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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1896)
TTTE CmATTA DAILY 11ISC18MIJRK 20. 1890. 21 CZAR'S ' RAILWAY MANAGER \ An Interview with the Ohiof of Construc tion of the Great Siberian Road. PRINCE HILLKOFF IN HIS WORKSHOP Iniliiirliitu-f | ItiiHNla mul Hie AVorlil t > f Ilio TriiiiMiioliilli' Triinl < lliu * _ KstliiinlCH of I lie Cost of ( lie ConiplHi-il Iliiiul. ( CopyrlKlit , IBM. by Thoims O. Allen , Jr. ) Ono of the most memorable episode * of my recent Journey through Siberia occurred at the city of Kinsnoyarsk , the present eastern tnrmlmiH of the Transslbcrlan railway. Hy a for tuna'o ' coincident my arrival at this point , on icti.rnlng from a Journey lo the head waters of the Ycnroul river beyond the Chliuno border line , occurred on the sumo day ns the advent of Prince lllllkoff , who was then on a tour of Inspection of Russia's great Flbcilan railway enterprise. I had heard much of Russia's able minister of ways pud communications , and , although un acquainted with him , personally , had already experienced , at his telegraphed request , many favors at the hands of thu Siberian railway officials. I , therefore , hastened to take advantage of the opportunity thus at- fordjJ to call upon his excellency , In order to thank him personal ! } for his several courtesies and to secure. If possible , thn views of BO high an authority on the question of the Great Siberian railway for the special ntudy of which my present journey had been undertaken. In thu landau of my Krasnoyarsk host , I dorvo. the next trornlng to the private rtn- Idenco net apart for the use of Prince lllll koff during his brief sojourn. A plain civil ian attendant ushered mo up the carpeted stoop and Into n spacious , though plainly furnished reception room. Everything wan very Informal. There were no Rtatuo-llko KuartU standing at every threshold with presented arms ; none of that frigid ceremony and awful secrecy which pervades nearly all thu higher offices of Russian olllclaldnm 1 was , therefore , partially prepared for the democratic and even cordial manner which marked the reception of Prince IllllkolT. hlni- eclf , and which , though Innately characterIstic - Istic , was no doubt fostered by his early ca reer In the United States of America. lie did mo the honor to say , on shaking my hand , that he had rend with great Intercut. my adventitious Journey "Across Asia on 11 Hlcyclo , " made some three years before , and was very pleased to ha\u the opportunity or knowing mi ; personally. Over an hour waa spent In delightful conversation about his well remembered experiences In America , and though more reluctantly related , bin sub sequent marvellous advancement , thinugh many positions of trust and responsibility , to one of the highest olllciu of hlci country AN UNCONVENTIONAL I'RINCi : . Yet there was nothing about either th" garb or the manner of the mnn , to Indicate his exalted rank. As he at before mo 'n ' civilian suit with one arm akimbo an the J table , his hair disheveled , nnd cravat untied , f ho lookul the very picture of American un- ,1 conventionality ; and th' ' In n high dignltarv of a country where foimallty Is coiwldered an tissc-ntlal concomitant of ofllclal position , .was very striking Indeed. My favorable Im- prrtwlon wrs only deepened by his unostenta tious nnd even modest demeanor. "Ye's , " ho said , "my present duties came upon me very unexpectedly ; PO much so , In fact , that I have never considered m > elf quite prepared for them. I have often wished that I could have had tlmo for a more thor ough InvesMgatlon of the work which I am now expected to perform " I did not tell his excellency In reply that no man to my knowledge had ever come up thiough all the ntagcs of railway operation , from fireman on a locomotive In America , o the chief of nil the rallv.aja In the Russian empire , and who , therefore , was more thor oughly equipped for his great work than he The cxtiemo practical nature of the mvi was rather strikingly exhibited only a few days before whllo on his way from St. Pctera- hurg to Krasnoarvik. I was Informed by a traveling comnanlon of the prince that on one occasion during their Journey , when the rate oi peed was not fast enough to suit his excellency , ho ordered the train ntopjifd. boaided thu locomotlvit and took hold of the throttle himself to the great astonishment of the startled engineer. As I had hoped our Interesting converoi- tlon turned nt length upon the great Siberian rallvv.i } and the Important part It was ex pected to rlay In the future of the Russha umpire The editions ho vouchsafed on Ink Mibjeot In answer lo my Interrogatories art worth recording at 001110 length , as coming from ono who IP , no doubt , ono of the be t ov Kussla'H railway authorities. WILL IT PAY ? I ventured , among other question ! ) , to ask If the S.W.000.000 roubles entailed by the SI- tiernlan railway could over possibly prove remunerative * In the strict sense of the word. "Theio nro many advantages , " said Prince HlllUofi , after fcomo reflection , "which may ho attained by the government In this great enterprise , that nro not mibject to arith metical computation. For lnt > tunce , the prin cipal barrier to the development of culture In Siberia lt > tlio absence of regular communica