February 5, 1900.]***
othe
agreement we have entered into with the vo provinces, and the more we delay the more erest we shall have to pay. Moreover, it was stipulated in the agreement if
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. connection with the
the recent agitation, and he | lb. steel rails on stee (the Liang-Kiang Viceroy) would denounce broken stone on the them to the Throne, Chang Chih-tung has been ordered by Peking to make private
the different sections are not linked enquiries about affairs at Canton.
to 7
at their respective frontiers within a certain date the other provinces shall have the right to conclude the work and shall control that section of the line until the monies disbursed by them shall be refunded. Such sums advanced bearing interest, of course. Thus you can see what a calamity you are bringing upon your salves. The length of the line from Wong-Sha the Hunan frontier at Ping-Shek is about ne thousand li. This section is a long one, and is a big undertaking. If large fund is not raised it will be a difficult matter to carry it out. Now the most important question is, How to raise these funds? My plans are as follows: To obtain part of it from the Government enffers, to raise another part by increased taxation, and the balance by inviting the people to take up shares in the company. With regard to the first two methods I have already given instructions to the officials, the Provincial Treasury the Salt Comptroller, the Sin Han Kak, and the Likin department. The to take up shares, and, in doing so, rules and regulations must be drawn up and published so that the people should be informed. You are all aware that in Japan and Europe railways are numerous and that the people of those countries believe that every railway is a gold mine, in itself. A suggestion has only to be made in the morning for the construction of the line in view and the funds are there in the evening. Now, we are only beginning to have railways in China. There are many wealthy gentry and merchants in Kwangtung. If they only would combine and take up shares in the railway company it would be constructed very soon. Besides, if this railway is completed it would not end in Hankow but will extend
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· POSSIBLE MAGISTERIAL CHANGE.
The Poon-yu Magistrate, Chai Wai-tung, is in disgrace so far as local officials are concerned his colleagues wish to replace bim with Tong Shing-chung, the Shantak magistrate. The Viceroy held a private consultation yesterday morning with the officials.
& SPECULATION FOILED.
The Viceroy has officially closed a granite Hongkong compradore, it having quarry which a native had let to a prominent represented that the quarry was on Government been property. The quarry was taken as a speculation to supply material for the railway.
CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY.
Į
SAMSHUI BRANCH.
Canton-Hankow Railway, contributos a copiously Mr. C. W. Mead, late Chief Engineer of the illustrated article on the survey and partial
the Fatshan end. The sin a roadbed 18 ft. wide, is laid weight rails upon Japanese entirely sand ballasted. The digu very good.⠀⠀⠀
ENGINEERING DIFFICULTIES.
!
sion are the bridge foundations, which were made The only engineering difficulties on this divi- by first driving piles to a depth sufficient to give a bearing power of 12 tons on each, pile. The required resistance to penetration was usually obtained in a strata of coarse quartz sand which lay from 30 to 50 ft. below the surface and cases a bearing power of only 6 or 7* tons could varied from 3 to 7 ft. in thickness. In some be obtained, in which cases special designs were made by putting in more piles and covering more ground. The piles were ent off below water-level, all the silt taken out from between them, and coarse stones were rammed in to within 2 ft. of their tops upon which concrete put on. The spans are of 10, 15, 20, and 30 ft. was built to sub-grade and granite bridge seats deck girders, and 40 and 60 ft. through girders. with 96-ft. spans and three other bridges on the line 120 ft. long, which have one 60-ft. and two 30-ft. girders. Several box and arched concrete below grade. Short spans were used for econom culverts were used, and arched road orossings ical reasons as steel laid down at the bridge sites was costly, while the cost of foundations The ease in handling short spans with unskilled was low owing to cheap material sad labour. labour was a large factor, and all these reasons tended to an opposite economic condition to that found in Europe and America.
emaining question is to invite the people constraction of this line to the Fur Eastern There is one bridge across the Sainam River
on to Siberia and thence to Europe. The
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enormous profits that would be derived are an absolute certainty. If you cannot raise funds to construct this railway, it is like sitting down and seeing the profits flowing into foreigners pockets. I cannot guarantee that foreigners will not be tempted to snatch it away from you. At present the directors of the Canton-Hankow Railway head office in Kwang- turg have sent me a copy of the conditions and regulations of the company for inviting the people to take up shares in the concern. They are very carefully drawn up. It is now my duty to forward this despatch to the General Chamber of Commerce of Canton and to request it to invite the gentry and merchants to deliberate over each item minutely. If there are any necessary alterations to be made, they should be sent to me by the Chamber of Commerce for my decision. This is a matter from which the general public will derive a benefit. It is for the public good. Any suggestions will receive my attention, and I will not grudge the work, no matter how hard it may be. My chief aim is to get this railway constructed, and if one scheme does not work I will take others. It there is any energetic and resolute person who will guarantee the raising of funds, and can produce such authentic proofs, I will grant him the privilege with full power and control to construct the railway, and I will give him full protection. But you cannot under any pretext delay the construction of the railway, as time is most important in this matter. trust that you will take early steps to convene meeting and will abstain from disobedience. I trust to receive an early reply from you. I endlose you a copy of the conditions, and regulations"
January 31st.
