The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-07
CENTRAL JAPAN
RAILWAY OPENED

TOXIC. JAJAN. July with
ceieorations in various parts of tho
nation the 49, long building Contra,
Japan railway was opened the other
aaG' and business and commercial
interests OF the kingdom are con-
sfatulatlng themselves that they have
at last mat iong-needed means OF
communication and transportation.
The line IS governm ent-hutlt ana
government owned enterprise and
VIII be government managed, At
the celebration OF the opening of the
road at Tsurumaye Park. Nagoya.
AIR kato, chief OF the Nagoya con-
struotion office of the railroad board.
opened the program with an address
ia which he outlined the purposes Of
the road and the difficulties of con-
sruction. He was followed by Mr..
FHrukawa, director OF the Central
Railway superintendent Bureau.
The construction of the Central
railway was the most difficult of that
or any of the lines built in this coun-
try. The line, which is ga miles long.
traverses districts of rocky eleya-
tons and steep rayfnea and includes
altogether ninety-five tunnels and 35f
bridges. OF which Sasago tunnel and
the bridge over the kiso river arc
known to be the longest and most
difHeut work Of the kind ever at
tempted in the island Kingdom.
The need for such line as the
Central has been felt by the business
interests and the government of the
nation ever since the end Of the civil
strike of 1875. and It's immediate
construction was held as urgent from
a strategic as well as a commercial
nj Yt r,f y4av
The Osaxz q. .. 19lacy stssIt .,fa<.n5
Tokaido route, is entirely protected
from any sea attack.
In consequence of this fact and Of
the PRESSURE hrought.ta hsag.apon the
government by the merchants OF the
empire. it was decided in 1882 to raise
loan for the construction of the
road. The preliminary survey showed
that the so-caIied "Nakasando route"
was impracticable. The huge cost Of
drilling the Usui pass made II seem
that the Tokaido route was the bet
ter. AS a consequence the original
plan was dropped for the time, and
the preliminary survey for the Cen
trial route was not begun until 1891,
and the construction of the line was
delayed still further until 1895. Since
ther. however. rlre work OF cunstruc-
ton has been pushed steadily to COM
pletion. though II had to be stopped
temporarily during the Russo-Japan-
csc war, and there were various other
unavoidable delays. The total cost
of the line has been over "a. 000. 600
yen.
+ The present line is the short cut
connecting the Shiu-yetsu and the
kansai lines. and forms an important
link OF communication in Northern
Japan. The completion of the en-
tire line therefore not only affords a
great cnvenience to the transporta-
ton Of passengers and goods in the
localities along the line, but 1t great
~ enhances tho carrying power OF the
Tokaido and Sanydoo trunk lines.
The Central line may be compared
to the backbone of the transportation
Of the empire. Starting from Tokyo.
one passes to the right Of the famous
Mount Full, and YOU pass through
Kofu. capital of the Yamanashi pre-
fecfure, and by Lake Suwa you reach
Shiwojiri, on the watershed between
Northern and Southern Japan. Con-
sidered merely from an engineering
point Of view. the completion OF the
road il an epoch making event In the
history OF Japan. II was General
Y. s. Grant who. during his visit In
construction of such rosd to tap
tho central part OF the kingdom.
The new line In not only OF great
strategic Importance but economically
will prove OF inestimabie value to the
nation. for II will open means ~
direct communication between Ma
goya, a great trading metropolis on
the Takaido route and tho wealthy
procedures OF Nilgata, Nagano and
Yamanashi--the former famous for It's
production of rice and oil and the
latter two for their raw silk the
output OF the two procedures amount
ingto. more than one-fourth If NIL
produced by the nation.
Hut the end Of the railroad work In
Japan Is far from being at hand. Not
only must some Of the most dtticult
engineering feats be accomplished IN
order 20 complete the several uues
intended to connect the northern
coast with the south. but many branch
lines must bA buitl to bring far On
towns 10 communication with the
main centera Of trade. rs