Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/747

Rh cargoes at Newchwang and Chefoo. The shortest sea route between Tientsin and Shanghai is viâ Chinwangtao; the journey, being free from the delay and uncertainty of the Taku route, occupies only about sixty hours. The steamers leave for Shanghai on the arrival of the mail from Peking and Tientsin, and incoming steamers are timed to connect with the morning mail train. All the "Ping" steamers are fitted with first class accommodation for passengers, the new steamer, the Kaiping, being one of the most comfortable vessels in these waters. The Chargeurs Réunis Steamship Company have now established a permanent service of steamers from Europe to Chinwangtao, so that cargo may be booked through to Tientsin without trans-shipment at Shanghai as hitherto.

Chinwangtao, which owes its existence as a seaport to the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company, Ltd., is situated on the western coast of the Gulf of Liao Tung, and is distant about 10 miles WSW. of Shanhai-kwan. It is thus the natural distributing centre for the north-west part of the great province of Chihli. The breakwater and pier which form the harbour are so constructed that vessels may be alongside at any state of the tide and in all weathers, and discharge a load direct on to and from railway cars, so that a minimum of handling, and, consequently, of loss, is ensured. There are seven berths—five at the breakwater, and one on each side of the pier — and the railway trucks are so arranged that loading and discharging can be proceeded with independently at each berth. The main

BUSINESS MEN OF TIENTSIN. 1. G. E. Five. 2. L. Bielfeld. 3. J. Faust. 4. H. Löhlein. 5. G. Goertz. 6. M. D. Batouieff. 7. O. Kleemann. 8. Hugo Kloeckner. 9. Karl F. Melchers. 10. W. A. Argent. 11. E. Schulze. 12. Count Jezierski. 13. J. O. Neill. 14. O. E. Meyer. 15. Fritz So.mmer. 16. A. Walte. 17. A. E. Schuldt. 18. Y. Yasukawa. 19. J. Macdonald.

berths have 21 feet of water at low water ordinary spring tides, but steamers drawing 23 feet 6 inches have been known to discharge with perfect safety, the bottom being soft mud, and there is really nothing to prevent vessels with a draft of 25 feet from discharging, provided they are prepared to take the mud at low water. The Company have at present three steam cranes available for weights up to five tons each, and generally speaking, it may be said that the loading and discharging facilities are excellent. On one occasion 73,000 bags of flour were taken out of one steamer in 27 consecutive hours, whilst on another 4,000 tons of coal were loaded on to one steamer in 31 consecutive hours. These facilities, resulting from the Company's liberal expenditure of capital, have caused Chinwangtao to become a formidable rival for the trade hitherto shipped via Taku to Tientsin. The port is accessible throughout the year, for, though in hard winters there is occasionally a good deal of floating ice in the Gulf, there is no case on record of a steamer having been prevented by ice from making the port. It is, in fact, practically the only port in the Gulfs of Pechili and Liau Tung accessible during the winter, which, on an average, extends from December 10th to March 10th. Good, sheltered anchorage also is to be found in the Roads. The Company's branch line runs from the pier to Tongho, four miles distant, on the main trunk line from Newchwang to Peking. The Company own the land in the vicinity of the port, and that portion of the property known as the Bluff, and comprising the best residential and building sites, has now been laid out as a township, in which plots may be bought or leased on moderate terms. As a seaside health resort Chinwangtao is almost without rival in China. It is easily accessible, has a dry and bracing climate, offers safe bathing from a sandy beach, and is situated amidst magnificent scenery; while a hotel under European management affords the visitor every comfort. The great increase of trade year by year has induced the Imperial Maritime Customs to erect a fine Customs house at Chinwangtao, with a deputy commissioner in charge, and to open a Ha Kwan Bank for the convenience of local consignees. Chinwangtao was selected on account of its natural geographical advantages as one of the ports of embarkation for coolies BBUNNER, MOND & CO., LTD.