tion. Comuquently. when this great obitaclu la removed thu caiircs wllf > disappear , which , for PII long a time , have rutiuded the regular peopling of this extensive and richly endowed region and the culture of tl.o aborigines und settlers " Prince Illllkoff here reiclied over 'or an atlas on ono of the adjoining tables it ml , opening It to the map of tUla , continued : "If } ou will glance at this map here , you will observe that the Transslbcrlan rallwa ) In Us 7 tf veiat course to thu Pacific embraces a zone not less than 100 verets on either I sldo of the line , or about I.GOO.OOO ciquare verets. You will also see that this enormous area , which , by the way. exceuds the whole extent of central Ku/one. lies In the mean geographlcftl latitudes , and , as regards ell- inuto and soli , poruessea all the eiualltlca fa > vorahlo to the development of agilcultUM and Its attendant Industries. Furthermore the chtvHMi route of the railway , bmlde-s em- hraclng the rlchrat dcposltrt of the noblj metals , connects the extensive banliis of all -Vve largest rivers of Siberia -Ob , Ycnesel and Amour and part of the Lena basin. I believe without ix doubt that the line , when once laid , will glvet a powerful Impetus to the whole economical development of the coun try. " KIIBR LANDS FOIl SRTTLKRS. Turiiltig to the moru Intlmato Inlluoncco of the Great Siberian railway , I asked his excellency what relief ho thought thla ave nue of emigration would afford for the c.xcrcii uf'tho labor contingent ami Ifimllcus poai- anti-j In many parts of iuroii-au : | Hiisala , "To relieve thp excess of which > ou oprak , the Kovernnitiiit has already grunted frc/j lamia to aettlers In the unpopulated fcitllt districts of European Husala. and for their ln'iiullt a cheap rate has been tlxed for con voying them by rail : In uomo CUHMI they havrt uvvn ri'culved loan * of money from the Kovornmene to nnslut them In the difficulty of cnilRratlnK anil acquiring new household goods. Hut thanks to the Immediate rail connection , which will thu be afforded be tween the "Oranary of Siberia" and thone parts of the empire where * n lack of land U apparent , thl enterprise should pro\o an ex cellent emigration regulator Kroin the ex tent already given of eultable colonizing land In Siberia , It may bo expected that , In iplt of the present tidal wave of Immigration this country will for a long lime bo ablf t rccelv > freely all who are desirous of avail Ing themselves of Itn productive power. " Regarding t10 | mineral wealth of Siberia Prln-c Hlllkoff waxed somewhat enthusiast ! and more than corroborated my own ROII oral opinion , formed from personal ubsctva tlon. 'Hctont Investigations , " eald he , "hav fthnwn how enormous are the rlchea In th hoA-els of this country and what Ilttlo us has been made of thrm up to the prwen time. Iron and coal , the two great factor of Industrial development , are found nearl over all Siberia and In very rich veins. Th proper working of these riches will glv a powerful advancement to the dcvcloi ment of progress in Siberia. Mineral fue also , which Is of such great Importance I woiklng n railway line , has been dlsrovcrot in such quantities In the formations tin hive bee i Investigated that the trans-.slher Ian rallvay v,111 he nuppltcd for very man > cars to come. In addition this fact , how c/er , wood Is In many places so cheap tha It can miccesjfully compete xvlth coal , cs pcclally In those parts of the route whlc aie Intersected by navigable river. * , alon which the wood may be Moated. THi : .MINING INDUSTRY. "The Siberian railway , " he added "wll no doubt have a great Influence upon goli mining. This Industry , heretofore , has enl prospered where very auriferous formation were worked ; many of them have ben neglected only beoci'se the price of labor am machinery did not admit of th"lr lioln worked with sulllclent profit. In America 1 believe , and In other countries , vvher gold mining Is carried on , much poorer bed are worked , and. therefore , the output I larger than In Siberia. The Siberian rail way will facilitate and cheapen the carrlag of stores and Implements to the gold mine and also Increase the supply of labor , fioi , an Insutllclcncy of which many of the mine are now suffering. " Turning to the question of the Inllucnc of the railway upon the extension of loca trade. Prince IIIIIKoff expressed the belle that this Inllucnce would be most consider able. "Many articles of raw materials , for whlc there Is at present no local demand , vvll Mnd a ready finkat more distant markets and at the name time , tlu.nks to the raph transport of goods , the > rapid fluctuation I the prlcea of necessaries ami the cxcecdlngl high prices current at piiMent , will no longe exist. " I would add hero , on my own account , tha all the advantages above mentioned bj Prince IllllkolT nro those which will Immc dlately result from the opening of the Tians Siberian railway , and which have to do , more or less , with Russia's Internal and domestic policy ; the whole extent of Its actual Im portnnco to Russia as a source of forulzi revenue was. however , a subject of n some what moro delicate nature , which I'rlucc Hlllkorf could hardly venture to discuss will the same propriety and freedom. In ordci to comprehend , In fart the probable far reaching consequences of the enterprise , boll to the