43 8 The National Geographic Magazine 



Outline Map showing route of Trans-Siberian Railway 



TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY 



THE montli of November marked 

 the practical completion of the 

 Trans-Siberian Railway. For Russia 

 and Siberia the road has tremendous 

 possibilities. It means to her vast Sibe- 

 rian territory the development and pros- 

 perity which the first belting of the 

 American continent brought to the West. 

 For Europe, especially western Europe, 

 it means even more perhaps than to Rus- 

 sia. The road marks the inauguration 

 of a new route to the Far East. The 

 Siberian Railway will gradually sup- 

 plant the Suez route, and make Russia, 

 not England, the mistress of the world 

 route to the Far East. An article that 

 appeared in this Magazine in September, 

 1 90 1, dwelt at length on the construc- 

 tion and meaning of this Trans-Asiatic 

 railway. The Manchurian branch of 

 the railway, with map, was described in 

 the August, 1 90c, number. 



ICE IN SOUTHERN LATITUDES 



THE three expeditions now in South 

 Polar regions will this season 

 have to contend against ice extending 

 more to the northward than usual. Mr. 

 James Page, of the U. S. Hydrographic 

 Office, sends to this Magazine the follow- 

 ing paragraphs from the report of Capt. 

 John N. Start, in command of S. S. Staj- 



of New Zealand, describing the icebergs 

 seen during a voyage from Bluff, N. Z., 

 to Eondon : 



' ' During passage passed icebergs as 

 follows: September 6, 1901, latitude 

 53° 24' S., longitude 142° 16' W., passed 

 a very large berg (over a mile long and 

 over 600 feet high). Temperature of 

 air, 37° ; water, 41°. September 7, on 

 the same parallel, between 140° W. and 

 135° W., passed 77 large bergs and nu- 

 merous small ones, weather getting thick 

 and dirty and ice very thick ; kept ship 

 off to N. N. E. September 8, latitude 

 51° S. , longitude 1 3 1 ° 30' W. , passed 1 1 

 large bergs and numerous small ones. 

 Air, 45° ; water, 44. On the parallel 

 of 50° 20' S. and between 128° 30' W. 

 and 124° W. passed 10 large bergs and 

 numerous small pieces. Temperature 

 of air, 47° ; water, 44°. 



' ' Bergs were mostly of the table form, 

 with sheer precipitous sides, showing 

 clearly each stratum of snow in forma- 

 tion. In height they ranged from .370 

 feet to over 600 feet (height determined 

 by sextant and distance). A number 

 seemed of irregular shape, having been 

 longer adrift and wasted by action of 

 seas and heat. From the date last given 

 no further ice was seen, the vessel mak- 

 ing casting just north of the average 

 ice-line shown on the chart. 



"September 27, in latitude 20°: S., 

 longitude 30° W., between 6.36 and 7 



