Before the construction of the railway, the fastest military express delivery from Qingdao to Jinan took two and a half days. Ordinary shipping and travel will take six to seven days.
After the construction of the railway, whether it is people or goods, it only takes a day and a night.
This improvement is so obvious that no one can't feel its significance.
Therefore, even though the railway is still a new thing and has not yet entered the mature stage, the Jiqing Railway is still extremely busy.
Van der Vaart and others, Amakusa Tokisada and others, who saw this thing for the first time, were always in shock.
Due to their status, they were naturally traveling in top-class cabins, so they did not need to crowd with ordinary passengers, and they did not suffer from the fatigue of the journey.
You can travel quickly without affecting your sleep. You can also enjoy delicious food leisurely and have everything you need to eat, drink and relax.
"Why doesn't Europe have anything like this? Oh my god, I love trains so much."
Whenever Maria thinks about her previous trip, she feels filled with emotion.
The officials of Toyo Province had the same idea as Amakusa Tokisada.
"My lord, I must ask your Majesty to build a railway in Dongyang Province. As long as there is a railway, Dongyang Province will definitely prosper."
"Don't worry, this is my responsibility."
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while. Nowadays, there are demands for railways to be launched everywhere, and the country must concentrate its resources on critical places."
However, Zuo Mengeng did not agree easily.
The importance of the railway has been realized by everyone, and letters have been sent from all over the country asking for construction to begin.
But the railway is a major national project, and it consumes huge amounts of national power and resources.
Although the empire has accumulated huge wealth, it must be cautious when spreading it over such a large territory, especially when many places are still fighting.
Zuo Menggeng has already discussed with the central government that the best way is for the state to take the leading role and bring private capital in.
It's just that private capital is not a vegetarian. It has been competing with the state for control of the railway.
It will take some time before rules that everyone is satisfied with can be reached.
Anyway, Zuo Mengeng drew the bottom line.
In any case, the railways must be in the hands of the state.
Private capital can be allowed to take shares and invest, and operations around the railway can be allowed, but the railway must never be handed over to private capital.
As long as the huge value of the railway is there, Zuo Mengeng does not believe that private capital can endure it.
Behind the railway, even more important is the steam engine.
Without steam engines, there would be no railroads.
Similarly, without the steam engine, there would be no new age of navigation.
Changchun.
Many people on the pier were looking forward to it, and Xia Yunyi was pacing back and forth anxiously.
He knows the significance of today better than anyone.
"How's it going? Are you here?"
No one answered.
After waiting like this for more than three hours, the indicator light on the lighthouse in the middle of the distant channel suddenly came on.
This was like a signal, and the dock immediately burst into joy.
Not long after, on the sea behind the lighthouse, a line of black smoke shot straight into the sky, getting closer and closer.
Then a vague shadow appeared on the sea level. Only when it got closer could it be seen that it was a boat.
But the ship is completely different from what people think.
There is no sail.
But the speed of the ship was much faster than that of a sailboat, and it started to enter the port in almost half an hour.
By this time, people could already see the situation clearly with their naked eyes.
The shape of this ship is somewhat different from that of an ordinary sailboat. The bow is more slender, like a blade, and does not look round like a wooden sailboat.
Moreover, the outer shell is made of iron, which makes it look much more stable than a wooden sailboat.
Although the man on the bow has a weathered face, his bright smile has predicted everything.
"Success! We succeeded!"
Qin Luo's eyes filled with tears and his body felt a little exhausted.
Starting from Temple Street, after seven days and seven nights of sailing, the first steamship in history finally completed its voyage and reached its destination.
People who are not engaged in steamship research will not understand how difficult this journey is.
A full seven years!
Qin Luo's team spent thousands of times in Heilongjiang in the summer and the Pearl River in the winter, overcoming one problem after another, and finally built the world's first steamship that can sail on the sea.
Although this ship is still extremely crude and there are still many areas that can be improved, it has demonstrated its absolute superiority as soon as it was launched.
The first is speed.
Their team set out from Temple Street. If it were a wooden sailboat, it would take at least half a month to reach Changchun.
But it only took them seven days and seven nights to directly double the efficiency.
The second is transportation capacity.
The largest wooden sailing ship made by the empire has a carrying capacity of only over 600 tons.
The steamship under their feet had a carrying capacity of more than 1,800 tons, with obvious surplus.
Again it's about safety.
Autumn in the North Pacific is characterized by high winds and strong waves and many dangers.
A first-class battleship is like a cradle walking in this sea area, and it may capsize at any time.
But the stability of this armored steamship has been significantly improved.
After testing, it can easily withstand winds and waves below level seven.
As for what the limit is, more experiments are needed.
Based on these three advantages alone, everyone understood that it was inevitable that steamships would replace wooden sailing ships.
"Send a message to the central committee immediately and prepare for a celebration banquet."
Xia Yunyi stood on the deck, feeling the vibration of the steam engine when it was running, and his heart was really excited.
In the past, when civil servants held internal discussions, they were all worried about the empire's growing territory.
Such a vast territory would take a year to travel from south to north and east to west. How should we manage it?
If you are not careful, it will fall apart.
But now, there are trains on land and steamships on the sea, which have greatly improved the control power of the center.
In many places, it can be done early and late, and some troubles can be nipped in the bud.
He seemed to have seen the overwhelming sight of imperial steamships and battleships above the sea.
Although steam trains and steam ships have appeared, there is obviously still a long way to go before they are fully rolled out.
But the exploration of the Imperial people does not wait for the emergence of new things.
Lagos.
The large cities on Nigeria's coast have now become the territory of an empire.
It was not taken by the empire, but given as a gift by the locals.
Because after the empire came, it effectively prevented the British invasion and thus gained the friendship of the local indigenous people.
Today, Lagos has become a prosperous place well-known far and wide, and everyone is willing to bring goods here to trade.
The ocean-going fleet was resting here, and the officers and soldiers had nothing to do and went ashore to play.
It's still possible to walk, but the hot weather is really unbearable.
He happened to see a water seller on the roadside, so he walked over.
When the local traders saw the military uniform he was wearing, they immediately beamed.
Everyone knows that these imperial soldiers are the richest.
The merchant quickly opened the box and took out a strange drink.
The drink looked dark and scary, which made me happy but a little afraid to drink it.
The merchant quickly explained.
"This stuff is brewed from kola nuts. Drinking it not only relieves the heat, but also makes you very happy."
It does feel nice to hold the drink in your hand and feel cold.
It was expected that this merchant would not dare to harm him, so Shang Kexi plucked up the courage and took a cautious sip.
Before he drank it, he never thought about what it meant.
