Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

72 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. The Intense Cold of a Siberian Winter. is no break in the intense cold for months, the thermometer often standing at 40° below zero, while the piercing winds which sweep across the lake aggravate the cold to such a degree that at times it be- comes almost unendurable. The writer spent three winters of the lake, and so can testify on the shores to the extreme severity of the climate. made, and great delay was then caused by the absence of certain plates and angle bars. We had the middle of November 1898 upon us before the whole of the ironwork necessary for the completion of the ship had arrived at the lake. That means that its journey from New- castle occupied two years and four months ! However, considering all the drawbacks and disadvantages of the place, a fair amount of work had been done in the meantime—so THE “ BAIKAL ” FINISHING. (Fig. 7.) It is an interesting fact that, when the ther- mometer registers more than 16° below zero, all iron work practically comes to a stand- still, as no riveting or caulking can be done below that temperature. The cold makes the material so brittle that it cannot withstand heavy blows, and the contraction of the too- rapidly cooling rivets is so sudden as to render satisfactory workmanship very uncertain. April arrived before a good start could be much, in fact, that by the end of November the vessel had been “ framed out.” Up to this time all the work had been done by local labour, but, as its volume increased, ironworkers and joiners were brought from St. Petersburg. Labour These men received a much Troubles, higher wage than the natives, and this caused a good deal of bad feeling, resulting in occasional bloodshed and murder,