The Topeka state journal., 1904-07-04
LAKE BAIKAL AND WAR.
Part 1t Plays in Hampering the Rus
sian Forces.

The strength of a chain is precise
ly the strength of it's weakest link,
and on the same principle the trans
porting power of the Trans-S Siberian
railway is limited by the number of
men and the bulk of supplies which it
/ is possible to move across Lake Bal
| kal. That large and stormy body of
water is the weakest of many weak
| links in the immense chain of steel
| that stretches from Moscow to Port
Arthur and Vladivostok.
1t was all very we'll for the czar to
order a railway line to be run from
Europe to the Pacific as nearly as
possible in bee line, but Lake Baikal
stood in the way. From an engineer
ing point of view it presented greater
difficulties than all the rest of the
line, and the Russian engineers frank
ly confess that they do not yet see
how they are going to get over these
difficulties.
Lake Baikal is the largest fresh
water lake in the old world, with the
sole exception of Lake Victoria Ny
ANA in entral Africa, and it is only
surpassed in America by Lakes Su-
perior, Michigan and Huron. Its su-
perfcia1 area is 34,179 square kilome-
ters (nearly 5000 square miles), and
its surface is over 1900 feet above
sea level, ringed around by a chain
of rugged mountains.
The Trans-Siberian railways runs up
against the shore of this lake at a
point where it is about forty miles
wide, and to get around it means a
detour of nearly two hundred miles
over ground which makes railroad en-
gineers tear their hair in despair.
Several schemes have been proposed
for continuing the line around the
shore of the lake; but the cheapest
of them, which is now being carried
out, is estimated to cost over 25,000,-
900 rubles. If it is like the rest of
the Trans-Siberian railway it will cost
twice as much as the estimate. Sew
eral tunnels have to be cut through
the solid rock of the mountains, and
one of them is nearly four versts
long.
Many contradictory statements have
been made recently as to the value
of Lake Baikal as a means of trans
portation, some travellers asserting that
the lake is SO thoroughly frozen that
it can always be crossed in winter
without danger, and others contending
that it is nothing better than death
trap. Probably the most trustworthy
statement on the subject is that made
by the Russian ministry of ways of
communication, in one of its official
publications, which is to the follow
ing effect:
The lake begins to freeze in No
vember, but is never frostbound before
the middle of December or the be-
ginning of January. This fact cannot
be explained by the absence of cold.
but only by the unsteadineSS and agi-
tation of the water surface. Being
frostbound for a period of from four
to four and a half months the lake
has an ice cover sometimes nine and
a half feet deep.
There is no stornier body of water
in the world than Lake -Baikal. It's
extraordinary unsteadiness is partly
explained by the great depth of the
water. Strong northwestern winds
called "sorma" spring up in moment.
like tropical squalls, and produce
short, high waves that speedily en-
gulf small vessels sailed by unskilled
hands Storms occur constantly, ex-
cepting during June and July, when
the lake is almost calm. During this
lull, numerous aquatic plants grow on
the surface of the water, and the
dwellers along the shores call this time
''the blossoming of BaikaI.''
The mountains bordering the lake
assume peculiar shapes, and, protrud-
ing into the water form numerous
capes. Eighty of these capes, more
characteristic than the others, have re-
ceived names according to their shapes
or color or some other peculiarity. The
native tribes living along the shores
attach superstitious legends to many
of these cliffs and capes, and thus
it comes about that many points on
the shores of stormy Baikal and it's
Islands are venerated as sacred spots
even in the present day.
The ShamanS and lama priests of
the Buriat tribes consider the island
of Olkhon, in the lake, as the dwelling
place of the evil spirit Begdozi. and
they offer frequent sacrifices to him.
The Russian Academician Georgi
who visited the island in 1772, said
that the number of sacrifices made
there was astounding. They were hu-
man sacrifices in his day but of