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The following lists events that happened during 1904 in South Africa.

Incumbents

  • Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:Walter Hely-Hutchinson.
  • Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Edward McCallum.
  • Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg (until 22 February), Leander Starr Jameson (starting 22 February).
  • Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony: Alfred Milner.
  • Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal: George Morris Sutton.

Events

February

  • Pneumonic plague breaks out in Johannesburg.

June

  • 22 &ndash; The first of 62,000 Chinese labourers arrive in South Africa to relieve the shortage of unskilled mine workers.

Unknown date

  • Der shtral, a Yiddish-language newspaper is founded.
  • The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) is established in Cape Town.

Births

  • 16 February &ndash; Philip Rabinowitz, South African record-breaking sprinter (d. 2008)

Deaths

  • 3 June &ndash; Vincent Tancred, South African cricketer (b. 1875)
  • 14 July &ndash; Paul Kruger, exiled president of the South African Republic, dies in Clarens, Switzerland, at the age of 78.
  • 1 November &ndash; Willem Eduard Bok, politician (b. 1846)

Railways

thumb|[[South African Class 6L 4-6-0|SAR Class 6L]]

thumb|[[South African Class 5B 4-6-2|SAR Class 5B]]

thumb|[[South African Class 8Z 2-8-0|SAR Class 8Z]]

thumb|[[South African Class NG8 4-6-0|CGR Type B]]

thumb|[[South African Class G 4-8-2T|NGR Class E]]

thumb|[[South African Class 1 4-8-0|NGR Class B]]

<!--thumb|[[South African Class 9 4-6-2|CSAR Class 9]]-->

thumb|[[South African Class 10 4-6-2|CSAR Class 10]]

<!--thumb|[[South African Class 11 2-8-2|CSAR Class 11]]-->

thumb|[[South African Class F 4-6-4T|CSAR Class F]]

thumb|[[South African Class KM 0-6-0+0-6-0|CSAR Class M]]

Railway lines opened

  • 1 February &ndash; Cape Western &ndash; Maitland to Ottery, .
  • 1 March &ndash; Cape Midland &ndash; Le Roux to Oudtshoorn, .
  • 7 June &ndash; Cape Western &ndash; Paarl to Franschhoek, .
  • Four Karoo Class 4-6-2| Pacific passenger steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated South African Class 5B 4-6-2| by the SAR.
  • The final batch of ten 8th Class 4-8-0| Mastodon type locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 8F on the SAR.

;Natal

  • Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Natal Government Railways (NGR):
  • Twenty-five Class E Mountain type tank locomotives. In 1912 they will become the Class G on the SAR.
  • Fifty Class B 4-8-0| Mastodon type mainline steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated South African Class 1 4-8-0| on the SAR.

;Transvaal

  • Five new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Central South African Railways (CSAR):
  • Five Class 9 4-6-2| Pacific type locomotives.