Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-17
LOOKS AHEAD TO WAR.
Russia's Prearations on Land and
Sea Described by WiIliar, e.
Curtis.

NNliilam Il. Curtis in Chicago Record
Herald) When Peter the Great at
the beginning of the eighteenth cen.
tury, placed his capital on the shores
of the Baltic, 80 that he might have
window to look out upon Europe u
as he said. he built two fortresses of
masonry on either side of the mouth
OF the Neva to prevent his enemies
from approaching St Petersburg by
the river. They are circular struc-
lures. pierced with portfolios, and rise
from the water like Fort Sumpter in
the harbor of Charleston and Fort
Wool at Hampton Rhodes At that
time they were considered very form
liable, but now they are obsolete and
modern projectile would scatter tn m
in fragments over the bay. But with.
in recent years they have been rein
forced by modern guns and fortifica-
tions which make Cronstadt the very
strongest fortress in the world All
OF Peters successors upon the throne
of Russia have taken equal interest
in the extending and Strengthening
the defenses of his capital and around
his old castles has grown up a great
manufacturing city with ship yards.
gun shops, armories. military depots
and naval supply stations for the Bal
tic fleet. which stood at anchor as we
passed the place, and the pride of the
Russian navy was among them-the
Variag. which was built at Philadel-
phia by the Cramps, and is recognized
as one OF the most powerful and
swiftest fighting ships afioat. There
was also large fleet of torpedo boats,
some at anchor and others maneuver-
ing around and rushing through the
water with terrific speed.
In passing by steamer from Sweden
10 Russia you approach st. Petersburg
by the Neva river, which has a delta
like the Mississippi and the Amazon,
and dozen shallow outlets. 1t has
been necessary. therefore, to make an
artificial channel. fifteen miles long.
by the jetty system. Its banks have
been planted with trees which are
growing rapidly and the current of
the river scours the bottom and sides
of the canal and makes it clean.
There are shipyards all the way up
the Neva. at which more battleships
and cruisers than one could count are
under construction. The banks of
the river seem to be lined for miles
with halftinished men-of-war. The
keels OF some were just laid, others
lifted their great steel ribs between
us and the horizon. while many were
approaching completion. and smoke
issued from their stacks. The Rus
sian navy is now second to that OF
England. and is being strengthened
every month by the addition of new
ships. 1t claims the fastest torpedo
boat in the world, which was design
ed by Sakoveno. a Russian engineer,
and was built with great secrecy in
French shipyard. 1t is cigar shap-
ed, tapering to sharp points at both
ends. and filled with powerful machin-
cry. which drives its triple screws
with speed of forty miles an hour.
1t can carry fuel for cruise of 5000
miles, and it is claimed that it can
cross the Atlantic in three days and
a half. There has been private
trial, to the satisfaction of the build
CHS Tue II 10 odlu,
but no foreigner has ever seen it, and
what | have told you is the gossip
that the naval attaches of other gov
ernments have picked up.
The Russians are getting ready for
an emergency, which means a war
with Japan, and are increasing their
navy and putting their army in fight
ing condition with great energy and at
great expense. The army has recent
ly been completely reorganized and
provided with new equipments. The
Russians unloaded 100000 rifles of
obsolete pattern upon the Chinese
government and substituted new ones
of long range, high power and small
calibre. Those were Russian guns
which the Boxers fired at the British
embassy in Pekin during the recent
siege.
In numbers and fighting strength
the armies of Japan and Russia are
very far apart, but II must be consid-
cred that the battle ground will be on
the other side of the world from st.
Petersburg, where Japan will be at
home. Last year $4,000 the Jap
anese army on peace footing CON
sisted of Si,S47 men, while that OF
Russia numbered 1854 200. always un-
der arms. The first reserve Of Japan
was 10000 men and that of Russia
100000. The second reserve of Jap
an was 238.00O men, making total
force on war footing of 402.274. The
second reserve of Russia numbered
/ .476,OOO, making total of 3,50O,OO0
soldiers at the command of the czar.
But both armies have been reorgan-
lied since these statistics were is
sued.
The same difference exists in the
navy. Russia in 1900 having $40 yes
sells in commission and Japan III;
Russia 5,073 guns. Japan 1,471.
Russia has twenty-five first class
battleships, twelve armored cruisers
eleven first-class cruisers, 1876 torpedo
boats Japan has six first-class bat
tleships. two armored cruisers. Ave
frst-class cruisers. and sixty-six tor
edo boats. But these comparisons
..o& ~ xuhav tho Da0