The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-26
OUR ENGINES IN INDIA
A British Engineer Compares
Them With England's.
NOT UP TO EXPECTATIONS, He SAYS

American Locomotives Are Powerful,
He Claims. but Are Too often In the
Repair Shop-How the Railroads
Are Buflt-Chanccs For Our En-
gfneers.
George W. Van Horne, G. E., who un-
til recently was chief engineer for the
Bengal and Northwestern Railway COM
pany Of India, arrived at New York
the other day by way of British Column
bia. He has been for the last fifteen
years engaged in railroad construction
in India and had many interesting
things to say in an interview at the
Holland House about progress of rail-
roads in India for the last twenty
years.
"Thirty years hence" Mr.. Van Horne
said to a reporter of the New York
Commercial Advertiser, NEARLY the
whole of the Indian empire will be en-
circled and intersected by railroads if
the present rate Of construction is kept
up. In the northwestern provinces
alone 1000 miles Of railway have been
laid during the last eight years. In
this section much difficulty was expe-
rienced owing to the exceptionally
rough nature of the ground, the wild
beasts and tremendous heat.
Railroad building in India is an ex-
citing business. All the labor is done
by coolies. A cody will work for scv-
en- hours a day at the hardest kind Of
labor for 5 cents and a bowl of rice.
He is perfectly happy and contented
with that and would not take the trou-
BILE to thank you if you were to triple
his pay. The Bengal and Northwest
ern railway once did just that-gave
their coolies Is cents and three bowls
Of rice a day. 13hen they were paid
off at the end of the first day, not oLe
Of these coolies could be induced to do
a stroke of work for three days until
his money and rice had been exhaust
ed"
OF the success of the American loco
motive in India Mr.. Van Horne said:
american engines have not come up
to expectations. Their coal consump-
ton is extravagant, and they lack du-
rability. They are too frequently in the
repair shop. With the British locomo-
tive this is not so. American engines
are efficient, however, in speed and in
hauling power. On the Bengal and
Northwestern railway, which has about
200 of them in constant service, they
are used chiefly for freight hauling.
For rails and bridge purposes Amer
lean steel Is making serious inroads
into the British markets in India.
American steel is not superior to the
British product, but it is much cheap
er. Another thing in favor of Ameri-
can steel is that when orders are
placed in America they are filed with
greater promptness than when placed
in Great Britain. 1t has been estimat-
ed-and l don't believe the amount is
at all exaggerated-that the Indian
government has suffered a loss of near
ly a million dollars during the last five
years through the dilatory tactics Of
certain British steel firms"
In speaking of the opportunities for
American engineers in India Mr.. Van
Horne said hat good openings are
very few and hard to get. He does
not advise them to go there.
Civil engineers" he said, Cooking
for responsible positions on Indian rail
roads must first 60 through the Royal
Indian Engineering college in England.
This requires three years and means an
expense of at least $4,000. All engi-
neer's pay in India varies between So
600 and $4,000 a year. The govern
ment allows full pay to the engineers
while on vacations and gives them
travelling expenses to and from their
homes. After seven years service a
years holiday, with half pay. can be
taken if desired.
"Outside Of civil engineering there
are openings on the various Indian
railroads for good electrical engineers.
Many Americans are employed in this
branch of engineering there today, and
they are superior to all other nationali-
ties. The railway companies are al
ways to secure the services of
competent American electrical engi-
neers. and the salary offered ranges
from $50 to $3.50 Il week"
Short Raticns.