Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-05-24
RAILROADS FOR coREA.
Japanese Making Country Centre OF
Trade In Far East.

One of the chief factors in the open
ing up of Korea to foreign trade is the
building of system Of railroads
through the hermit nation" which the
Japanese have undertaken. When
these facilities for the transportation
of goods and passengers have been
provided, 1t is believed that Korea
will become an important centre for
the prosecution Of trade in the Far
East, and the little peninsula will as.
sumo a prominent position, CONNER
cially, which will attract the serious
attention of the world of business.
The Seoul-Wiju Railroad was opened
for traffic on December 1 last. The
Japanese had constructed in thirteen
months 80 miles of railway, a feat
of which they are, with reason, proud.
Immediately after the beginning of
the war with Russia they had begun
the work on this line and it Is now
practically completed. Yongsan, a
little village on the banks of the river
Han, two miles from Seoul, to the
southwest, is to be the future railway
centre of Korea. Here 165 acres OF
land have been set aside as railway
reservation, and the line for Wiju and
the new road to Gensan, the principal
port of the east coast, start from this
point. The Seoul-Fusan and the Seoul
Chemulpo roads join with those for
through connection, the trains of all
four running to the capital on common
tracks. 1t Is intended, further, to run
a broadgauge road over the route
followed by the military line from
Antung to Feng Whang Cheng, and
beyond, and to bridge the Yalu at a
point above that place. With tracks
laid from Antung to Moukden, the rail-
way to Northern Korea will become
section of the great trunk line.
The total cost of the new roads to
date has been. roughly estimating,
100000, and an additional $1O,000.-
600 and four years work will be re-
qured to put the line into final shape.
While at present but one tunnel, 557
feet long, has been constructed, there
will eventually be eighteen, with a
total length of 1850 feet. The stan
dard gauge. feet s IL inches, has
been used for the Seoul-Wiju and
Seoul-Gensan roads, as for other
railroads in Korea, and this fact
furnishes striking example of the
general introduction of American
methods and materials where once
footing has been obtained. The
American Trading company built the
first railroad in Korea in 1897-'99, u.s.
Ing the American gauge, American
engines, and American cars and ma
terials throughout, and the Japanese
bought out the original concession
aires, and to insure uniformity built
on the same lines. OF the 6Opound
rails used some came from Germany,
but most of them came from the Car
negie works in this country. The ties
came largely from the United States
and the spikes from the Illinois Steel
company
The bridges are now chiefly of wood
and built on piles. Their total length
Is 44,S00 feet. the longest being 2.785
feet. The construction has been very
difficult, owing to shifting bottoms.
swift currents and frozen streams In
winter, ice foes in spring and the
summer floods. The greatest obstacles
were encountered near Anju, where
two rivers meet. The bridge materials
used are largely American, although
some were imported from England,
and the Osaka Steel company of Ja-
pan supplied small proportion.
Coal for fuel has hitherto been i'm
ported from Japan, but it Is hoped
that the local mines in the neighbor-
hood of Pingyang may be developed
soon and furnish the necessary sup
ply. The mines are easily accessible
near the Taidong River.
Water carriage for commercial use
to Chinnampo and Pingyang is cheap
and convenient. which is another ad-
vantage for the progress Of trade. The
trip from Chemulpo to Chinnampo re-
quires but eighteen hours, the run up
the river to Pingyang taking eight
hours more. The rates to Chinnampo
range from $1.75 for steerage to 81
for first-class passage, and from 40
cents to $1.25 more to Pingyang. The
advantage Of sending cargo by water
Is apparent, as the rates from Chem.
ulpo to Pingyang'by steamer are about
$3.50 ton, while from Seoul to Ping
yang by rail they are $4.07 ton.
Tho Seoul-Gensan line was begun In
July of last year.. and a few miles
have now been constructed from each
terminus The road will be 130 miles
in length, and the construction diff
culties will be greater than those on
the Seoul-Wiju road. There will be
six tunnels, the longest two miles, but
there are no large streams to be
crossed. The estimated cost will be
$15, ,000,000.-New York Tribune.