BUSY ARCHANGEL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1916, Page 5

BUSY ARCHANGEL

WAR BRINGS PROSPERITY. BOOM TIME IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. During the war • Archangel has sprung up out of its age long unnoticed existence near the White Sea coast into quite a miraculous period of development, which will disappear again when the "golden age' 1 lias passed away, and Archangel once more relapses into itn Arctic torpor. Fable became reality w hen a couple of ice-breakers were procured in order to keep the port and bay of Archangel open as long as possible, and when the ice broke up in the spring of 1015 tht traffic actually expanded to such dimensions that, as the American commercial attache at Petrograd brovght out in his report, the port coiild weil nigh compete with New Yo*k harbor in respect of the number of outgoing and incoming ships, and likewise as regards tonnage. Tho entire life of this practically Arctio town was now changed at a single stroke; over 50,000 people streamed into it, brokers, merchants, ond agents established themselves there, and the business life of the town so incuased in extent as if Archangel were a world city. All the hotels were utilised as offices and stores, and an electric tvninway was laid and electric lighting installed, while goods and wares from the interior of Russia were piled up and lay ready for ship, ment from the one Russian exporting port in Europe. Shortly after disappearance of the ice in the White Sea in Way last, ships began to p.rrh" Stealers up to 5000 tons burden made regular trips between Archangel and Britain, nnd one of the biggest, which brought coal from Britain, was of ".100 fon' burden. A Rnsso-American steamship line was also established, which had a sailing every second week between New York and Archangel, besides tho Norwegian and other ?te?Piers which plied to and fro. There was not rooi.i enough available for all these ships, and temporary wooden stages were therefore built, at which the various craft loaded up, principally timber cargoes. Wheat, too, waoan article of export; most of the grain, which formerly had been taken by the ports of the Baltic and Black Seas was now sent northwards, and since May of this year 15,000,000 poOds of wheat are said to hive been shipped out from Archangel. Naturally the ships cannot be disposed of by far quickly as is desirable and as take.! place in ports which have always been accustomed to heavy traffic. In autumn, when the icc, which usually closes Archangel for ISO days in the year, begins to come in. it was reported that fifteen ice breakers were brought into service ii\ the White Sea, and with their help it is hoped that it will be possible to keep navigation open on the river near Archangel right into December, and the harbor itself, which lies at a considerab'a distance from the sea, it is hoped will be kepi; open until the end of January even. That this, among other things, is counted or. for certain would appear from the fact that steamers are said to have left Britain on November 5 for the White Sea. After January, howc'-fr, the icc is heaped up 111 uncomptomisingly dense and solid masses round about Archangel, and then all shipping ceases.