New-York tribune., 1895-07-14
FROM BOGOTA TO GIRARDOT
THE GREAT COLOMBIAN RAILWAY WILL
BE BUILT.
CAPITALISTS IN BOSTON. PHILADELPHIA AND
THIS CITY INTERESTED IN ITS con-
srRUCTIoN-wHAT PRESIDENT
MCONNICO SAYS.

sTRUCTION-wHAT PRESIDENT
MCoNNIco SAYS.
The Great Colombian Railway. line projected
and party built in the Republic OF Colombia
South America, is Of special interest TO capitalists
and railway men here because the projectors anu
incorporators of the company controlling IL i've
IN this city Philadelphia and Boston. and because
the rolling stock of the line will be bought as II
is needed in the United States. When Tribune re-
porter saw the company's president s. B. NC
Connico at his Office No II Pine-st.. he talked
Interestingly OF the railroad and the plans ior
completing ii. and said:
"Our company chartered last March ""ue'
West Virginia laws. some OF the incoIpo,a a'o,
being E. d. Smith vice president, and r.. r. smith,
.ecretarv and treasurer of Philadelphia; and other
Phadephians, Bostonians and New-HorKers' IN
Guiding myself Our organization Is temporary ana
will be perfected before long.
."rhe Great Colombian Railway. which We pro-
oose to complete and operate will extend from 'he
Magdalena River at Girardot, Colombia, 10 'he
canta of the republic. Bogota, which is the nhah-
cial and commercial as we'll as the political centre
OF the country. The distance between Giraruo' anu
Bogota is nnety-three miles. From EiraIuo' 80 "
Juntas de Apu,o twenty-five miles OF road' pu'it
BY the Colombian Government, is now IN success
full operation As this section of the projected ie
has been granted TO u.s. we have only siXty-esht
miles TO build Work twenty-hve-mile sec
ton from Juntas de Apu!o. toward Bogo'a' "
IIospicio has already been begun.
"The cost of building this new twenty-five me
section will be $4,000. We have available >f'"'VV
q. that amount. and have made an arrangement
with the contractor whereby he will carry the other
100000 and be secured by subsidy granted us by the
Colombian Government. The SUBSIDY Is one %
sSOOO a mile for all new road built pas"o'e "
gold certificates. which are receiVaoie III '"s 80 e
tom-houses of the country. The total cost u com
,,a,,rg the road with the cost of equipment
0x at Ssoo0Ooo Negotiations through whlch hon-
don capitalists will underwr'te ponos i'i .~"'
suf1cient TO complete the line from Hospicio 10 DO
gotta well under way 80 49,
.rae road is sure to be successful, just as the
.,rortvGve,,ile section already built and oper-
a,aa from Cirardot to Juntas de Apulo Is man.
cial success, despite a poor equipment Oh roi'i"s
stock We intend to purchase new LOCOMOTIVES anu
cars in the United States. The rails-whch WIZ
he forty-fve-pound rails except IN the mouh'a'"
sections. where heavier rails will be used-we can
nv cheanest in England. The road will be OF
narrow gauge.
The line will furnish transportation from Bogo'a
TO the Magdalena River, on which more than thif'y
steamboats ply between Girardo: and Caiamar.
From Calamar sixty-ve miles OF rairoau' pro'eo'eu
and built under my direction last year. gives access
90 Tho 6ne harbor at Cartagena, the Caribbean
Sea.
But It is the local traffic OF the country, 10 ana
from Bogota which will prove most prontaole 10 us.
The only existing method of transporting the great
cation on the Magdalena River. barring the twenty
five miles OF road operated. Is on the backs OF mules
and oxen-dificult, slow and expensive
"It is a mistake to believe that the people OF CO.
1ombia dislike Americans. They prefer Yankees 10
Establishment against whom they have been pre)u-
diced by the South American boundary disputes.
The people regard the railroad project with great
favor The Government. which Is conservative
uses q liberal policy toward us. and Will aid us IN
every way It Is a common misapprehension to De-
lieve that the republican Governments OF south
America are all too unstable to make their guaran-
tee worth much There has been little troupie IN
COLOMBIA and don't think politics VIII anect inc
value OF our subsidy or stock at all s
1--WE are having the surveys OF our me revseo. seo
earily crooked In order to escape the steep noun
tain grades. AS the road is planned the maximum
grade will not exceed 31s per cent per mile
Tho railroad will do a great dead 70 oeVeioP
Bogota which has population OF l2eU ana
tributary population Of 10000 The city has an ee-
walton of 500 feet above sea level and 1t Is always
cool there 1t Is an immense plateau OF greas
fertility which Is densey populated The length OF
the line ninety-three miles. comprises every va
riety Of climate, from the cold mountain plateau
10 the perpetual tropical heat OF the lowands Inc
section traversed yields every variety OF proouct
from wheat, barley, oats and conee, TO bananas,
plantains. cocoa and sugar cane Altnougn ING
deviation to be overcome In reaching Bogota is
great there are difficulties Of engineering or
bridges to construct The passenger as well as the
freight traffic, will be large and feel certain that
the line will be a great benefit to Its stockholders
and TO the people Of Colombia.