The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-09-19
Losr sIaERIAN RAILwAY.

I How First steel road of NortherE
Asia NIysterIouHIy DIsnPPeared.
Near Irkutsk. in central Siberia, is
series of rapids on the Angrara river.
After manr disasters the river trans
port companies decided IN the-early sew
entes Of tire last century to build 4 short
railroad for traasshlpment OF freight
around the rapids. The twelve mile
road was probably the first railroad
built in Asia outside of india, and GER
taiuly the first one built in northern.
Asia.
There was no regular service, about
two trips eacl way being made week,
rs cargo offered. With the improve
rlent of the rouds through this region
by the Russian government tratiic on
this part OF the river was gradually
abandoned aud the railroad finally fell
into disusc. Tie locomotive was nc-
quired by a farmer 70 be used once
year 10 drive a tlIrashing machine, the
cars were taken OF on bHrges and
towed away and the line abandoned.
Some fifteen years later the locating
engineers o. the Siberian railroad, en-
tering this part of Siberia, heard
rumors of a railroad which had existed
many years previously. This IS vast
region of sierra, forest tundra, steppe
and-h are and thereof rinc Cuntrans-
Enthusiastically quick mud''), and
presented great difficulties for railroad
construction. News OF an abandoned
line which had been successfully OPP
Grated was. therefore, received with
much interest and search was made
for the road.
The freight sheds were finally discov-
cred and then the line OF the road
l. .aFk
but no trace of the rails or roadbed
could be found. The right Of way was
much overgrown with underbrush and
bordered with the dense forest and was
almost as black and cold as a mountain
tunnel the sun being just visible light
ing up the topmost branches of the
giant frs The railroad itself had COM
pletely Misrepresentation a rail, not
sleeper, only an occasional suggestion
now and then of what had once been
rude cross drainage bitches.
In an effort to find the track picks
were driven as far as they would go
into the earth. only to bare masses OF
tangled roots. The railroad was lost.
1t could not have been burnt up, be-
cause there had been no fires, nor
stolen and carried or piecemeal, for
the region was totally lacking in popu-
lull hAuLGVNGAY NAAG NAA AANAE9Gs
houses remained with their locks In
tact and packages of overlooked goods
In good condition within them. 1t is
believed to nave been n case of gradual
subsistence.
The unballasted truck through the
forest, gradually depressed by few
years traffic naturally became drain
age conduit for the surface winter OF
the forest, rendering in time the sub
soil spongy throughout. The sig
nlficance OF the fact that the line was
much overgrown is most curious, in that
this underground probably owed much
Of its origin and profusion to the tax
ing root OF the submerged tree length
ties There was never any ballast and
In some unusually warm summer 1t is
probable TINT the water soaked tree
sleepers, weighted down by the cum
brous pig iron rails. sank beneath the
surface ana there sprouted.-Electrical
Review.
Safe and reliable, Youngs Head
,che Powders, 1Oc. JanS9LL.