The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-18
AMERICANS INVADE CHINA.
FIRST MAGNATES WILL EXPEND
FORTY MILLIONS.
Powerful Syndicate Secures Valu-
able Railway Concessions and
Will Go to Work at Once.

New York, Sept 17.-Regarding the
proposed new railroad to be constructed
from Hankow to Hongkong, China. by
an American syndicate, ex-senator
Calvin S. Brice said to a Tribune re-
porter:
The American syndicate believes
that it has fair data for estimating
pretty closely the cost of the work.
part of it's engineering forces, and
is sending as rapidly as it can be
equipped corps of engineers and other
officials, who will make the survey, be-
ginning at Hankow and extending to
the city of Canton, and thence to Hong
kong, and also beginning at the south
ern end and coming north, making an
independent line for the purpose of Sc
curing as good location and grades and
as favorable construction as posi-
bic. That work, it is estimated, will
consume six months, and will prob
ably furnish us basis for making fur
Their calls upon the syndicate.
THE character of the syndicate may
best be shown by glance at the list of
names. There are in it seven repre-
sentatives of the Vanderbilt interests
and three of the Standard Oil company,
John d. Rockefeller, William Rockefel-
Ter and the president of one of the
largest banks; also presidents of sew
eral of our large trust companies, Levi
2. Morton, George T. Bliss and the Of
ficials of the Carnegie Steel company.
The new Federal company will prob
ably also take an interest in the syn
dictate.
"'The contract is absolute and subject
to no slips or casualties, as the whole
groundwork has been done, and money
to a large amount expended and will
be expended. AS fast as more money
is needed it will be paid in.
THE cost of the road is estimated
at minimum of e4,000,O 900, and
maximum of eS,000,000, or from about
$50, O00,000 to $4,000, 600. Our best opin-
ion is that it will cost between $50, 0OO,-
600 and SAC. 900, according to the
standard adopted andithe amount of
extra expenditures required. The syn
dictate will undoubtedly, control the
road for a period of four or five years,
during which it is subject to negotia-
tons which may change its character
The provinces through which the road
VIII pass are the most populous in
China, having a population of 500 000.-
GOO Two of the provinces through
which it passes have a population
greater than that of the United States"
In addition to the information given
by MIR. Brice, it may be mentioned that
the American railway will, by having
its northern terminal at Hankow, Gre
ate a direct line from Pekin to Hong
kong, by means of the new road which
is to be built by Belgian-French cap
ltal, and concerning which much has
been said in connection with the recent
troubles in China. 1t
will be remembered that the charge
was made that Russia was furnishing
all the money for the road and was
using the Belgians simply as a figure
head. The road runs through what is
called the English sphere of influence.
1t was also limited yesterday by those
IN close touch with the affairs of the
American syndicate that it was not
improbable that the latter might own
the proposed road from Tien-Tsin to
HanlxOW in tha apd