world In general and to Russia in par ticular , we must take Into consideration the uninterrupted railway communication whlcl will thus be established betv.ccn Kuropo am the Pacific and the far east. This was clearly understood by the RuisUn ircrchaiits whoso representatives at the fair of Nlz'ml Novgorod In 1SS9 expressed their hopes con cerning this great enterprise in the following terms : "This railway will be of Immenst economic Importance to Russia , and will give a great Impulse to Russian Industry ; It wll connect 400.000.000 Chinese ami 35,030,000 Japanese with Hurope through Russia. The strenuous endeavors made by Germany to gain possession of the markets of the Pnclfle. and the efforts which have been made to eomplcto the Panama canal visibly show that the economic struggle already com menced will end on the Pacific ocean. The Canadian Pacific railway has now appropri ated part of the freights of slllc. tea and furs which previously reached Rurnpc througl the Suez canal. Undoubtedly part of these goods will pass through Russia , as the Jour ney from Huropo through Vladlvostock to Shanghai will bo made In eighteen or twentj da > s Instead of forty-five through the Sue ? canal , or thirty-five days at present by the Canadian Pacific railway. " INCRPTION OK Tlin WORK. Contrary to the usual method of dlscursloi tlu > conversation now turned from the proli able effects of the Transslberlau railway to Ita ofriclils and technical origin. I told his excellency that the execution of this gigantic railway enterprise on the part 01" Ru&sla wa- exciting consweriuic Kenuiin1 inivrrai uiuuim my own counti-ymen , and that , without wish Ing to annoj him with Intricate detalM , a few general stateni"nts made liv him icgard Ing Its ralson d'etre and mctho.l of con struction would , no doubt , bo greatly appre ciated by them. "Of America and the Americans , " salt Prince Illllkoff , In a manner that left no room to doubt his sincerity , "I still cheilsl the moat plecsant recollections , and I should take great pleasure In granting them oven n inurh Urgcr favor. " His excellency hero retired to one of the adjoining apartments and soon returned with an ofllclal looking pamphlet In his hand , the leaves of which ho wa hastily turning ovei as ho entered the room "On the llth of May. 1891. " he commenced , on lesumlng his seat at the table , the heir apparent to the Russian throne ( now Nlcho'a.s II ) , returned to Russian territory at Vladl- vcutock , after his long journey to the eaat , and there read thU memorable Imperial re ceipt of the 17th of March. 1SU. ! published at St Petersburg , In the- name of his Imperial lilishncss , the czarowlclr " 'Having now commanded the Immediate construction of a railroad through the entire length of Siberia with the object cf tannest- Ing thcso richly endowed province. * of Sl- lierla will * the Internal network cf railways I commission you to announce mich as my will on jour return to lUifiian territory , after having vlrltc < l the foreign lands of the cast. At the same tlmo I lay upon jcni the act cf Inaugurating the construction at the cxpenuo of the crown , of the Uwuri sootlon of the Grand Siberian railway at VlaJlvo- I'tock. ' " 'May your auspicious participation In this truly national work which I have undertaken , torvo us a fresh witness of my heartfelt de sire to facilitate the relations between Si beria and the other pmtlonu of the empire and In vuch wtua make known to tills region , which Is w doir to my heart , my liveliest care for Its pacific progrew. ' MKTIIODS OK CONSTRUCTION. "Thl decided the question of the construc tion of the Transslberlan railway , which had occupied the attention of the government and nation for over a third cf a century. Ills Imperial highness , the c/urowlch , In his sub sequent homeward voyage through the whole of Siberia from \'ladlvoi < tock to the Urals , becimo personally acquainted with many of the Inimedis'o need > of this portion of the cmplro and from that tlmo the problem cf the realization of this colostul work took a practical form. " "As for the method of construction. " he continued , turning to another "portion of the pamphlet. "I am at a Iws to know Just what to give you. The Siberian railway , piling through an enormous expanse of country , under the most widely differing topographical conditions , cannot bo all In- cl'uled In one general technical typo ; aii.1. on the other hand. It would be Impossible foi mo to vcnturo upon anythlug like a local description. " I Hero suggested tnai a tow ranuom nguren. ( elected from the data he had before him might not prove amiss to those who wished to gain some ge-neral ) dea of the subject. "Very well , then , " said ho. If you will take out your note book and pencil , wo will go over the ground together , and > ou can help mo to make the selections , " Thu limiting grades on the level country Hoctlons have been fixed at 0.006 to O.OOS and the radii of the curves at 1,750 feet ; In the mountainous sections the gradients have been taken from 0.015 to 0.0174 , and the radii at- KIO feet , The earthwork for a etnglo track of the ordlnury width la 10.45 feet wldo on the embankments und 1C. 10 feet wide In the CtltH. CtltH."Kor "Kor the p&Mago of water under the line and for crossing rivers , coat Iron and stone pipes and wooden bridges are laid , where