Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-11

y III fALACE THAT i MET
will have little advantage over the lake
as 1t will take longer to go by train than
by the ferry. The great objection has been
that the lake is covered with ice in winter
but this can be obviated by ice breakers
We had one from America which worked
well for year or so when it's paddle wheel
broke. This stopped the traffic for a time
and was the cause of the proposition to
build the railroad around the lake. Several
good steam ice breakers would keep the
lake open the year around and they would
be infinitely cheaper than the new rail-
road, which Will cost mill ons of dollars"
The Growth of Siberia.
What is the railroad doing for Siberia,
your exceliency?" I asked
1T is opening up the country and 1t VIII
result in its development Numerous
branch lines will have to be constructed
and In time there will he a great empire
out there Inhabited by Russians The ter
ritory is enormous. Siberia is two and one
half times as big as Russia in Europe 1t
is half as large again as the whole Euro
pean continent and co1sd ,ratly b gger th7n
ire whole United States with Alaska and
your new colonies added The DoTtt prn
part of 1t is not worth much being com
posed OF polar marshes the suhsoil of which
is always frozen. but little south of that
there is vast belt of pine and fir trees
and farther south the wide strip through
which the railroad goes. Much of the land
there compares with the northern part of
the United States which you call your great
northwest and with the adjoining country
on the other side of the line belonging TO
the British. 1t will raise wheat and all
sorts OF hardy cereals. We are findiny If
exceIient for da!rying and 1t is impossible
10 tel what it may not be in the future
large part of the value of Siberia js n,
its minerals. 1t has gold silver. copper
and iron 1t has coal, rock salt and pre
c!ous stones and it is in short a wo~ld in
Itself which we have not yet prospected"
Eight Million siherians.
How about immigration ," I asked.
The population is steadily increasing"
replied Prince Hilkof. I'VE are shining
In a vast number of settlers over the rail-
road and the steamers take MANY from
Odessa down through the Suez canal and
about Vladivostock and other parts of
eastern, Siberia: The immigration hogan
along about 1860 and in 1890 about 1000
had immigrated. After that the number
coming in increased much more rapidly,
and at present villages. towns and little
cities are growing up all along the line of
the railroad. The total Formulation of ST.
IBERIA is now about eight millions of which
a large proportion is Russian The Trans
Siberian alone carried 150.CCO immigra nts
last year and we shall take more this
VIII You not establish Russian colonies
along the line of the Eastern Chinese rail-
road?"
Il have nothing to do with the Man
churian end of the line" replied his -ex-
cellency. THAT is owned by Il private com
pany and is more directly under the charge
of the minister of finance. I don't believe
that colonies would pay there. The land l.;
poor and there is no fnducement for emf
grants to take it up
Da1ny VS.. Vladivostock.
What is to be the great city on the
Trans-Siberian road. your cxcellency?" /
asked.
Il think it should be Vladivostock," re-
piled Prince Hiikoff. Il should like to see
the railroad metropolis of the Far East in
our own territory and believe that we
should go to work to make a great city
there. The only trouble at Vladivostock is
the ice which fills the bay during the win
ter. But that could easily be broken up
and kept open by ice breakers that
ships could call there all the year round
l don't think so much of Dalny. the COM
mercial city we are building at the Man
churian end of the Trans Siberian road. 1t
is true that it has an excellent harbor open
all the year round. but it is outside Russian
territory and that 1 do not like"
Big Chance for Americans.
From this conversation with Prince Hill
Loft and other sources / learn that large
part of the trans Siberian railroad will
have to be rebuilt. The rails are altogether
too light to stand the heavy traffic the
road is now carrying. They are bending
at the curves and will have to be
changed in the near future. 1t is not i'm
probable that the whole line will be re-
laid and if the order for steel rails will
approximate 100000 tons for the main
line alone. This will be great chance
for our steel trust it is about the only
company that could fill such an order.
Branch lines will be built from time to
time so that our steel makers should watch
the movement and take advantage of it.
They Use Our Locomotives.
I find that American railroad machinery
is popular in Russia. A large number of
the locomotives on the Trans Siberian are
Baldwins and more BaldwiEs will probably
be used in the future. Most of the cars
are equipped with American air brakes and
a large number of the thirty odd miles of
bridges were made at Sparrow Point, Md.
Our big manufacturing companies should
keep their eyes on Siberia and especially
on the government works going on there.
Steam dredges and building machinery Of
various kinds will be in constant demand.