Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-11
To Iron and Coal Districts.

| now under construction.
To Iron and Coal Districts.
Still west of this important line is a
series OF lines of several hundred miles in
length penetrating the great iron and coal
districts of northwestern China, which are
designated as the greatest coal deposits
OF the world, the proposed line being under
,, combination of British and Italian inter-
ests, and the concession granted being not
only the privilege of constructing the pro-
posed roads but also the mining of coal and
iron and other business opportunities.
In the great territory south of the
4angtze American and British lines are the
only ones for which concessions have yet
peen granted, except in the extreme south
adjacent to the French territory of Tonkin,
where several comparatively short conces-
slcns have been granted to lines under
French control. Running southwark from
SHANGHAI at a short distance from the
coast, is British line to connect the treaty
ports of Wenchow, Ningpo and Hangchow
with Shanghai and which is likely to be
extended to the treaty ports farther down
the coast and finally to Hongkong, or
rather the recently acquired British terri
tory adjacent to Hongkong where 1t would
connect with short British line now I'M
der construction and with the great south
ern commercial center of Canton. The
length OF this line now projected, and for
which concessions have been made, is about
100 miles. From Shanghai westwardly
there is also short British line proposed
to extend to Soochow and Nankin.
American Concession.
American railway concessions in China
are up to the present time confined to a
single but very important; line which is to
connect Canton, the great commercial CEN
ter of southern China, with Hankow, the
great interior city ana commercial center
already described. This hne, which is about
GOO miles in length, passes through a rich
and important agricultural section, having
a population equal to that of the United
States, and at its center taps an important
iron and coal area. The direction of the
proposed line is almost 9due north and
south, and while it practically touches the
seaboard at it's southern terminus, where
II reaches the YangtZe, at the north Is
several hundred miles interior thus bring
OF the Upper Yangtze valley, which section
Is quite similar to that of the upper Mis-
S1sSippi in our own country.
AT Hankow the proposed American line
Will connect the proposed Belgian line,
which will bring it into direct communica-
ton with Pekin, the capital of the empire
thus placing in direct communication the
capital of the empire at the north, the
great commercial center, Hankow, in the
interior, and the great producing center in
the western interior, with the great seaport
at the South-Canton.
Surveying the Route.
This concession was granted to Ameri-
can capitalists in April, 1898, under an
agreement executed after due imperial
sanction by the present Chinese minister
at Washington, and a corps of engineers
and officials is now in China. under the
charge of Mr.. w. B. Parsons of New York
engaged in an elaborate survey of the
route. which it is expected will be COM
pleted within a few weeks
The Railway Age recently gave the
names of the Americans most promi-
nently connected with this ENTERPRISE
as Hugh J. Grant, Samuel Thomas
and Thurlow Weed Barnes of New York
George ]. Bppers of Indiana and the Car
negie Steel Company of Pennsylvania. The
sum to be advanced by this company is
named as $20,UO.OO for the Canton Han
kow road, and 800. OOO,O 600 for the Hankow-
Pekn road, should that contract be also
given them, as recent reports indicate may
be the case. American enterprise in rail-
way building seems to be we'll recognized
by the Chinese who, in July 1898, selected
Captain Watson w. Rider of the United
States as chief engineer of the Chinese i'm
perial railway system, and during the year
ordered several locomotives from American
workshops and quantity of rails through
an American contractor.
French Propositions.
In the extreme south of China, French
interests are proposing sundry railway
lines to connect their ports and navigable
rivers of Tonkin with the cities and prov
inces of southern China. These proposed lines
not only connect the French territory of
Tonkin with the treaty ports of Yengtsz
Woochow and Pakho but also the import
ant points of Yunnan, Manning and the
navigable waters of the West river, which
form a connection with the port of Canton
and the railway lines that are to center
there, and thus give connection with the
great railway system of China
Lying several hundred miles west of the
proposed American line is a British line to
connect the province OF SZechuan, in the
west of China with Canton and Hong
Kong. Szechuan is the largest, the most
populous and perhaps the most productive
of the provinces of China, being an ele-
waited table land lying at the head of nav
igation on the YanStZe, and whose varied
productions and enterprising population
give it a character quite similar to that of
the region of the upper Mississippi in the
United States. This proposed British line
connects Chengtoo, the capital of Szechuan
with Woochow on the West river, which
has recently been opened to commerce, and
from which point traffic Will reach Canton
either by the West river or by an already
projected line from Woochow to Canton.
This proposed British line connecting SEE
chuan with the lines which reach Canton
is about 600 miles in length.
To Connect With British India,
Another important British line proposed
differs from any of those already described
in the fact that 1t is an effort TO connect
China and her railway systems with the
railway systems Of British India. This bold
project is now to extend the existing rail-
way line from Mandalay,a in Burnah, to
the Chinese border at Kulong Ferry From
that point 1t is proposed to build 4 British
line ENTHUSIASTICALLY into the Chinese prov
ince of Yunnan and to the city OF Yunnan
itself, and thence farther riortheastwardIy.
to Chunking. III the great province of SEE
chuan, to the head of navigation on the
YangtZe This prODoSed line would GROSS
the British line connecting Szechuan with
Canton, thus not only putting the railway
system of Burmah into direct communica-
ton with Canton, but also bringing it into
communication with the head of navigation