the force of ( he Ice or the character of the HO | | da not present any obstacles ; over the largo rivers , how over , permanent Iron bridges with stone piers are built. Rails of 15,23 pounds weight per foot run are being used along the line on a layer of ballam ovtm-ejjchta of * foot thick under the bet tom of the rail. All crossings are left tin- guarded except those In towns or thickly populated points. ' "Tho greatest distance allowed between , the ntntlonn Is 3.1,11 tulles , which corresponds I to a running capacity of three sets of trains , In order to Increase this to seven sets of trains per twenty-four hours on the main line horizontal npacco have been planned In > order to admit of Intermediate utntlon.s and sidetracks In case of necessity. "Separate passenger buildings built of brick or wood and as small as possible are being erected only at thteo stations , where a largo number of passengers arc expected , or where It Is necessary to provide ) refreshment - | ment rooms ; at all other points some accom- ; modatlon Is set apart In dwelling houses for the requirements of the station service or the convcnlertco of casual passengers. It Is the plan to acquire stifllclent rolling slock for the Siberian railway to bo able to form ' three sets of army trains per twenty-four i hours , composed of sixty axles , one set of ' trains being composite , consisting of passen- i icr ; and freight cam. The engines are to be ' eight-wheeled , the papscnger cars partly i eight-wheeled and partly six-wheeled , and j the freight cars four-wheeled " nl IMATKD COST "Haacd upon these and othT technical con ditions. " Prli eo IllllkolT continued , "an estlI I mute of the ccst of building the Gie.it Slber- | Ian railway has been calculated , ( minding ! rails , fnstcnlrgs , rolling stock nnd perma nent bridge i across the largo rlverw The distribution of the expenses , according to the claitt of work Is shown In the table which I I now propose to give } ou This ratlmatc , however , does not Include the number of auxiliary measures which It was deemed ad visable to accomplish with the object , on the one hand , of facilitating and diminishing thn coat of the line Itself , ami on the other hand , of Increasing the Influence which It will cxcrrlso on the prosperity of Siberia To carry out such auxiliary enterpriser a sum of 20,000,000 roubles ( $10,000,000) ) has nl ready been put aside out of the Siberian railway - way building fund. " Ustlmnto of total cast of Transslbcrlan rallroj.l from Ural Mountains to Vladlvos- totl ; , 4,709 miles : A Coit pel Totnl co t. mlle Expropriation of Intnl..f 1,2'0,9H C,0 t 210 M Making llntlnct 3T.711.I14 00 7 OTC , 00 Cnnnriicllon of works. . Ri.221.9GO 0 7..1',3 31'H Appurtenances of line. . . 1.051 Ofi r,0 101 00 TflpRMipli S70tM ) lit ! 33 < A I.njlni ; the line 10.197S57 r,0 1,910 Clife Appurii-nuncps of line. . . 1,0:1.015 ro 101 no lluMillnKo alone line l.JilT. " ; ! ! 00 3C.1 .111 , Stntlnn liUllilltlKS CI2S,2S7 .10 1,205 TIVj Water supply 2,2J ( M7 M 42. 00 Station ni > puttrniince . . 2,15M2 ' O lit 33'3 llpnpr.il nilinlnlMintlvp mul unforeseen expenses 1M2S.7C3 BO 3,0 < 0 CO Totnl lt .COSii 00 J.3I9 33\i llnlH nml fnMenliii..J ( 2J.9JO.Sil2 SO tl 303 33'4 ' Itnlllni ; stoi-k ami work men liii.lii.leil SO.1 ! ; M-I CO 3.S02 00 CnrilaKi- . mils , factpiiliiKS nml rollliiff ntotl ; 12 GGOB.1. ! .10 2 371 li1 ! Totnl S fM.EI ? 120 00 Ornnil total JI71 501 311 00 f I. > : , no THOMAS a. ALMN. .111 HiHJIOt'S. : The election of IllshopV. . 1) . Walker o' North Dakota an bishop of the Episcopal diocese of western New York lisa been confirmed , n majority of the dioceses hav Ing Riven their consent to It. Popular rumor attributed to the late Oil dlnal Hchcnlohe the quality of cccentrlells There appeared to be a justification for this opinion. For over foity > eaio he waa an habitual frequenter of the nulphur bath3 of the Aeque Albule. between Home and Tlvoll. Its food waa cooked lu thcac strong-smelling vvateia. He so loved their tint he bathed In them even to the Icat No loophole of an excuse for not attend ing religious services , on the plia of un- fAinlllarlty with the language In " .hlch they are held. Is now left open for1 the foreigner In New York. Let him co-no from what ever country he w'l ! , he can be taken al most without cxccj tlon , to some church or mission In that cl.y where the tongue ol the preacher will not be strange to his cars Gorman. French , Hebrew , Swedish and Italian churches am numerous , s TV Ires be ing conducted In the respective languaKcs Tl'oro are three Armenian ehun-hes , xvvo Spanish , two Welsh , one Chinese oner - nblc , one Russian , on Greek n M oneIn which the modern Syrlac dialed Is heard Only a rich man may become atchblshop of Canterbury. The fees Incident to the nominee's Installation nro described _ ns something prodigious. Officials of all kinds , Kovcrnmcni , court ami ecciesiahiicai , le- eelvo tidy sums for all manner of servlcea There Is an Item of $200 for iloven to the members of the chapter of the Cathedral of Canterbury ; ? 