The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-17 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION
THROUGHOUT INDIA.
REPORT OF THE ENGINEER OFFICERS.
Report upon the Practicability of introducing Railways into
Indic, and upon an eligible Line to connect Calcutta with
Mirzapore and the North. West Provinces, from F. W.
Simms, Esq., Consulting Engineer to the Government of
India, and Director of the Railway Department ; A. H. C.
Boileau, Captain Bengal Engineers; and J. R. Western,
Captain Bengal Engineers, dated March 13, 1846.
I.—We have the honour to submit our report upon the
practicability of introducing a system of railways into India,
and of their application to the peculiarities and-circumstances
of the country and climate; to answer the questions relative
thereto, as proposed in the minutes of the Honourable the
Court of Directors of the 7th of May. 1845; and likewise to
make our report, from a personal examination of the country,
upon the direction of a line to be recommended for a railroad
from Calcutta to Mirzapore and the north-west provinces.
2.—We would commence by stating our opinion that rail.
roads are not applicable to the peculiarities and circum-
stances of India, but, on the contrary, are not only a great
desideratum, but, with proper attention, can be constructed
and maintained as perfectly as in any part of Europe. The
great extent of its vast plains, which may, in some directions,
be traversed for hundreds of miles without encountering any
serious undulations, the small outlay required for Parliamen-
tary or Legislative purposes, the low value of land, cheap
ness of labour, and the general facilities for procuring build-
ing materials, may all be quoted as reasons why the intro-
duction of a system of railroads is applicable to India.
3.—ln the minute of the Honourable Court of Directors of.
the 7th May, 1845. the following appears in the third para-
graph :—" Independently of the difficulties common to tail:
roads in all countries, there are others peculiar to the cliffate
and circumstances of India, which may tender it advisable
that the first attempt should be made on a limited scale.
These peculiar difficulties may be classed under the following
heads, viz. ;-Ist. Periodical rains and inundations. 2d. The
continued action of violet winds, and the influence of a verti-
cal sun. 3d. The ravages t.f insects and vermin ins el timber
and earthwork. 4th. The destructive effects of the spon-
taneous vegetation of underwood upon earth and brickwork.
sth. The unenclosed and unprotected tracts of coui try
through which railroads would pass. 6th. The difficulty
and expense of securing the services of competent and trust-
worthy engineers.
4.—To these difficulties we beg to reply as follows:
I. As to the periodical rains and inundations, we do
not expect that, with a judiciously selected and well-
constructed line, any serious mischief to the works may
be anticipated from this cause; nothing but what a
moderate annual outlay will set to rights. The practi-
cability of keeping a railway in order is shown by the
existence of bunds and roads, both metalled and unme-
tailed, in various parts of the country, which are kept in
order at a trifling outlay. It must, however. be borne
in mind, that although this opinion is based upon what
we have ourselves witnessed as the effects of a season
when the floods were unusually high, both in Bengal and
the upper provinces, yet, in after years, unprecedented
inundations may occur, causing serious damage to works
. which shall have been constructed with a view to re-
sisting only the highest floods hitherto known.
11. The continued action of violent winds and in-
fluence of a vertical sun. Suitable arrangements in the
construction of the works will overcome any difficulty
arising tram these causes as to the line itself. These
effects will be more felt in working the trains, especially
the wind at high velocities, but no fears need be enter-
tained upon this subject as to the ultimate result,
though, during the prevalence of the hot winds, more
than usual attention will be requisite in watching
and guarding against the effects of friction of such parts
of the engines or carriages that may be exposed to the
most intense heat.
111. The ravages of insects and vermin upon timber
and earthwork. If the information we have received be
correct, that the destructive action of insects upon the
teak and ironwood of Arracan amounts to nothing, or
next to nothing, that question is at once disposed of;
but should further investigation show that such is not
the fact, recourse must be bad either to the use of stone,
or to the employment of one or more of the various pre-
parations for timber now in use in England, which it is
probable may also be found desirable on the score of
economy, to render the timber more durable. This, how-
ever, at present, is by no means certain ; Captain Wes.
tern, who has been in Arracan, states that he would not
guarantee teak as resisting damp and insects, but iron-
wood be knows, from practical experience, to resist
both, and has seen a post taken up, after having been in
the ground fifteen years, as sound as the day it was put
in. To the earthwork no serious mischief is to be ap
prehended from this cause, if the overseers and labourers
on the line discharge their duties in a proper manner.
It is true that earthworks in the upper provinces, con-
, structed in a loose soil, have occasionally been damaged
by the undermining of rats, crabs, otters, or other bur-
rowing animals, but it appears that constant vigilance
would provide an effectual remedy for this, as well as
for the next following difficulty.
IV. The destructive effects of the spontaneous vege-
tation of underwood upon earth and brickwork. To ob-
viate this evil nothing more Is required than a faithful
discharge of the duties of the overseers and labourers in
rooting up every germ of such vegetation as soon as it
appears. Captain Boileau saggests that the attention of
the persons in charge of those portions of the line pass-
ing through young saul forests must be particularly di-
o P°!lltias trees of this kind, after having
clear ways for trigonometrical opera-
rbeecetne d e
o t o t
downthis
opera-
tions, have been known to spring up again an altitude of
about fifteen feet in two years, and, in various parts of
the country the rapid growth of palma christi (the
Turutrori, oil plant ), the gigantic reed called surkunda and
andmany other such wild productions, may
give considerable trouble, though the strong roots of the
latter are admirably adapted for giving stability to
an earthen bank. The roots of the peepul tree are par-
ticularlyV. The unenclosed and unprotected tracts of country.
A fence similar to our quick fences in England will an-
swer through theopen and cultivated parts of the country,
ofextro extraction
V. to brickwork, but are tolerably easy
which may or may not be employed through the dis.
tricts covered with Jungle, as circumstances may require.
Such fence may be formed of the plant called berandu,
or the Mysore thorn, or the prickly pear, all of which,
particularly
and perhaps many others, if kept well tritnrued, would
make a suitable fence. In several localities where stone
.
is obtainable in abundance, this material might, and in
certain cases where the soil is too barren for the growth
of hedges, must be used for boundary walls, and in the
valuable for the con-
struction of posts and railing.
VI. The difficulty and expense of securing competent
tvhicisini woodt of
re
and trustworthy. engineers. This difficulty, we make no
soadtedrsfoirteststhe exceeding straightness of
doubt, will be overcome by a Suitable arrangement by
the railway companies, at an early period. Such, we
should think, would be the sending of a few native or
East Indian young men to England, to be trained, until
some engines-are ready to be sent to India; upon their
return in charge of such engin—
e., and under the super-
intendence of one or two English engineers, there would
be laid the foundation for the training of as many native
engine-drivers as might be required. Such native
youths, while in England, should not only be instructed
to drive an engine, but to repair them when out of
order.
s.—ln the second paragraph of the minute of the Honour-
' able Court of Directors allusion is made to the probable re-
turns of merchandise and passengers; this appears to be one
of the bearings to be investigated and reported upon by us,
but, front an entire want of statistical information, we are at
present unable to give any opinion.
6.—With the above view of the case we should not deem
it inexpedient or unwise to attempt the intrpdnption of