August 20, 1898.
Astay of over half-an-hour was made at Woosung, the passengers employing the time in visiting the new pier and pontoon right opposite the station or in proceeding a short distance up the line to the fine and substantially built engine house. Here were seen the other two Brook's tank engines that were lately imported from the United States by the American Trading Co., but it was certainly a matter of surprise to find the importers' name in full in brass letterings on each engine, both in Roman and Chinese characters.
One carriage was left behind at Woosung as three were found sufficient to accommodate the passengers, and the return was made without stoppage in 173 minutes, the round trip having occupied an hour and a-half in all.
The line has been well and solidly built and is very creditable to all engaged upon it. The stations are handsome and substantial struc- tures, though every economy has been exercised in their erection. Secure foundations for the various iron bridges on the line were not ob- tained without considerable care and trouble,
but it is a source of gratification to Mr. Hilde
brand and his assistants that all the bridges have stood well the severe tests to which they have recently been submitted, so that they can confidently be pronounced safe and perfect. As the line has only just bean ballasted the trains will not be run at a high rate of speed until the roadway has settled down, but yet the trip to Woosung, with two stoppages, will be made in twenty minutes, and as the distance is 9 miles this may be considered a very fair rate of speed, vastly exceeding that of the Japan lines. If required, trains can be run at 45 miles an hour, but there is no necessity for such a high rate of speed.
For the trip on Saturday third-class carriages had to be used, as the first and second-class car-
The iron
riages are only now in course of being landed, but they will be ready for the official opening of the line, which has been fixed for the 1st day of the 7th moon (August 17th) sleepers with which the line is laid are a good innovation, as they outlast wooden sleepers by many years, and yet cost only a trifle more. The American tank engines do their work very well, and are no doubt admirably suited for a short line like this.
Yesterday afternoon H.E. Shêng, Director- General of the Imperial Railway Department, in- spected the line in his official capacity, a special train leaving Shanghai about four o'clock in the afternoon and returning about half-past five. Both the outward and return journeys were made in quick time and with perfect smoothness. There were present in the car specially reserved for the purpose Mr. Chu Pao-fei, one of the managing directors, and Mr. Wang Kai-kah, Secretary of the Imperial Chinese Railway Ad- ministration, Mr. E. F. Alford, Mr. R. Inglis, Mr. Landale, and Mr. Tong Kidson of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company, Mr. Smith of the Hongkong aud Shanghai Bank, Mr. and Mrs. G. J. Morrison, Mr. Tsai Erhynen and Mr. Weng Yia-chen (managers of the Shang. hai-Woosung Railway), and Mr. P. Hildebrand, the able engineer who has had charge of the construction of the line. In addition there were a number of ladies and children and also a large gathering of influential Chinese.---N.C. Daily News.
BUREAU OF CONTROL FOR RAIL-
WAYS AND MINES.
The following Imperial Edict, translated by the N. C. Daily News, establishing a Railway and Mining Bureau for the Empire, is. our contemporary understands, the outcome of the work that Mr. Pritchard-Morgan, M.P., bas been doing at Peking, and the representa- tions that he has made to the high authorities:-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
matters appear to be now taking definite shape in this connection. Then as to mines we have the Kaiping Colliery and the Muho (Amur) Gold mines as the most successful, so far, amongst the many mining enterprises embarked upon, and we have already further commanded those in control to seize every opportunity to extend the works of the two mines above noted. We are, however, apprehensive, in view of the number of provinces in the Empire and the various conditions of men who will attempt to open mines of all sorts in the future, that a diversity of methods and ensuing confusion will be the result, which would of course be detrimental to the principal object we have of getting the ful- lest advantages obtainable out of each and every undertaking begun in this direction. It is therefore highly important that there should be a centre of control to direct, under a single system, the working and exploitation of mines and railways in the Empire, and we hereby command that a Bureau of Control for Rail ways and Mines be established in Peking, to the Chief Commissionerships of which we now specially appoint two Ministers of the Tsungli Yamen, namely, Wang Wen-shao and Chang Yin-buan. The said Chief Commissioners shall, from henceforth, have special control over the opening of mines and construction of rail. ways throughout the Empire, and Companies formed for the above purposes will in future be required to apply to the said Commissioners for permission and guidance in their operations.
IMPERIAL EDict of 2nd August, Railwys and Mines are now-a-days the most important enterprises in this Empire. We have already had the Tientsin-Shanhaikuan and the Tientsin-Peking Railways built and in regular working order for some time past, while steps are now being taken for raising funds to build the Shanhaikaan extension to the Taling River (Newchwang and vicinity). As for the Canton-Hankow and Hankow-Peking lines, full control had been granted the Head Commercial Company to find ways and means for the construction of these railway lines and
THE FRENCH RAILWAY IN
YUNNA`.
We translate the following from La Semaine Coloniale (Saigon):-
|
The commission sent to Yunnan to make the survey for the railway from Meugtzu to Yunnan has completed its task, at least so far as work along the route is concerned, and the members are now (15th June) at the provincial capital. The commission is composed of M. Guillemoto. civil engineer, president; Dr. Delay, Captain Bonrguignon; M. Leclère, mining engineer; M. Kerler, conductor of roads and bridges; and Messrs. Surcouff and Boer. M. Bélard, the re- presentative of a French Company for the exploi- tation of the mines of Yunnan, is attached to the commission. From Mangtzu to Yunnansen the distance is 260 kilometres (161 miles) with a variation in level of about 550 metres (1,800 ft.) Throughout the whole length of the line there is only one great difficulty. Between Kwang-i and Tonghai, a distance of five kilometres (three miles) there is a difference of Will it be level of 500 metres (1,640 ft.) necessary to cut a tunnel or to make a zigzag ? I hope that to the right or the left a ralley may be discovered through which the line may be carried more easily. The members of the com- mission propose to continue their survey, if possible, to the Szechuen boundary.
