The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-27
AMERICAN BRIDGES IN AFRICA.
Twenty of Them to be Built Tor the
Uganda Railroad.


The British have just given a contract
to the American Bridge company of
Philadelphia for the construction OF ~
steel bridges along the line of the Uganda
railroad in East Africa. The amount in
yolyed is about 100000. English and
Continental firms competed in the bid
ding, but their figures were higher ana
they could not guarantee to complete
the work in so short time as that
agreed upon by the Philadelphia COM
pany.
The ordering of these bridges is a part
Of the plan adopted over year ago by
the British government to complete this
great highway on permanent OASIS.
The first plans, on which the original
estimates of cost were based, provided
for wooden bridges, a partly ballasted
line, the minimum equipment of rolling
stock and the smallest possible station
accommodations
It was found that such extreme econ
omy would be very expensive in the long
run. The nature of the country pre-
cludes the possibility of working partly
completed line except at prohibitive
cost and at serious risk of accident. Ac-
cordingly, the road, which will be COM
pleted in few months to Victoria
Nyanza, is being completely ballasted
and made as perfect as possible in all
respects; this is the reason why the best
of steel bridges have been ordered to re-
place the wooden structures already
built and those which were soon to be
constructed. All these improvements will
make the line and it's equipment cost
about 4,750,C00, which Is more than
twice the amount OF the original esti-
mate.
The building of this railroad is one
Of the most satisfactory enterprises yet
undertaken in Africa. The British gov
eminent was authorized by parliament
to undertake the work. at the cost of the
nation in 1895. About 300 miles of track
laying from Mombasa, on the Indian
ocean, toward Victoria Nyanza had been
year later 4S1 miles had been finished;
on August last the completed portion
OF the line was SIT miles long, leaving
only 81 miles to be built. Port Florence,
the inland terminus of the road, is on
the northeast coast of Lake Victoria.
The line will be 5S1 miles long.
The British government has already
transported one steamboat in sections
to the lake. The cost of transportation,
it was estimated, was about one-flfth Of
the cost of operating the whole railroad
for year. Two more steamers, draw
ing 10 feet Of water, will be carried by
rail to the lake early next year as soon
"a the line is completed, These steam
ere. plying to various ports OH al! sides
of the lake. will be feeders for the rail-
road. They will make the commerce OF
the regions all around Victoria Nyanza
directly tributary to the railroad.
The great enterprise is already having
a remarkable effect upon the people |
near the lake. The natives are moving
to the railroad route. The town of
Nairobi has now 5000 inhabitants, and
rapidly forming.
Mr.. Henry NJ. Stanley said some years
ago that over $4,000 porters were then
employed along the English and German
routes to Lake Victoria. The native de-
mand for European goods was steadily |
increasing. The commodities at that !
time imported for the use of the natives
and Europeans amounted to about 1900
tons annually and the cost of carrying
these articles from the sea to the lake
was about $1.950.C00 year. He believed
that great increase in the traffic would
occur when freight rates were reduced
by the railroad.
We have scarcely an idea of the enor-
nous price tnat Is charged In Uganda
on the north shore of the lake for Amer |
lean and other cotton cloths. A piece of
cloth that Is worth 36 cents on the coast |
is sold in Uganda for $3.50; in other |
words. a ton Of cloth purchased at the |
coast for $50 is worth $1,000 in Uganda. |
the difference OF $500 being required to
cover profit and expense of carriage. 1t |
Is reasonable to suppose that the demand |
for foreign commodities will greatly in |
crease as soon as the enormous prices |
charged for them are reduced |