Service to be Inaugurated in Eight Months portation across the Yangtze River means of facilitating rans-land afford convenience to passengfers, the Shanghai-Nanking Railwa; land the Pakow-Peking Railway will inked in about eight months by the Nanking-Pakow™ train" ferry 'First of its Kind in the Far East land marking' a great stride toward "up-to-date "train service [China, the scheme, when completed, wil cost a total of $3,000,000." With His inauguration before the end of the year, the northern cities will be rough nearer this side of the river by a considerable period and the delays in crossing the Yangtze wi be, avoided.
Three movable bridges, each of 150 ft. span, and 2400 on. boat providing for three railway tracks fo transport locomotives and trains fare features of the scheme. The Pier operations on both. shores the Yangtze have been started and the prey will come out to China funder her own power in November this year.
The planning of the scheme. was started a year ago by the afinistry fof Railway's and the local agents of engineers. Messrs. Malcolm & Ca. coal agents for the Swan Hunter Wighan Richardson. & Coy Ltd Nevteastle-on-Tyne, were awarded $1,200,000 contract for the fort The cost of the $3,000,000 scheme to be defrayed from the Boxer indemnity Funds, necessary arrangements having been completed by the Nanking Government and the Funds Commission.
The completion of the scheme is the result of a painstaking survey fon the part of the engineers, as the fiver has an extreme variation of Fwater level of 24 feet throughout the year and a daily tide variation fof one to three feet during the low water season, Provision, its under~ Stood, is made for abnormally high or low water and therefore allowtance for. an. extreme variation of 28 feet has to be made,
highest classification. On the deck "The boat is to be built to, Lloyd's there wil be three railway tacks of standard gauge, each with & clear length of 300 ft. The "entre to Jeentre distance of adjacent, tracks fs to be 12 fect. Rails 86 Ibs. per yo. with necessary fastenings are be furnished With her overall length 360 fect and breadth of 72 feet, the boat thas a total dead weight" of 2,400 ons, being capable of carrying 1,800 tons. Equipped with proper pro-nat fire, life rafts, belts iuficient for 500 persons snd. with necessary machinery, Wirings and fixtures for adequate electric Tighting, the boat will steam fo" China with a crew of foreign engineers. She is to be handed over forthe Chinese engineers with the favourable prorsene of the scheme; for oticers und crew on. the boat.
iving quarters are to be provide Ant train to. be carried
4o-ton capacity, while the passenger inf caded cars of train to be carried will consist. of 12 coaches. The boat will have speed of 13 knots in still water.
"The connection between each shore Jand the ferry is to be made by three bridges, each of 150 feet span, with adjustable ends which can de raised for lowered to, salt the variation of Svater level. The variation of deck Tevel en the boat when looting and unloading ix to be taken care of by a movable apron, 20 ft. long, at the outer-end of the last, span.
Automatic and electrically operat led ates, to close the entrance to the incline at the shore end of the bridge, ure to te provided, These gates, it is arranged, will be always THs boat la notin secure contact wit closed position when the fen the apron and are to he interlocked with switch points leading to a catch with sand track on the shore.
The bridge piers are to rest on wooden pile. foundations, sith the exception of the shore abutment [which is to be on reinforced con-[crete piles. A steel pontoon on each: shore is to be provided for mooring the stern of the ferry boat. Space For pontoon and ferry is to be dred-16 feet below lowest water evel.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.