30 for the queen's gentle man of the chair ; $20 for the queen's chief cool : , and $10 ( so It Is avcirod ) to the queen's burlier. Altogether the fees that go from him In Ilicsa sums amount to about $10.000 ; wherefore. If a poor malt Is ap pointed to the great place he must run somewhat In debt. Hut since the pilmate receives $7i'.000 a jear , and the archbishop of York $ .10.000. nnxlety for the future Is sweetly tempered by anticipation. Rev Joseph C Hart/ell , 1) I ) , mlsslonarj bUhop for Africa , of the Methodist Epl.i copal church , sailed from New Yoik ] ) c cembcr 9 for his far-awiy dlnceae. HUhop Ilart/.cll was born in Moilne III. . In 1SI2 and is a graduate of Illinois We.sle > an mil versity and of Garrctt Biblical Institute [ let Joined the ranks of the Methodist mill iatry In 1SCS. and began preaching In Pckln III. Two years later he went to New Or- cms as pastor of Ames Methodist Eph copal church , and soon became Identiflcd with the colored people of the south. He championed their Interests , and nerved them with unswerving fidelity In man ) critical situations. In 1SS2 ho was chosen assistant corresponding secretary of the Krcedmen's Aid and Southern education society of the Methodist Kplscopal church lo spent fourteen > ears In this important vork , and had the satisfaction of seeing its efforts In behalf of the frcedmen crowned with marvelous success. The church placed him In full charae , as sec retary. In 1S8S lie was chosen bishop or Africa hy the general conference last May. SOMITIIIKOU MMIKIKIDV. Philadelphia Time * Something foi somuliodv ! I-i-t It peal Tliiough the diiybieak of the morning nlr ; Something- Homebody ! U > t It steal AH n HOft eeho nfter prayer. Something for somebody ! I.ct It ring A clear Uc-yiiato thiough the common chord ; Something for Homebody ! Let It lu Ing .V . new , fresh grace to the family bonrd. Something for Homebody ! How or v\hy. It mnkoH no odd.s how Hinnll It may be 'ho humblest duty 11mI'M close hv. The Hinnll , fiwcet kindness thnt'H next to the * TWO MimiAItl.M : IIOAT.S. riotlon Aliiiut lo llccoinr a Colncidcntly with the announcement that liu submarine torpedo boat which is being onstructcd at Ilaltlmorc for the United tales government Is to bo launched this vcck comes another announcement , that the elebratcd French Inventor Gustavo Zcde , las also solved the problem of submarine avlgatlMi , sajs the Philadelphia Inquirer. Both Mr. Holland , the inventor of the \merlcan boit , and M J5edc got their gen- ral Idea from tl.o Nautilus In Vcrre's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea " Vhlle neither of them claims for his In- cntlon that It will go to the bottom of lie HCU. both Insist that what they have cslgnod can be made to rise and sink at vlll , thus enabling them to cludo the icavlcst guns and the iiwlttcst purnucrs. he American boat can remain under water roni six to eight hours , and , of. course , omo up miles away from where lie went own. The French Inventor says his craft an tny down "an Indefinite length of time , " nd his government announces that ulie iaa inado on her ofllclal trials six knots n hour under water. What the perfection of these Inventions icans can only bo Imagined until ouch mu as they have been tried In a naval > attle. Hut surely Its algnlflcanco must > e great. They can propel torpedoes with rightful velocity. In the knowledge of hat U expected of them they can rise linost under a war ship and before the icavy guna of the latter can bo trained pen them , flro dynamite and sink out of Ight , rising a second tlmo In some uncx- ected quarter and tiring a second shot a yet both are Intended more for harbor cfcnso than for extended voyages , but the Vouch government lian already turned Its ttentlon to the latter phase of the quca- Ion and the United States cannot afford to u u laggard la the race. 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A now sub- tions to tlio business scriber under this offer o&co of The Bee , Boom is ono who has not boon 3S3 ? 100 , Bio Building , Inking the Boo through - IS S Omnhn , or No , 10 Main our ofllco or ita regular . * * * XMi- i XMij , ? Street , Council BluiFa. ngonts Inter thnii No- j * - Iowa , or address vombor 25 1800. Ciniirl Grand Chance to Earn a CHRISTMAS PRESENT. Address all communications to OMAHA BEE OMAHA. tVJPP&ffl&-il Vff& ELECTRICITY IN WARFARE Important Hew Invent'ons Which Are Revolutionizing Military Ecionco. SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENTS Tlu Flolil Toli'Ki''tiili mill Tili-i > lioiif , iirrrlc ( MuiinU mul ( IiiitilriiiKr , nml ( lie Utility of ( InMltro - liliciuiUN ii Drtcr-lur * In speaking of the great advances In military science , a Governor's Island army olllccr icccntly said : "If electricity had been reduced to Its present practical basis during Napoleon's time , or even during the moic modern sieges of Richmond , Paris or Sebastopol , the history of the world would have been greatly changed. " Thin statement , which sounds platitu dinous at flist hearing , takes on a peculiar significance In view of some Interesting electrical applications which have JUT been made and some experiments which me now being carried on. It Inclines the observer to a belief that the battle of the future will be more of a contest between button pushing scientists than an old- fashioned but deadly clash of aims. The Farraguts of the future v.'lll not need to lash themselves to thu hhrouds , nor will the fate of some Waterloo depend , In the tlmo to come , on the uncertain word of a peasant , snapped to a general's stir rup. In short , If Napoleon had had at his command , the