THE WRECK OF THE “AMAKAPOOKA,”
FINDING OF THE COURT: MASTER'S
CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED.
The following is the finding of the Naval Court held at Shangbai to consider the circum stances surrounding the stranding of the Am- arapoora.
Finding and order of a Naval Court held at H. B. M. Consulate General at Shanghai on the 4th, 5th and 9th days of Angust, 1898, to in- vestigate the cenmstances attending the wreck of the British Steamship Amarapoora of Lon- don, official number 71,667, when on a voyage from Yokohama to Takn, and the cause of such wreck, and to inquire into the conduct of the master, certificated first mate, and the crew of the said vessel. The Amarapoora was a steam vessel, schooner-rigged of 1,619 tons registered tonnage, official No. 71,667, built at Greenock in 1874 and belonging to the port of London. It appears from the evidence given before the Conrt that she sailed from Yokohama, on or about the 30th of April, 1898, bound for Takn Bar vid Moji with a cargo of sleepers and a crew of 34 hands all told, and no passengers. The ship left Moji for her destination at about 3.30 p.m., on the 4th of May, 1898.
On sailing from Moji the ship was in charge of a pilot who left at 5.20 p.m. the same day off
167-
Rokure Island. At 6.50 p.m. on the 5th of May, 1898, Flower Island bore E.SE. At 11 p.m. the same day a fog set in, the weather having been fine up to this time. The ship was steaming at half speed from the time the fog came on till 0.45 a.m. on the 6th of May when the engines were put on at full speed. The course from Flower Island up to this time seems to have been west and at 1.10 a.m. was altered to north-west by north. From 1.50 a.m. to 6.50 a.m. the engines were eased on account of dense fog. From 7.30 a.m, to 1.05 p.m. the engines were going easy-dense fog again at 6.50 p.m. course was altered to north. From 1.05 p.m. until the ship grounded at 0.40 a.m. on the 7th of May, the weather appears to have been thick with dense fog at intervals and during that time the engines do not appear to have been eased. At 0.40 a.m. on the 7th of May, 1898, the ship took the ground on the south-west extremity of the South-east Promontory of Shantung when the engines were stopped.
The Court having regard to the circumstances steamship Amarapoora having left Moji at about above stated, fiuds as follows:-- That the British 3.30 p.m. on the 4th of May, 1898, stranded on the South-east Promotory of Shantung at about 0.40 a.m. on the 7th of May, 1898. That from in a proper manner. From Flower Island to the Moji to Flower Island the ship was navigated
coast of China the ship was navigated carelessly. The master not knowing the China coast allowed nothing for the tides, the set of which he should have made himself acquainted with. In this case the spring tides were setting strongly to the westward on both coasts. If the lead was used at all, of which there is very little evidence, it was used in a manner that could have been of no possible use in checking the position of the ship. Had the lead been used it must have given ample warning of the ship's proximity to land. At the time of grounding
the master should have known that he must be in the near vicinity of the China coast and taken special precautions, yet although there. was a thick fog the engines were kept at full
speed and were actually running at that speed when the ship struck. In taking a departure from an echo of his own steam whistle which he believed to come from Ross Island which was never sighted the master navigated his ship in a reckless manner. The master and officer of the watch were both in the
chart house shortly before the ship took the ground, leaving an A.B. on the upper bridge. It is in evidence that the A.B. on the forecastle on the look-out reported a fog signal on the starboard bow and it was again heard from the bridge by the A.B. left in charge who an. swered the same with a blast of the whistle. Had the master been on the bridge at that time be could have stopped the engines and bauled the ship out to the eastward, and had he paid attention to the blasts of the syren he must have come to the conclusion that it was the fog signel on the South-east Promontory. Then had a cast been taken be would have been able to verify the ship's position and even at that time would probably have been able to save the ship. That upon the evidence given the vessel appears to have been well-found, suffici- ently manned and seaworthy at the time of her departure from Moji. That the Amarapoóra was not, in the opinion of the Court, provided with proper charts for the voyage on which she was engaged, the blue back chart No. 178, Eastern Passages to China and Japan, published by Messrs. Imray & Son being on too small a scale for the narrow waters she was navigating. The Court regrets that the second mate who
was officer of the watch at the moment of strand- ing was not available as a witness, he having left the port of Shanghai before the Court was convened. The Court desires to record that William de Canlièr Wetherell, first mate of the Amarapoora, did not give his evidence in an altogether satisfactory manner. The Court finds that the Amarapoora was lost through the default of the master as before described. The Court in pursuance of the powers vested in it by Sections 475 and 483 of the Merchants' Ship- ping Act, 1894, therefore orders :-"That a statement of the case upon which the investiga- tion was ordered having been furnished to Wil- liam Daniel Cameron before the' investigation, his certificate as master, number 96,762, issued. by the Board of Trade and dated 31st of May,
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