Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 773

TAIREN

Tairen, the terminus of the Chinese Eastern Railway and also of the whole Siberian- system, is a commercial port on the South coast of Talienwan Bay Lat 38° 55′ 44′′ N. Long, 121° 37′7′′E. It was acquired on lease from China by Russia in 1898, when it was known as Talienwan. The Russiaus gave it its well known name of Dálny. Its present name marks its capture and possession by the Japanese.

The glimate being temperate, and drainage and water works being arranged for dwellings etc. the health of the place is always good. The hottest temperature registered in summer is 30° C., and the cold winter season is short and invigoratings Being the terminus of the railway the port is designed to accommodate the largest ocean steamers alongside the granite wharves, which have a vertical face with 28 feet depth at low water and a length of 3,150 lineal feet. There are likewise. other wharves of concrete blocks faced with granite to accommodate ships of various draughts up to 22 feet, these being in length 3,920 lin. feet. The narrowest of these wharves is 350 feet wide and the railway lines are brought right alongside the ship- berths. The area of port territory is 132 acres on a horizontal plane by 18 feet above low water. The inner harbour is protected by a stone and concrete breakwater 5,950 feet long, the height of the breakwater above highest tides being 10 feet. deep water area of the harbour, inside the breakwater, is 500 acres. The wharves are lighted electrically and the channels by gas buoys.

and the channels by gas buoys. The entrance being very open, viz. 1,050 feet wide, shipping can enter the port at any time of day or state of tide. On the island of San-shantau, at the entrance to Talienwan Bay, a third-rate lighthouse stands. On this island a quarantine station is situated for infected vessels, with hospital accommodation for 20 Europeans and 100 Chinese, with a resident doctor and military guard. For discharging heavy loads, the port has three steam floating cranes capable of lifting 50 tons each. For the docking of vessels a granite dry dock is provided 380 feet long, 50 feet wide at entrance and 18 feet on the sill, with extensive repair shops attached. A dock of 600 feet long, 90 feet wide and 30 feet on the sill is in course of construction.

The

The "European town" is situated along the waterfront of the port and runs inland up a slope towards the hills on an undulating stretch of rocky country. It is in ruins. Every house was throughly looted by Chinese, when the Russians fled on May 30th, 1904. The Japanese found huge heaps of costly furniture, pianos, billiard ables, etc., all useless, at the street corners. The Chinese had broken up splendid pianos simply to take out the brass wire inside; they also cut away coloured velvet from upholstery. The interiors of the churches were also mercilessly stripped. The water supply and electric system. suffered, as the Chinese cut away lead pipes, copper wire, and brass spouts, etc.; all sorts of bright metal had attracted the Chinese. There were only two days between the time when the Russians evacuated the town till the Japanese entered, and during these two days, the Chinese carried away more than 300 cart loads of goods from the European quarter. The roads in the European town are macadamised and are 50 kilometres in total length. The town is of the radial or spider web design, the centres being on high points on which sites for important buildings were reserved. There is one European Hotel in this part of the town, another more central, and a new one is in course of construction. There is likewise a Russian church, and a telephone system connected with Port Arthur. There are no European firms there at present. There was no Chinese quarter when the Russians had the place, but many Chinese have now flocked thither. The Railway Company built large airy hospitals with every accommodation for 200 patients; and apart from these, infectious wards are situated outside of the town. The Chinese Eastern Railway, of which Tairen is the terminus, is directly connected by rail with all the Manchurian, Siberian and European Railways as well as with the Shanghai-kwan line via Inkou. There is a branch line to Port Arthur through the junction station Nankanlin, and a daily service of trains runs to the North and Port Arthur from Tairen.