Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-05
NAMES HITHERTO I Nix \oWN,
Will. NOT ~. FORGOTTEN

When the war is over the names Of
thurman and Scmenova. absolutely un-
known to the world Il feyx short months
ago. are not destined 10 bc forgotten.
II WAS tn" heroic admiral MakarofC.
blown up with his ship during the
Russo apancse War. VINO first pointed
out the great possibilities OF this part
OF Northern Russia. Colonization he
gan almost immediately with the
founding Of Al"Nandrovsk in 1895
When last year IL was announced
that the Gear had decided 10 build :,
great new Russian por, IN the icc-frce
Bay o: Kola and connect II with Pctro-
grad ny a gigantic railroad net. tho
Germans laughed. How could Russia
possibly ind workers 20 begin and
carry through this amazing under
taking in the midst OF a war with the
worlds greatest military power?
The Kaiser has since had ample OPP
portuni,y 10 realize the practically in
-xhaus,;blc resources OF human ma
,erial which Russia is always ready to
place At the disposal OF the Gar
While calling to the colors. training
and cGuipping new armies OF no less
than 100000 men. Russia has found
TO difficulty III Keeping a force OF 20. 900
hardy young men AZ work on the new
thurman railroad.
During the last twelve months these
thousands OF workers. starting stimuli
ianeously at both ends. have blasted
their way through the vast wilderness
OF the Russian north. Steel has
FLASHED against steel. and black tunnels
have opened their mouths TO the white
daylight AT the command Of the great
white Gear. The quadruple ribbon of
steel rails has been forced ahead under
high pressure through quaGmircs and
black mountains.
one shift OF men has relieved the
other. Difference between night and
day has no, existed to the Russian
engineers aud worliinsnen. and the
thunder OF the blasts has been like the
roar OF the guns in a great battle in
Champagne or -Artois
Thousands of German and Austrian
prisoners OF war We're sent there to
help, and under humane treatmeu; they
have done excellent work.
RUSSIANS BLAST WAY
AND PRISONERS LAY RAILS
The Russian workers have blasted
The way and built the wide roadbed
through the wilderness. while the Ger
man and Austrian prisoners have laid
the rails. During the entire period
these gigantic armies of workers have
campcd in tents. movable white cities
on the dcsolatc tundras
The Thurman railroad proper starts
ut kandalaks. on the White Sea. as the
closing link of the great new railroad
system Pctrograd-k -Kandalaks-
thurman coast
From it's very start the railroad
crosses a chain Of lakes large and
small. and number OF swift torrents
with rapids and cataracis before il is
blasted through the mountainous Kola
Peninsula. n maze Of granite noun
iains Here are nearly 100 tunnels.
and the whole country is wild and un-
inhabited. Immense forests and lakes
follow mountains and roaring rivers.
where waterfalls. harncSScd in tur-
bincs. supply sufficient electric power
for the entire system.
The russian engineers have laid
down the road in such "a manner that
uu, only does il constitute Il line OF
great Importance under present con
wild beauty OF the magnificent scenery
will attract thousand" of tourists from
All parts Of the world. 1t will. besides,
tap vast districts Astounding i'm mincra
wealth. These districts which belong
to the Russian government. will il IS
said. in the course of n few years nav
not only the cost of the construction
Of tho whole road but the immense
war debts as we'll.