
against time. The rush from London
to Moscow to eaten the Trans-Siberian
express, which only runs every five
days, was the closest call Of the entire
trip. The boy and Williams dashed out
of London at 9 o'clock for Berlin, where
there was but u minutes margin to
catch the train for Moscow.
If they had missed this train Fitz-
morris would never have broken the
worlds record.
But the Prussian government-for all
the railways in Germany are govern
ment proDerty-did what it had never
done for kings and emperors. 1t had
the train wait for the lad and his es-
cort. Almost at o'clock they flew into
the Friedichstrasse station in Berlin,
and exactly on time. The train for
Russia was waiting. the engineer i'm
patient at his waiting orders the con-
ductor pacing the platform, wondering
of those two strange American travel
ers who had been granted a privilege
denied the rulers of the land.
They sprang into the compartments
reserved for them and were off on the
run for Russia and the great voyage
over the Trans-Siberian railroad.
Several weeks before this the Ameri-
cans correspondents had arranged for
the dash across Russia. All the berths
on the Russian train had been taken
but another car was chartered, and in
to this the Americans racers secured
quarters. Count Cassini, the Russian
ambassador, had provided Fitzmorris
with strong letters of commendation
and they were given every possible aid
by the Russian officials at every point
In this little city on wheels-for such
is the Trans-Siberian train-the lad
was hurried across the Russian plains
and steppes, and in twelve days arriv-
ed at the far end of the greatest rail-
way line in the world, at little river
station called Stertensk, on the head
waters Of the river Shilka, which emp
ties into the great Amur. They had
fieeting glances Of the great steppes,
where immigrants are making new
homes; then the hilly country Of mixed
rich valleys and ore-filled hills. After
that they crossed the cold, deep stormy
Lake Baikal. This immense lake was
passed in an ice-breaker, which
plowed it's way through five feet Of ice.
Low water on a dozen Of the swift
running rapids Of the river Shilka had
otn fo CT ,foro haf
their arrival. There was but one way
to go down the rivera small, open
row boat. They hastily got together a
Cossack crew and securing a small.
fiat bottomed boat they started down
the river on their daring trip. Stops
were not made. There were six men
aboard and all took their place at the
oars. Fitzmorris stood a test from
which many a man would have shirk-
ed. His place was at the oars and he
hardly gave them up for rest or sleep.
After rowing for 200 miles they reached
deep water, and secured a small steam
er. For a considerable sum Of money
1t was chartered and took the voyagers
down the river to Blogovenstchensi. a
distance of some 4UO miles.
From here the trip down the Amur
began in real earnest. 1t was on this
river that FitZmorris passed Eunson.
the young school boy sent around the
world i'm an opposite direction by the
New York Journal. On June 9th, the
Chicago boy was at Vladivostock, after