New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-20
TROLLEYS ~ PORTO RICO.

General Roy Stone makes an interesting SuS-
gestion of alternative to the construction
of expensive wagon roads in Porto Rico He
would cover the island with an ubiquitous net
Of electric trolley wires The world has gen.
orally considered the wagon road as the prelim-
mary stage in the civilization Of any country.
but General Stone proposes 70 skip the pre-
liminary stage and establish at once In Porto
Rico the transit facilities which we have only
reached here by slow steps, and which even
then we rarely utilize to their full value. The
rural trolley line is here In its infancy. A COM
paratively few roads have been built through
the farming regions with the idea Of super
seding the wagon as a means OF access for the
farmer to market. But the great development
OF the trolley has been for passenger traffic,
where a large and more or less constant bust
ness made the dynamo An economical source
Of power. Perhaps the development Of the
produce gathering lines was somewhat retard-
ed while waiting for the perfection of sys-
TENS by which electricity could be economical
~ used when the power for which engines had
with more or less consistency 70 be employed
was only used for the making Of nfrequent
trips. Moreover. il was certainly retarded by
the conservatism of farming communities al
ready possessing wagon roads more or less
good. generally less. If any Government au-
thorty had been confronted with the problem
of improving local country communications
perhaps more farm produce would come into
market on trolley-cars.
That Is exactly the situation in Porto Rico.
The Government has got 10 provide means Of
communication. Roads are generally miser-
able Transportation from the interior planta-
tons is largely carried on by pack animals or
by men or women bearing loads upon their
heads. General Stone thinks that Porto Rico
will never have complete system of wagon
roads. The enormous tropical rainfall and the
mountainous nature of the country require for
any road to be worthy Of the name most thor
ough drainage and most careful foundations
The present military road across Porto Rico
is estimated to have cost nearly 100000 per
mile The same condition Of things holds good
in other countries of mountains and torrents.
The roads Of the Apennines and the French
and Italian Alps are beyond any American no.
tons OF what even n much-Tavelled postroad
should be. and they have to be thus expen-
sively made and painstaklngly maintained II
there are to be any roads there At all In the
case Of Porto Rico General Stone argues that
by electric lines great saving can be made
ard nj the same time better and more expedi-
tious communication secured than any system
of wagon roads would offer. Grading for a
trolley line is comparatively an easy matter
It can hardly rival in expense the grading
through declivltous country FOX good
macadam road. And with the enormous de-
veopment of the steel interests In this country
tracks can be put down at a cost that will
rival macadamizng. which has TO endure great
wear of the elements. And. besides. the mat
ter Of maintenance Is less trouble for steel
track is much less likely to suffer from heavy
rains than the hardest road of earth and stone
General Stone says that Porto Rico is full
Of waterfalls which could furnish almost free
power for all the trolley roads which the island
could require. and points out that any attempt
al railroadlns IN Porto Rico should be by water
power converted into electricity The cost Of
coal Is prohibitive OF any large scheme Of
transportation either by steam railroads or by
electric lines deriving their power from steam
turned dynamos Certainly the prospect which
General Stone holds out of the rapid develop
ment Of our new possession after It's long
years Of sleepiness by the immediate and ex-
tcnslve introduction Of one OF the most recent
transportation devices perfected by civilization
is an attractive one Ii would be curious II in
a few years the trolley systems Of Porto Rico
should be the stimulus for our own country dis
tricts to put themselves into closer communlca-
ton with the world about them. Then. per
haps. when a load Of wheat delivered AT 4 ten
mile-distant market does not mean the loss If
a days time 10 team and 70 a man and vari-
Gus Incidental expenses, farming on our East.