Courier Democrat., 1903-11-12
WITHOUT PEOPLE.
Dalny, Manchuria, Is Russia's
Paradoxical Creation.
HAS ALL MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.

TFanssiberian Railway Needed a
Terminus, and NJ. de Witte, the
Russian Minister of Finance, Had
It Built-Orixinal Estimate of the
Work, Which Has Been Exceeded,
Was $15.OOO.OOO.
There stands little to the east Of
Port Arthur, on the Liaotung peninsu-
Ia, the most remarkable city in the
world, says London cable dispatch to
the New York World. 1t is Dalny. the
new terminus of the great Transsibe-
rian railway. 1t is ut yet a city with
out inhabitants. Save for masons and
workmen, it's streets are as deserted as
those of decaying village. In it the
Russians are building houses and ad-
ministrative offices for population
which is yet to come and are erecting
great docks for trade which does not
exist.
Dalny is the paradox of cities. 1t
contravenes 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
NJ. de Witte, the Russian finance min
lister, on the fur distant Neva. ordered,
"Build me a city," Dalny is the life
less body Of 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 Russian province,
was possible only by the labor Of the
Chinese themselves. And thousands Of
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 1t
is officially named. will bring the Pa
cific coast SO much nearer to Europe.
The Transsiberian railway was tre-
mendous step toward bridging the gap
between the west and the east, but it
was comparatively useless until the
Manchurian section was completed. 1t
was necessary to have large CONNER
cial town as terminus. and NJ. de
Witte conceived the tremendous idea of
building one.
Dalny is tile result. TO the east its
silent streets look out OH Korea bay.
Behind it to the west is the gulf OF
Iiaotung. and to the southwest is the
gulf of Pechili, across which the Tien-
tsin steamers run. When China leased
Port Arthur and the Liaotung penin-
sula to Russia she guaranteed that Ta-
lienwan should be 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 Witte
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 $15OOO.OOO. and 1t has been ex-
ceeded long since.
That Dalny will be peopled and will
flourish is as certain as anything mum
dane can be. Its 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. Dal-
ny is free port. 1t is the terminus of
the railroad. and it possesses all the
conveniences Of q modern city. Mer-
chants who settle there will have moth
ing of hardship to fear. as If Dalny
were an ordinary newly formed settle