Nanking, Sept. 9
The Tientsin-Pukow Railway is probably the heaviest sufferer from the present civil war, Judging from the report of a special commission appointed by the Ministry of Railways to investigate the condition of the railway. This Commission has just returned to the Capital after spending more than two weeks in its work.
No less than ten bridges between, Yenchowfu and Tsinanfu were. destroyed, in part or in wholes seven of them being in the 60 Kilometres of line between Yen chow fu and Tawenkow, The damage done to the railway from. this cause alone is computed to be in the neighbourhood of $130,000; the total damage done to the'
in all departments cannot at present be accurately estimated.
In the retirement of the Government, troops to positions south of Yenchow!u, comparatively little material damage was done to the track and structures of the railway, Deyond the removal of some essential portions of the bridge over the Yellow River near Tsinanfu, but in the precipitate rebel retreat which followed their defeat by the Govern-tment forces in July-August, the critical position of the retiring troops Ied to heavy destruction of the railway in an endeavour to' hamper as much as possible. the vance of the Government armies.
While the advance of the Government forces was. actually in progress, the engineering department of the railway had already commenced most strenuous efforts to repair the line and render it fit for vice at the curliest possible moment, with the result that by August' 28 the last and largest bridge—thay at Tawenkow—Was made ft for traffic. Its repair, which had necessitated the employment of nearly 2,000 tons of stung and 4000 sleepers, was. rendered most difficult owing to the necessity of moving thee large quantities of material up over a line choked by troop and munition trai They also had to be coxied second broken bridge one Kilometre to the South of the Tawrenkow Bridge.
The re-opening of a through train service between Pukow and Tsinanfu was further delayed by the extreme shortage of locomotives and rolling stock owing to the very large percentage utilized by the War Depart ment. The military authorities, however, realising the necessity of maintaining good lines of communication, consented to release as lange a proportion of the locomotives and rolling-stock as they could safely spare, and through passenger service betwoon Tsinanfa and Pukow was restored on September 1.
The shortage of freight cars on the aystem still remains acute, and tnitigation of the present position is likely for some weeks yet. The locomotive position is also serious as the great and continuous demand for locomotives has pre~ vented them from receiving their proper overhauls. With the release of locomotives by the War Department and g reduction in emergency requirements, however, the position is assuming a more healthy aspect, There is now, more chance locomotives receiving regular repairs and cleaning with resultant improvement in their condition and hauling-power, The famous Blue Express fo, again roming Between. Pukow and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.