CO129-330 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 198

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Sir J. Wolfe Barry to Sir E. Blake

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192

35419

Real 4 001

21 Delahay Street

Westminster S.W.

21st September 1905

Dear Sir,

Kowloon

Canton Railway Survey

British Section

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 preliminary survey of the "Eastern Route", and is starting to investigate the "Western Route",

The results obtained on the "Fastern 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. Somer- ville Large's preliminary investigations indicated would probably be necessary through the hills immediately to the North of the town of Kowloon. The ruite selected will in- volve the tunnel about 2,500 yards in length (as compared with 8 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 align- ment 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

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maintenance

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