CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 254

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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inclosed a Report by the Engineer-in-chief on the proposed Shanghae-Kashing Railway. Please let me have these papers back at your convenience.

In connection with this matter and in order to have all possible information available on this subject, I have to-day written to our people asking them to send a man to Hangehow, an engineer if possible, to report on the work actually done and contemplated by the Chekiang Bureau, and to say whether its operations are confined to the section of the line towards Ningpo. I have also asked for full information on the doings of the Kiangsu Bureau. Finally, and with regard to the inclosed, I have expressed the view (which I have said to be yours also) that "the construction of the Kashing line from Shanghae cannot per se be regarded as a breach of our Agreement, On the since that line is not a rival or parallel to the Soochow-Kasbing section.' other hand, as the Kiangsu Bureau openly announces its intention to build the Soochow Kashing section, and as the Chekiang Bureau is equally frank as to its intentions to build the Kashing-Hangchow section, and as both Bureaux exist and have their being under the shadow of the Throne, their whole proceedings, which are quite open, constitute a serious infringement of that Agreement, which the Wai-wu Pu has repeatedly acknowledged to be a valid and binding obligation on the part of the Chinese Government.

Yours very truly, (Signed)

Dear Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

J. O. P. BLAND.

Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co, to Mr. Bland.

Shanghae, January 28, 1907. CONSIDERING it most important that you should be promptly advised of any developments connected with the Chinese railway Shanghae to Kashing, we wired to you on the 23rd instant as follows:--

"Chinese railway Shanghae to Kashing, 35 miles, first sod was cut 21st January outside Shanghae City, large demonstration, "We have advised the British and Chinese Corporation.'

We have now pleasure in handing you, for your further information in this connection, copy of the Engineer-in-chief's letter to us, dated the 23rd instant, Memorandum giving full details of the proposed line.

We are, &c.

(Per pro. Jardine, Matheson, and Co.)

(Signed) JAS. MCKIE.

Putting aside the question of ignoring the existence of the preliminary Agree- ment dated the 13th May, 1898, for the construction and working of the railways from Soochow to Hangchow and Ningpo, provision for which has been made at considerable cost in constructing double line works on the section of our railway from Shanghae to Soochow, I venture to express the opinion that the sanctioning of these competitive lines constitutes a direct breach of the terms of the Shanghae Nanking Railway Loan Agreement, Article 17, paragraph 2, which reads as follows:--

"It is further agreed that, without the express consent in writing of the Director- General and the British and Chinese Corporation, no other rival railway detrimental to the business of the same is to be permitted, and no parallel line to the Shanghae- Nanking Railway is to be allowed to the injury of the latter's interest within the area served by the Shanghae- Nanking main line or branch lines."

You are doubtless better informed on all these matters than myself. Still I feel I should be failing in my duty if I omitted to call your attention more particularly to the proposed competitive line to Soochow, which, if allowed to be built, can only be detrimental to the interests of our railway.

I am, &c. (Signed) A. H. COLLINSON.

Inclosure 4 in No. 1.

A Rough Outline of the Route and Construction Work of the Shanghae Kashing Railway.

Mileage. The Shanghae-Kashing line commences from outside of the Big South Gate, where the native city garrison is situated, and ends at Feng Chin Chen, under the jurisdiction of Sung Kiang Pu. The total length of the line is 191,000 feet, which is equal to 106'1 lis. To the west of Feng Chin Chen is the Chekiang boundary-line, where the Chekiang Railway will join on and build their line right up to Hangchow.

Rivers and Creeks. Between the Shanghac station and Feng Chin Chen there are a great many rivers and creeks to cross. The biggest of them is Heag Liao Chin.

We append here the names of some of the rivers and creeks, with their widths and depths:

253

Gentlemen,

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Mr. Collinson to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co.

Shanghue, January 23, 1907. YOU will have noticed in the papers accounts of the proceedings in connection with the turning of the first sod of the Shanghae-Kashing Railway on Monday last. A rough outline of the proposed route of the railway was given in yesterday's "Sin Wan Pao," a translation of which I handed to Mr. McKie yesterday afternoon.

The route described in the "Sin Wan Pao" bas to some extent been confirmed by the private information I have been able to gather, and I am further informed that the survey is in active progress on the lines indicated; also that land acquisition has been commenced.

You will notice that it has been proposed to extend the line from the Chekiang boundary to Ilangchow, this part of the work being constructed by the Chekiang Railway Company.

I am reliably informed that another Chinese Railway Company is surveying a line from Soochow to Kashing, where it is also proposed to make a junction with the Shanghae-Kashing-Ilangehow line. If these proposals are allowed to mature, another route will be established by rail from Shanghae to Soochow (via Kashing) in direct competition with the Shanghae-Nanking Railway.

Names.

Width. Depth.

Names.

Width. Depth.

Fie

Ft.

Ft

Ft.

Shih Tui Chiang

88

Tsao Ho Chin..

160

Heng Tang

45

HI, Chia Ping .

50

Chu Chiang

80

Tung Chun Shen Tang.

274

Pang Lang Tan Nan

70

Hei Chiao Ping

43

Ta Chang Chin

75

༠༠༠༠: ྂཎྜ

10

Chang Mao Hu

20

4

Lung Hua Chiang

80

7

10

Chang Uhia Taug

60

12

Heng Li Tang Nan

70

Sha Chiang

55

6

Jai Chun Shen Tang

75

#

Chang Chin Nau

50

4

Kuei Chao Tang

32

4

Siu Nan Chiao Tang

65

3

Lu Kang Chin

266

25

Chang Sni Chiang

79

B

Ta Heng Liao Chin

720

75

Huang Ni Chin

295

18

The remainder of the mountain streams and side creeks that the line crosses amount to 169, and the width of them all is equal to 5,298 feet.

The height of the land to be raised at the various places are as follows:-

From the Shanghae station to Lung Hua, 3 feet.

From Lung Hua to Mai Chia Lung, 1 foot.

From Mai Chia Lung to Hsin Chuang 2 feet.

From Hsin Chuang to Hsin Chiao, 3 feet.

From Hsin Chiao to Sungkiang East Gate, 3 feet.

From Sungkiang East Gate to West Gate, Siu Nan Tang, 6 feet. From Siu Nan Tang to Huang Chiao, 8 feet. From Huang Chiao to Han Chiao Ho, 9 feet. From Han Chia Ho to Feng Chin, 4 feet.

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