New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-16
RESULTS OF STEAMSHIP SERVICE.
DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL AMERICAN COM
MERCE-CAPTAIN DOWS VOYAGE OF DIS
o0YERY-EUROPEAN TRADE SUPERIOR
IN VOLUME TO AMERICAN TRADE
AN APPROACHING CHANGE
frRoy STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUSE.l
Panama March |, 1890.
AN APPROACHING
OF BASE.

are never seen, but there are few lumber ships
plying between Rosario, Buenos Ayres and Monte
vldeo and the United States coast On the west
coast there three lines Of New-York and Boston
sailing vessels making infrcquent voyages and
carrying back nitrate guanO and hides. There
are also Oregon lumber craft and few American
whalcrS on that scaboard Even United States
men-of-war are rarely seen below Panama and
| never in Valparaiso the commercial centre Of the
west coast from which the Chilians are competing
actively and successfully with England for the
| control of the carrying trade Ii is not until
south America has been circumnavigated and the
lsthmus has been reached that American steam
ships are found to he participating in the COM
mcrcial development OF the countries living 10
the south of the United States. Elsewhere
| an enormous expansion of European trade is OBJ
served rs one of the direct results Of the multi
plcation of steamship lines: and the United States
by ncglccting its commercial marine Is shown to
have abandoned TO It's maritime rivals fields of en-
tcrprsc, where It's prestige was once very great
Here the traditional policy of the United States
is maintaincd-not as rcsolutcly nor as success
fully as it ought 10 he. but still maintained under
serious disadvantages Notwithstanding the
shorter lines of trade
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company has oper
Isthmus as n centre. 1t now has three steamers
a month running each way between New-York
and Colon or Aspnwall two each way between
Panama and San Francisco: one each way be-
tween Panama and Acapulco, and always one, and
during the coffee season, two and sometimes three
each way between Panama and the western ports
of Costa R.ca Honduras, Salvador and Guatemala.
Both the san Francisco and the Mexico steamers
call AT the chief Central American ports. On the
Pacific coast north of the lSthmliN. the line mas
not had until recently any serious competition,
since foreign steamers were not allowed to par
ticipatc in the advantages Of the coastlng trade
Of California. The Isthmus has not been consld-
cred foreign territory. ny which the coastlng trade
was broken of and interrupted. The line has had
the advantage Of Transporting goods overland from
Aspinwal 10 Panama, and thence by steamer up
the coast 10 California without payment OF duty
in rc-cntcring American ports from foreign terri
tory. With the privileges OF the c"astlng tra"c
in lis favor it has had no competition hh'' 'ne
German lines began a few years ago - S'hd steam
crs from Hamburg through the straits =" 'h""-
rcrico and other Central American ports. ON
the east coast Of Central America il has not sought
20 develop trade and several English and German
lines are now doing an active business IN that
..uorter. The expansion Of Central American
n has been the direct result of the opening 81
s,c,,n communications under the American nag.
Cop,aiu John " Dow is familiary known on
tho Isthmus as the Columbus of Central America
When the Panama Railway was opened ne recon-
,n,ndcd 10 the managers the establishment oil
steamship service on the Pacific coast of Costa
Plea Nicaragua and Guatemala. lie was place"
in command Of the steamer Colunbus-a name tha'
has lent advcntiious aid 10 the tradition that nc
discovered Central America-and his voyages
b.oun I'm I-5G. were continued for many years.
He entered ono port after another ana ootaihe"
cargo wherever hc could got II. II was an enter
nrisc hcscf with acknowledgements at TIE ou's'',
and the loss of the first steamer nearly cause"
an abandonment of the coasiing Inc; put 'hp''ih
Dow had a strong faith in tie resources OF th'
cnuntrv which was not weakened pf temporary
reverse, \ ncv and larger steamer the "ha''
u,ala took the place of the Columbus IN lN''' ana
,,edc IN ,oncc and dyc-woodS rapidly increased
The trade route in Guatemala had been oy CIR
cuirols mule roads - lrlIcc The cost of trans
narration was materially reduced wien 'ham-
pcrico and other ports on the west coast were
rerllarlv visited by steamer Salvador ana
Nicaragua bad u very small export trade when
CaptaLu Dow began his coastins voyages, but
r,pid development Of commerce followed In
Costa Eica there were mulc-roadS leading over
tine mountains To- the Caribbean scoboard. These
,ycrc virtually abandoned when steam commnnlra-
lion was established on the west coast. In IL"
Years the Pacific Mail Company took charge OF Inc
SHINING businc,S and increased TN" number oi
steamers extending the service TO Mexican ports
and charging the transportation facilities zap
tain Dow who was identified with ms trace
became the manager of the line at Panama anu
under his supervision thcrc has been 2ra'u"'
improvcmcni i'm the service ms the Noi""' "
commerce has expanded. He stlIl remains az ms
post and IL perhaps the most popular ana "iS"E
respected American OH the lsthmUS Ills E'h'"'
face kindlcs into fine glow whenever ne u aSNc"
ia rive "reminiscences of his early voyages OF MS
covcry7 i'm Central America n trade WEIGH was
insignificant at the outset has become one oi
Great commercial importance under the S'lhuIlt
ing influence of rapid steam communication. Ills
forecasts of the resources of Central America
have been justified by the progressive results OF
successful Development
There are in Central America i've rrpuolcs'
with an aggregate population of nearly "ooo''o"
and an area Of l1202J square mlFS-aPPi'N-
imatcly equal 10 that OF the Ncw-EhSlahu Az"
Middle States with MARYLAND added. All these
States have seaboardS on the Paclhc sl"c, 'h"o
Of Uondura. being very small All except
that Of Guatemala being the least in extent. The
Pacific coast offers superior facilities for CONNER
clal Intercourse. being higher, having more
numerous harhors and aif0rdIng access l" more
productive districts than the low sLrd-dhn's oi
the Caribbean sraboard. Central America ~
travcrscd by mountain ranges and win mark'"
differences of elevation possesses diverse chhf''S
and agricultural zones It's most important pr"u-
net is coffee, which is exported on large scale
from all the States except honduras. 'o"'c Is
I.iscd chiefly in the terra template ds'rlo's ."
elevated plarcans and the lower slopes o' ''r'
mountains II is of the finest quality, an" II
generally conceded Ia be equal to the DIST
Venezuela brands, and superior Ia RIO ana santos
coffee Guatemala is the chief centre OF TINS
industry Since 1870 the production has more
than quadruplcd, and the increase since captain
BOWS pioneer voyage in the Columbus has ocr'i
most remarkable This coffee is ordinarily Soin