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jo THE MARINE RECORD. sentable wharf is seen, and the picture shows the vast possibilities of which water and rail transportation will avail themselves to convert Vladivostock from an wun- Organized community int» a thriving modern city a decade hence. or The North American Review opens its July number with a contribution by Moses Coit Tyler on ‘'The Declar- ation of Independence in the Light of Modern Criti- cism.” ‘After the Coronation at Moscow”’ is the title of an admirable paper by Karl Blind. Rev. Francis BE. Clark, D. D., writes entertainingly on ‘Some Inter- ; national Delusions,” as cherished by the people of Eng- Re land, the United States and Australia with regard to each other. The physical and legal conditions of ‘Arid America” are ably discussed by W. E. Smythe, proini- nent in the national irrigation congress. ‘‘Sound Money the Safeguard of Labor,’ by Hon. R. B. Mahany, of Buffalo, is a succinct statement of the evils which the free coinage of silver would entail upon the THE HARBOR OF VLADIVOSTOCK, AND THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY. structing the railroad, negotiated with the Detroit Dry- Dock Co., fur the construction of two large ice-crushing car ferry steamers, similar to the St. Ignace and Ste. Marie, in service at the Straits of Mackinaw. It is con- sidered hardly likely that this contract will be awarded on this side the Atlantic, although the general des'gns of the lake boats will be followed. The bo«ts wiil, of necessity, be constructed on Lake Baikal, which has no navigab‘e outlet to the sea. : Beyond Lake Baikal the distance to the head of nayi- gation on the Ameer River is 701 miles, and on this sec- tion work has begun from the Pacific end; but the difficulties are very great, and much tunneling will have to be done, as the line has to rise to a plateau over 3,500 feet high. The next section presents the greatest difficulties, as the line has to be carried through a marshy region which, during the heavy rains is often completely submerged. The line from Vladivostock is completed for 250 miles. The largest and most interesting of the views pre- Lodian, the well-known and eccentric traveler, who last winter contributed an article to THE RECORD on cattle transportation by water, has sent to Locomotive Engineering some fine photographs of the Trans- Siberian Railway, the eastern division of which has been comp'eted. Lodian has started ona long tramp, from Vladivostock, through Siberia and Russia, his in- tended destination being St. Petersburg. He writes: ‘It was a pleasure to clear inland from Vladivostock; it is a town of about 20,000 inhabitants without a single made road or street. They are either awfully muddy or extremely dusty, and always filthy, fetid and revolt- ing. After nine weeks spent in Japan, Siberia was di-- appointing in the start. On our steamer coming up were 400 Chinese navvies for the Siberian road, and the stench from them was awful. My next address will be Irkutsk, Central Siberia.’’ The Trans-Siberian Railroad is being constructed in THE HARBOR OF VLADIVOSTOCK-TERMINAL OF THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILROAD. sections from both ends and from intermediate points accessible by steamer. It is now possible to travel by sented in Locomotive Engineering, we here repro- American workingman. Various phases of the woman rail from St. Petersburg:'to Omsk, a distance of 2,673 miles. From Omsk to the Ob River, 384 miles, the rails are laid, but the ballasting is not complete. On the next section, that from the Ob River to Krasnoy- arsk, 467 miles, the rails are also laid and a beginning has been made on the iron bridge, 2,800 feet long across the Ob, that is to join tle two sections. On this section many of the smalier bridges are built and half the earth work is completed. ‘The next section is to Irkutsk, 672 miles, and it presents many difficulties; nearly two fifths of the earth work is finished. At this point Lake Baikal is to be crossed, and it was for this purpose that the Russian government, which is con- duce by courtesy of that most excellent contemporary. It shows the far eastern terminal of this great railway, Viadivostock harbor, distant 9,877 versts (6,547 miles from St. Petersburg. ‘The picture is a winter scene, the great ships being ice-locked soon after coming to their anchorages, the ice forming so solidly as to permit of safe passage to and from land. ‘This is often a money- saving circumstance, as the ice forms a temporary wharf with the assistance of long planks by which solid ice may be reached with heavy loads at a safe distance from the vessel. The terminals of the rail- road are shown with that extent of water front which is always appropriated, and which in this case almost brought about international difficulties. One very pre- question are dealt with in everything but a prosy style. ED oe —ar We have received Beeson’s Marine Directory all right and think it is very nice.—H. J. Webb & Co., Cleve- land. Price $5, at MARINE RECORD office. SS PROPOSALS. : U.S. ENGINEER OFFICR, 185 Buclid Ave., Cleveland, O., June 30, 1896. Seal- ed proposals for dredging at Sandusky Harbor, Ohio, will be received here until 2 o’clock p.m., Standard time, August 7, 1896, and then publicly opened. In- formation furnished on application. JARED A. SMITH, Lt. Col. Eng’rs. 30-31