Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-28
ESTABLISHED 1850.
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
A Grand Railway Line TO Connect
the Pacific and AtlanTIc-An En-
terprise shat Asks for no Govern
ment Subsidies.
Washington Correspondence st. LoGis Post
Dispatch.

Washington Correspondence ST. LoGis Post
Dispatch.
A syndicate of capitalists and prominen'
railroad men has recently been formed, with
present headquarters in this city, for the
construction of railroad across the northern
part of Mexico between the twenty fifth and
thirtieth parallels Of latitude. The conces
sion under which this corporation wss or
ganiZed was granted by the Mexican Gov
ernment on the 18Th day of June, 1881.
The charter was formed under the laws OF
the State Of Massachusetts,, and provides fol
railway some twelve hundred miles IL
length. The main line is projected from
the harbor of Topolobsmbo, on the Gulf oi
California, to the Rio Grande river, in 8
northeasterly direction, passing through the
States of Sinaloa, chihuahua aud Cnahuila,
to Piedras Negras, opposite Eagle Pass, or
the Rio Grande. A branch is projected
from point on the main line, in the State
OF chihuahua, to Presidio del Norte, on the
Rio Grande. Another branch is projected
from the main line north to Alamos, in the
State Of Sonora, and south to Mszatlan, ir
the State of Sinaloa.
The promoters of this scheme are ex Sec
retary OF the Treasury, VIM. Window, Chair
man OF the Executive Committee, with ex-
SeDatorJohn B. Gordon, of Georgia, John
II. Rice and Ben Hill as members of that
committee. Frederick o. Prince is Presi-
dent; o. s. Grant, Jr., Vice President; Alex
H. Anderson, Secretary; Albert K. Owen,
Engineer, and T. E Sickles Consulting En-
gineer. Benz f. Butler and VIM. K. Rogers
are the attorneys. Ex-Governor John c.
Brown, General Solicitor for the Gould sys-
tenn Of railroads, now of st. Louis, is spoken
of as the permanent President of the cor
poration. A party of Boston and New York
capitalists is at the back of the enterprise
The deposit required by the terms of the
grant has been made by the agent in Mexico
and Mr.. Owen, the Engineer, is now In the
field with party locating the line. The
necessary capital has been guaranteed and
paid In, and the work of construction will
commence at as early a day as practicable.
AS a project this enterprise is not entire
ly unknown to the public, but the recent as
pect it has assumed is quite new and now
for the first time published. The road is
known as the Texas, Topolobsmpo and Pa
ci6c Railroad and Telegraph Company, and
will closely connect with the Texas system
of railroads. By means of 1t st. Louis will
have direct and shorter line to the Pacific
coast than by any of the other routes.
Mr.. Owen examined the hsrbor of TOpolo-
bampo while making a railway survey in
1872. and subsequently prepared bill pro
viding for railway survey by the United
States Government, which was reported
upon favorably by the Senate and House
Committees on Pacific Railways of the
Forty fourth and Fortv fifth Congresses.
The bill, however, failed, because it was
never reached on the calendar, and final ac-
tiOn was never taken upon it. 1t having
been determined to construct the road with
ont government aid, the present syndicate
of capitalists was formed to place the en-
terprise in practicable shape.
The line OF this road is parallel with no
other projected lines, except such as are so
far away as not to be capable of becoming,
in any sense, rival lines. 1t passes through
the richest mineral country in the world,
and when completed will make accessible
and productive mines of silver and gold of
inestimable value. The four Mexican States
intersected by the main line and branches
embrace an area of ga, 1894 miles, all of
which vast country will be tributary to this
road to greater or less extent. Besides
the rich gold and silver deposits In this re-
giOn. there are immense fields of coal, and
an abundance OF iron and copper. Vast
forests and an immense area of agricultural
land are also embraced within its borders.
In addition to the plan of the road as at
present projected in Mexico, there is pur.
pose to combine with and perfect the Er
lsnger system Of railroads IN Georgia and
to form q transcontinental line making an
almost direct route from Brunswick, Ga,
on the Atlantic coast, to Topolobampo, on
the Pacific coast. The distance from ocean
to ocean by this route Is 1916 miles, and
the intermediate points touched by the pro-
iected line, commencing at the east, are
Albany, Ga, Eufaula, Montgomery, Selma
Meridian, Vicksburg, Monroe, Lopgview,
San Antonio and Eagle Pass. The dlstanc ce
from st. Louis to Topolobampo harbOr is
1850 miles. The distance from S.. Louis to
San bu no " ~ bo
the Union Pacific, Is 1888 miles. By the
Southern Pacific, via El Psso, the distance
from st. Louis to San Francisco is some 400
miles less than the distance last named
The climate OF Mexico, through which
this projected route passes, is generally tenn
perate, and its high elevation above the sea
counterbalancesthe heat of other countries
IN like latitude On the plains OF the pla-
teau, between 4, ZOO and 5000 feet above the
level of the sea, the climate is equable and
moderate, both In summer and winter. The
rainy season occurs during July and August.
The harbor OF Topolobampo is composed
of two bays, forming secure anchorage for
ships, containing fifty-four miles Of water
area, with a depth of water over twelve
miles square Of from twenty-one to ninety
feet. The two great basins composing this
fine harOOr are connected by the Strait of
Joshua. The depth on the bar at low water
four to six feet. The area of New York bay
is only 'welve and one half square miles,
which affords accommodation for the larg-
est number Of ships of any harbor in the
world.
The site selected as the terminus Of the
railway is on the north side of the inner
bay, and has water front of seven and q
half miles, with width of about three
miles. Il is slightly elevated above the sur
Tw,rm
height to insure good drainage. There is
now no human habitation there, but the site
is said to be unsurpassed by that of any of
the large cities OF the world. The inlets
and haTbOrs In the vicinity are filled with
fish o. all kinds, the taking of which would
afford employment and profit to a large
number Of people, and at the same time pro-
vide suitable subsistence for the inhabi-
tants. Beside the valuable fisheries, the
supply of the finest edible oysters is mex
haustible, said to be equal in size and favor
to the finest obtained from the Chesapeake.
Shells of sea fish of wonderful beauty
are found in the sands OF the
gulf. The genuine tortoise shell turtle is
found on both coasts OF the peninsula, and
the various species of turtle known to the
table Of the ep!cure are found in many
places in great abundance. The pearl oys-
ter is occasionally met with in sheltered in
lets ana the ordinary pearl Is always abun-
dant. 1t is reported that there are deposits
of guano on several of these islets and rocks
of the upper gulf, where mvriads of sea
fowl congregate. Carmen Island, directly
across the gulf from Topolobampo harbor,
is said to contain the finest and most acces-
sible salt mine In the world. These are
some Of the local advantages of this pro-
posed new city, which is destined, as some
believe, to be the future metropolis of the
Pacific coast.
1t will be seen that the Topolobampo
line, as thus described, possesses advantages
for commerce with the world unsurpassed
by those OF any other route yet projected or
in operation. 1t is shorter and passes
through a snowless latitude. Il opens up
not heretofore embraced within the
limits of commercial traffic, of almost fabu-
lous wealth and beauty.
BFeadstufs In Britain.
LONDON, February 27.-The Mark Lane
Express, in it's review Of the British grain
trade during the past week, says: "The
Or0WinU prOng P0nffnup m fnDr0va Gnrfpo