The herald., 1896-08-11
COA|ZECOALC0S HARBOR
Is to Be Improved by British
Capital
TIE ISTHMUS RAILROAD
Will Also Be Put In First.CIass
Condition
The Syndicate Means Business, and the Pa
ciic Coast VIII Profit by Better Trans
portation Facilities
Associated Press Special Wire.

associated PreSS special wire.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10.-Informa-
ton has just been received which is OF
the greatest interest to San Francisco
and the Pacific coast from its relation TO
the problems of freight and transporta
ton. An English syndicate. at the head
of which is Sir Wheetman Parson, NJ. p.
for Colchester, has just concluded n
lease with the Mexican government of
>he Tehuantepec isthmus railway. The
terms of the lease include an agreement
on the part of the syndicate to finish the
works already advanced for the improve
ment of the harbor of Coatzecoalcos, the
Atlantic terminus of the road, and to
construct the harbor works at Salina
Cruz, the Pacific terminus, which were
' included in the original plans, but which
the Mexican government has been so far
unable to execute.
The road itself will be greatly i'm
proved and put in the condition of u
first-class line. A line of ships plying
between Salina Cruz and San Francisco
will be put on and will deliver freight to
the many lines plying in the Gulf of Mex
leo. A determined effort will be made to
secure the freight and lowpriced pas
senger traffic of San Francisco.
On the other side of the isthmus it IS
expected to get the bulk of the English
fine freight such as dry goods. which
now come by steamship to New Orleans
and by rail to San Francisco.
That the syndicate means business is
shown by the fact that it intends to
spend large amounts in harbor improve.
ments. On the gulf side the Mexican
government has constructed jetties SIM
liar to those at the mouth of the Missis-
sippi, by which the entrance to Coatze-
coalcos river is gradually being deep
ened, so as to admit the largest ocean
going vessels. Comparatively little will
be required to complete these works
The syndicate's contract calls for the
expenditure of about $150,000.
On the Pacific side the port of Salina
Cruz is nothing but an open roadstead.
There was an iron pier extending to
twenty-seven feet of water, but the
storm in which the Colima went down
destroyed it, and all freight has to be
lightered, often under unfavorable con-
ditions. The character of the coast and
bay is such that very fine, commodi-
Gus harbor can be created artificially,
but the expense will be great.
The syndicate has undertaken this ex-
pense and expects to spend $40, 900
to build breakwaters, wharves, docks
and warehouses. This is even more than
the original designs, made when the rail-
road was completed, called for. But the
understanding is that the works to be
created shall make this the finest har-
Dor on the Pacific coast outside of San
Francisco.
Just what concessions the syndicate
gets in return for these expenditures is
not known, but it is not believed that
they are unfavorable to the Mexican
government, which built and owns the
road and has been operating it since it's
completion, because President Diaz has
steadfastly refused offers to lease it
from various corporations. He was not
given sufficient assurances that it would
remain an independent competitive line.
THE JAPAN STEAMERS.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10.-The Ja-
panese Steamship company, which re-
Gently arranged to run a line of steam
ships between Seattle and the Orient,
has opened offices in this city and begun
an aggressive warfare against the Pa
cific Mail and the Occidental and Ori-
entail steamship companies The pas
senger rates quoted show an average
reduction of 10 per cent, as compared
with the Pacific Mail. The first steamer
will leave Seattle September 5. For the
present, monthly trips will be made, but
three more ships, now building on the
Clyde, will be put on as soon as COM
pleted. Besides cutting passenger rates,
the company intends to make a strong
bid for freight business.