HANKOW
979
During the last few years foreign interests at Hankow have undergone a marked development, the chief factor in producing the growth being the construction of the Lu Han Railway, a trunk line connecting Hankow with Peking, the contract for which was let to a Belgian syndicate in 1897. It was opened in November, 1905, when trains passed over the Yellow River Bridge, which was immediately closed again as unsafe. Since December, 1995, through traffic with Peking has continued without interruption. Early in 1906 "trains de luxe" were started. The line has diverted much of the traffic that went by water to Chinkiang, Germany, France, Russia, and Japan have since 1895 acquired concessions, and the British concession has been extended. The French, German, Russian, Japanese and British have Municipal Councils. Thus while there was formerly a bund of only half a mile in length, in front of the British concession, there is now a continuous line of concessions measuring in all over two miles of river frontage. Houses and godowns have been springing up fast of late years and for some years yet Hankow will have to divert large sums out of all proportion to the value of its trade for converting swamps into building sites and destroying old buildings to make room for others more suitable to the requirements of a great city. The English Church was re-built, and consecrated in May, 1904. Antimony, lead and zinc ores are crushed by machinery on the Wuchang side and exported. A large busi- ness is also done by a match factory, as well as by albumen factories. Several miles below the Foreign Concessions, the Shell Transport Company, Limited, of London, have oil tanks for storing bulk oil, to be tinned on the premises. Two tanks have a capacity of 2,500 tons of oil each. During the low-water season small tank-steamers bring the oil from Shanghai. The Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, Langkat, also has an installation. The Standard Oil Co. had three large tanks erected at the end of 1904. Each installation added another tank in 1906. An English Company commenced an export trade in frozen pork, eggs, poultry and game in 1:09, the refrigerating plant costing upwards of £30,000.
Tea is the staple export, representing about one-sixth of the total. The net value of the trade of the port in 1911 amounted to Tls. 117,957, 184 as against in 1910, Tls. 136,299,167, Tls. 125,300,000 in 1909, Tls. 120,038,293 in 1908, Tis. 115,071,383 in 1907, Tls. 97,142,377 in 1906 and Tls. 111,043,046 in 1905.
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Trade was at a standstill at Hankow during the last three months of 1911 for the "Wu-han towns were the central scene in the great drama of the revolution. It was at Wuchang that the revolution broke out early in October, and the Revolutionary, forces quickly gained possession of the three towns of Wuchang, Hankow and Hanyang. Here later an Imperialist army of about 50,000 men engaged in battle an equal Revolu- tionary force, recaptured the cities and destroyed by fire practically the whole of the large native city of Hankow. On the opening of peace negotiations the towns were evacuated by the Imperialist army, and Wuchang has since been the headquarters of the Chinese Army under General Li Yuan Hung, Vice-President of the Republic, who is Commander-in-Chief.
DIRECTORY
AIRD, ROBERT, M.B., CH.B., Medical
titioner-Rue Dautremer
Prac-Chong-ying Tai-yuck-fong
ALFF & Co., Metallurgists and Assayers,
Hankow and Changsha
和協 Hip-wo
ANDERSON & Co., ROBT., Ten Merchants
Chas. Schlee (London)
H. Schlee (New York)
Ed. White
A. M. Lester
ANGLO-CHINESE DISPENSARY, Wing Be Kai, Hankow,Chemists and Druggists, Dealers in Patent Medicines, Photographic Apparatus, Chemicals, Sundries, etc., Manufacturers of Aerated Waters
Sui-ki
ARNHOLD, KARBERG & Co., Merchants-
Tel. Ad: Karberg
W. Herensperger, signs the firm
W. F. Dubber, signs per pro.e
C