William Scarth Moorsom

William Scarth Moorsom (1804-1863)

Railway Achievements in India

From the 1864 Obituary recorded in 'Grace's Guide' ^[1]:-

"In the winter of 1856, Captain Moorsom was selected by the Colonial Minister, Mr. Labouchere, to visit Ceylon on behalf of the Government, in order to determine whether a railway could be profitably constructed between Colombo, the principal port, and Kandy, the ancient capital of that island, and the centre of a very productive district for the growth of coffee. Receiving his instructions on the 24th December, and pressed by the Colonial Office to complete his work before the ensuing rainy season in May should oblige a cessation of operations, Captain Moorsom sent off his first division of surveyors early in January, a second division on the 20th of that month, and followed himself on the 4th February, 1857. On the 12th May, Captain Moorsom presented his report to the Governor of Ceylon, and received the thanks of that functionary, afterwards confirmed in gratifying terms by letter of the Colonial Minister, dated the 23rd of July".

This “Report on the Ceylon Government Railway Survey” Captain W S Moorsom, Chief Engineer R.E.Report is online at Archive.org ^[2]

See Ceylon Railway Company
and Ceylon Government Railway