In
Respect Of Natural Facilities, And Because Of The Existence Of Populous,
Productive And Extensive Commercial Regions At Both Ends Of The Line, It
Is The Only Practicable Route.
It is further to be noted that the whole
tract would be provided with coal.
The province of Kansuh rivals Shansi in
the richness and extent of its coal fields; no section of it north of the
Tsungling Mountains appears to be deficient in coal measures, and, in some
parts, a superabundance of the combustible exists. The coal formation
extends, with few interruptions, from Eastern Shansi to Hi through thirty
degrees of longitude. There is scarcely, remarks Richthofen, an instance
on record "where so many favorable and essential conditions co-operate to
concentrate all future intercourse on so long a line upon one single and
definite channel." As regards railways within the empire, a Pekin-Hankow
line has been arranged for, as we pointed out in the previous chapter,
with a so-called Belgian syndicate, and, if properly executed, should be a
good line; but, as we have said, it is the opinion of experts that the
best railway contemplated in China would be that from Pekin via Tientsin
to Hangchow, with an extension later to Canton. The line would pass some
forty towns, with an average population of 25,000 each, and a large number
of villages. The length of the Grand Canal from Tientsin to Hangchow is
650 miles. According to Mr. Colquhoun, no better line for a railway exists
in the world, from the viewpoint of population, resources and cheapness of
construction. It follows the most important of the actual routes of
commerce in the empire, passes the greatest possible number of cities,
towns and villages, and connects great seaports with rich coal regions of
authenticated value.
We pass to the telegraph and postal service. It appears that government
telegraphs are being rapidly extended throughout the empire. There are
lines between Pekin and Tientsin, and lines connecting the capital with
the principal places in Manchuria as far as the Russian frontier on the
Amour and the Usuri, while Newchwang, Chefoo, Shanghai, Yangchow, Souchow,
the seven treaty ports on the Yangtse, Canton, Woochow, Lungchow, and, in
fact, most of the principal cities in the empire, are now joined by wire
with one another and with the metropolis. The line from Canton westward
passes via Yunnanfoo to Manwein, on the borders of Burmah. Shanghai is in
communication with Foochow and Moy, Kashing, Shaoshing, Ningpo and other
places. Lines have been constructed between Foochow and Canton and between
Taku, Port Arthur and Seoul in Corea, and the line along the Yangtse
Valley has been extended to Chungking. By an arrangement made with the
Russian telegraph authorities, the Chinese and Siberian lines in the Amour
Valley were joined in the latter part of 1892, and there is now overland
communication between Pekin and Europe through Russian territory. The
postal service of China is unquestionably primitive from a Western point
of view. It is carried on by means of post carts and runners.
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Words from 185215 to 185724
of 191255
