The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-03-01
The Trans Siberian Railroad.

The Russian Secretary of State and
His Excellency Prince Khilkoff, de-
scribes in Golfers of February rs the
great work on the longest railroad in
the world, and in part says:
The Trans-Siberian Railroad has sue
cessfully met the severe strain which
the war has imposed upon it, and it
will continue to do so. AT the outset of
the war, many of our foreign critics
predicted that it would break down;
that it could not possibly transport the
troops, their impedimenta and supplies,
which would be necessary to enable US
to defeat our enemy. How their pre-
diction has been fulfilled is shown by
the result. We have transported to
Manchuria up to this time about three
hundred thousand men; we are now
transporting about four hundred thou
sand more. We have been sending
hundreds of guns, thousands of horses,
and countless tons of ammunition and
supplies. We have conveyed all the
Red Gross offerings, hospital equip
ment, lumber for barracks-everything
in fact that an army requires. At the
same time we have carried freight for
the inhabitants of Siberia, to whom
the railroad is a vital artery.
When the war came or we appre-
ciated in st. Petersburg that the rail
road would be put to a very severe
test. We did not have enough sidings
to ensure the prompt passage of trains.
1t was, of course, important that the
cars should come back from the East,
for they were needed not only for the
wounded and to bring supplies waiting
along the route to European Russia,
but to return with reinforcements and
supplies. So / started for SIBERIA last
winter, impressed with the necessity of
bulldog additional sidings Immediately.
In the first nine months of the war we
built and put into operation two hun
dred of these sidings. The magnitude
of this work will appeal to any engin-
eer. Besides constructing these sid
oiiSo Il Viz SoiIlDlCIlOii VI JilS
railroad around the great Lake Baikal.
Personally I did not see the need of
this branch. We had on the lake two
ice breakers, one of which is American
in thought, in design, in everything, in
fact, save construction, for it was built
in England. 1t is similar to some of
the big steamers you have on the Great
Lakes. 1T can make four round trips a
day. On the lower deck on each trip it
can carry twenty-eight w~agonloads of
supplies; on the main deck two thou
sand men, and on the upper deck three
hundred horses. The other ice breaker
is smaller and is used as an auxiliary.
For five years these ice breakers have
out a hitch. They could have continued
to do without difficulty. But the militia
ry thought it advisable that there should
not be a single break in the line, and
to meet their wishes | built the circum-
Baikal branch. The distance across the
lake is only forty kilometres; the
length of the circum-Baikal line is two
hundred kilometres. 1t was a difficult
work. We had to build forty tunnels;
we had to cut the rock down in some
places in order to form the roadbed. 1t
was a hard job, but we finished it, and
the road is now in operation.
~ owe my whole life to Burdock
Blood Bitters. S%crofulous sores covered
my body. Iseemed beyond cure. b. b. b.
has made me a perfectly well woman"
Mrs. Chas. Hutton, Berville, Mich.