The Redwood gazette., 1902-08-06
THE CANTON-HANKOW RAIL WAY.

outbreak is the imperial edict,
just issued, authorizing the
American-China Development
Company to begin the build
ing of the Canton-Hankow
Railroad. This road would
probably would have been in
Operation before now if it had
not been for the Boxer rebel
lion.
The construction of the rail-
road was sanctioned in 1898,
when decree was issued de-
claring that the Canton-Han-
kow line would be a trunk rail-
road whose building was spec
tally desired by the Govern
ment, because it would help to
bring the southern provinces
into close touch with the cen
trail authorities at Pekin; and
ordering all officials along the
line to promote in every way
the construction Of the road.
There are three trade routes
which for centuries have con-
neCted south China with the
north. The most important of
these is the central route be-
tween Canton and Hankow, its
superiority being due to the
better inland navigation which
it affords and the fact that its
northern end is conveniently
situated for Communications
with the most populous part of
north China. it is well known
as the Cheling route; it was
along this highway that the
survey was made and here the
railroad will be built.
The route may be traced on
any fairly good map Of China.
Let us follow it from south to
north. \ map Of China shows
the Pei -kiang (North River)
etnptyiug into the sea near
Canton. Boats ascend as far
as the important city Of Shao-
Chau, where they enter its
western tributary, the Wu-
shWei, and continue on this
river III small boats to the
town of Ji-chang in the midst
Of the mountains. This ends
the navigable route on the
south flowing rivers, and the
water-parting to the north
| flowing streams nust be
crossed on land.
Centuries ago the Chinese
Government built paved
highway leading through the
Chellng pass over the noun
tains to Cheng-Chau, at the
head of navigation on the Lei.
This paved highway is only
about thirty miles in length;
at the northern end freight is
again loaded upon boats, float
ed down the Lei to the large
Slang River, into which it
empties, and thence direct to
the Iangtse.
The great north and south
route in China has always car
ried the largest traffic of the
three routes. No one knows
when it was established or
when the short land highway
over the mountains was paved,
but they are probably COeval
with the earliest exchanges of
commodities between the
Yangtse Valley and the region
of the China Sea. An enor-
NOUS traffic has passed over it
during the 5000 or more years
of it's existauCe; but its impor-
tanCe has much diminished
since the 1augtse was opened
to steam navigation in 1860, for
it was found to be cheaper to
ship goods between central
China and Canton by way of
the ocean and Yangtse than by
the more direct route.
The railroad, therefore, in
the main, is to follow the val
leys of two large rivers, one
flowing north and the other
south. The valleys of two of
their tributaries pass through
the mountains that form the
waterparting between these
two river systems. 1t was de
| cided by the results Of the sur
vey under Mr.. Parsons tina,
the railroad should for the
most part coincide with the
old Cheline route.
Huuan province, one Of
the richest of the empire il
natural resources, has a popu
latiOn about ole-fourth as
GREAT as that Of the United