Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 590 Different positions

It has been half a year since the construction of the southern extension of the coastal railway started. The construction along the route has suffered various difficulties, harassment and attacks, which has seriously slowed down the construction progress. The 82-kilometer-long railway foundation from Sydney to Wollongong has only now been constructed. 71%. Less than 50% of the more than 100 railway culverts and bridges along the way were completed. 27 construction teams were attacked successively, and more than 110 people were killed or injured.

  Due to the characteristics of railway construction, it presents a pattern of many points, long lines, and wide areas. Construction teams along the planned railway lines are vulnerable to attack.

In the areas where the railway passes, there are often dry river beds, streams, geologically loose zones, busy traffic forks, and cattle and sheep migration channels. These places must raise the foundation and adopt various construction methods such as bridges and culverts to cross dry river beds and seasonality. Streams form a three-dimensional traffic pattern, so as not to affect the long-term stable operation of the railway line.

Especially Australia’s unique migration channel for cattle and sheep. Every year during the shearing season and livestock trading, hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep are driven by the owner to the wool purchasing station and the local trading market. They must be given to the passing sheep. Keep enough passages, these facilities are generally railway bridges and culverts.

Relatively speaking

The construction requirements of reinforced concrete bridge culverts are much higher than ordinary roadbeds, and the process complexity and construction period are much higher than the latter. Especially for large bridges with high requirements, the construction period of tunnels is often 2 to 3 years or even longer, so in construction projects Start construction after it starts.

From Sydney to Wollongong, the plains and hills are undulating, and the water flows crisscrossing. The railway lines passing by need to build various bridges. There are as many as 177 culverts, and dozens of construction teams are required to construct separately, ranging from 20 to 30 to 300 to 500. People, scattered along the 82-kilometer railway line, have become the best target for local horse bandits.

   Facing the current severe and complex situation

The "Road Guard Cavalry" formed by the railway company played an important role. The cavalry team with more than 1,500 people carried out a strategy of guarding in stages, focusing on patrols, and proactively attacking. In more than half a year, as many as 40 were defeated and wiped out. Several horse bandits killed and injured more than 240 people, and hanged 37 gangster backbone horse bandits, which effectively shocked the white far-right forces who were ready to move along the way.

  In the process of the coastal railway advancing southward, it is a battle of iron and blood, a process of continuous breakthrough and conquest.

  In view of this

Red Fort has strongly implemented the policy of "railway advancement, immigration follow-up, step by step, and grounded roots". Two small towns have been built between Sydney and Wollongong, one is called "Panshi Town" and the other is called "Snow Mountain Town". For the foundation, develop the Chinese immigrant area, concentrate on living, develop armed militia forces to undertake daily patrols and guards, and solve the serious public security problem of the increasingly long railway line.

  In the front, the "railroad cavalry" repeatedly swept and suppressed, and the rear was mainly guarded by militia forces.

What followed was the penetration of large-scale investment, connecting the cable and telegraph network, establishing reclamation areas, establishing local wool purchasing stations, leather processing plants, meat processing plants, mills, oil mills and other enterprises to help Chinese immigrants take root. Thrive in China.

  Hongshan Iron and Steel Conglomerate's large investment in Wollongong is an important measure in this unstoppable southward wave. The leading project has driven a large number of Chinese immigrants into Wollongong and rapidly changed the local demographic and social situation.

  Advance forcefully in collisions and conflicts, seek development in fierce confrontations, and use an almost arrogant force to promote social transformation.

  The owner of the Red Fort is very clear;

  For reasons of race, history, religion, etc., it is actually impossible to try to assimilate the white people who occupy the mainstream of society through moderate means.

  England has ruled Scotland and Ireland for hundreds of years, and there is still a deep gap between them. Even under the strong suppression of the Victorian era, the Irish people's efforts to fight for independence have never stopped.

  British guys who are good at conspiracy can't do it. The owner of the Red Fort has no extravagant hope to do better. The method he takes is very simple; mix sand, desperately mix sand.

  In the progress of the railway project, a strong emigration wave was initiated, and the other side was flooded with emigration like the tide...

New South Wales is a traditional white area. It has a history of more than 100 years of cultivation. From Sydney to the south, it has entered an area where traditional white conservative forces are densely distributed. There are countless large and small ranches and uncultured white cowboys. There are so many people who are rude and trouble-loving. If you drink too much, there is nothing you can't do, and you can't resist deliberate incitement.

  Why are there so many horse bandits in railway construction?

  Many cowboys were instigated in the local tavern. After a few cups of horse urine were poured into their stomachs, under the deliberate provocation of the caring people, these rough cowboys rushed out with their guns.

  Horses are readily available, and guns are readily available. Rushing to the railway construction site to smash and loot has become a boasting capital for many simple-minded Australian cowboys, which has led more people to follow suit.

  Outskirts of Wollongong

A cavalry contingent of more than 300 men quickly swept across the plain and stopped by a clear stream. Duan Qirui wore a traditional Australian wide-brimmed hat on his head and scanned the magnificent wilderness. He sighed slightly in his heart.

  The topography of Wollongong is unique. The east is located on the narrow coastal plain on the side of the Pacific Ocean, and the west is located on a steep sandstone cliff, also known as the "Ilawarra Cliff".

