Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-25
THE UGANDA RAILWAY

/ pany offered to complete the whole job
within seven months after the founda-
lions were laid. ana that at charge OF
$50 per ton, to be paid when all were
In place and in working order. This
price was about half that OF tho Brit
ish estimates and the time was less
than one-thlrd that In which the eight
bridges already constructed had been
built so the American company got
the contract IL carried II out to the
letter, and mad the government done It's
part the work would have been complet-
cd In the time specified. owing to de-
lays of one kind or another II really
consumed five months longer, but II
was all done within the space Of one
year, which was just about half the
time that the British contractors asked
TO gat their goods ready for shipment.
HOW THEY WE'RE BUILT.
The British were surprised at how
easily and quickly the Americans car
ried out their contract and how little
they seemed to make of IT, The civil
engineer who was sent out to take
charge of the construction was little
more than boy. His name was A. b.
Lender. and he had graduated at Cor
nell university only year or so be-
fore. In addition to him there was n
Pennsylvania man nemed jarrett who
acted as superintendent of construc-
ton, and about 20 bridge builders and
toromon from different parts of the
United States These men arrived Mt
Mombasa in December 1900. and they
had completed their work before the
Following Christmas. They acted mere
~ as superinteudents and fancy work
men. All the rough labor was done by
East Indians and native Africans. fur
nished by the British When the road
was started the government planned to
use only Africans. but they found this
impossible, and therefore imported 90
900 coolies from India. These men came
on contracts Of from two to five years
and their wages were from 81 TO sl5
a month and rations. The native la
borers were paid about 10 cents day.
Before the American workmen ar
rived here n large part of the bridge
material was already in Mombasa.
They left one man there to see that
additional materials were forwarded
promptly, and came at once to the scat
of action. They put up the bridges ar
the rate of something like one n week,
and constructed the longest viaduct in
69h working hours Had 1t not been
for the enforced delays on tho part of
the government they would have un-
doubtedly completed their work in
seven months.
AS It was, what they did forms one
of the wonders of civil and mechanical
engineering. The bridge material was
so made that its pieces fitted together
like clockwork. and that uotwithstand-
ing 1t was put into shape away off here.
thousands of miles from the place of
construction and In one OF the most |
savage parts of the world. The ma |
terials in the viaducts included about |
half a million feet Of southern pine |
lumber and more than 100000 pounds |
of steel. The steel was in more than |
100000 pieces and the heaviest piece !
weighed five tons. The average weight |
was about 100 pounds per piece. The |
greatest care had to he taken to keep |
the parts together and in their own
places. Every piece was numbered.
and those of different bridges We're
tainted different conors. Most of the ma
lives here look upon steel as so much
ewelry. and it was impossible to keep
hem from fllehing some pieces for
,ar lobs and bracelets.
WHERE LION EATS TIE PASsEN-
GERS.
II was difficult to build this road on
account of wild beasts. There are
/ hundred places along ii where one
night get off and start up a lion, lthi-
loceroses have butted the freight cars
llong the track and they infest much
# the country through which 1T goes.
was shown q station yesterday where
8 Hindoos We're carried off by two
lions The man-eaters
anne night after night, and took away