by Kumis Kumis
Proposed Railway lines
"We will surpass the riches
of Andrew Carnegie soon"... William Clark Cowie
A speculation as to the existence
of a large and workable deposit of valuable minerals in the Interior of North
Borneo was one of the driving forces behind the construction of the railway at
Tanjung Batu, Kota Marudu, Kudat.
Herein please find the summary of
the developments: -
1901 - The discovery of Coal at
Marudu Bay
1902 - Jack Carnarvon (the
manager of BBExco Taritipan) who had first discovered the manganese.
5.7.1902 - British Borneo Syndicate
Ltd was formed and was granted a monopoly by BNBC to explore oil, coal, mineral
and precious metals (except area committed to Cowie Harbour Coal Company).
Cowie was named as Director. The terms agreed between the syndicate and BNBC
was the needs to form a parent company within 2 years of which will be granted
an exclusive right to prospect in North Borneo for 50 years. In the event of
Minerals being found BNBC would grant 999-year leases for concession not
exceeding 10 sq miles each over the registered areas in return for payment of
20 % of the profits.
5.3.1903 - George Pauling and
Baron Emil d'Erlanger registered a Marudu Bay (Borneo) Coal Syndicate Ltd and
in the same month Reuters, London and China Express carried the news of a major
manganese find at Taritipan and coal discoveries at Marudu Bay and Cowie
Harbour.
28.2.1905 - British Borneo
Syndicate Ltd registered new parent company, British Borneo Exploration Company
Limited (BBExco). BBExco established a base camp at Tanjong Batu in the South East
corner of Marudu Bay. Infrastructure such as Manager and assistant houses, an
assaying lab, 25-ton weighbridge, clinic and various workers quarters being
build. BBExco started laying an 8-mile 1.0 m gauge railway from Tanjong Batu to
Taritipan eastwards up the Biliajong River to the manganese site known as
"Kaka Kuja". The ore train hauled by "Marudu" and
"Biliajong”, a 0-4-2T locomotive built by Kerr Stuart in December 1905 and
early 1906 respectively.
Tanjong Batu
 |
| Kudat Railway during construction |
 |
| Kudat Railway in operations |
1906 - BNBC continued to produce wildly optimistic report and potential of their mineral’s discoveries. The result of analysis of the Manganese ore released by the Imperial Institute, London suggested an average cargo from Taritipan would contain: manganese dioxide equivalent to 49-51% metallic manganese, 15 % silica, 0.35 % sulphur and 0.03 % phosphorus. It was estimated that 40 to 50 thousand tons could be easily maintained.
28.7.1906 - The trunk deck
steamship Aldershot had a dead weight capacity of 3180 tons anchored at Tanjung
Batu, Kota Marudu expected to load tons of Manganese in 10 days and sail to
Mostyn, Liverpool calling at Colombo.
17.9.1906 - A disaster on loading
of the ore into Aldershot off the wharf at Tanjong Batu, the line up the bed of
Biliajong River from Taritipan was constantly washing out, faulty design and
bad workmanship of the wharf and the ore contained 70 % of valueless jasper
rock.
1.10.1906 - Aldershot eventually
sailed with 2800 tons of ore having taken 67 days to load against charter rate
of 10 days. First and the last ore load.
28.11.1906 - the cargo arrived at
Mostyn, Merseyside but rejected by buyers as valueless. BBExco was sued by the
shipping company
Early 1907 - the problems with
the British Borneo Exploration Company Manganese project in Kota Marudu must
have been a common knowledge. The project was advised to abandon.
23.7.1907 - BNBC meeting revealed
adverse weather has caused damaged to the transport system.
8.4.1908 - Full scale Manganese
disaster was finally revealed at General Meeting of BBExco.
1909 - BBExco began negotiations
with BNBC to sell off the locomotives and associated assets at Tanjong Batu
9.9.1909 - Arthur West visit
Tanjung Batu for inspection
28.12.1909 - Arthur West submit
list of the railway items of interest
21.2.1910 - The deal between BNBC
and BBExco to purchase list of railway items inclusive locomotive concluded.
28.1.1911 - All railway salvage
items from Tanjung Batu, Kota Marudu, Kudat delivered to Jesselton.
Source and photos:
1. British North Borneo Herald
(1902-1911)
2. UK National Archives courtesy
by David Porter,
3. The Building of The North
Borneo Railway by Ross Ibbotson, published by Opus Publications
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