  The southern part of the coast is a vast plain. The city of Wollongong is located in the middle plain of the coast. It has a beautiful nickname called "Wollongong".

  Along the azure coast are steep cliffs with no edge at a glance. The height ranges from 150 to 750 meters. Against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds, the peaks are steep and weird. The scenery along the coastline is magnificent and beautiful.

Most of the mountains here are between five or six hundred meters to seven or eight hundred meters, and contain thick coal layers. The earliest coal mining history can be traced back to 1797. It is an important local export resource, so there are some scattered in the coal mining area. The white town is also a relatively densely populated area.

  Wollongong City was established in 1834. The mining history of coal mines is 37 years earlier than that of towns. It has been 92 years since then. This is the earliest coal mining area in New South Wales.

Duan Qirui is now the deputy commander of the road guard cavalry team and the captain of the second brigade. There are more than 500 cavalry under his command. This trip performs a tricky task...helping the representatives of the Hongshan Iron and Steel Consortium to get the merged coal mine. ownership.

These coal mines were concentrated in the town of Illawarra, a traditional coal mining area. Under the instigation of people, the local white miners blocked the exits into and out of the town and refused to enter the Hongshan United Iron and Steel Company. All they received were hot bullets. .

under these circumstances

The   Iron (Guard) Road Cavalry had to intervene strongly, breaking the blockade by force.

   "All cavalry dismount, take a short break." Duan Qirui raised his arm high and gave the order.

   give an order

The young cavalry rushed into the skies with cheers, dismounted one after another by the stream, and led their beloved horses to drink by the stream, nibbling on the fat green grass, and then took out soybean meal from the horse bag and fed it to the rider, taking time to drink a little. Water, eat some dry food to cushion your stomach.

As an officer, Duan Qirui didn’t need to feed the horse himself. After being led away by his men, Duan Qirui went to sit and rest on a raised rock by the stream. The guard and orderman delivered the canteen. He opened it and took a sip. The coffee is still warm.

  As a highly motivated officer, Duan Qirui is unwilling to stay in the Longmen Guard Area and eat and wait to die. He is only 26 years old this year, far from the age of comfort and retirement, so he applied to be transferred to the road guard cavalry.

   took off his military uniform on the face, but in fact he was still a deputy commander-level lieutenant colonel.

"Sir Duan, things are not easy this time, I'm afraid of big trouble." Wollongong Police Department Senior Inspector Myers walked over and sat down, worriedly handing out the water bottle in his hand and said; "Take a sip, good Scotland whisky."

Duan Qirui took it and took a sip, feeling that the spicy liquor went straight from his throat into his stomach, spitting out the alcohol, and feeling the rich oak fragrance in his mouth, he couldn't help saying "Wow...good wine" .

Myers smiled bitterly and took the kettle. He raised his head and took a big mouthful. He calmed down his pungent taste and said; "Sir, Duan, soon you came here, I am afraid I don’t know how powerful these coal miners are. They hate outsiders very much. , Conservative and stubborn, even when our police enter the town of Illawarra, they will be attacked with malicious words and even shot."

   "I know it is difficult, but the task must be performed."

"Yes, so there may be a battle, and our people..." Myers glanced at the cavalry around him, and his eyes swept over the 60mm field gun decomposition parts and heavy machine guns carried by the pack horses in the distance. , Shrank timidly and continued; "The number is a little small, you must know that there may be three to four thousand miners gathered around here, and everyone has a gun."

"It's a war or a peace. The choice is up to them. We can only follow the orders of the superiors. The coal mines must be returned to the Hongshan Iron and Steel Joint Enterprise. The sacred property rights cannot be tarnished. All those who try to occupy the coal mines to resist this process. Everyone can be regarded as a rioter and suppressed. We have no choice." Duan Qirui's voice was not high, but he was very firm.

   "Then...we have too few people."

  Sergeant Myers took another sip of whiskey depressed, and he was helpless in the face of this situation. Although the coal miner was in trouble, as a police officer, he could never ignore the orders of his superiors and turn a blind eye.

  He is a policeman, and the coal miners are thugs, and the two sides have different positions.

  Sergeant Myers is not unwilling to suppress these coal miners, but is worried that his own strength is insufficient. You must know that those coal miners are hard bones. The police have hit nails and returned home repeatedly. Mentioning this place name is a bit of a psychological shadow.

  Many of these coal miners are of Irish white descent, while Sheriff Myers is of French white descent. The two sides can't urinate in a pot at all. They are incompatible with each other, and there is no idea of ​​covering them.

"Don't worry, Myers. We must first ensure our own safety during this trip. It is best to disperse the coal miners who make trouble, prevent them from gathering and cause riots, and control the channels for malicious transmission of fear, including but not limited to closing small towns in the local town. The tavern, of course, this is only temporary, I hope the situation will not deteriorate to the point where it is difficult to manage." Duan Qirui said so as to comfort him, raised his deep eyes and looked forward, revealing an inexplicable look; "If it is really stubborn. ...We can mobilize more troops to encircle and suppress, and hope not to get there."

  (End of this chapter)