CO882-(3-4) — Page 703

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

سلنسيا

Reference:

C.O. 882

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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therefore, the line be thirty miles in length, an expenditure of about Rs. 1,200,000 would have to be incurred before the construction of the contemplated line itself was even commenced.

6. Mr. Waring further shows that the passenger fares and rates for goods traffic on the Darjeeling Railway are exceedingly high, and that, were they lower, the line could only be worked at an annual loss. But it is out of the question to think of raising the rates now in force on the Ceylon railways to the level of those on the Darjeeling Line.

It is worthy of observation that, notwithstanding these high rates, the financial results of the Darjeeling Line do not appear exceptionally brilliant. Without taking any account of rumoura referred to by Mr. Waring, or the discussions mentioned by Mr. Prestage himself, and accepting his figures without comment, we find that this line, of exceptionally inexpensive construction, which is cheaply worked, and carries a good traffic at exorbitant rates, only pays 7 per cent. on the outlay, while the Ceylon Railway, with rates less than half as high as on the Darjeeling Line, pays, including its extensions, 8 per cent.

7. For these reasons, and others, it appears to me that the adoption of Mr. Prestage's proposals, however tempting they may at first sight appear, is altogether impossible, and that their serious consideration is a mere waste of time, from which nothing can result but delay and disappointment; delay, mischievous to all interests concerned, and disappointment alike to those who have espoused Mr. Prestage's scheme, and to those who see in its discussion merely another postponement of the hopes they had begun to entertain.

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8. I have thus far treated the question as though we were discussing for the first time of a new railway. But it is impossible to overlook the fact that there would gauge be a break of gauge at Nanu-oya, and that a break of gauge there would be attended with grave inconveniences, for at the present time no interruption of any sort occurs in the transmission of goods or passengers between Colombo and Nánu-oya.

9. I am not indeed prepared to say with the Royal Commissioners of 1867, that a break of gauge is "a national evil," but it must in all cases be productive of risk, Annoyance, expense, and delay; and I am inclined to think that its ordinary dis- advantages are strongly accentuated when it is proposed that the break of should

gauge take place at a distance of only a few miles from one terminus of the railway.

10. Whatever might have been said for the construction in the first instance of a light line from Kandy upwards, and I am far from denying that much may be urged in its favour, it seems to me that deliberately to change the gauge of the line for the last 25 miles of its course, and after having surmounted all the most serious obstacles of the route, would be an act of extravagant folly most unlikely to receive your Lordship's sanction and that the expense and trouble it would entail would go far to neutralise any pecuniary advantage the Colony might reap from the less expensive character of the line to be constructed; though even this, as I have already pointed out, would not be nearly so great as would at first seem to be the case.

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11. The present rolling stock will, I understand, nearly suffice for the wants of the extension; entirely new stock, new workshops, &c., would, of course, be required for a line on the Darjeeling plan, or indeed for a line on any gauge narrower than the present one.

12. I hear with regret that a number of gentlemen connected with, or interested in Ceylon, have determined to press the adoption of Mr. Prestage's, or some similar scheme, upon your Lordship. It is very possible that it might have been wiser to have originally adopted a narrower gauge for the railways in the Central Province, but that is a very different thing from severing the last portion of the line from all the rest of it. The idea that a line resembling the Darjeeling Railway can be constructed here with success, is also, I admit, at first sight very attractive; nor was I at all insensible to its attractions. Before I had paid careful attention to the subject, I thought that it would probably offer a satisfactory solution of all the difficulties attending the extension of railway communication not only to Uva, but to other places. But now that I have become acquainted with the facts, I am certain that no such scheme, at least not that The idea is one which proposed by Mr. Prestage, can be worked here with success.

will never be carried out, but its prolonged consideration may easily lead to fresa, and perhaps disastrous delay.

13. My decided advice, and I would that I possessed a command of language which would enable me to recommend it in more persuasive accents to your Lordship, is, that all idea of a line on the Darjeeling plan should be at once rejected as inadequate to the wants of the district to be served; that all questions of an intermediate gauge between

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that now in use and that proposed by Mr. Prestage should be set aside as being pro- posed too late, and that the construction of the line to Haputalé on the plans already made should be at once commenced.

14. My reasons for this advice are given in another despatch, and I should indeed regret if prolonged discussion of Mr. Prestage's proposal were indefinitely to postpone their consideration.

The Right Hon. the Earl Granville, K.G.

I have, &c. (Signed) ARTHUR GORDON.

Enclosure 1 in No. 5.

F. PRESTAGE, Esq., to the SECRETARY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON.

SIR,

Darjeeling, April 9, 1886.

In continuation of my telegram of this date (copy attached). 2. The late Governor of Ceylon, after an inspection of the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, having done me the honour to advocate by his letter published in the "Ceylon Observer," of the 26th ultimo, that mountain railways on the same principle might be advantageously constructed as extensions of the present main line in your Colony, and as the same journal has very generously, but somewhat conservatively, criticised Sir William Gregory's recommendations, I have the honour to submit the following, I hope it will be thought definite and useful, proposals for the consideration of his Excellency's Government.

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3. Assuming that the remarks brought most prominently to notice by the "Observer' echo the opinions of those who have distrust in the usefulness of such mountain railways as the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, I hope that it will tend to create the needful confidence, if I now offer, as. I hereby undertake and have the honour to do :-

4. First. To construct such a railway, gauge 2 feet, as I understand is required from Nanuoya to Uva for a lump sum of 2,8501. per mile. The contract to embrace the providing and laying of such a substantial permanent way, and providing such station accommodation and equipments as shall be equal to working with ease a gross traffic (paying load) of 500 tons each way per day. The line to be equipped in the first instance with sufficient rolling stock to work each way 50 tons per day (10 passengers with their baggage to be taken to the ton). If a greater paying load is to be carried, the payment per mile, to cover the cost of necessary increases to rolling stock, to be increased by 8501. per 50 tons either way. Second. I further undertake to place on the line such engine power and rolling stock as shall carry with ease a paying load of 40 tons per train. The load to be equally dense as rice or grain. Third.-I further undertake that the cost of hauling per ton per mile of paying load shall not exceed three annas, assuming that 100 tons are carried each way per day, and that good steam coal on the line does not cost more than Rs. 22 per ton, and that ordinary skilled labour, such as Native platelayers, brakesman, &c., is not 25 per cent. more costly than in India.

5. It will be noted from the foregoing, that I only undertake to provide and lay the permanent way, for which, with the rolling stock and equipments necessary to carry 50 tons each way per day (the quantity alluded to in the public prints), I ask the sum of 2,6501. per mile, leaving the sum of 2,350%. to bring up the total cost to 5,0001. per mile. The balance left for forming the track (2,3501.) would be ample to provide one 8 feet wide on such slopes as can be selected on the Himalayals or Nilghiries, and I hope it would be sufficient for the projected line in your Colony.

6. In the absence of any knowledge of the line of country to be traversed, I cannot, however, tender for preparing the necessary formation, but all that is required is what would be sufficient to give a well-ballasted substantial bridle-path measuring in width on the surface 8 feet only; but I must stipulate that the ruling gradient shall not be steeper than 1 in 30, and that the sharpest curve shall not be of less radius than 70 feet.

7. I would wish to bring to prominent notice that what mainly influences the cost of mountain railways is the radii of the curves, and that the unexpected advance that has been made on the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway is due mainly to the unusually sharp curves introduced. would ask for a 70 feet curve to enable us to carry easily the gross load proposed, and to reduce the cost of maintenance of the rolling stock to the

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