Page:The Chinese Empire. A General & Missionary Survey.djvu/220

 completed in December 1905. The first train crossed in June 1905. The length of bridge is 3010 metres or 2 miles. The weight of metal used was 11,347 metric tons or 11,168 English long tons.

The length of the tunnel on south embankment is 320 metres or 350 yards. In the course of construction the following were used: — 940 steel tubes filled with concrete; 103 piers containing 7510 tons of cast steel, and trusses containing 3760 tons of wrought steeL The total cost was two million taels of silver. The express journey northward from Hankow to Peking takes about 36 hours for the 754 miles. In a short time it is hoped that daily trains will be run in this time. There is one express train run every week. The bridge is situated 334 miles from Hankow and 420 miles from Peking.

Cross lines are being constructed : one from Kaifeng Fu to Honan Fu, crossing the main line at Chengchow. The Kaifeng-Chengchow portion is to be opened immediately. The Honan Fu line will take a year or two to complete, owing to the mountainous nature of the country traversed.

The Peking Syndicate line is situated about 40 miles to the north of the Yellow Kiver. It runs westward from Taokow on the "Wei river to Pehshan near Tsinghwa Chen, the region of the coalfields. Taokow is the mart for Tientsin, 400 miles distant, with which it is connected by water. This line is 92 miles in length.

Historically the province of is interesting, it having been the seat of the Imperial Government more frequently than any other province, as will be seen by the following table:—