Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-07
LETTER BAG.
The rehuantepeo ship Rail wsy.

Tho Tehu8ntep0c onlp nhu way
FprroRs HERALD: Capt. E. L. Cor
thell. who has been associated by the
Mexican government with Mr.. Fairfield
of Iowa, and Mr.. Stanhope of Mexico,
to prosecute the construction of the
ship railway over the Tehuantepec 18TH
mus, is one of the most distinguishe d
engineers of this country. Although a
citizen of Chicago, he has been of late
years largely engaged in railway con-
struction in Mexico, and has go attracted
the attention of the Mexican govern
ment. He is just in the prime Of life,
and a man of indomitable energy. AS
such he attracted the attention of the
late Capt. j. B. Ea is, and was associ-
ated with him in the construction OF the
steel arch bridge across the Mississippi
at st. Louis, which has been pronounced
by competent authority as the finest
specimen of metal arch construction in
the world, and was subsequently his
chief assistant on the Mississippi jetties,
and finally on the Tehuantepec Ship
railway. On the death of Captain Eads,
Captain Corthell was appointed chief
engineer on that work, and completed
the surveys. But the death of Mr.. Sec
retary Window, the president of the
company, interrupted the work and Mr..
| Corthell has since been absorbed by
other important engineering operations
in Mexico.
| So much attention has lately been at
tracted to the isthmus by the promoters
of the Nicaragua canal that the Mexican
government has at length aroused itself
to the claims of it's railway at Tehuan-
tepec, and now seems determined to
push it forward with becoming energy.
1t certainly could not have put the work
in better hands. Speaking OF this en-.
terprise, the London Times some time
since remarked: "This scheme is bold
one, but it is not more remarkable for
it's boldness, as well as for its original
ity, than for its engineering soundness
and for the perfectness with which
every detail has been worked out and
every possible contingency provided
against"
1t is not many years ago that the pi-
oneers OF California were anxiOusly dis
cussing the practicability of construct
ing line of railway over the continent.
Five lines have since been extended
from sea to sea-four over the wide
stretches of the continent and one upon
the isthmus-and still the old problem
which started Columbus on his voyages
400 years ago remains unanswered, "the
western passage from Europe to India
and Cathay."
1t has been we'll remarked, "The
ship railway is simply a proposition to
carry greater burdens than have been
hitherto carried on ordinary railroads. !"
The Baldwin iron works of Philadelphia
in 1882 considered it a great feat that
they had constructed an engine which
could draw thirty tons on dead Level
when the weather was fair" The
same works are now constructing ten.
wheeled locomotives which are drawing
their immense trains over the heavy
grades of the Rocky mountains and the
Cordilleras of the Andes, without re-
| gard to weather. Indeed, it is now safe
to say that with our modern appliances
in view the intervening spaces between
the oceans, even of much wider span
than any presented by the American
isthmus, are mere portages in the hands
of competent engineers. Mexico is tt
be congratulated that she has taken ar
engineer from "the worlds fair city
to push hef ship railway to completion
1t is an enterprise worthy of this great
era and worthy to round off to compile
tion the nineteenth century. 1t neeC
not interfere with the canal; the worlG
is wide enough for both.
F. L. HAGADoRN.
| 90 Annalar Anril 1000