THE NATAL RAILWAYS AND THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11680, 30 October 1900, Page 3

THE NATAL RAILWAYS AND THE WAR.

The magnificent aerviee rendered in the early days of the war by the Natal railways is dealt with at length by the correspondent of the Central News, London. To appreciate the service it baa to be remembered that the railway is one of the most difficult to work in the world. It is oae of the moat tortuous, heavily-graded. Mid sharply-ourved lines to be found. From Durban to Charlestown every box and every person haß to be " lifted" altogether some six miles. This will give some idea of the gradients. Ladysmith, of course, does not reach that pull, being 3286 ft above sea level, but to get to Ladyemith a height of 4953 ft has to be attained at Highlands. It has to be remembered that while assisting the military, ordinary traffic was also carried on. The Indian contingent comprised 340 officers, 7971 men, 2792 horses, and 29 guns. These were promptly despatched to Ladysmith as they arrived. The Imperial and irregular troops and volunteers carried, if added to the Indian contingent, bring the totalß to 1997 officers, 64,721 men, 10,778 horses, and 108 gune. Bnt to gain an idea of the real work the traffio carried as troops, &0., have been moved about as required mast be taken into account. It is then found that 301.061 officers and men, 7388 natives and Indians, 28,843 horses and mules, 16,963 oxen and sheep, 1006 vehicles, 218 guns, 9235 ammunition boxes, 6104 tons stores and baggage, 39 pontoons, 40 traction engines, and 379 women and children were carried for military purposes. In addition there were speoial trains and numerous hcrapital trains. Perhaps the best work wag the conveyance of the Powerf ul'a guns, whioh saved Ladysmith. The guns were landed from the Powerful at the Point (Durban) at 7 o'clock on Sunday evening, and were in Ladyamith, 190 miles distant, early on Monday morning, and were in position shortly afterwards in time to take part in jthe action of Lombard's Kop, and in all probability deterred the Boero fron» there $nd then dosing on the town.' This was a real streak of good Inok. The staff built two ambulance trainsand put another together, besides pro, Tiding the waggon, boiler, dynamo, &o. t for the searchlight, by means of which communication was kept up with Ladygmith. The services of the reconstruction branch were, perhaps, even more remarkable. All the bridges and prf hoipal oulverts from Frere to Waechbank were destroyed by the Boers, and the rails torn up here and, there. When the bridge . over the Tugela at I'olenßo was destroyed the Boers evidently thonght they bad effectually stopped railway traffic. And yet the delay amounted to only a £aw daya. The bridge destroyed at Frere . consisted of two spans of 100 ft each. The g»p was bridged with a trestle bridge 250 ft long in ten days, A branch line four miles long for supplies was laid down while General Boiler was fighting at Hussar Hill. When Ladysmith was relieved the work of repairing tha line between that town and Colenso, inoluding the erection of two bridges and the relaying of half a mile of rails torn qp by the Boers to bridge the Tagela, and several other bad breaks, was accom plished in six days. The same expedition was shown in re-opening the line north of ■Ladysmith as opportunity offered.