Norwich bulletin., 1915-09-23
RussIA's NEW RAILROAD
ROUTE INTO PERSIA
Built Through Southern Trans cauea-
STA and of Considerable Strategic
Value.
tspeclal to The Rulletin.l


Washington. D. c., Sept 22.-In view |
of the unrest all along the Russo-Per- |
sian boder. which. according to press |
dispatches. has grown more intense |
with each passing month of the war, a
sketch of Russia's new route, a rail-
way route, into Persia, takes on con-
siderable timely interest. Thi new
liae, planned and constructed just
previous to the war when Russia's
interest reached out beyond southern
Transcaucasia into the northern parts
o fthe weakening and wildly governed
territories of the Shah, Is described
in a bulletin just issued by the Ma
uonal Geographic Society. As roads
in TrauScaucasia are built upon the
Spanish principle of keeping people of
important bearing upon the nlainten-
ance of order at the boundary The
bulletin reads:(
There are two routes from Europe
to Teheran. One through Russia to
Baku. the oil city on the Caspian
thence by steamer to Resht, aud, fin
ally. by road to the Persian capital.
road built and kpet up by Russia This
route is the older route. The secord
way. made possible by railway con-
struction through southern Transcau-
casia. which, today. has considerable
strategic value, is the product OF re-
cent Russian labors The traveller by
this route sets out from Tiflis, the
capital of the Causasus, takes a tes in
south over Alexandropol and Erivan
thence to Nakhitchevan, the first city
founded by Noah after abandoning the
Ark upon. neighboring Arardt, and
passing down the valley OF the Araxes
where the Armenians place Eden he
passes the international boundary at
DJulfa- From here. the traveller goes
by another Russian road to Tabriz
Conditions of travel upon the Max
hltchevan railway are very discourage
ing to people inexperienced in Russian
branch lines. The trains seldom arrive
or leave anywhere according to sche-
dule, and their progress Is deliberate
in the extreme. The way lies through
country intensely hot during a great
part of the year and the cars used on
the line are constructed after the most
advantageous manner for catching and
retaining all possible heat. Moreover
the fares are cheap and the way is
patronized heavily by swarms of Asia
tics, malordorous and neighborly
The trains, in pre-war days. had a
way OF leaving important stations be-
tween three and six o'clock in the
mornings. The wayside stations were
miserable shanties, where widest con-
fusion reigped. Buying tickets at the
small novels. which housed the ticket
Offices. meant the business OF a free
for-all fight in the midst of jostling
crew of excited Orientals. Moreover,
one must go with the crowd on this
| line to the Persian border, because no
first-class carriages are operated there
on. Among other drawbacks one
soon has the knowledge forced upon
| him that his fellow passengers are
verminous.
The cars are dirty. They are old.
| uncomfortable. and iH-ventilated. The
seats are narrow and covered with
| white canvas, the covering usually
| turned brown and yellow with accum-
| ulations of evidence from the hands
land clothing Of the railways patrons
| The third-class cars resemble the
American bo-car. only they are much
smaller. Both the second-class and
packed as tightly as space will per-
/ nit.
Much of the scenery along the way
Is very beautiful. The way through
the Araxes valley. wide at first and.
| farther on. narrowing between ridging
mountains. lies. in the beginning,
through an inviting country of vine
| yard and orchard. Farther toward
the Persian border. the country be-
comes desolate. Stations are few,
| and for the most part, are mere wood
en- sheds or disused freight cars. Gap
ing Tartar and Persian throngs lounge
! before them to see the occasional
trains pass. At all stations. one sees
the frontier-guarding Cossacks and
blue-clothed Russian police AT each
station, the train of peace-time stop
ped at least a half an hour and, often,
| longer. From Ulukhanlu, the interior
end Of this last lap of the border rail-
way. to Djulfa is a distance of about
las miles. In case of difficulties in her
district along the Persian boundary,
Russia could throw protecting forces
INTO thsi region in short order over her
recent railway"
/ Norfolk.-on opening the building