El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-04
NO OBSTACLES
BAR RUSSIANS
IN HUGE TASK
Gar Draws a Straight Line,
Railroad Is Built De-
spite Great War.
PRISONERS ARE
USED AS WORKERS

7 ONDON. Eng, Dec "A Norwe-
gian writer and traveller. Edward
WelIe Strand. has just returned
from an extensive trip through Russia,
where he had seen a work OF engi-
] neering which is destined to mark a
/ new era in the development Of that
huge country It is the railroad Just
built from Petrograd to semenova. an
icefree port on the Thurman coast OF the
Arctic ocean.
In the midst OF the gigantic war.
critical to the cars empire. that coun-
trZ which astonished the world By
abOlishing the drink evil By single
stroke Of the cars pen, has once more
surprised everybody by finding the
strength to build a railroad system
Of the highest Importance IN more than
one way
Gar Draws Line. Road FOucTE.
II is under certain conditions q great
advantage to be ruled autocratically-
1t is said that when the railroad from
PetrOgrad to Moscow was TO be built
Gar Alexander II drew a straight lire
between the two cities on the map
to show the route and in spite OF enor-
nous difficulties. the Russian engi-
neers built the line practically without
In the same manner the new rail-
road from PetrOgrad to Semenors.
which is OF the greatest military i'm
pOrtance TO Russia, was built IN a
straight line through forests and
across almost impenetrabls swamps-
When the war is over, the names OF
Thurman and SsmenOva- absolutely IN
known TO the world few months ago.
are not destined to be forgotten It
was the heroic admiral Makaroff,
blown up with his ship during the
Russo-Japanese war. who first point
part OF northern Russia Colonization
began almost Immediately with the
founding OF AlexandroTsk IN 1899
When last year II was announced
that the car had decided to build a
great new Russian port IN the ice
free bay OF Kola and connect IL with
PetrOgrad by a gigantic railroad net
the Germans laughed How could Rus
STA possibly lind workers TO begin
and carry through this amazing IN
dertaking in the midst OF 4 war with
the worlds greatest military power
Builds Road While Raising Armies.
The kaiser has since had ample op-
pOrtunity to realize the practically IL
exhaustible resources OF human mate.
rial which Russia is always ready 10
place ar the disposal OF the car. While
equipping new armies OF no J. IS than
eight million men, Russia has found
no difficulty in keeping a force OF
$4,000 hardy young men at work on
the new Thurman railroad
During the last twelve months these
thousands Of workers. starting stimuli
taneously at both ends have blasted
their way through the vast wilderness
Of the Russian north steel has
clashed against steel and black tun-
neIs have orened their mouths to the
white daylight at the command OF the
great white car. The quadruple rib
bon OF steel rails has been forced
ahead under high pressure through
Quagmires and black mountains
n. - 90 has rn1farc4 the
other. Differences between night and
day has not existed TO the Russian en-
gineers and Workingmen. and the
thunder OF the blasts has been ike
the roar Of the guns in great battle
in Champagne or Artois-
Prisoners OF War Are Used.
Thousands OF German and Austrian
prisoners OF war were sent there -
help and under humane treatment they
have done excellent work
The Russian workers have blasted
the way and built the wide fOadbed
the wilderness. while the Ger
the rails During the entire period
these gigantic armies OF workers have
camped in tents. movable white cities
on the desolate tundras-
From its very start the railroad
crosses 2 chain OF lakes large and
small. and q number OF swift torrents
with rapids and cataractS before II Is
blasted through the mountainous Kola
peninsula. a maze Of granite noun
tains- Here are nearly 100 tunnels
and the whole country IS wild and IN
Inhabited Immense forests and lakes
follow mountains and roaring rivers
where waterfalls. harnessed In tur-
Dines. supply sufficient electric power
for the entire system
The Russian engineers have laid
down the road in such a manner thar
not only does It constitute a lane OF
great Importance under present con-
iitiOns. but when the war is over the
Wild beauty OF the magnificent scenery
will attract thousands OF tourists from
II parts OF the world. It viii, besides,
ap vast districts Astounding in min
raj wealth