The New York herald., 1866-02-27

uroess made was as foIlows-The rst seven miles to
Gatun opened in December 1851. twenty three
miles completed in 1858 aud thirty miles we're in
full operat on in 1854 while the entire road was opened
for traffic ON the 2Sth Of January, 1885.
LENGTH AND PEcuIlARiTiEs
The total length of the road forty miles three
Thousand and twenty ee M 1ps g rs s, or east
the river by bridge o2o feet In length eighteen
feet BREADTH and forty feet above the main level OF
the river This bridge OF wrought iron and Is exactly
half way between Aspinwal and Panama; and il Is not
little SINGULAR that the bridge thrown across the Nile
between Alexandra aud Cairo Is also exactly half way
in other words both the great sthmus transs are in
tersected half their length by large river The Bar
bacoes bridge Of six spans built or boiler iron with
ton and bottom cord two feet IN breadth and inch
thiokneas Joined by web of boiler iron nine feet in
height at the centre and at the ends The rails
are laid on iron floor girders three feet apar and the
whole structure supported by five piers and two abut
repts twenty feet wide and eight feet in thickness
increasing the proportion OF inch TO the foot down
70 their foundations which are constructed of piles
and concrete The highest point Of the line is thirty
seven and three quarter miles from the Atlantic and Is
c63 feet above the mean level that ocean The maxi
mum grade the Atlantic slope is one ninety; on
the Pacific descent IL Is rather morevz: In eighty
eight OF the road twentythree and two-hfths miles
level and twenty aud threeths straight but
there are very abrupt curves. There less
than l3 culyerts drains and bridges Of ten feet and
under and many as l70 bridges from twelve feet span
10 625 feet span. The line is single one; but there
four coinmodiou sdings at Gatun seven and half
miles; one at Matachin thirty miles, and at the
summit thryseven miles Experience has proved that
there is difficulty IN maintaining the line in proper
order at a reasonable EXPENSE but on the contrary
that Il can kept in better condition at tho than
similar works In northern attitudes where the climate
appears have more injurious effect than within the
tropics
occur at every four miles The house Is the residence Of
the trackmsser, who with ten aborers has charge OF
the intervening mileage. The road Is kept in perfect
order by these There are twelve racknasers and
one hundred twenty laborers In the employ of the
company solely 10 look after the security OF the line
Their wages ssreTrackmisters three dollars per diem
laborers sixty cents The slan of the company not
very extensive the civil eniaeers, with their assistants
and managiug clerks oonstt ting the greatest expense
The srctest economy, consistent with efficiency Is
ted For example there are excellent locomotive shops
al Aspinv all In which the engineers and stokers when
not xorS the railway employed and IL is said
tat the business done in erecting the necessary repairs
for calling NJ the bay almost supports the engi-
Deerng staG aud working locomotive expenses OF the
company.
A substantial telegraph is established between Aspn-
wall and Panama. There are twcnty-six posts 10 the
mile constructed in the following mannerA scantlng,
four inches square, of ten pune, encased in cement,
moulded cylmdr cal form, tapering towards the end
and sunk our feet in the ground was assured that,
when once eyv these posts would last for ages The
OF each Has five dollars, about one pound sterling.
They have tse app OF hewn stone, and quite
ornament along the line.
TOTAL COST.
The total expenditure of the Panama Railway Com
pany amaaited TO 81 407553, rather more than
fl 900 sr ng, which Is nearly f32o per mile, an
expense, by y-the-bye below the average OF Eng
lsh lines, which E34 63S per mile. The outlay for the
construction % this the first railway built in tho tropics
was, dmih., enormous, and arose chiefly from the
entire novelty Of the and the paucity OF
labor MeH brought to the locality in great
bers FROM Asia, Africa and America and they Hooked
there from almost every part Of Europe tempted by the
very high rxis of wages, but they died within a few
months after arrival and but small portion ever returned
home.
