TWO TESTIMONIES ABOUT THE BEGININGS OF ROMANIAN RAILWAY HISTORY
AN IMPERIAL EDICT AND A POSTAGE STAMP
The Crimea war was already over in March 1856 following the Paris Peace but for the Ottoman Empire the events were only another black spot on its power and prestige, although it had won due to the help provided by England, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia. One of the immediate consequences of the treaty that was drawn then was the acceptance by the Empire of the ever-growing Occidental influence in its territories. Thus the number of English commercial ships became more and more numerous on the Danube and the Black Sea and the English state sought to find a way to collect and transport merchandise over the land.
In 1856 the Romanian territory between the Danube and the sea was under Ottoman dominion and Constanta was a poor fishermen’s burg that could harbor a few local ships and a few unproductive acres of land that surrounded it. If only the port would have been enlarged and a railway would have been built to cross the Dobrogea to Cernavoda, thus shortening the distances and avoiding the dangers of frost on navigating the Danube on the Sulina arm – the area would have been far more attractive, economically speaking.
On September 1st, 1857, Sir John Trevor Barklay, an English entrepreneur, acting as representative for a Londoners’ group made of Thomas Wilson, Cunard, Price, Paquet, Lewis and Newall made a deal with the Turkish government, obtaining permission to build a railway from Constanta to Crenavoda and to exploit the harbors of the terminal stations and administering the import – export commerce.
The document had two versions – one French and one Turkish and became valid due to a document signed by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Medjid (1839 – 1861). The paper included the conditions regarding the execution of the works and the use of the Kustendje Boghas Keni railway. The duration of the concession was 99 years starting with the date the railway became exploitable.
The English concern appeared in the document as “Compagnie du chemin de fer Imperial Ottoman du Danbe et de la Mer Noire” but it was officially called “Danube and Black Sea Railway Kustendje Harbour Company Limited, DBSR in short, initials that also appeared on the plates that delimited the trains that were part of the concession and on a postage stamp that was minted on this occasion.
The link between the Danube and the Black Sea that the railway Cernavoda – Constanta provided was the shortest ever made between the two towns. On this route traveled twice – in 1860 and 1864, the ruler Al I Cuza – going to Constantinople.
The line, wrote in 1865 the engineer Perronet in his railway manual, “served to avoid the crossing of the Danube’s delta by ships, which is long and dangerous.” The line was inaugurated the 4th of October 1860 and was built with English resources, respecting the English norms, until the line was ransomed by the Romanian state in 1882. This railway was the first ever built inside the Ottoman Empire.
The line left the harbor of Constanta, crossed the edge of the town and zigzagged across the plain until it reached the station that was built at the Western outskirts of the town. Then it went west, crossing Murfatlar and Medgidia, passing the Southern border of the Karasu Valley and reached the Cernavoda harbor after a distance of 64.675 km.
The line remained in use until 1937 when it was taken out of service. We have top mention the level difference between the harbor platform and the station in Constanta. The line started at 250 meters from the travelers’ building towards Medeea. It used to be there an old station, at just 3,9 km from the city of Constanta. The line of the zigzag got out of the main way and descended by the seaside, parallel to it. Then it made a turn and came back, descending on a 30% slope and came at the back of the harbor.
After another 750 meters, the line turned again and finally reached the harbor. Here there were several annex lines that were used to park trains that came to the port. From the last turn, a line was extended for 1500 meters that reached the oil field of today and went till the location of today’s Mamaia.
The English Company used both the harbors and the railway. At the same time it controlled all operations related to import or export.
On December 10, 1882, the Romanian state bought from DBSR the line, along with eight engines, 30 travelers’ wagons and almost 100 merchandise wagons. Along with this inventory, the line’s administration also received many of the former employees. Among them there was the chief of the Cernavoda station. We found his name on an envelope stamped with a 20 paras stamp addressed “a Monsieur Charles Gasquet / Chef de Garre / Tchernavoda.”
Over the years, the line was remade on a different route, doubled and equipped with modern installations. Also pit stops appeared on the road and some ramifications to the south and north that eventually made the connection with the rest of the Romanian territory through the Anghel Saligny Bridge. Hazard wanted us to find two of the most important historic evidences linked to the beginning of this original railway, maybe the most original in Romania: the edict of the sultan Abdul Medjid and the rare stamp issued 10 years later in circumstances that we will state.The railway circulation between the collector/distributor ports Constanta and Cernavoda , the commercial traffic and the various relations made necessary the establishment of a post office that insured the land connection between the marine post and the fluvial one.
In 1864, the DBSR Company was founded; in fact it was a private post called “Local Post.” It was the link between the two cities and the Austrian maritime company Lloyd. The post came by ship from Constantinople to Constanta, it was taken by railway to Cernavoda and then to the destinations, by a ship belonging to DDJG.
In 1867 this Local Post – that functioned for four years – minted a stamp marked with ink and sometimes with the sign “Kustendje” of the Lloyd Agency. Such stamps of the DBSR Company are extremely rare and a letter with such a stamp on it is considered “the greatest rarity in Romanian philately.”
The stamp issued by DBSR had jagged edges, small measurements 18.5 x 22.25 mm, the minting was made by lithography on colored paper with a value of “20 paras.” As you can see in the blown up picture, the stamp is marked in the lower right DBSR, up – LOCAL POST, left – KUSTENDJE & CZERNAVODA and down – 20 PARAS.
Starting with the lower right corner, the stamp depicts the Black Sea, a big ship, some smaller vessels and a train with a locomotive puffing smoke, then some mountains and above the landscape, the Ottoman symbol – a star and a moon – sign of sovereignty.
This is the only graphic representation of the old railway that we have been able to discover.
The edict of the sultan Abdul Medjid that granted rights to construction and execution is a document of great value. It opened the “railway age” to the Ottoman Empire in a province that didn’t even belonged to it. The document is now in the CFR Museum, accompanied by the translation made between the Wars by engineer Vangheli Misicu, a translation that we reproduced with the original style:
[1857]
“Approval for the construction of a railway from the Black Sea to the Danube To Barklay and associates – all Englishmen –
Abdul Medjid
As Barklay, the honorable subject of the Most Respected England State, now located in My Capital, on the behalf of the Associates; from the Bugaz village to Constanta, a Railway to construct they sought the favour of My Highness’s Decree from the Tanzimate’s Superior Council. In front of this council, their plea was brought, and parley they did and examined and came to two tens of articles, as a contract was drawn. This contract was furthermore examined by My Most Respectable Council of Ministers and later presented to My Imperial Way and Order what their belief was to proceed and thus the completion edict of such a feat was emanated from My Imperial Power, to begin and construct this Company heretofore socially called “The Black Sea to Danube Railway Company.” Gaveth them official grant, I did, to build this Company, to have and hold for 99 years beginning with the day the above-indicated Railway will be started. Still, this Railway will be subjected to all Laws and Regulations of My Exalted State and at all times will fall under the supervision of My Imperial Sultanate and the cited Contract that was signed by My High Council for Foreign Affairs and Finances and by the Ministry of Commerce. The Power of My Present Imperial Bid was bestowed upon the Founder Gentlemen to execute all conditions of the above-mentioned Contract. This here Glorious Order of Mine emanated from My Imperial Council to act as founding permit for this Company and as allowance to construct the said Railway, respecting all prerequisites written above. This paper was given in the second day of the Muharem month of the 1274 year.”
A 143-year-old document, a postage stamp with a railway motif and an exceptional railway are historical witnesses that tell us, the people of today, of an important moment of the early ages of the Romanian railways.
