Speech of Sir Frederic Fryer, K. C. S. I., Lieutenant-Governor of Burma

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Ladies and Gentlemen: We have met here to-day at the invitation of the Burma Railways Company in order to celebrate the opening of the Gokteik Viaduct, a work which is the greatest of its kind in this province, and of which any country might be well proud. The Gokteik Viaduct spans a formidable obstacle on the oldest and most direct route connecting Burma with Southwestern China, a route of which we have mention far back in ancient chronicles. It is, there is but little doubt, the same "gold and silver road" along which Marco Polo accompanied the Chinese invading armies on their march to Mandalay. In former times there was a very considerable traffic on it, but of late years the disturbed political condition of the countries through which it passes has led to much of the trade being diverted to other channels. It is hoped, however, that with the improved communications now being provided (and of which this Gokteik Viaduct forms so important a feature) the trade will again return to this direct line connecting Mandalay with the Chinese frontier. None who has seen the Gokteik Gorge and the fine structure which now spans it can fail to be impressed with the magnitude of the task which confronted the engineers when it was decided to take the railway across it. And indeed the preliminary determination of the best way to layout the approaches and the fixing of the grades and the proper level for the viaduct were problems which involved a great deal of patient investigation and consideration. The first proposal was to use a rack on the Abt system for the line in the bridge approaches, with a rack inclined at 1 in 12 1/2, similar to the railway up to Coonoor; this would have permitted of a comparatively short viaduct at the natural bridge, consisting of a 250-foot span on piers only 80 feet in height, with a few spans of 60 feet. Later on, when the construction of the line from Mandalay through the northern Shan States had been sanctioned, it was considered desirable to abandon the rack and to flatten the gradients to 1 in 25 for an adhesion track, similar to the 15-mile ghat length below Thondaung. A new survey was made on these lines, and it was found necessary to raise the viaduct by 70 feet and to increase its length to 1,350 feet. Still further investigation led to the belief that it would be possible to further improve the gradients in the approaches to the 1 in 40 standard, which prevails on the portion of the railway above Thondaung, and a new survey was made with a view to obtain 1 in 40 gradients. This was found possible, and the 1 in 40 grade was finally adopted; but the details of the approaches were modified more than once before they were finally fixed as we now see them. The viaduct itself is a very notable structure. There is indeed in existence one other viaduct on trestle towers which exceeds it by a few feet in height, but for combination of height, length and weight of material, it occupies the first place among viaducts of its class.

The general design of the bridge is, as you have heard, the work of Sir Alexander Rendel & Company, the Consulting Engineers to the Burma Railways Company. The bridge, however, was built by The Pennsylvania Steel Company, of Steelton, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. Some comment has been made on the fact that the contract for the viaduct was given to an American company, but our American cousins obtained the contract because they were able to submit the most favorable tender for its construction, both in point of cost and of time, and they have carried out the work with a celerity which excites our admiration. They obtained the contract in April, 1899. The material for the viaduct began to arrive in October, 1899, and by December, 1900, the bridge was handed over to the Railways Company complete. Considering the size and character of the work, this may be considered a very good performance and great credit is due to The Pennsylvania Steel Company and to their representatives here in Burma for the rapidity and the thoroughness of their work.

The names of the following officers of the Burma Railways Company who have been connected with this important work should be mentioned: Mr. Bagley, Chief Engineer, got out the original project for the rack approaches in 1892-93; in 1895-96 Mr. A. R. Lilley did the survey work for the 1 in 25 approaches. In May, 1898, a 1 in 40 line was submitted by Mr. Bagley, and then the Government of India proposed to raise the bridge and shorten the approaches, and a considerable amount of further survey work had to be undertaken, and every possible modification of Mr. Bagley's latest plans was considered by Mr. Deuchars, the Chief Engineer, who succeeded Mr. Bagley in September, 1898. At length it was decided to adhere to the original height of the viaduct, but to re-align the whole of the approaches, and to curve the ends of the viaduct so as to reduce the cost of tunnels and earthwork. The result is the present line as it now is, and construction on it commenced in August, 1899. Mr. Glascott was in charge of the division, and he deserves great credit for the skill with which he worked out the details of the alignment both of the approaches and the bridge. He also had charge of the construction of the approaches, assisted by Mr. Bleeck, Assistant Engineer, and of the bridge itself, assisted by Mr. White, Executive Engineer. The principal credit is due, however, to the Engineer-in-Chief, Mr. Deuchars, who has been responsible for the conduct of the work, and who has had to guide his subordinates in all the intricate questions that have arisen regarding its construction. The construction of the approaches, involving very heavy work, has been carried out by Messrs. Glascott and Bleeck with skill and dispatch.  As regards the viaduct itself, once the Railways Company had settled the location and the height, and fixed the pedestals on which the ends of the tower rest, the American company did the rest. Thirty Americans were employed on the erection, and about 350 natives of India, chiefly rivetters.

The viaduct is now complete, and as a consequence of its completion and of the line, the railway is being opened for public traffic to Hsipaw to-day, and you will in a short time see from here the first passenger train pass over. The river Myitnge, between Hsipaw and Lashio, has just been spanned, one of the spans, viz. 200 feet, being the longest at present in Burma, and the line will, it is anticipated, be opened to Lashio early in 1902. Whether the railway will be carried beyond Lashio at present is a question that has not yet been decided; but, in my opinion, Lashio is not a very suitable terminus for caravans arriving from the Kunlon Ferry, as it is a small place with little trade, and water there is scarce. A better terminus could, I believe, be found either in the Mongyaw or the Mongkyet valley, 30 or 50 miles from Lashio respectively, where the caravan road runs, and where there is an expectation of traffic. These valleys are fertile and only need population to be brought under cultivation. The province will, therefore, be much better off as regards railway communication when I hand over the administration than when I undertook it, and the Burma Railways Company certainly deserve our thanks for the increased facilities of railway communication which they have conferred on Burma since the Burma Railways were transferred them.

Speech of Deuchurs Speech of Sir Frederic Fryer Article from The World's Work

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