The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-25
RAILROAD LINES IN CHINA.
wrru THE TELEGRAPH THEY ARE
AMONG THE CAUSES OF RIOT.
and Directed by the Government,
bat Concessions Have Been Grant
ed to Various Foreign syndicatea.

Special Dispatch to the Post-InteIligencer
WASHINGTON, June A.-Telesraphs
and railways appear to be among the
causes of the anti-foreign riots now in
progress In China. The development OF
THIS feature of modern enterprise .n
China Is described in considerable de-
tail In a recent publication Of the treas
ury bureau Of statistics. entitled, Com
mercial China In 1899" 1t shows that the
telegraph system OF China Included in
tN8 about 1900 miles OF line In opera
ton, and that the railroad system includ-
I'd 80 miles OF road In active operation
and over 1000 miles projected. The tele-
graph system connected all OF the capt.
tails Of the provinces with the national
capital. Picking. and in turn connected
with the Russian transsiberian telegraph
line and the ocean cables; but Il appears
from tho recent reports that these lines
have In many cases been destroyed by
the anti-forelgn mobs and armies
The railways thus far constructed be-
long to the Chinese government, and
we're constructed under its control and
direction and at It's expense. They con-
meet Peking. the capital with Tientsin,
which lies at the head OF the Gulf of
Pechii and Is the seaport OF Picking.
while other lines run northwardly from
Tientsin to Shanhaikwan and stiii others
extend southwardly from Pehing as far
- Paoting, the capital of the province
OF Chill, In which Picking is located. From
that point southwark a railway was being
constructed In 1899 by Belgian capital,
though II was suspected that Russian
influence and perhaps Russian capital
was associated IN this work This line
vas expected to extend 10 Hankow,
which may be described as the Chicago
Of China. being Its best and largest and
most prosperous inland commercial city,
located 500 miles up the Yangtsekiang
from Shanghai. which Hes at tho mouth
OF that river. Hankow Is city of
nearly 100000 inhabitants. and It was
expected that the Belgian line would con-
meet Picking. which lies well at the north,
with Hankow. located near the center,
and that an American line would extend
still further south from Hankow TO Cam
ton and Hongkong.
Concession 10 Americans.
The American line was surveyed by a
corps OF engineers under Mr.. W. y. Par
sons, OF New York, In 1893 and 1899.
under concession granted by the Chi
nese government to Calvin Brice, Hugh
J. Grant Thurlow Weed Barnes and
Others and this line. like all others for
which concessions have been granted. was
after term OF years TO become the
property OF the Chinese government. IT
was expected that this American line,
running from Hongkong and Canton
northward TO Hankow. and connecting at
that point with the Belgian line, which
would extend TO Picking. would form an
extremely important artery OF internal
commerce from China's most important
southern city. Canton. and its most i'm
portant central city. Hankow. and thence
to its capital at the north. Picking, from
which point II would connect with the
Russian railway system. which enters
China In Manchuria. at the extreme
north.
Numerous other railways have been sur
vcyed and some OF them were under con-
ssruction- The German government has
been encouraging the construction OF
railways In the province OF Shantung. in
which Its port OF Kiaochau Ia located,
while concessions to British companies
authorize the construction OF lines along
a large share of the eastern coast and
extending up the valley OF the West river
to tho borders OF Burmah. whore II was
expected they would finally connect with
the railway system OF India.
Great Reit Line Projected.
The railways projected In China, and
for which concessions had been granted.
n length OF moro than 1880
miles, and II was confidently expected
that their conservation would bring the
transstberian system OF Asiatic Russia
into touch with the translndian system
OF British India. which In turn would
finally connect with the railway systems
of Southern Europe and thus give TO the
world an International belt line stretch
ting northward from Northern Europe
through Russia and Siberia. thence south
wardly through China. thence wcstwardly
again through Burmah, India. Persia and
Turkey. In Europe. TO a connection with
the railway systems of Southern Europe.
What the effect OF the hostilities In
China with reference to works OF this
character win be. cannot now be fore
told. Russia controls long stretch of
territory along her north. and England
the territory of British India and Bur
NAH. at the southwest. Railway lines
existing or projected extend from the ter
riinrx OF hnth of those countries into