New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-24
THE BEIR4 RAILWAY.
SITUATION AND CHARACTER OF A LINE
RECENTLY UNDER DISCUSSION

From The Pail Mall Gazette
The Beira Railway which is now attracting
publc attention, was the outcome Of an agree
ment made between Great Britain and Portugal
| on June II. 1891, mainly for the purpose of fix
ing the respective frontiers, following on the
taking over Of Lobengula's territories by the
British South Africa Company. though the final
/ arrangements respecting these frontier questions
We're not made until a later date. Under the
agreement in question. says The Times" to
which are indebted for these particulars the
Portuguese Government undertook among other
things, the construction of a line of railway
which would connect Rhodesia with the sea at
Belra, and they further guaranteed not to i'm
pose any transit duty goods higher than 3
per cent. The original concession granted to
the Mozambique Company, but eventually il was
transferred, through Mr.. II. T. Van Laun. 10 the
belra Railway Company, which was regis tered
in London in July, 1892. with debenture capital
only. The line from Beira to the Portuguese
frontier was constructed in sections and when
in July, 1896, the MashOnaland Field Force
passed this way they were able use the sec
tons lying between FOntesvilla which is forty
five miles up the River Pungwe TO Chimoio a
distance of loo miles from Beira. The complete
line TO New-Umrali, the frontier as then fixed on
was finished by July, 1898 The total length of
the BeIra line IS 2U3 miles, a greater distance
than was originally contemplated. partly be
cause the boundary between the British and the
Portuguese spheres of influence had in the mean
partly because Of the detours which had to be
made owing to the billy nature of the country.
Thus between FonteSVilla and Chimoio the dis
lance as the crow flies is seventy-fiVe miles. but
the line winds 30. while il rises steadily from
0,4,o teet. In the circumstances ii is not sur
prising that the average rate of speed for pas
senger trains is only twelve miles hour. and
Tor goods trains ten miles an hour The
plete journey from Beira to UmtaH generally
takes two days night being spent at a stop
ping place route.
At initial the line connects with that of the
Mashonaland Railway Company. which runs
thence to Salisbury. the capital of Rhodesia, a
distance Of about 40 miles. This Umtali-SaIis-
bury line was constructed under contract with
he Rrir TGN
anteed the payment Of interest the debent-
ures. The raisOn d'etre of the whole line from
Salisbury to Beira is. of course. the development
of Rhodesia, which thus gets BIB mile railway
journey to the the east coast as an alter
native TO the 1850 miles from BuIuwayo to Cape
Town on the south Eventually the Cape Rail
way, which now has its terminus Buluwayo,
viii be extended via Gwelo to meet the line at
Salisbury, and Cape Town viii then be in direct
railway communication with Beira a total
length of 1000 miles of continuous railway being
available for this purpose At the present
ment, however, there is no railway between
Salisbury and BuluwayO. a distance of $50
miles, and the ordinary traveller proceeding from
the one place to the other does so either by
coach, which accompHshes the journey in five
days and costs SD. or by bullock wagon. which
is both slower and cheaper. The Beira-U
line was originally constructed on two foot
gauge the carriages OVerhanging the wheels TO
about the same extent on each side. The [ NJ
taIi-Salisburv line however was made on the
loot 6 inch standard of the Cape railway sys-
TEN, and the Beira Railway is now being relaid
that il now corresponds with the same stand
avoiding the delay. Inconvenience and expense
Of transshipment- Good progress has already
been made with this work. but without any in
corruption IN the service, the only difference,
until the transformation has been completed be
ing that the change from the one system 10 the
other is now made before UmtaIi is reached.
The influx into Bejra Of the considerable body
of troops who viii form Sir Frederick Caring
tons force viii naturally tax the resources Of a
comparatively new line. which has hitherto been
used mainly for the conveyance of goods But
the Beira company has forty-eight engines
available, the rolling stock Is constantly being
Increased and though the present supply Of or
binary railway carriages is limited, there is an
abundance Of trucks, which, with covering to
protect against the sun. seem 10 be preferred 10y
the average soldier in MS journeys across couu-
try TO the ordinary railway carriage. and would
no doubt be especially preferred TO the dimiuu-
tive carriages still run on the two foot section
Of the Beira line. The only difficulty that Is
anticipated is in respect 10 the conveyance CT
horses, but there is certain number OF horse
boxes available. and there are also some coy
cred in goods trucks which might be adapted for
the purpose Happily. too, the line is under the
charge Of an agent Mr.. A I. Lawley. who pos
sesses indOmirable energy and resource. and il is
regarded as certain that from his headquarters
at Beira he win do everything that IS physically
possible to facilitate the transport o. the troops
and their belongings