The times., 1899-12-29
BAD ROADS IN PORTO RICO.
Trnnspoi ting Goods Attended With
Great DihieuIties

Great Difficulties.
The United States Geological Survey has
in course OF preparation for publication a
paper By Herbert NJ. Wilson. in which he
treats on the transportation facilities Of
Porto Rico. as follows:
The development Of the agricultural
resources Of the island is necessarily de-
pendent largely on facilities for transport
ing products to the coast for shipment
and Of returning to the interior purchases
made in the coast towns
'At present the island Is less ADEQUATE
y provided with good wagon roads than
the more sparsely inhabited and most in
accessible portion of the mountainous
Western States in America There Is but
one good road across the island and some
pieces OF fairly good road around the
coast. The latter are. however. disoon-
nected. In addition. there are about the
coast several long but disconnected rail-
ways. The railways are of French con
struction. and are operated by French
people. They are of very narrow gauge
one metre or less. There are about 40
miles of this railway in operation includ-
ing a short stretch from San Juan east
ward to Carolina another from the same
point westward to a little beyond Are
cibo; a section between Aguadilla. Maya
Sebastian and Anasco, and another from
Ponce to Yauco.
The locomotives are light the cars
small and Of triiing capacity. and the
trains run but once in every day or two,
and consist of only two or three cars.
The roads are divided into three classes:
First military roads. of which there are
about 2s5 miles. These are all we'll graded
and we'll surfaced with macadam and are
kept in fairly good repair; moreover. they
cross the various drainage channels on
well-constructed masonry bridges and cul-
verts. Aside from the road from San Juan
to Ponce. the other portions Of this first
Glass road are near the coast, including a
stretch between ArecibO, Aguadilla. and
MayagUez; another between Mayaguez and
Yauco and stiH others between Rio Piedras
and Carolina and between Caguas. Juncos.
Humacao. and Maguabo. branch of the
road which crosses the island extends
from Cayey to Guayama. Aside from this
limited amount OF first-cIass road. none OF
the others ia the island is worthy CT bsing
called even second class. though so desig-
mated by the Spanish.
There are said TO be about one hundred
miles OF second grade read, including
stretches between Arecibo. UtuadO. Adjuh-
tas. and Pence, CT which Culy the latter
portion is in condition TO carry even the
roughest cart traffic Another bit CT cart
read, over which only the lighjesi loads
can be drawn by bullock is between Aqua
dilla San Sebastian and Lares-
The third class OF roads called cart
roads are officially stated as being over
five hundred miles in length. Not one CT
these, however. is iit fer cher traffic than
that Of pack animals. Even military roads
furnish transpc crtaton facilities for only
an extremely limited extent Of country to
al old no e.rr4f1
roads he is compelled to enter at once on
trails which climb the precipitous noun
tain sides with extremely steep grades or
descend into the desp-stream gcrges.
The great amount Of rainfall and the
peculiarly slippery and sticky character
OF the red clay soil on the humid side OF
the island renders all roads except those
near the southern coast and those which
are macadamized little better than i'm
passable mOrasses. No wheeled convey
ance can travel such roads unless they be
provided with far better drainage than
now. On the drier side Of the Island. espe-
cially over the coral formation at the
western end the roads are filed with
great rocks and powders. and in places the
soft CCral rock is worn into deep TuJs,
rendering the roads impossible now for
carts On these sc-called cart roads even
the sturdy pack aGImals have great diff
=
/ through clinging mud ankle deep. Or over
the bowlder and rOek-streWn surface.
The necessity for the Development Of \
comprehensive system OF drst-class high
ways. CT railways. is too evident TO re-
quire further elaboration. Until such a
system Is in existence there Is little hope
for the development OF any Of the resources
OF the island. except coffee and tobacco,
which can be hauled at convenience. since
/ they are not perishable. and sugar, which
I is grown only near the seacOast and at
| places convenient TO shipping points. The
most obvious direction in which improve
( ment Of internal means Of communication
| should take place is in the construction OF
/ electric Jramways as main arteries Of tUaf-
/ dc supplemented by macadamiZed roads as
/ feeders Material for railway ballast and
for road making is abundant in every part
| of the island. This consists chiefly Of hard
black limestone and Of hard coral rock and
bOWldeTs'