scientific resources of the present subaltern ho would have known all about thu hollow road of Ohaln ; ho would have known all about the rapid approach preach of Ulucher ; Grouchy would have como up In time , and the magnificent ex ecration of Cambronnc would never have been uttered , As Hugo pointed out , \\aterloo was tno conclusive argument In favor of method , v.hleh la only another n.uno , for science , as opposed to Intuitloi , | n w'arfare. Modern progress has confirmed Die opinion. Force of .numbers no longer jnqludes the certainty of victory and the one- man clement seems lo be entering In more and more every year. We rend of engagements taking place luring bygone days la which one man icU a pass or defile against a leglment. The day has como vxhen the single man does not need a wall ofroc'c to as-slnt him In defying a largo force. One man may teat over a hostile camp 111 a balloon basket and decimate his enuiulps with dynamite , ono man can station hjmsclf In the cnnnlng tower of a fort or lu , , a man-of-war and mrl tens of death-dicing bullets at an enemy ; ono man may command a river us wide as the Hudson end , , plow to kingdom como every vessel tha cjomea within a rod of his torpedoes ; one p > 4v Oy-an Innoccnt- ooklng kite over an cnc/iy'a / ) works from a distance of more than a , mlle and at the iropcr moment drop shells and bombs Into .he very midst of the citadel ; one man with a little modern knowledge and a small elec- rlc equipment can make mich sieges as .aicknaw , Khartoum , Parli or Richmond 1m- losslblo ; ono man forewarned can , In fact , surround himself with electrical apparatus and defy or decimate an enemy at will , de lect hlu rlllo balls , blow up his mines , de stroy his vessels , annihilate his fortu and put a strong negative on the asserted necessity of any country maintaining an Immense standing army. BALLOON SIGNALING. Recent accumulated evidence tihowfj that the end Is not yet. The dletlnctlvo mark of favor lias been bestowed by the govern- nont on thcwo army and navy ofllcerH who mvo Invented now and useful B ) tcm of iractlce. The result has been an active competition , and como really useful methods tavo been evolved. Ulcctrlc balloon lltcra- ure In especially voluminous , Practically ho IIrut eucccttttful balloon with which rapid and efficient signaling CAU be dona la the 1 large- silk nffaii now being operated at Fort I Lo"an , Cole It has been In operation over a jiar and the icaultn are Inferential ; und satisfactory. The outfit consists of the bal- ! Inon whhh has a cc.uclty of 11,000 culilc i feet , a balloon hiiusr- and a gasometer with j a cubical capacity of 1,000 feet. The MICCC of the balloon ua tried above the fort has led to the remodeling of the lance wagon which U now a billoon wagon , cairy four gas tubes , cables , bag , etc. There are ISO Hte'el gan tubes carried along on expeditions and In tluso gas Is comprcishod from 1,400 to 2.020 pounds to the aqiiaie Inch. Only thirty min utes arc lequlred to Inflate1 , pack and make icady for an ascension. This , In con nection with the modern methods of signaling. Is In mail.ed contrast to the old way of doing It. when It irqulrcd fllty hours for Inflation , after which the only way of communication was by means of I weighted letters dropped from the bas'ket. , Signals finm captive balloons arc and can . bo transmitted In a variety of waja. If the I balloon is to be used for rcconnoitcring pui- . PCXKM the H'Milt of thn observations may be I telcgtapheil or telephoned down the cable I to the > wagon , from whence It can be relayed or rctelephoncd to any further point of iles- i tlnatlon. The flag waving code or the hello- I graphic astern t.-i was used at Fort Logan might be cmplojcil also At night. If incs- 1 sages arc to be tiansmlttcd to a distant point , incandescent lamps operated by storage bit- terles would be used. Follow Ing the sugges tion of a Governor's Island olllccr , lampa could be suspended from the cable of a eap- tlvc billoon and flashed In and out according to Moino pgricd upon code. This IN , however , 'a ' vailation of the Aidols Bjjtem of navai 1 One of tin newest methods of electric balloon - , loon signaling was recently operated nt t'.x- brld e. Hngland. A balloon mndo of thin > cambile. vurnlshcd In a light color , was bent up and belli captive at an altitude of 1,000 i feet. InUdo of the bag a rope ladder was suspended fiom the top and bccured nt the bottom. The ladder had six rungs and to { each rung an Incandescent lamp wan fast ened. A twin wire cable secured the bal loon on the earth and through It thu lamr could be Individually or collectively operated Twentjfive storage battery cells , each I weighing twntj-four pounds , were uied to I opera'o the lamps. The latter were tmappecl In anil out and a message was deciphered and recorded at llnttersea , Hlxtecn mllio away. The' balloon was transparent enough to allow the different lampa to bo distin guished apart with ease and It had the addi | tional advantage of completely shutting out the after-glow of the carbon , that Is , the reddish light emitted after the current Is ehut off and while the carbon Is not yet cool. PHOTOGRAPHY IN WAR. lialloon photogrametry or the surveying and photographing of distant fields has also been much Improved of late. The invention of the telescopic photographic