The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-31
THE BEIRA RAILWAY.
[From the Pan Mall Gazette

The Beira railway. which is now at
tracing the public attention. was the out
come of an agreement made between
Great Britain and Portugal on June IL.
1891, mainly for. the purpose of fixing the
respective frontiers, following on the TAX
British South Africa company. though
frontier questions were not made I'M
which we are Indebted for these particu-
took, among other things, the construc-
ton of a line of railway which would con-
they further guaranteed not to impose
any transit duty on goods higher than 8
per cent The original concession was
granted to the Mozambique company, but
eventually it was transferred, through
Mr.. H. T. Van Laun, to the Beira Rail
London in July. 1892 with debenture cap
itai only. The main line from Beira to the
sections, and when. in July. 1886. the
Mashonaland Field Force passed this way
they were able to use the sections lying
between Fontesvilla, which is forty-ffve
miles up on the River Pungwe. to Chi
moio distance OF leV Ha11es IRON Bel IA
frontier as then fixed on, was finished by
July. 1888. The total length of the Beira-
line is 203 miles, n great ter distance than
was originally contemplated. partly be-
cause the boundary between the British
and the Portuguese spheres of influence
had in the mean time been moved seven
teen miles westward, ana partly because
oil the QeI0QrS WHICH 70 OC AlidQe OW-
ing to the hnly nature OF the country.
Thus between Fontesvilla and Chimoio the
distance as the croW mes 1oo Is se,X;en At
steadily from Beira until at initial 1t
reaches an elevation of $3.50 feet. In the
circumstances it is not surprising that
the average rate of speed for passenger
trains is only twelve miles an hour and
for goods trains ten miles an hour. The
complete journey from Beira to Umtali
generally takes two days, night being
Spent at a stopping place enroute.
AT . connects
the Mashonaland Railway company,
which runs thence to Salisbury, the capt.
miles This Umtali-Salisbury line was
constructed under contract with the Brit
anteed the payment OF interest the de-
bentures. The raison detre of the whole
the development of Rhodesia, which thus
gets a 373 mile railway journey to the sea
on the east coast as an alternative to the
$50 miles from BuluwayO to Cape Town
on the south. Eventually the Cape Rail
way, which now has its terminus at Bulu-
wayo, will be extended via Gwelo to meet
the line at Salisbury, and Cape Town will
then be in direct railway communication
with Beira a total length of 1900 miles
of continuous railway being available for
this purpose. At the present moment
however there is no railway between Sal
isbury and BuIuwayo a distance of $50
miles, and the ordinary traveller proceed
ing from the one place to the other does
so either by coach. which accomplishes
the journey in five days and costs 9l2. or
by bullock wagon. which is both slower
CneaDeT.
originally constructed on a two foot
gauge. the carriages overhanging the
wheels to about the same extent on each
side, The Umtali-Salisbury line, however,
was made on the foot 6 inch STANDARD
of the Cape railway system, and the
Beira railway is now being relaid, so that
il now corresponds with the same stand
ard with the exception OF some sixty
miles, thus avoiding the delay, lnconyen,
fence and expense of transshipment. Good
progress has already been made with this
work but without any interruption in the
service the only difference, until the
transformation has been completed, be-
ing that the change from the one system
to the other is now made before Umtah is
The influx into Beira of the considerable
body of troops who will form Sir Fred
erick Carrington's force will naturally tax
the resources of a comparatively new line,
which has hitherto been used mainly for
the conveyance of goods. But the Belra
company has forty-eight engines avail
able the rolling stock is constantly being
increased. and though the present supply
of ordinary railway carriages Is limited,
there is an abundance of trucks Which,
with q covering to protect against the sun,
seem to be preferred by the average sol
ordinary railway carriage, and would no
doubt be especially preferred to the d.
minutive carriages still run on the two
foot section of the Beira line. The only
difficulty that is anticipated is in respect
to the conveyance of horses, but there IS
a certain number of horse boxes avail
able, and there are also some covered IN
goods trucks which might be adapted for
the purpose. Happily. too, the line is un-
der the charge of an agent, Mr.. A L.
LaWley, who possesses tndomitable en-
ergy and resource, and it is regarded as
certain that from his headquarters at
ically possible to facilitate the transport
of the troops and their belongings.