The Van Buren press., 1898-05-07
RAILWAYS OF JAPAN.
Phenomenal Progress Made In 1S07~
There Are Now 5000 Miles
In Operation.

Last year (1s97) the progress of rail-
way enterprise in Japan was phenom-
email. Since the pioneer railway was
constructed between Toxic and Yoko-
hama, a distance of is miles, in 1872, the
system has been extended at an average
rate of 100 miles year, so that at the
end of March, 1897, which concluded
the twenty-ninth fiscal year, the total
mileage had reached 2,44S miles. At
one leap, however, during the year just
expired, no less than $50 miles approx
mately were added to the total thus
bringing it up to 5000 miles in round
numbers. OF the lines newly opened
for traffic during last year, the Tokuy-
anna section of the Sanyo railway, the
Iwald section of the Nippon railway,
and the Choshi section of the Sobu rail-
way were the most important for their
mileage alone aggregated 100 miles and
some fractions.
OF the works of construction actively
pushed ON since last year we may mem
ton, among the government lines, the
Central line, the construction of which
was begun from the three different
termini at Nagoya, Hachioji and Shin
onoi: the Komatsu-Tsuhata section via
Kanazawa of the Hokuriku railway,
and the Fukushima Yamagata section
of the Tohoku railway, which is to eli.
feet a junction ultimately with the
Aomori terminus of the Nippon rail.
ways line. With regard to private rail-
way enterprise we may mention the
coast section from Tara to Nakamura
of the Jyoban branch of the Nippon rail-
way the Koriyama Wakamatsu section
of the Ganyetsu branch of the same rail
way; the saniyo-Nagooka section OF
the Hokuyetsu railway; the Kamo-
Nara and Shiivo Nawate-Kitsu sections
of the Kansai railway, and the pro-
longation of the Tokuyama terminus Of
the Sanyo railway as far as Mitajiri.
When this prolongation shall have been
completed the next work to be under
taken will be the further prolongation
of the trunk line as far as Shimonoseki,
which, according to the programme,
will be the terminus at one end as Kobe
is at the other.
On the completion of the abovemen-
toned two sections of the Kansai rail-
way, Osaka and Nagoya will be connect
ed with another railway service, be-
sides the facility now afforded by the
government Tokaido line. Railway en-
terprise is also active in Kyushu. The
Hayagi-Omura section and the Sasebo
branch of the Kyshu railway have been
virtually completed and will be opened
for traffic at no distant date. The other
sections will be completed by June
next. The industry at Hokkaido also
claims our attention. The work there
is in greater part official. The govern
ment railway construction in Hok-
kaido is divided into two periods To
the first period of construction belongs
the line which is to start from the
Sorachifuto terminus of the Tanko rail-
way and TO reach Asahigawa via Kami-
kawa. From Asahigawa, one route will
go southwark to the coast of Kushiro,
aud thence along the coast to Nemuro.
The other route will divert northward
from Asahigawa, and will reach Soya
DN way u ItsilWc. uc lOldl ltuBtl IL
about 600 miles. The Sorachibuto-
Asahigawa section, we understand,
will be opened for traffic by May next,
most probably. On the part of private
railway enterprise in IIokkaido, that Of
the HANSON Railway company is the
most important. The project is to con-
meet Hakodate and Otaru, a distance of
$50 miles, at the estimated cost of s,000,-
600 yen (S3,0S4, 000). The work of con
struction will be completed in about
five years. AT present the journey be-
tween Otaru and Ilakodate, if made by
steamer, occupies "a hours. while if I'M
dertaken by the railway service now
available from Mororan, no less than SO
hours are necessary On the compile
ton of the HANSON railway it will be
possible to cover the distance in eight
hours.-Japan Times.