PROFITS OF TIE UNDERTAKING
Very few undertakings have paid better than the Pana
ma Railway TINS Is not to be wond red at when Il Is re-
and charge nsast exorbtanily For example, the pas
sage nsy Is &S A I'd. children under twelve years
halt price, snder six years quarter price There is only
one Glass; SO Gat each passenger has to pay the same
TIE transit occupies about four hours, the distance Is
l71. milcy- and the fare therefore 2s ID per
mle the ni expensive railway travelling In the world
Al the tine the working expenditure Is very mode
rate The fue for instanc wood, and sufficient for
the whole touruey Is procured for 81 20 or los The
charge for frht on the high scale s the passen
ger traffic Take, for instance, live stock Cattle by
pa enger tns, owners risk, so each, the same ex'
acty ss passenger Sheep by pass niger train, owner s
risk, $l2 80 each the child under twelve years
of age BY statement in New York paper, of the 23d
september, 1855, appears that the Panama Railroad
Company, AFTER paying rguar dividends OF 20 per
per annuI, has declared extra dividend Of 40 per
cent making % per cent for the year and has raised
lis quarterly dividend from tive TO SIX per cont or "A
por cent per annum
SHEs yy BREAKING DOWN THE MONOPOLY
To tisis large profit the traihc must b. enornos
and every acquainted with Aspinwall and Panama
the terminal Ports, knows tnat it is So The Panama
Railroad s doubtcss great fact, and very pleasant
for the shAsesders; but the moral draw from the fac
is that there rs plenty Of room Jor dter trdnsf ana
opened NE let have not, however
been led to this conclusion commercial grounds alone
ere other considerations of at least equal wei h
rendering another route ACROSS Central America an i'm
perative necessity And great an impression have
these considerations made my mind, that y.nava
career has la consequence undergone radical change
and for the East Ave years have de myself to TN
subject have SO much ut heart viz the opening J
greaf higkvay " NATIONS &C ross Ce,'rd, America
la 1s5aoS was stationed in command OF her Mnesty's
steamer Grxcn senior naval officer that part Of
tne Atlantic coast of Central America extend ng from
Aspinwa 10 Cape Grazas Dio and OF course, Il was
not long bcfre became cogn zant OF the working OF the
Panama Rsaay, not only In commercial, bat also in a
political
must con less that the aspect OF arars startled m,
A glance Was sufficient 10 show that this Important
.'highwny wSs monopoly In the uncontrolled powtrof
Jealous rivals and upon evidence To prove
l. such monopoly had been created afvisetly and
deliberately Cor In most able report the importance
OF the Pans rs rous by committee Congress Of the
nited Safss, appointed to consider memorial praying
for aid tn part OF the projectors these words
1a relation to the railroad
To guard imposition from any quarter and
@ 81 me s S SSSS % G ss
70 Psoss, % - s a. Arg aory Q. me $ s'ocs 0i in
mmend re<ore that grant Of t~o hundred and nf
thousand diL-s per amman e made TO the memor.s io
conditions sl1a<x N their memorial
Emrsn ooHnSRcE JEOPARDY
Very naunag the management Of the railroad thor
oughy Am~rio, emabatlng irvm the Board OF nrccors
New Yurx. The of the United State:
aud the unfst4nates coming frm England probably en-
10y longer sIio1rn the shnius than they clou-
lated upon a< starting thus, OF course, becomes more
aud more s>uois the transit business liner ascs,
sld. added IN the exorbilant tar doubt ui, bcrs
q no, ctins Ia pip cxciision cf Iritish
spssnas5cs, a,klssugh happily for many ears the
lrit sh Lioss hieaself may be allowed 10 cross with
his tail bet~e<p hts legs The inconvsnienccs and high
rbarges siurrfy act dampcr 10 commcrce and
conimuncsl.sas with the Pacific for instance -ariia
pieniary I1r>rs for Vancouver Island charged as
tters the transit OF he Times four pence while
one shiIlB sus virtually cutting or the coons SIS Of
pr tsh Csluua from the enj oymcnt OF homo news and