New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-26
COAL IN SIBERIA.

Some curious revelations are made by an Eng
lish periodical, Engineering" in regard to the
fuel supply Of the great railway that raverses
Siberia. At the present time this is singularly
unsatisfactory. Part of the coal used on that
line comes from the Ural Mountains, and is SO
full of sulphur as to be highly Objectionable
A larger amount is secured in the district Of
Tomsk, and this is so friable that large per-
centage is lost in dust An excellent grade is
found further to the eastward in the district Of
Irkutsk, but the quantity obtainable is small,
because of the thinness of the veins the depth
at which the deposits are worked and the pres
ence of water in the mines. In consequence of
these disadvantages it is necessary to haul the
coal thousands of miles before it is consumed
and the coal trains seriously interfere with
other traffic. When other deposits in Siberia
are mined and branch roads are constructed
thereto, and when the main line has double
track from end to end, these embarrassments
will be diminished. That will not happen to-
morrow though. Russia has long kept a covet-
GUS eye on certain anthracite beds in China,
west Of Peking but, as these are already under
British control and are many hundred miles
from any part of the Siberian railway system,
they are at present unavailable and may con-
tnue to be so for years.
The hindrances which now beset the trans
portation Of merchandise and passengers across
Northern Asia, apart from other considerations
make this situation interesting, not to say alb
surd. But this is not the whole story. So long
as Siberia's only industries are agriculture and
mining she can get along with little fuel For
her manufactures perhaps water power will suf-
fee during the next quarter or half century
Russia has still another great need, however
and this is most pressing in the East Without
M in no
dable a naval power Eventually petroleum
may be employed as fuel on war vessels. and
Russia can doubtless obtain ali she nav wish
from the Baku wells. Unfortunately though
it would be necessary to establish stores Of
liquid fuel at a considerable number of places
before it would be safe to rely upon it. For
several years to come, therefore the Cars
navy must rely on coal, of which Siberia can
supply practically none.
The awkwardness of that plight becomes more
evident when it is remembered that the scene
of any hostlities in the near future will be the
vicinity of the Yellow Sea, and that Japan is
wonderfully well provided with coal In the
last ten years her output has trebed, and
though her own consumption has grown In like
measure, she is still able to export about three
million tons annually. England, too, has long
been in the habit of sending out the best qual-
ity OF Welsh coal for her warships on the Pa
cine Coast and. in any emergency, could prob
ably assist any friendly power in that quarter
OF the globe. Should there really be a war
1t might be so short sharp and decisive that a
limited supply of fuel would prove adequate
II would be poor strategy, however, which did
not provide for the worst which could happen
Deficient fuel resources might alone determine
the result.