The Indianapolis journal., 1903-12-27
FORBIDDEN RAILROAD.
Russian Line That No Tourist Has
Ever Made Trip Over.

New York Press.
The Russian government occasionally
supplies to distinguished foreign travellers
document granting to them free passage
over all the imperial Russian railroads in
Europe and Asia, with the exception Of
the Murghab branch of the Transcaspian
Railroad" The Russians keep this line alb
solutely secret, and permission to travel
over it has never been granted to for
eigner.
1t was supposed that the comprehensive
passes issued 10 the fortunate few always
included the qualifying phrase above quot
ed. But it was omitted in the permit given
to DIR. Sven Hedin when he left Europe for
for his last years of exploration in Central
Asia. When he arrived at Merv he thought
it would be an excellent idea to take run
down the Murghab branch, look over the
frontier into Afghanistan and have a peep
at the region toward Herat.
He impaired his intentions to the Rus
sian Governor of the New Oasis. who told
him that travellers were not carried on the
Murghab branch. The explorer at once pro-
duced his trump card, unlimited pass
over all lines, but the Governor had in his
pocketbook trump that beat it. 1t was
telegram from the Minister of War, read
ing:
"In case DR.. Sven Hedin should contem-
plate going to Kushk, please inform him
that that line is closed to all travellers"
This was explicit, and the explorer was
further informed that the line was closed
to all ordinary Russians. and that only
those persons belonging to the garrison at
Kushkinski post, the southern terminus of
the railroad on the Observation-Disclosures
frontier were permitted to travel by it.
This railroad, which branches off from
the T@snscaspian lire at Merv, was opened
a month less than four years ago. The
project was quietly conceived and silently
executed, and though the fact that its con-
struction had begun was announced in the
London Times in 1896, so little has been
heard OF it that in two magazine articles
the Transcaspian line, printed within the
past two years. no mention is made of the
Murghab branch
The branch is, of course, nothing more nor
less than strategical railway. 1t steals
south out of Merv, the nearest Russian
town of any size to the Afghan frontier, and
winds along the verdureless bank of the
Murghab river, 100 miles TO Kushkinski
post which is built on the very frontier
of deserts, there is not a hamlet along the
| line. 1t serves no trading or agricultural
interests. 1t is merely a military road, con-
Meeting the modern town of Merv, which
was entirely built by the Russians, with the
strong fort erected at Kushkinski over
| looking the mountains of northern Afghan
| istan. The Murghab, rising among those
| mountains, received all the streams from
| the northern slope of the Herat highlands,
| supplies the locomotives of the military
| road with water, gives fertility to the Merv
ocic nd ifCpif i'm he nd hpXv
So Russia has a railroad capable of pour
| ing many thousands of troops in the course
| of a few weeks along the frontier within
| thirty miles of the Afghan town of Kushk
| and within eighty miles of Herat. At pres
| ent only two regular trains a week are run
ming. They move through the desert at the
| rate of only ten miles hour, reaching the
| Afghan frontier in about nineteen hours.
Russian diplomacy was, of course, equal
| to the task of explaining the construction
| of this road when ii seemed necessary to
say something on the subject. The road