The morning call., 1894-03-27
THE TEHUANTEpEc RAILROAD.

New Orleans is much interested in the
opening OF the Tehuantepec Railroad.
The contract for its completion provides
that il must be open for traffic next Septem-
Der. San Francisco is equally interested
with New Orleans. Until the Nicaragua
canal is completed the isthmus route offers
our greatest advantage over the trans
continental railways in economy, and over
Cape Horn In time.
Previous to 1882 several efforts were
made for the construction of a railroad
across the Tehuantepec isthmus. 1t would
perhaps have been built lrstead of the
Panama Railroad in 1850 .55, but for the
Jealousy Of the Mexican Government re-
garding American influence following the
war between the TWO countries. The
various plans which failed contemplated
road built by corporations under Govern
ment concessions and subsidies. When
all these failed for one reason or another
the Mexican Congress, on May 80, 1882,
authorized the Government TO undertake
the enterprise. The WORK was done by
contract. The final contract for its CON-
pletion was signed Decsmb Der g. 1898, and
named September 6. 1894. as the date on
which the road should be finished.
Being Government property the Te-
huan tepec road will not be subject to con-
troll by corporate monopolies. President
DiaZ has declared that it shall be operated
as a competitive route for the worlds
commerce. Its Importance SIS a CONNER
cial line is indicated by comparison Of
the distances between various American
and European Atlantic ports and points
on either coas: of the Pacific. via Panama
and via Tehuantepec. For instance, from
New York to San Francisco is 6107 miles
via Panama. and only 1925 via Tehuan-
tepec. From New Orleans the distances
are 5415 and 1861 respectively. From
Liverpool the distances are 9O7I and S274
miles.
No interoceanic railroad can take the
place in commerce Of the Nicaragua canal,
but under the most favorable circum-
stances we are not likely to have canal
communication for something like ten
years to come. Meantime the value Of a
competing route by way of Tehuantepec
may be very great It may prove the key
to our commercial situation. 1t will take
away the arbitership of the Panama Canal
Company. Under its contract with the
North American Navigation Company that
road has been doing Us good service, but it
has been on its own terms. 1t has been
reasonable in the matter of rates, but Ii
has been able to impose its own condI-
tiOns upon the granting of privileges.
With the Tehuantepec road in operation
any man or number OF men who can char
ter few steamers on the Atlantic and Pa
cifc can eSta blish q through communica-
tion on quicker time schedule than Is
now in force, ana will have to make terms
with no corporation. The route will es-
pecially bring California and the Missis-
sipDi Valley nearer together. It is natural
that the New Orleans press should be
looking forward with interest to the open
ing of the line. 1t is only 80 miles from
the mouth of the Mississippi to the east
ern terminal of the Tehuantapec railroad,
and from Chicago by railroad and water
to the Pacific Ocean is only 1875 miles. II
this route is not used for the commercial
benefit of San Francisco it will be our own
tault