Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-06-19
GOING AROUND THE WORLD.
In Few Years 1t Can Probably BE Done
Inside of Five Weeks.

Inside of Five Weeks.
Some remarks made a few weeks
ago by the German emperor regarding
the use of electricity for running rail
way trains has excited a fresh dis
cussion by the European press of the
time required to make the journey
round the world. The London Stand
ard, for instance, estimates that when
one can travel all the way from st.
Petersburg to the Pacific coast by rail
the circuit of the globe can be effected
in so days. Except to win bet or
for some equally impractical purpose,
it is doubtful if anybody will ever
want to make the complete journey at
top speed. Nevertheless, those who
have occasion to travel over any con-
siderable portion of this circum-mun-
dane route, either for business or
pleasure, feel lively interest in pres
ent and future facilities for such un-
dertakings.
The figures presented by our London
contemporary are certainly reason
able. Indeed, If one could be
absolutely sure of making close con-
nections at all points, the time may be
reduced a trifle. Starting from New
York, tive or three years hence, one
may reasonably hope to reach Paris
in six days, make the trip thence to
Tcheliabinsk in western Siberia in six
more, spend not over Is days in getting
to the Pacific coast, at either Vladi-
vostock or Port Arthur; arrive in
1nx lot
cross the ocean to Vancouver in IL or
10, and make the home run by rail in
five, taking about AZ days in all. At
two or three places, however, there
would be a chance Of at least days
delay, while at Yokohama there might
be a much longer one If the Van
couver steamer were missed, the next
best thing to do would be to take the
line to San Francisco. by the way of
Honolulu. This would involve spend
ing five more days at sea- to say moth
ing of waiting for the snip to sail. Still
if one made the entire journey inside
of So days he would accomplish the
feat in about two-tnirds the time re-
quired by Jules Verne's hypothetical
tourist.
Looking ahead Is or 20 years, saw
ing of one day may be expected on the
Atlantic and three or four on the Pa
cific. Should the experiment about to
be tried on the Clyde with passenger
steamer equipped with steam turbines
result satisfactorily, it is likely that
the new motor will be applied to
transatlantic navigation within the
next decade. Architectural improve
ments may yet further enhance the
speed of ocean steamships, too. But
80 knots an hour for that kind of SER
vice is probably long way off. So far
as the marine part of the journey is
concerned, then, the greatest gain to
be anticipated during the next few
years will doubtless come from run
ming on the Pacific steamships that
are as fast as the best ones now ply
ing between America and Europe.
Fortunately, about three-fourths of
the total distance around the world
can be covered by rail, and more con-
spicuous improvements in speed can
be counted ON by land than at sea.
These will probably be due not to the
substitution of electricity for steam,
but the construction of better roads.
The highest speed yet made in Siberia
is about II or IS miles an hour. But
the rails there are exceedingly light,
and the roadbed new. The line is to
be entirely rebuilt after it is once
opened. When this regeneration is
effected, and 80 or 35 miles an hour is
possible, nearly a week can be saved
in that part of the world. By that
time doubtless a day or two can also
be gained in Europe, another in cross
ing the American continent. one more
en- the Atlantic, and at least three on
the Pacific. Before the first quarter
of the present century has elapsed,
then man who has good luck in max
ing connections can probably go round
the world inside of five weeks.-New
York Tribune.