San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-12-14
MEXICAN NATIONAL SHOPS.
A Magnificent Plant Destined to
Greatly Benefit LAREDO.

| w ME III LdT6uO T6CtubIy, HOUluS
the improvements made ana listening
to the hopeful representations of its
future from the lips of its sanguine
hustlers, the LIGHT was shown over
| the plant of the Mexican National
Railway company, and was genuinely
astonished at the extent and complete
ness of the work. Not only is the
plant extensive, but it is So compre-
hensive in all its branches, so COM
| plete in all its details, so thorough in
all its appointments that it fails to
strike one as the plant of border
| town, but appears more like the i'm
mense constructions of some vast rail-
way center. There is nothing in Tex
as, very little in the South, that ap-
| proaches these shops as an inspection
will show.
When the works were visited by the
LIGHT in company with President
Hamilton of the Improvement COM
pany, Master Mechanic Thos. Milan
was found between the round-house
and the machine shop busy superin-
tending the laying and adjusting OF
the transfer bed upon the tracks of
which locomotives are run from the
round house into the erection shops.
A few words of direction to his men
and Mr.. Milan placed himself at the
disposal of his visitors as guide.
Any elaborate description of the
works in detail is not the purpose of
this article, but to show in a short
article the real extent and complete
ness of the plant.
The works lie in the eastern part of
the city of Laredo well within the
corporation. The property of the
company covers an area of fifty-six
acres well adapted to the pur-
poses to which they are devoted.
Building was begun last spring. The
constructions are all of a solid char
acter. Stone, brick and iron are the
principal materials. Upon the ground
which less than a year ago was I'M
broken prairie there now stands the
following buildings: A round house
with stalls for 20 engines; the build
ing. 100 feet by $50, and well supplied
with all necessary apparatus for
cleaning boilers and engines. En-
CINE erecting shops 120 feet by 60
with seven pits and thoroughly fur
nished with all machinery necessary
for the work carried on. Machine
shops 60xlS0 with latest improved
lathes, planes, drills and the thous-
aud and one tools which are required
in carrying on operations in well
equipped shop of this kind. Black
smith shop S0x60 with two steam
hammers for forging and bolter that
will head anything from 5-S
bolt to one two inches in
diameter. Foundry 60X80, aud
most co nplete in all in it's appoint
ments, in which is cast everything
required for their work, save car
wheels. Wood shop and planning
mill, 250x60 with all requisite ma
chinery for working in wood and a
planning mill for dressing their lum-
Der. Over these the pattern and up
hols STEERING rooms where as fine work
can be turned out as at Pullman
Erection car shops 20 120 where
cars are set up and finished or re-
paired on track. These are construc-
ton shops in which the work is
carried on, except what goes on in
the yards outside where great part
of the repairing will be done, the
climate making out door work very
comfortable. In addition to these
construction shops covering an area
of 10000 square feet, are the en-
CINE rooms. boiler houses, store
rooms etc. There are two engine
rooms each 3Ox35 with IS horse pow
er engine; boiler house 40X60, store
room 30X250, an immense supply de-
pot, but much too small for the storage
of the material on hand; an oil house
50x20 with sunk tanks each capable of
Lol
ply tank containing $4,000 from
which the shops are furnished with
water; an iron house 60x40; and flue
house 50x30. Besides these structures
under cover there are iron racks III
the yards for piling iron and piping.
These bare outlines gives some idea
of the magnitude of the plant of the
Mexican National road. 1t will re-
quire 800 men to work the shops to
their capacity and more might be en-
| ployed. The value of this plant to
the city Of Laredo can hardly be esti-
mated. Here also, in Laredo, not at
the shops, General Superintendent
| Galbraith has his office, and finds
full employment and scope for his
energies. The LIGHT found the gen.
ial uperintendent just returned from
a trip over the road ito Mexico, over
ears in business, ready to extend any
conrtesies but too busy to talk and so
nothing was elected concerning the
| operations and plans of the road.
Should future visit find the super
intendent with more leisure the
LIGHT will give it's readers such in
formation as may be elected.
"A concert and theatre will be
| given at the Arhieter XeraIn h all naxt