The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-17
GETTING AROUND LAKE BAIKAL
ONE RESULT OF JAPANESE WAR
on SIBERIAN RAILWAY.

southern Extremity OF Lake Basin.
One great dihiculty in the way Of the
great Siberian Railway was Lake Baikal.
Lake Baikal Is one Of the largest sheets OF
inland water In the world, and the question
which had 70 DO faced was, says Engineering,
how Il was 70 be passed. Two policies pre-
sented themselves: hrst, to provide a great
floating ferry, or, secondly, TO make a loop
line around the lake. Both these policies
we're pursued. .
The present Gear, who as CzaTevitch
was president OF the Siberian Railway
Commission, mastered every detail by per-
sonaliy plodding over every inch Of the
country traversed, and In the first instance
II was decided to provide a great floating
ferry. With this view a steel steamer
Of great sire was sent out pieoemeal and
put together again upon the shores OF the
vast lake,
The stedmer, which was named the Baikal,
was made Of Siemens-M Martin steel, and Il 10
700 feet long by 81 feet beam. Her displace-
ment IL 400 tons when loaded, INC she 10
capable Of attaining q speed OF II knots.
The Baikal 10 not only q floating ferry, but
an extremely powerful Toe breaker. Lake
Baikal being frozen over every winter. A
smaller ferry vessel, named the Angara,
was also completed In 1900; she IL 1895 feet
long by 81 feet beam and is fitted with
engines working up TO 1,2SO horsepower.
The Baikal lie capable Of carrying ~ cars
on three tracks, while her cabins can also
accommodate about $50 passengers. The
Angara has been used almost exclusively
for the transfer Of passengers.
Farseeing a. the ferry arrangements
were they were in practice not altogether
sufficient, and accordingly surveys were
commenced for a cir~cum-Baikal railway
in 1898. The surveys were continued for no
loss han twelve years. and four routes
were surveyed and found possible. Three
Of these routes were up the Irkut n its
tributaries from points near lrkutsk, and
then through a narrow ridge to Kultuk
on the souths shore of the lake.
The adoption Of any OF these plans would
ave involved the virtual abandonment Of
the line already constructed up the Angara
to Lake Baikal, and In the end the plan was
adopted Of building a line along the lake
shore, notwithstanding the considerable
difficulties which IL presented. The direc-
ton finally chosen for the line through its
length OF 244 versts Ia around the southern
extremity OF the Baikal basin.
The line Ia divided into two s~eotions-the
western from Baikal station to Kultuk sta
ton and the eastern from Kultuk station
to Mysovaya. The shore Of the western
part Of Lake Baikal, from the source OF the
AnRara to Kultuk, Is a rocky ridge OF 1900
feet above the level. The outline 10 very
much broken by a series Of bays separated
by a row OF steep capes and cliffs. The
construction Of the western section line
was accordingly attended with many tech
meal difficulties. Following the outlines
Of the broken rocky shore with curves OF
limited radius, the line in many places cuts
through the capes and cliffs by tunnels
and crosses the ~ravines, mountain torrents
and bays on extensive bridges and viaducts.
In order TO protect the roadbed from the
action Of the surf q minimum height OF
thirty feet above the level OF the lake was
adopted.
The rock work amounted to as much as
lOO, 600 cubic yards a mile. 1t was thought
when the route was adopted that the rock
was 40 solid that only about one-third 81
the total tunnel length would require
masonry; but it was found hat while much
Of the rock was granite, it had been 80
affected by volcanic and earthquake con-
ditions as to be wholly unreliable. As an
illustration Of this II may be noted thai
rain water was found in some places per-
oolating through 100 feet OF rock, The
western section, eighty and a half versts,
or fHty-three miles. a thirty-eight tun-
nels OF a total length OF more than four
miles. There are also fourteen masonry
galleries, or artificial tunnels, to protect
the trains and roadbed from falling rocks
and l~andslides, and about 100 other pieces
OF CONSTITUTIONAL work, one being a long
steel bridge which carries the line across
an arm Of the lake.
The establishment of the eastern section
was a much easier matter. The neighbor-
ing mountains are higher than those on the
eastern section, but they are further re-
moved from the lake, along which runs a
broad Cat strip OF land much more favorable
for railway const rnction. Only one tunnel
occurs upon the eastern section. and this
Is only ESQ feet long. On the OF Their hand
many torrential streams had to be crossed
by bridges running up to 500 feet in length.
The length OF the eastern section is 10S
versts, or IOs miles. and the bridges COM
prise ten stone culverts. lSe bridges with
spans amounting altogether to 2,lOo feet
and IS other bridges with spans amounting
altogether to 1851 feet
The circum- Baikal line was originally
designed to accommodate seven trains each
way a day. The breaking out OF the war
in the extreme East proved, however, that
his was altogether insufficient, and when
hostilities commenced sidings were put in
every eight miles or less, so that three times
the original humber Of trains could be ao-
| co~mmodated. The water supply, was also
proportionately rearranged. The maxi
| mum gradient on the line is 8 IA 900, and
! that Of tunnels AZ in 1000. All tunnels
are wide enough TO allow double tracks 10
be laid, although only one track is laid at
present. The gauge is the ordinary Russian
5 feet, and the rails weigh ~ pounds a
The bridges are OF stone with upper works
OF steel, and the viaducts are partly Of stone
and partly of stone and steel. The line
was built by contract. the inspection was
close, and the works were completed at a
much earlier date than at first seemed posi-
BILE. Mr.. Savrimo witch was the chief enRi-
neer. The cost Of the line, including a
harbor for Toe breakers at Tankoy, was
IS, 626, E5 rubles, or an average Of $40, 900
rubles a mile. The repairs and altera-
tons have since increased the total ex-
penditure TO 0O,000y00O rubles, and various
improvements such a. retaining walls and
galleries, are still being added. The stations
and other houses are principally constructed
Of brick, and on the western section they
are built in some places on benches cut In
the hills above, the narrow strip along the
shore being FULLY occupied by the railway
properly so-called.
There is something American about ths
circum-B aikAl railway, Prince KhilkoH
who received his training upon the Penn
sylvania system, having had a good deal
to do with Il. When the late war with
japan broke out the ciroum-Baikal line
was still incomplete. n with the view OF
meeting the military pressure OF the mo-
ment a track was laid down across the ice
from Baikal TO Tankoy. Troops arriving
- I.Nr.tnaI ~ p.sL.P