lenses has ad vanced this department of military science- perceptibly. In fact , the balloon question In warfare Is ono that Is capable of almost In definite development. The possibilities claimed for the balloon of the future are da/zllng. For Instance , army ofllccis sa ) that there Is nothing Improbable In thu sup position of a general of the futuio using a balloon as a point of observation and trans mitting his orders by wlro to his army be neath his feet. An olllccr with ever ) thing thus under his eye could bo In electric com munication with every gun on the Hold , juat us the commander of a man-of-war In his conning tower Is able to personally operate every gun on his ship. General A. W. Greely In speaking of the advances made In field telegraphy says : "Electrical communication plays In modem warfare a part that emphasizes the neces sity of perfecting It to the hlgheit degree. The day following the battle of Ping Yang the Japanese carried their flying lines Into that city from Seoul , a distance of seventy miles , and the Ilrltlsh advance on Uangold exemplifies the Indlspensablllty of such mili tary lines , " This shows the estimation In which the field telegraph Is hold by army ofllccra. The modern United. States accou trement , Including the flying Held telegraph and tvlophono , has superseded Iho heavy telegraph dial of other days. The size of the kit Is so small that It can bo carried with ease. It < loi-a not weigh ever thirteen pounds. There Is a diminutive Moruo key and buzzer and ono wire ever which mes sages from both Instruments can bo sent simultaneously , The delicacy of the telephone - phone U so oxquUlto that the falutcst wills- t' ' per can bo transmitted n very great distance r a small battery carried on the back supply- 1 Ing the * necessary current The usofulnphs - of this Instrument is not limited to Using field lines. Its Inventor Is Captain James Allen of the United States signal corps , nnd I ho ban made some experiments with It that provo It to possess wonderful efficiency. , FIHL1) TGLKGRAPIIY. The blcyclo field reel for pa } Ing out tele graph wire has simplified the equipment of the Hying llncji to a minimum. The form of the icel Is aiich that one man can transport two mllea of Insulated double-conductor wire with as much rapidity as a column of cavalry can move. A complete- telegraph equipment con ilptliig of several wagons and a lot of paraphernalia already exists In Fort Sheri dan In the Department of Missouri. Un doubtedly quick work could be done with It. but the far better method of communication , by telephone , Is preferred by many cnglneero. Hy mean * of a bimetallic wire , having a steel core covered with copper , it la pcvslblo to telephone between two polnta through one Mtraml of wire , even though the wire bo non- Insulated nnd Ijlng on wet ground. The peculiar properties of this wlro have been known for tome time , and when It drat appeared there was much talk of the possi bility of being able to talk over It acrra.j thu ocean. It will , however , perform veij ci editable feats on land , and In Franco at least. Captain Charolloln has devised a mcaiui of using U for IUMIV purposes IIIn as stem embraitj a icel and transmitters which can , with enough wire to cover uory appreciable dUtanco , bo carried by one man The reel , etc. , aio can led IIKc > n haversack , and take up no moro room. The earth Is used aa a return circuit , and the "ground" lu generally mndo by attaching ono end of the wire to a uword nr bayonet stuck In the earth. In the experiments , 10,000 feet of wile were i : ed. It was wound nnd unwound , a leglment of cavalry panse ] over It. It was sunk In mud , passed through trees , bushes ( HIT rocks and dually up the cable of a cap live balloon , and yet signaling went on be twccn each end of the line without Interrup tion. Reels attached to bicycles and to cavalrMiien were tried , mid lln < : < nf commu nication were very quickly opened and oper ated at a dlfitance of a mllo. Till : MICROPHONi : AS A nHTKCTOR. In Huron Marbot'a memolis a story Is told of a noncommissioned officer who detcclcd the approach of the AuHtrlans by means of a pea laid upon a drumhead. The vibrations caused by the distant marching soldiers iniido the pea dance all over the sheepskin. The same device was also used to detect the fact that the cnemy'H miners were driving galleries In the neighborhood. Broadly speaking , this was n primitive application uf the microphone and the phonograph , both of which have a military application. Tin phonograph particular ! } has been suggested as a better means of dlLpatch bending than anything heretofore tried. A written eom- munlcatlon may bo lost or captured nnd so fall Into the hands of the enemy. If written In cipher , the key may bo lost or valuable tlmo may bo taken In deelpherlng It. Should the carrier of n phonographic cylinder bo In danger of capture , he tould forever destioy the Import of his message by crushing the cylinder In his hand. And finally and most Important , subordinates on the staff or in the army of the olllcer transmitting the message could nut through thoughtlessness or deulgn destroy some strategic combination by mak ing known the contents of u written mcs- s.igo. Thu machine eould bo talked Into In tones HO low that no bystander loulil poswl- bly overhear. The roar of battle on