Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-07
GOSSIP ABOUT THE WAR.
Men and Measures Conspicuous IN tho
Struggle.

A late issue of Engineering gives
detailed information about the recent
~ completed link in the TransSiOcriaH
railway around the south end OF Lake
Baikal. The purpose of the line Is to
avoid the DELAYS incident to the ferry
service across a body of water ire
quently swept by storms ana co'.r.'
with ice four months of the year. Inc
new section is 16l miles III length, pu!
the most difficult work was reuu'reu
between stations known as baikai an"
X altuk. which are fifty-tnree hliieS
apart. This part of the route was
chosen from several that had been sur
veyed because it had II" Steep sraoes'
The quality of the rock TO De tu'
seemed more satisfactory than tnat
elsew here, and a piece of road pre-
viously built from Irkutsk to BalNa'
could be- utilized. otherwise thirty or
forty miles of track would have been
wasted.
Along the shore from Baikal to kui-
tux the mountains rise abruptly 10 Il
height of from coo to 100 1eet' ana IN
most places the cliff is aDsoluteiF
vertical. Thir;y-tWo tunnels nave
been needed. whose aggregate length is
three ana one-half miles. and one of
hich is nearly half mile long. III
asmuch rs the rock is otteh loose there
il was found exrcdient 10 nile THESE
passages To practically their "hoie tA-
trrt with heavy brickWork' as pre-
caution against cavlng. Even thls
safeguard may not prove invariably
effective. The region is subject t"
earthquakes. which invite lahd snoes
on the open part of the line ana threat
en- to cause ii collapS" "l the tunhtiS.
Again, there are almost countless
,i,fts in the rock. and small streams
enptEing into the lake. The balkai-
kultuk section includes no fewer than
90 bridges. Tor,cntial rains are not
uncommon in the vicinity. and as
much as eight inches of water has fal-
To-, there in a single day. This is
about as much as is ever pfecipitat"o
bv a tropical cyclone. and the fact Is
unpl.asantly suggestive of washouts.
However, the :,ll-rail line is of great
value in expediting military supplies
INT the ferry service will be continued
az heretofore, so that n break in one
will not block transportation to the
front
There. are certain features of the
J:lal,es. army which are wholly ms
tinctire ana which separate 1t from an
tho armies Of the wcrld.' says a writer
in Lcslie's Weekly IAN invitation 10
:, hard concert 1T headquarters
function 50 little INDUCED in by the
Juparese and so Ialpably q foreign IN
uov:.iion--brought home this train OF
reelection with especial force. IN AT
temrting TO anal!ze the subject some
Of th. factors seem to he these: Ihcre
is no pa,IOply of war; there are ht'et
any observations effects. 1t is fight
ing machine. pure and simple. divested
Of all trappngs. tinsel. and slitteFlhs
marital display. Quiet, sober. Serious
the general no more conSplcuouS-cN-
crpt for a fine dappie-gray horse-th'h
th,. cavalry trooper: the colonel OF 1901
is modestlv dressed as the private IN
his ranks. A modern army. run on
plain, business principles; no spectacu-
lar demonstrations: no dare-u'Nh H.
n. ir-raising taking of chances with the
Ipmy but Il grim. silent ana Stedi' ny
preparedness. to take advantage OF the
slightest false move on the part OF the
adversary. No sporting SE'lfii' Il
meet your enemy two. three. -FOUR 10
o,,. if possihla. AID ovcrwhelm him.
And. when The time comes TO oie Ill
the alta *, sacrifice your life as uedl
" rs possible. making use OF every oi'
OF co"cr. bu. die uncomplaininsly.