The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-11
NEN RAILROADS FOR China
MANY LINES UNDER cONTENPa.A-
TlOS IN The CELESTIAL EMPIRE.
Shanghai and Wusun4-4seeat
Natiens Now interested In the


Special Dispatch to the Pcss-Inteliigencer
WASHINGTON, May 10 - Railways
present and prospective in China fern an
Interesting chapter In the publication
Just issued by the treasury bureaa OF sta
tisifcs, entitled Commercial China In
1889" With 5000 miles of waterways now
open 20 navigation by steam vessels of all
nations. With S.@o miles OF telegraph new
in daily use with over soo miles Of railway
in operation and over 1900 miles projected.
the details Of the proposed network Of rail-
way lire TO connect the great waterways
and cities Of this denseiy populated empire
are interesting. The statement is as fol-
lows:
First Railroad In the Empire.
.'China's first railroad was opened in 1876.
between Shanghai the New York Of
China and Wusans. fourteen mi es distant.
lying moro directly on the seAcoast OF an
estuary OF the YangtTe with which Shang-
hal Is connected by the wusung river. It's
existence. however was very brief for
native prejudice and superstition were so
strong that the local authorities bought Up
the line. which had been constructed ny
British enterprise, tore up the rails and
abandoned II. Five years later an English
engineer. who had been placed In charge
Of some coal mines near TYentsin, found in
existence a tramway, over which coal was
transported on cars pushed by Chinese
workmen. and, gradually extending II
north and south. finally placed a steam en-
CINE upon 1, for use in transporting coal.
the use OF the engines did no, bring the
disaster anticipated. gave way and the
roadway developed into one for general
traffic. and extended little by little. until
treaty port OF Shanhaikwan on the north.
alE, proving successful and popular. was
further extended from nentsin to within
a short distance Of Picking. with which IL
was connected by an electric road. the en-
tire system proving 80 popular that II
soon became necessary To enlarge its
facilities. its patronage being gathered
from native as Well as foreign interests
and individuals. From Picking II has been
extended enthusiastically to Paoting and
thence Is expected TO penetrate the fmpor
tant coal and iron regions lying within
easy reach.
This comparatively short system OF $50
miles. connecting the capital OF the en-
p.ro with two Of the important treaty
ports on the coast and with Paoting. thu
capital OF the province in the interior. Is
the germ from which has sprung a pros
pectivc railway system OF more than ten
times It's present length
in this prospective railway enterprise
all the great nations. or at least repreeen-
tastves OF all the great nations are inter-
ested. Starting from Manchuria, the ex-
IRENE norshsas S. dependency OF china tina
the great Russian transiborian railway.
now nearing completion. and which will
bring Its great traffic to the ice-frce ports
Gulf OF Pechili. To this proposed Russian
line the Chinese government has already
given assent, and work upon II IL In prog
construction being guarded BY Russian
troops. thus bringing into Northern China
Russian influence and military force
which have led mapmakers and students
shade. whether justly or not that portion
Of the map OF China as Russian sphere
Of influence This Russian line passes
ehxane 70 m, where xmercsn ana Rri,ish com
merce is already we'll established, and in
order to minimize the danger to this COM
merce the proximity OF the Russian line
and Russian interests. British capital has
arranged for the construction OF road
from Shanhaikwan. already touched by
completed line from Picking TO flemish, 10
communication with the capital. the great
port Of Tsenssin, and thence toward the
Yangtze valley. where the British have
arranged with China that there shall at
least be no concessions IN favor OF any
other government and which valley 10 thus
by some. though with doubtful propriety,
termed British sphere OF influence.
Many Lines Proposed
The important territory lying between
Picking and Tsentsin At the north and the
grea; Yangtze valley In Central China il
already checker beard OF proposed rail-
way lines. One OF these runs from Tien-
tsin enthusiastically 10 Shanghai. a, a
distance OF from 100 20 aso miles from the
coast following the general course Of the
Grand canal. bu. Al considerable distances
from 1: at places. and having length II
probably 700 miles. A small portion OF this.
from Shanghai northward. II British
concession. but az part OF the proposed
line extends through the province Of
Shan,ung. in which the Germans claim
railway and mining rights under their
kiaochau concession. British and German
capital have combined for the cons;ruc-
ton 81 the large proportion OF the road
At two points midway IL ~ tapped by pure
ly German lines. which run easswar!ly 10
The German possession and port of ktan-
chau, penetrating important coal and iron
regions. the population CT the province
through whica they extend. shantung. be-
ing more than IS "uO.
Lying west Of the British German tine
which connects Shanghai with T1en.sn
and Picking and from s0 10 40 miles dis
tanf In another important line. which ID
to connect Peking with Hankow. the most
important interior city OF China Hsnkow
is ON the Yangtze river, at the head II
what may be termed 4eep-water navsga-
ton. being reached by large. worthy
steamers that bring 1. into direct water
communication With Shanghai and all the
other great ports along the coast. The
importance of line which connects this
great business center OF nearly n million
people with the capita, u the empire and
at the same time passes through an iusp1r-
tant agricultural and mining section hss-
Ing a population of 100 fsss.1a. can scarce
IL f-a oyerra;es This proposed lire, abou.
sS miles long IL in the hands q a belgian
syndicate and Is nov under consrr1e- ion
Tappia9 the Coal Dissrtcts.
SSH wsss Of th.a important isne IL a
series os lines Of several hundred mites
in length. penetrating The great iron and
coal districts Of Northwestern China which
are designated the creates: COAL sepo@-
It's 81 the world. me proposed line being
under q combination az Brit - and Italian
interests and the concession granted De-
ing not only ire privilege If constructing
the proposed roads bat also he mining %
e1ai and Iron. ana ether business o.sDor-
turssse<
In the great territory south ri the
Yanxtze American and British lines ara
the only ones for wAlcs concessions hass
vet been ErantSJ exc&ps Ia the extreme
ntsafss adjacent to the French territory %
ysyrkls where s@vsFa1 comparatively short
cagce@ssQnx have h~sa granted 10 hEes
under French cozsrOl. Running southwark
frsssa shanghai. az s short distance from
ia. Coast IL British sine 10 connect the
off sAexsrtf4yr s-zA