the other hand , does not affect the operation of the Instrument , which taken no account of thn booming of big guns , thu vibration of which Is below Its range , but selects only that which It meant It should nelcct. The microphone is now being experi mented upon with a view to making It available for detecting the approach of a hostile force whllo the latter Is yet some distance away and far beyond ordinary hearing. The microphone n now used will magnify the sound of the footstepa of a fly until It Is almost an loud as the nolBo made hy a horse'a hoof. In Itn pro posed modification , It will attune Itself to the vibrations made hy thu feet of distant soldiers on the march and thus betray their prenunco and their probable number to the pursued or puraulng army potucEaliig mich a valuable Instrument A very great change boa taken place In the sapping and mining department of the army since electricity was Introduced on a practical basis. Mines are now laid by the engineer tor | > and exploded with a far greater degree of nicety than when slow huinlng fuses were used. Rivers can now be guarded almost by one man , stationed where 1m can operate n eltcult In which a number of mihnmrlno torpedoes are Included. The toipedocs used In the army differ from those used In thn navy. Thu latter In cludes a propelling apparatus which carrlio them through the water ; those used In the army are generally anchored at the bottom of a stream. Given n number of torpedoes judicially placed , n single officer could make the passage- across a river hy an army a decidedly hi/ardous undertaking. HLKCTRIC TIRING. The value of electric firing , as far at the guns themselves are concerned , Is ad mitted , particularly on shipboard or for coast defciibo. There Is no lost Interval of tlmo between the command of the gun captain and the actual exploding of the piece. Thu Instant the gun Is to be-11 red the olllcer connects the circuit and the ball is on Its way to Its destination. If the object aimed at bo a distant vessel , rising and falling with the waves , or u moving body of cavalry on land , thu v.ilnu of an Instant discharge can bo easily icc- ognlzcd. Another electrical Invention ton- ncctcil with gun firing Is the range Under. 'Ihc Journal of the Military Service Insti tution , which is published on Governor's Island , describes several of these Instru ments , both for army nnd navy use. They are all , however , built on ono principle. That of J-lenteiiant Flsko Is very slmplo In construction. Although generally used oti ohlphoard , It can bo used Just as well on 'land. Two idi'sconcs mounted on Btandyards are placed at a given number of feet apart. They are connected to each other by an electric circuit , which also Includes a differentiating apparatus on which nro recorded thu various angles nt which the tclcseopes iiro placed. The mechanism of the apparatus In so perfect that the moment both telcucopm ore pointed at a distant object the number of miles or feet from the vessel or fort at which the object Is btatloncd IH nt oneo auto matically pointed out on a scale. This fact being known , thu proper elevation for the gun can ho easily ascertained , Klectrlc kilo algnallng l bolng oxporl- iKJontcil vvltli on Governor's Mand. At tached to ono of'tho kites recently iienl up was a lamp , on which a iilinttcr , or blind , was placed. The shutter was operated from the ( -round , i < 3 that flashes long or shoit were obtained end a I'ystem of Hlgnals Introduce. ! . Ono of the objects taught for la a meatui ef controlling and directing the flight of a kite. Another IH tlio Intc'llgcnt manipulation of a caipera attached t. ) tlio kite ) Hiring. Elec trical uppiratUH will effect thu latter object. The shutter of the cinicra attached to thu hiring has heretofore boon drawn by mcaim of an extra cord running pir.illel to thu kilo Hiring. It weuld not he po slblo to opcrato this In military practice Klttu are now flown nt the extreme altitude of ono mile. The mechanical stress In operating n t > Iintter with a cord at tills height would bo very great , oven ouppunln/ / ; the effort to operate It did not pull thu klto out of the dtnlrcd piano. A magnetic contrivance operated through Hieno wlreu attached to or laid Inside the kite Hiring M to bo tried nnd It Is expected wll ) work satisfactorily l.lllllCH1 Illlllll I'lll-NCM. A Chicago man who says liln wlfo ban mic- ccoslvcly toil three pimiCM from her habit A earning them In her hand writes to .1 local nuwHpapur In condemnation of the practice. The mihjcct Is n pertinent one. Slnco It hail gene out of faohlon for women to wear pockets In their drcjuus , and the reticuleIH only carrlid now by elderly women with a tendency to avoirdupois , tint wtrcotn are full of women holding moro or I em plethoric puree * In a graiip moro or lc % < tenaclouri. The * pcctaclo of HO many pock- ulbooks off era extraordinary advantage : * to thlevcH. who may easily xnatch them frntn thu holders and rticapu In the crowds. Tlio practice nlno lcad to the OWIICIH leaving tholr purstd by the do/en on Htoro countciii whllo making purchaucs. The objection to dress pockctd Is that there In not mom In the modern xklrt for them without dUturli- Ing tha IrniiK of thu garment , an objection which all men will conalder very trivial , hut whl'h IN of great Importance to the wcarcio of the uklrt.