FOREIGN CAPITAL.
+
=
Viceroy Sham's desire to exploit foreign tal is being considered by the Beard of Revenue, whose decision is expected
48004
THE IMPEISONED GUILD-MAN.
wai-pui," the representative of the Guilds who is imprisoned for criticising the 1 government, had hundreds of New Year callerse of
CHINESE EVIDENCE,
Viceroy Chou Fu telegraphed his son Chow I Hok yuên, an expectant Taotal, to make a list of all the officials who had acted “rashly
Review of the current month. He says:- Pearl River about 30 ms. where it strikes across Leaving Canton the line runs N. up the
100 ms, to Shao Chou, thence up the Wei River to the Pei River following te valley about to near its head waters, where it crosss a range of mountains onto the headwaters of the Lei Yangtsze; then following the Lei, Siang River which flows N. into the Siang and and Yangtsze valleys to Wachang on the S. side of the Yangtsza opposite Hankow. The line traverses a country rich in both agricultural and mineral resources, and thickly settled except in the mountainous districts and some of the flooded rections of the Yangtze and Siang River valleys.
and that at Fatahan. All others are small and Unly one permanent station was constructed temporary and put in at an average distance of 2 ms., thus giving the traffic an opportunity to The Fatehan Station is a fairly handsome develop and decide where stations were necessary.
the cost was about $15,000 Hongkong currency. 2-storey structure built of brick and wood and
at Shek Wei Tong, which is complete enough A blacksmith and repair shop was established to make all necessary assembling of rolling stock for the division and keep it in repair. This shop is entirely operated by Chinese
length, and there are about 150 ms. of branches, Approximately th· main line is 750 ms. in
Samshui li e which has been constructed and of which te most important is the Canton in operation for 2 years. leading from Ping Hsiang to Chu Chou, about Au important feeder 60 ms, has been constructed, and is now in operation This will bring the products of ated by H., Sheng Kung Pao, to Cha Chouwork.nen. the Ping Hsiung coal mines, owned and oper. where they will be transhipped to the Fran Yang Iron Works, also owned and operated by Sheng.
SURVEY OF the line,
1898-9. Since then
A reconnoissa ce survey was run over the entire liao by Wm. Barclay Parsons in have been run fron Canton N. nearly preliminary surveys 150 ms. and 100 ms. of same permanently located. On the N. od preliminary and location ines Lave been rua from Yo Chow, at the mouth of the Siang River, to Chu Chon, the point of intersec ion with the Fing Hsiang branch. This is a distance of 150 ms.. and is p obably the portion which will be first constructed. This section, in connection with the Ping Hsiang Chu Chou, branch will deliver coal and cake to the comparatively deep water navigation of the Yangtaze whence it will be distributed along the lower Yangtze by boat,
The Canten-Samshui branch for the first 14 ms. out from Canton runs over a flat country of alluvial formation and entirely covered with rice fields, cane, and vegetable gardens. This country is cut by many tidal streams, some of them being 125 ft. wide and very deep. Beyond Chai Bin the country assumes a broken aspect, and miny low ridges separate the various valley's Boross which the line runs, These ridges are mostly of soft sandstone, only one reef of hard rook being found, and that was a black basalt at Wong Ting See, 3 ms. E of Sai Nam. The entire country except the ridges would be subject to overflow except for dykes which are about 7 ft, near Canton, while at Sam- shui the main dyke is 30 ft. high. All the streams crossed are navigable for some kind of craft at some time during the year, and this fact forced an ascending and descending grade at the principal crossings, d
there was no trouble in finding would-be con- CHINESE CONTEKUTORS, With the bland-like simplicity of the Chinese
traptors who would undertake any kind of in any time required. Experience taught the contract for any price and agree to complete it engineers that the Chinese were able to contract all other work was more economically performed for earth embankments and shallow outs, while by using foreign foremen or letting the work to foreign contractors. At best it was slow and costly as all the workmen had to be first langht, and there were no experienced foremen or reliable foreign contractors available. building of this line was not only to the Chinese employed but it taught the ahe engineers in charge how to take advantage. of the peculiar conditions in China. That this schooling was valuable was clearly proven by the greatly reduced cost of the work performed on the main line after the completion of the branch.
bout
METHODS AND COST OR CONSTRUCTION. used, some original and others older than the Many unique methods of construction were hills to the Chinese, although now to foreigners. In the construction of embankments the Chinese were fairly adept for the reason that they had been constructing dykes for hundreds of years. They entirely ignored the use of wheelbarrow or all other methods of transportation baskets. They were finally broken in wheelbarrows and small cars carrying 1 cub, yd, For the transportation of mater less than 100-ft., baskets were found t more economical, while for moder hauls the wheelbarrow proved the cans were used in long hauls]: 2,000 It., and at a distance of 2,000 soft-cut material could be picked, the cars and delivered into i 200 St. The first 10 ms. of this branch to Fatshan per yd. Cost of overhau away for from 21 is double-tracked and the last 20 ms is single-ot, per oub. 100-ft hile
da smoked. The double-tracked portion has 18 wheelbarrow was from 1 to 2 c
ft. centres and 31 ft. roadbed; is laid with 75- cost of embankments to a height
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