Fergus County argus., 1901-10-30

already reached the Pacific, coming
east from Moscow and st. Peters
burg. The southerly connection for
the present and near future will prob
ably be via the White Pass and ska
quay railroad and steamers to Seat
tie. From Circle City westward and
northward the railroad to be built
will traverse the vast tundra south
Of the artic circle. avoiding as much
as possible the lowlands OF the Yukon
and its tributaries, and IL will be
about 1000 miles In length. II will
necessitate road OF that length to
reach the eastern shore OF Bering
strait at Cape Prince of Wales, the
most westerly point OF North Ameri-
ca. Arrived there one might think
that progress would be stopped,
but this. the intrepid explorers de-
clare will not be the case.
Although the great strait Is prac-
tically closed more than half the year
by ice and during the whole year is
swept by strong subarctic currents.
plans have been projected for cross
ing it from one shore to the other by
means OF immense steel ferryboats
capable OF transporting whole trains
at a time and OF withstanding the
most powerful currents OF seas. Sim
liar craft have been In use on Lake
Bailkal in Siberia, and in the winter
the Russians have attempted to keep
the passage open by means OF pow
erful boats which smash their way
through the ice masses. The DIS
tance between shores on the strait
Mt it's narrowest point Is thirty-six
miles, the average width being forty
five miles. By spanning the strait
In this manner and transporting the
trains from shore to shore there.will
be practically land communication
all the way from Alaska to the cap
itals of Europe, or as some have fam
cifully put 1t, solid trains from Circle
City to Paris.
While it may be practicable to
cross the strait by ferry during the
summer season, there would un-
doubtedly be an ice blockade all
through the winner months. There
IL but one feasible plan proposed for
obviating this. the engineers say and
that Is by tunneling the strait be-
tween Cape Prince Of Wales and east
Cape the northeasternmOst point OF
Asia. This is as feasible. they say,
as a tunnel beneath the English
channel the only objection to which
seriously considered was the vast ex-
pense. But II the expense was a de.
terent In the English channel scheme,
where the travel and traffic would
be immense and perpetual, how much
more would such consideration
operate against the tunneling OF this
strait so remote from civilization
and which would be only occasional
ly traversed! The scheme is quixotic.
capitalists say, on the face of IT,;
practicable perhaps from an engin-
eering point Of view, but out OF the
question from the financial stand
point.
The average depth Of Bering strait
is calculated at about thirty fathoms
and the sensations OF travellers In a
tunnel at that great depth beneath
an artic sea can better be imagined
than described. Still the visionary
ones always have to 60 ahead and
blaze the way for the practical peO-
pie, and there usually results an in
crement Of good from their opera
tions. II explorers like Mr.. DeWindt
desire to sacrifice their comfort, per.
chance their lives, In attempts to
compass the unattainable, that is
their business, and nobody should
offer objection.
1t IL De Windt's intention to pro-
ceed to Irkutsk via the Russian and
Transsiberlan railway and thence
over the route Of the projected rail-
road to Yakutsk. where dog and
reindeer teams will be In readiness to
transport him and his companions
to East Cape. The route IL over q
great plateau rarely traversed by
travellers. but with only one great
mountain range to cross between
Irkutsk and the coast. The proper
time for travel there IL In the winter
season over the frozen SHOWS, when
the cold is 30 intense that the lakes
and rivers are solid Ice. BY reaching
the Siberian shore Of Bering strait
early in April, the travellers expect to
be able to cross to Alaska upon the
ice.
should operations ever be CON-
menced In earnest there would be re-
quired an enormous aggregation OF
capital and q gigantic consolidation
Of resources. In fact. behind this
vast scheme for reaching Bering