Fergus County argus., 1901-10-30
Harry De Windt Has Devised
Scheme to Connect New York
and Paris by Rail
Two Thousand Miles Of Railroad
Would be Necessary in the
Artic Regions.

1t Is no new project, that which
has been recently revived OF connect
ing the continents Of Asia and North
America by means of tunnel under
Bering strait, for 1t has been In
mind for many years. But its latest
advocate, the famous and eccentric
explorer Harry de Windt, is also one
of its most persistent explolters. He
not only believes In the feasibility oI
the scheme, but has actually studied
the topography of the countries ad'
jacent to the strait and been over
the route of Il projected railroad by
which 1t is hoped to unite the CONT.
nents. A few words as to his career
will show that he has earned dis
tinction as "a traveller and has agreat
deal Of globe trotting to his credit.
Born in Paris In 1856, at the age OF
twenty Harry De Windt was aid-de.
camp to his brother-in-law, Brooke,
the little king Of Sarawak; In 1887 he
rode from Peking to France on horse
back; in 1889 rode from India to Rus.
sia via PERSIA In 1890 and again In
1894 visited the mines and convict
prisons OF Siberia; in 1895 attempted
to travel from New York to Paris by
land and nearly perished In Bering
strait being rescued by whaler.
He was also a prisoner for months
at Ouniwaidjik, Bering strait vii.
lage inhabited by filthy Eskimos. So
1t will be seen that the man who Is
pushing the plan for connecting Asia
and North America by means OF a
tunnel under the narrow strait that
separates them speaks from full ex-
perience and IL entitled tn attention.
1t Is believed that the scheme for
tunneling Bering strait has some
connection with the gigantic Trans
alaskan railroad which was an
nOunced last summer as about to be
undertaken by French, Russian and
United States capitalists. Its pro-
iector, Mr.. De Lobel, covered the dis
tance between Paris and the klon-
dixie In just twenty days, but by way
OF New York and Seattle instead OF
via Irkutsk and the strait. He gave
out at the time that a company was
being formed with a capital stock OF
$500. 600, ,0O0 to connect the Klondike
region with Asia and Europe, but
since then rival company has been
Incorporated under the laws OF the
state Of Washington for the same or
a similar purpose. 1t Is said to be
capitalized at $5O,0OO,OOO. Its off,
cials are prominent men Of those en-
terprising centers, Cripple Creek and
Seattle. and 1t is intended to build
and operate lines OF railroads from
Circle City to Moscow and Paris. 1t
is far cry from the Klondike In the
frozen north to the capital of France
yet the projectors OF this enterprise.
who have their headquarters In Seat
tie, seem confident OF success.
1t will be seen that at least three
different parties have had their eyes
on Alaska and the Bering Strait re-
gion as the theatre OF future ex-
ploits, beside which many another
enterprise Of modern times will seem
almost Insignificant.
Besides securing connection with
the railroad systems OF Canada and
the United States by building south
ward from the Klondike the company
which is first successful In getting a
franchise and sufficient capital will
aim to form connecting link be-
tween those systems and the great
Trans-5iberian railroad, which has