Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-11-12
WAY ACROSS SIBERIA
RAIL LINE FROM MOSCOW TO
vLApIvoSTocK.
Road Is One OF the
Worlds Greatest Achievements-In-
ception, Progress, Purposes and In
Ruence as Russian Possession.

In 1891 the first coupons were issued
for the building Of the Trans-Siberian
railway. In December, 1892, the work
was begun. A highway was to be push
ed from st. Petersburg to the Pacific,
band of steel 5,852 miles long. binding
the extremities of the empire and over
Its polished track affording an unriyal-
ed route for the commingling Of east
and west and of their measurcless
products. From Paris to Vladivostock
the journey by passenger and traft1c
was to be made in twelve days, and
later on in ten. From Paris to Pekin in
thirteen days. to Hong Kong in seven
teen days, diminishing the expense In
money and In time by a third or
half.
This railroad was to be financiered,
constructed and administered, not by
private enterprise, but by the State.
Hence its object was not by financial
returns to swell the revenues of giant
corporations or Individual capitalists.
The profit and loss account on its pc
cuniary side was a minor considera-
ton. Its single design and aim was to
strengthen and develop the Russian en-
pire, the dominion of the east, the mas
terry Of Asia.
As the strategic position Of Russia
over against Asia Is unique, SO Is this
railroad unique In its possibilities.
Whatever acquisitions Great Britain or
Germany now hold, or may hereafter
obtain on the Asiatic contingent, those
possessions are remote by thousands of
miles from their base, and their eff
cheney depends upon difficult and pre-
carious connection through those thou
sand miles of sea and land. Nor can
those possessions be brought into much
more intimate relations with each other
| and with the home empire than they al
ready are. That Is, for Great Britain
| or Germany or any other power to de-
| wise a political or strategic rival to the
Trans-Siberian railway is an utter i'm
possibility. It remains and must re-
main the most stupendous agent in de-
termining the destiny of the globe that
has yet been conceived by man. 1t is
to be maintained, as it was first orig
mated, under the most favorable geo.
graphic circumstances which State
has ever enjoyed.
There is no assertion here that as an
achievement of engineering skill this
railway surpasses or even equals a
trans-American railroad from New
York to San Francisco, or trans-Afri
can railroad from Alexandria to the
Cape. Viewed merely as railroad, il
may in every respect be inferior te
either: its trains may be less eommodi
Gus or less luxurious, its locomotives
less powerful or less swift, its technica
management less efficient or less sa
gacious; but, regarding simply geo
| graphic position, having in mind only
where it runs, what it connects an6
what 1t must inevitably effect, nowhere
can experience or Imagination sugges1
a rival. The nearest approach to rival
/ ~ would be afforded by some line
crossing China from west to east. Bul
the western terminus of such line
would of necessity be close upon Rus
sian Siberia or Russian Turkestan; Il
would traverse only a moribund or dis
integrating Asiatic State; and what
ever might be the governing board Of
it's construction and administration, Il
would Indirectly. if not directly, be sub
ject to Russian ADMINISTRATIONS
Geographic News.