The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-16
A CITY WITHOUT PEOPLE
Dalny, Manchuria, Is Russia's
Paradoxical Creation.
HAS ALL MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.

= N(SWSO -
Terminus, and M. de Witte. the
Russian Minister of Finance, Had
1t Bui1t-Original Estimate of the
Work, which Has been Exceeded,
Was $4,000 200.
There stands a little to the east of
Port Arthur, on the Liaotung peninsu-
la, the most remarkable city in the
world, says a London cable dispatch to
the New York World. 1t is Dalny, the
new terminus Of the great Transsibe-
rian railway. 1t is at yet a city with
out inhabitants. Save for masons and
workmen, it's streets are as deserted as
those Of a decaying village. In it the
Russians are building houses and adj
ministrative offices for. a population
which is yet to come and are erecting
great docks for a trade which does nOt
exist.
Dalny is the paradox of cities. 1t
c%ontravenes all the natural laws Of a
city's growth. 1t was forced into ex-
istence not because men in the course
of human progress found it convenient
to meet and trade there, but because
M. de Witte, the Russian finance min
lister, on the far distant Neva, ordered,
Build me a CITY," Dalny is the life.
less body Of a city, but thronging citi-
zens will vitalize it. 1t might be called
the modern city Of Aladdin - M. de
Witte rubbed the lamp-were it not
that it and the railway whose termi-
nus it is were builded not in a night.
but under tremendous difficulties.
The extraordinary fact is that this
Russian railway. which has been one
Of the greatest factors in making Man
churia virtually a Russian province,
was possible only by the labor of the
Chinese coolies, under hundreds of Rus
sian architects, engineers and over
seers, are building Dalny.
Politically England regards with
grave apprehension the completion of
this railway, which runs through the
disputed province Of Manchuria. Yet
civilization and commerce must rejoice
that the Chinese Eastern railway. as it
is officially named. will bring the Pa
CluC Quasi 81 luuCA ACdlCl " CulOPCs
The Transsiberian railway was a ire
mendous step toward bridging the gap
between the west and the east, but it
was comparatively useless until the
M%anchurian section was completed. 1t,
was necessary to have a large CONNER
cial town as a terminus. and M. de
Witte conceived the tremendous idea of
building one.
Dalny is the result. To the east it's
| silent streets look out on Korea bay.
Behind it to the west is the gulf of
| Liaotung. and to the southwest is the
| gulf of Pechili, across which the TEN
| tsin steamers run. When China leased
Port Arthur and the Liaotung PENN
| sula to Russia she guaranteed that Ia
| lienwan should be a free port. Dalny
is the city on Talienwan bay which is
| to be the free port in Russian territory.
Looking into the future, M. de Wittet
made every possible arrangement for
| the personal comfort and business sue
cess of Dalny's inhabitants. Streets,
drainage and electric wires were laid
down, electric lights and telephones
were installed. parks, gardens. electric
trans, municipal buildings, hospitals,
schools, prisons, docks and jetties were
provided before a single lot of land
was offered to the public for purchase.
The original estimate of the huge work
was $780, 1000, and it has been ex-
ceeded long since. 6
That Dalny will be peopled and will
flourish is as certain as anything mum
dane can be. It's harbor is ice free, a
great factor for success in north China.
Newchwang. the only other Manchu-
rian port. is frozen fast for more than
four months in the year. Besides. Dali
ny is a free port. 1t is the terminus of
the railroad, and it possesses all the
conveniences of a modern city. Mer-
chants who settle there will have moth
ing of hardship to fear, as if Dalny
were an ordinary newly formed settle
ment. Radiating from the municipal
buildings run venues named after the
various nations, and at the end of each
avenue will be a national church.
The city has been and will be gov
erned by the civil and not by the mill
tary authorities. 1t needs now no pro-
phetic eye to see at Dalny trains from
Moscow and st. Petersburg, carrying
passengers from all owe the world.
running alongside steamers from ia
pan, China. America and Australia,
passengers and goods having to be
transferred only a few yards from
train to steamer or vice versa.