June 17, 1899.] }
·RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT IN ·
SHANTUNG,
The Ostasiatische Lloyd farnishes particulars of a German railway which is to be constructed from Tapadurb, near Kiachow, to Weilsien and thence to join the Tientsin-Chinkiang maiu line. A line is also to be built from Tapadurh to Tsiutao. Both lines will take two years in con. struction. They have been secured by a German syndicate, which has received the concession for the undertaking from the German Government.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
DISASTROUS FIRE AT SHANGHAI.
Shanghai, 12th June.
was experienced fromes on the i
499
Some days after; when nearing the city of Weining, also in Kneichon, daily annoyance
crowds A most disastrons fire, the magnitude of the bills and rolled which at the time of going to press it is im-ors beneath. They would disappear as soon macho, lined possible to estimate, broke out last night at ten
as pursued, only to appear again in similar minutes to seven on the Foochow Road. The places At last the throwing of stones was which was let to a bookseller whilst the upper tinger refused at first to believe the guns were outbreak occurred at No. 60, the basement of succeeded by the firing of guns. Captain Pot- stories were utilised by a tea house proprietor loaded, but evidence was soon forthcoming, and determined, but aided by a strong southerly rough and nasty sings. The Chinese escort was How the conflagration originated is not yet one gun was captured, loaded strongly with
billmen made a wild obarge down the slopes, in- so, but no damage was inflicted. On this the
tent on murder. The Englishmen then joined in the firing and three of the natives were killed and several wounded. This decided the matter and a wild flight was the result.?-
The Weihsien branch will tap the rich coal / breeze the flames spread with alarming rapidity then ordered to fire on the crowd, and they did
district, which is expected to be the mineral main-stay of the German sphere of interest in Shantung. Another line is to be constructed from Kiachow (Tapadurh) to Ichow, and thence to the Tientsin-Chinking main line. Work ou the Weihsien line commenced on Friday. nd June.-Mercury.
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THE BRITISH FLEET
The summer programme of the British Fleet is published. Some 13 ships are now assem- bling at Weihaiwei. The Daphne goes north for the Bebring Sea patrol this year. The Grafton, at Mauila, will be relieved by the Orlando, and returns to Hongkong to dock and meet her relief the Endymion. The main body of the fleet leave Weihaiwei on June 20th, arrive at Port Hamilton on the 22nd and leave on the 24th; arrive at Douglas Inlet the 25th and leave the 27th; arrive at Port Lazaroff on the 29th, leave July 3rd; reach Korniloff on July 5th and leave on the 12th; reach Oteranai on the 15th and start again on the 19th; arrive at Bar- racoats Harbour on the 21st and leave on the 27th, reaching Hakodate on the 30th. The ships stay at Hakodate till August 10th, and while there the usual fleet regatta will be held. Leaving on the 10th they reach Endermo on the 11th and start again on the 14th; reach Akishi on the 16th and leave on the 19th;
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arrive at Yamada on the 21st and start again on the 24th; reach Sendai Bay on the 25th and leave on the 28th, arriving in Yokoham on August 30th.
CHINESE RESISTANCE
FOREIGN AGGRESSI, N.
ΤΟ
The Nanking native correspondent of the N. U. Daily News, writes on the 6th instant that, on the day previous, Viceroy Liu received the following special secret edict from the Empress Dowager :-" In the event of the landing of armed forces of European Powers within the jurisdiction of the Imperial Com- missiouership of the Nanyang, you are hereby granted perfect liberty to employ armed resist- ance thereto. There will be no necessity of waiting for further instructious from the Throne, as in critical times it is not un- usual that telegraphic communication may be stopped between the Capital and other points in the Empire. You will be held responsible should there be any failure in
obeying these instructions, and it shall be your
and in an incredibly short space of time spread engulphing the immediately adjoining property ing to the buildings on the opposite side of the narrow road, and worked north and south of the Shantung Road destroying a dozen houses on the same. The alarm unfortunately was tardily given, but the brigades were not slow in putting in an appearance. It was at once seen that no mean task bad to be performed, and with a preliminary pancity of water supply the fire gained a strong hold. The utmost eu- deavours were used to prevent the flames from spreading, but, ali proved unavailing, and one by one the flimsy and dangerous fabrics de- signatel dwellings in this congested quarter col- lapsed, until at uine o'clock the police estimated that at least fifty houses were doomed. The heat was terrific and it was a matter of dar ing to approach even within measurable distance of the burning pile. The inflam mable structures tumbled like matchwo d, until the portion of the Foochow Road where the fire occurred and the thoroughfares intersecting were strewn with charred and blazing timbers, rendering the efforts of police and firemen difficult and hazardous in the extreme. At 9.25 a noticeable check on the progress of the flames had been obtained, but still the affair was oue of the gravest aspect. The greatest excitement prevailed amongst the Chinese in the immediate vicinity who, chary to the last, were visibly mindful of the safety of their belongings. Captain Superintent Pat- tisson, Capt. Mackenzie, Chief Inspector Ho- ward and the whole of the available police officers were in attendance, and complete order was maintained notwithstanding the seriousness of the outbreak. At ten o'clock the firemen had the conflagration practically extinguished and only the burning debris to cope with.-N. C. Daily News.
