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.
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Page 683 of 704
Words from 185300 to 185602
of 191255
