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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

ITILTIC.O. 882

6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC. COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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Enclosure 4 in No. 139.

TELEGRAM to Sir E. SATOW, No. 137, dated September 24, 1905.

(Paraphrase.)

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Soochow-Ningpo and Canton-Kowloon Railways.

Your proposal to warn Prince Ch'ing in the sense suggested in your telegram of September 21st, No. 175, has my approval.

35419

SIR,

No. 140.

CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received October 4, 1905.)

[Copy of enclosure to Governor, October 11, 1905, Confidential. L.F.]

Kowloon-Canton Railway.

Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., October 3, 1905.

IN continuation of our letter of the 15th of May, I have the honour to enclose, for the information of Mr. Secretary Lyttelton, a copy of a letter which we have received from Sir J. Wolfe Barry and Partners reporting the result of the preliminary surveys of the eastern and western routes for the Kowloon-Canton Railway.

2. It will be seen that a good and level line can be obtained on the eastern route at a cost that will probably be less than that previously estimated.

I have, &c.,

DEAR SIR,

Enclosure in No. 140.

Sir J. WOLFE BARRY to Sir E. BLAKE.

Kowloon-Canton Railway Survey.

British Section.

E. E. BLAKE.

21, Delahay Street, Westminster, S.W., September 21, 1905. I HAVE the pleasure to inform you that Mr. Bruce, the Chief Surveying Engineer engaged on the above work, writes that he has now completed the prelimi- nary survey of the "Eastern Route," and is starting to investigate the "Western Route."

The results obtained on the "Eastern Route" appear more satisfactory than I had anticipated, as the Chief Surveying Engineer has found a low-level alignment which obviates the necessity for the heavy grades of 1 in 40 and numerous tunnels and lofty viaducts which Mr. P. T. Somerville Large's preliminary investigations indicated would probably be necessary through the hills immediately to the north of the town of Kowloon. The route selected will involve the tunnel about 2,500 yards in length (as compared with eight tunnels, aggregating 1,700 yards in length, by Mr. Large's line), but no gradients steeper than 1 in 100 will be necessary, and the length of the railway will be 3 miles shorter.

The Chief Surveying Engineer writes that he has not yet completed estimates of the cost of his own alignment as compared with Mr. Large's route, but he informs me that he anticipates the first cost will be considerably less, and it is obvious that the expenses of working and maintenance must be lower on the shorter and more level route. He adds that the remainder of the "Eastern Route" will, with minor modifications, follow closely the alignment selected by Mr. Large.

The following extract from the Chief Surveying Engineer's letter, dated Kowloon, 7th August, 1905, may be of interest :—

"I have now completed my preliminary survey of the Eastern Route' and am about to go over the Western Route.' I have levelled the whole

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of the Eastern Route,' and have shown the section to His Excellency

• No. 88.

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the Governor of Hong Kong. He has expressed satisfaction with what has been done. His Excellency Sir Mathew Nathan does not want to have any of the line pegged out south of the mountain range for some considerable time, as he fears that speculators would get hold of land required for the works if the location of the centre line was made known. Sir Mathew's idea is to commence work on the construction of the railway between Tai Po and Lo Fu next November, and to use the railway formation as a public road. The frontier road has been constructed from Kowloon to Tai Po (length 18 miles), and Sir Mathew thinks that from Tai Po to Lo Fu the railway might be used as a road until near the completion of the railway tunnel through the range, say, three years hence. This portion of the railway will be pegged out by the Public Works Department under my supervision, and the portion between Tai Po and the north portal of the tunnel will be pegged out by Mr. Valpy and Mr. Sayer, also under my supervision. Mr. Sayer is a young fellow who is in the employ of Messrs. Punchard, Lowther and Company, contractors for the Naval Yard Extension here, and is leaving them on 1st September as his time is up. His salary will be £25 per month."

Since writing the above I have heard further from the Chief Surveying Engineer both by letter and cable. In the former he states that he has so far investigated the "Western Route" as not to feel justified in recommending it in comparison with the low-level " Eastern Route," as not only is it much longer, but it would also involve very heavy expenditure between Castle Peak and Kowloon.

He suggests, however, that a light railway to Castle Peak Bay or even to Un Long would, in his opinion, prove remunerative. The first cost would be small as compared with that of a standard main line, and the low country which would be tapped is fertile, extensive, and well populated. This suggestion appears to me worthy of consideration in the future, as there are practically no roads in the new British territory, nearly all those indicated on maps being merely footpaths two or three feet wide, frequently impassable in wet weather.

By a cable I received yesterday Mr. Bruce informs me that he has completed the surveys of both the "Eastern" and "Western" routes, and that he is reporting to Sir Mathew Nathan in favour of the "Eastern Route." From the information at my disposal I can only concur in this recommendation.

35430

SIR,

No. 141.

I am, &c.,

J. WOLFE BARRY.

GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received October 4, 1905.)

[Answered by L.F. transmitting copy of enclosure in No. 140.] (Confidential.)

Government House, Hong Kong, September 5, 1905. I HAVE the honour to transmit, for the purpose indicated in its final para- graph, a copy of a minute addressed to the Colonial Secretary on the 3rd instant, on the subject of the survey and preliminary work for the section of the Canton-Kowloon Railway within British territory.

The minute should be read with the map that accompanied my confidential despatch of the 11th January last, the route selected by Mr. Bruce, Chief Surveying Engineer, corresponding closely with the red line drawn on that map.

I have, &c.,

Enclosure in No. 141.

HONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,

M. NATHAN.

I HAD an interview with Messrs. Bruce and Chatham yesterday on the subject of the railway.

• No. 59.