i
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government519
6
scheme seriously to raise funds and start operations; and the Grand Secretary is further commanded to assume full responsibility in doing away with abuses, in strictly fixing a limit of time, and in making all decisions which may be called for by the circum- stances. Let the Board of Communications and the Hu-Kuang Viceroy render him cordial assistance and not in any way impede his action, so that authority may be undivided and the importance of railway development be fully safeguarded.
Countersigned by the Grand Councillors: Prince Ch'ing, Shih Hsü, Chang Chih- tung, Lu Ch'uan-lin, Yuan Shih-k'ai.
0
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[3182]
(No. 351.) Sir,
No. 1.
C.O. 7798
[January 25.]-
TREC SECTION 4 MAR 09
Sir C. MacDonald to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 25, 1909.)
Tokió, December 26, 1908. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith copy of a despatch which I have received from His Majesty's Acting Vice-Consul at Dairen on the subject of the reconstruction of the Antung-Mukden Railway.
(No. 93.) Sir,
I have, &c.
(Signed) CLAUDE M. MacDONALD.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Vice-Consul Gordon to Sir C. MacDonald.
Dairen, December 14, 1908. I HAVE the honour to report that the South Manchurian Railway Company has decided to take in hand the reconstruction of its line from Antung Hsien to Mukden, and that the necessary works will be commenced in March next.
Surveys along the route have been progressing for some time past, and, as a result, it has been finally decided that the new line shall follow closely the route of the present light railway. As doubt has been freely expressed as to whether a standard gauge railway could be built along this route, I have the honour to submit the following description of the line, which is based on my observations when travelling between Antung and Mukden last August, and on an examination of a plan of the new line given me by one of the directors of the Company.
The country between Antung and Feng-hueng-cheng offers no serious difficulties, though some heavy earthworks and considerable bridging will have to be undertaken; a tunnel, 8 chains long, is to be made 34 miles out of Antung, some 2 miles short of Feng-huang-cheng station. From this place, in order to avoid the windings of the Erh-tao-kou River, the present light line follows the course of an affluent, twisting and winding up and around the hills that bar the way. The same route is to be followed by the railway as reconstructed, and consequently heavy tunnelling will be required, no less than six tunnels being marked on the plan in a distance of some 17 miles (from about 45 to 62 miles out of Antung). The Erh-tao-kou is rejoined here, and followed up to near its source, 6 or 7 miles beyond Tsao-ho-k'ou, 82 miles from Antung. At this point the real difficulties begin. The range of hills which further to the south-west form the Mo-tien-ling Pass will be bored by a tunnel some 3,000 feet long, and beyond this the line runs down the valley of the Sse-ho (?), a stream with many sharp bends and closely bordered by high cliffs which will have to be tunnelled through. Altogether, there will be nineteen tunnels in a distance of about 22 miles, the last tunnel, where the line emerges out into the valley of the Ta-tzu-ho, being well over a mile in length. The Ta-tzu-ho is crossed just before reaching Pen-hsi-hu (120 miles from Antung), and will require a bridge from 600 to 700 feet long. From Pen-hsi-hu, the railway runs up a narrow, steep valley, and on the plans two short tunnels are marked here. It is possible that one of these may be avoided and the line taken round the hill, instead of cutting through it. From the 130th mile no further difficulties are experienced, the railway running down a gentle sloping valley to the Mukden plains. On reaching the latter, some 150 miles from Antung, two alternative routes are laid down. The first proceeds direct to Mukden, more or less following the present light railway, while the second bends westward, and joins the main line at Su-chia-tun, the junction for the branch to the Fushun collieries. It is probable that the latter will be followed, as, in addition to offering greater facilities to those wishing to go to Fushun, an extra bridge over the Eun-ho will be avoided. The general direction of the line may be seen by reference to the inclosed sketch map.* The length of the railway when reconstructed will be 170 miles
* Not reproduced.
46 chains.
[2104 66-1]