THE YUNNAN RAILWAY SURVEY
COMMISSION,
After that no further resistance was offered to the party. The men of the district through which they passed are notoriously rowdy —N. O. Daily News.
THE BURMO-CHINA RAILWAY.
Rangoon, 29th May, The survey operations of the officers lent to the Yunnan Company were completed on May 3rd when Captain Pottinger and Lieutenant Hunter and their party, who had come from the Yangtsze, met at Weining on the Kwei- chow-Yunuan frontier Captain Davies and Lieutenant Watts-Jones who had set out from Burma. The officers have since separated. Captain Davies returns home via Tonkin, and on May 26 passed through Yuugnanfu; Lieut. Watts-Jones, travels to Suchow and thence down the Yangtsze, Lieutenant Hunter mar- ches to Chungking and thence by boat to Shanghai, while Captain Pottinger, who re- mained at Weining till Saturday, also journeys homewards via Chungking and Shanghai, Mr. Turner and Mr. Scott, two of the three commercial experts who have been in Yunnan on behalf of the Cmpany, arrived at Talang on the Burma frontier ou Saturday, while Mr. Ker remains in Yannan for a time.
The survey operations have been crowned with success, the parties having discovered and mapped out a feasible railway route from Kud- lon Ferry, the proposed terminus of the Mandalay-Salween" Railway, to the Yangtsze valley. As at present proposed the line would miles higher up the river than Changking, and reach the Yangtsze at Luchon, about a hundred
near the junction with the Yangtze of the Yungning river, the latter one of the principal trade routes of Szuchuan along which the salt- of Szuchun is sent to Kweichow, and the
native cottons of Szuchuan to Kweichow and Yunnan, The length of the line would be abont oue thousand miles. Plans and rough estimates are now on their way home, but these are, of course, confidential: The one point made clear by the surveys is that a railway from Burma to the heart of Szuchuan, perhaps the
It appears that the party under Captain Pot. tinger, who bas just arrived in Shanghai, has had a good deal of trouble with the natives during the surveying in Younan. A lot of opposition was encountered on the borders of Kueichon and Szechuan, and when not far from the city of Pitsieb in Kaeichon this opposition came to a deplorable head. Lieut. Hunter was surveying in one direction, at some distance from Captain Pottinger. A part of the escort of 50 soldiers was with him. The rest, in-most-densely populated province in China, is cluding the mandaria in charge, was with the loader of the party. There a number of men gathered together, led on by some influential per sons, and refused to allow Hunter to proceed.
not only not impracticable, but its construction whether such a line would give an adequate would present no very extraordinary diflonlties. return, commercially and politically, on the ten or twelve millions sterling needed for its
duty to notify our commands to the varions They practically surrounded him and kopt him construction, is a question which capitalists
Viceroys. Governors, and Provincial Comman. ders-in-Chief of the maritime and riverine pro- vinces comprised in your jurisdiction, and to see to it that effective opposition be given to the foreign aggressors. Liberty is also given to you to keep back taxes destined for the Imperial exchequer in the event of lack of funds to prosecute the war. Obey this in fear and trembling It will be remembered that the jurisdiction of the Imperial Commissionor of the Nanyang extends over all the Yangtsze and maritime provinces as regards foreign affairs and military and naval matters.
A telegram from Raub dated 5th June states The rough cleaning-up of the battery yielded. 2,500 ounces amalgam, the estimated quantity of stone crushed being 1,100 tons." At 37 per cent. gold in the amalgam this would give an instalment of 925 ounces of gold, with say 150 or 200 onnoes more yet to be got off the battery
and statesmen must - answer.
into the heart of China is a question for the Foreign Office to setde; the question for business men is whether a line at least sixteen hundred miles from its ontlet Lat
and his party prisoners. The men who opposed the march were armed, and affairs looked serious. it is necessary or advisable for ds to push Hunter sent a message to the mandarin in charge of the escort, asking him to return and explain matters to the natives. With true celestial "sagrcity" and stupidity the mandarin sent back his card, but did not move a step to solve the difficulty. The next day Hunter resolved on rushing the crowd, and he and his men did so. They were attacked an 1 fired on when doing 80. The fire was returned, and one of the rioters was shot dead. The Chinese escort also captured two of the leaders, one of them being a wealthy man of the district. Thereupon the crowd dispersed, and in due time the expedition was reunited. Strong pressure was brought to bear on the leader of the escort to try the captured rioters. He refused to interfere, and then the two Englishmen tried him themselves in fair Anglo-Saxon style, and finding the chief guilty they imposed a fine of Tls. 4,000. One thou forthcoming for the remainder. sand of this was duly paid and bonds were
Rangoon can possibly compete with the great Szuchman. We have little doubt that when waterway that flows through the heart of the fact that such a line is feasible is under- stood at home, great pressure will be brought to bear on Government from all the manufac- turing centres to have the line constructed. A very few years ago, most of us, would have scoffed at the idea of a Barma-Yangtasa rail. way coming in our time whithin the region of practical politics. Bat affairs have re, ently developed at lightning speed in the Fat Fast and these latest surveys which would have attracted small attention five years ago, will now be eagerly discussed in every quarter of the globe, Rangoon Gazette.
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