The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-05
A PHILIPPINE RAILROAD.
Ills al Present Ihs 0ny 0rs In Our New ksiaIc
lSlal1 Possessions.

The single railroad line OF our new
oriental colony trayerses some Of the
finest country 10 be found in all these
islands. For probably ninety miles il
runs dlagonaliy across a continuous
level or siightiy rolling area, separated
from the sea and hemmed In by noun
tain ranges which in places rise TO the
height OF 5000 feet The northwestern
corner OF the valley opens on the shall
low gulf of Lingayen, whereon is situ-
ated Dagupan. the terminus OF the
road. on the southern end this ideal
valley region is bounded by Manila bay
the Pasis river and Lake Bal. the most
mpOTtan. lake in these Islands, says
Scientific American. In this valley re-
gion ana the bordering mountain re-
giOn Is included all OF the six provinces
wherein was begun the Spanish subju-
gallon OF these Islands, and today they
are the most important part OF LuZon.
THESE are Manila, tu,acan. -Pampan-
ga, Tauac Nueva Ecya and Pangdsi-
nan, all OF which are trayel sed BY the
Manila and Dagupan road.
The scenery along the line of this
railroad IS most picturesque. For If
teen miles out of Manila the land rises
in irregular, long, slOping hills. scarce
~ half hundred feet in height. ON
one hand is a succession OF rice iielcs
and on the other the Hill sides are ter
raced with queer native SambpO huts.
At CalOOcau are seen the first real
signs OF civilization. Twenty miles
from Manl!a is Mal0los. the capital Of
the sO-callci Filipino republic. Like
many other native towns, IL is stretch
ed OuS for a considerable distance
among the bdn.OOOs ana ponds. Be
tween MalOlOs and CalumDlt, a dis
tance Of nine miles. there are twelve
bridges across streams of sufficient vol
ume ID be called rivers Ten miles
from Calumpi, is san Fernando. and
ere we reach this place we have left
behind the bordering hills OF Manila
bay Twenty miles beyond san Fer
nando We pass through a cut about 300
yards long and thirty feet deep, the
only one Of any consequence on the
road. and here at Bamban. We have
reached the mountains. BEYOND Bam-
ban the landscape changes, and cocoa
nut groves begin To- supplant the bam-
boo flats. Tarac is one Of the most
important towns on the road Ii is To-
Gated I'm the province of TarlGc.
The remaining forty-iVe miles OF the
road TO Dagupan runs through fiat
land well drained, and there is a sue
cassiOn OF rice fields cane fields and
cocodnut groves. The only important
town on this part Of the road is Baya-
Tf15tJafTg on tffc rfvcf' ztsffJ. 'fi1e Eng
ish firm OF Smith. Bell Co. have
large rice mill there. ana at Calasias
the next station 10 Dagupdn, are made
the finest OF the Manila hats. Such
are the scenes along the only railroad
line i'm the Philippines and i'm spite OF
its insignificance this road has done
much toward improving the country
through which is passes Ere long
American energy and capital will be-
gin the grand work Of development 50
long delayed through Spanish misrule
and the tOot of the American locomotive
echoing through the bambo jungles
and cocoanut groves, will soon awak
IN these oppressed islands from their
long sleep.