Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-30
RAILROADlNG IN CUBA.
New York Evening Post.


terminal Of the Santiago de Cuba rail
way, several years ago, there was great
excitement on the part of tho popula-
tion. The natives crowded about the
temporary station and stood watching
with awe the mysterious iron monster
which emitted smoke from its nostril
and blew q white vapor from its
mouth. Finally, after the American
crew had finished wiping the engine,
one of the spectators approached and
asked timidly in Spanish
''Senor, pardon me, but when will
they come outI"
"Come out? What do you mean?"
replied the man.
''Why, the burros, senior.
"Burros?''
''Yes, the burros in the great iron
box. The burros that make the wheels
90 round."
A light broke over the puzzled engi-
neer, and he leaned against the cylinder
and roared with laughter. The crowd
Of natives had been waiting for the
only motive power they knew-burros-
TO appear from the interior of the loco
motive.
To this day in Porto Rico, when q
native boards passenger coach and
the door is closed, he invariably knocks
politely and waits until some one rises
and bids him enter. Then he goes from
seat to seat and solemnly shakes hands.
He also wishes his fellow travellers
good health and the protection of the
saints.
Under Spanish rule, the railways in
Porto Rico and Cuba, like everything
else, suffered from the blighting effects
of official thievery and maladministra-
tion, and as consequence they are, in
construction, management and capacity
fully so years behind the times. In
Cuba, for instance, which is equal in
area to the State of Pennsylvania, there
are barely 1000 miles of railway.
There are 10 different companies in
control, which makes an average of but
100 miles to each road. Each company
bore upon its pay-rols during the
Spanish regime high salaried officers,
administrators, jerentes, &C., who
secured their positions through influ-
ence at Havana or Madrid. These
officers, in addition to their stipulated
wages, robbed the railroads of large
sums by conniving with contractors
and evenfthe subordinate officials. Ar
American superintendent who went tc
work for a company operating road
in the province of MatanZas was tol6
that his salary would be $500 gold 6
month. He was delighted until h,
learned that $500 of it must be re
turned sub-rosa to the Spanish mana
ger.
Near Ell Cristo on the Santiago de
large bridge which had been con
structed across a ravine, the end o
which was not 1000 yards to the right
When an American company Dough
the road the bridge, which CONSTANT,
required repairs, was abandoned, ant
the rails laid along side of the hill
which formed the end of the ravine
The bridge had been constructed sim
ply as an excuse for peculation. 1t wa
absolutely unnecessary and wholly use
less. Other instances of the corrup
state of affairs existing on the railway
of Cuba and Porto Rico could be cited
Official bribery. thievery and rotten
ness have served to retard the growt
of the railway systems, and incidental
to strike at the very root of the pros
perity of the islands.
A fair idea of actual railroading i
the islands can be obtained through
description of the road mentione
above, the "Ferro- Carril de Santiag
de Cuba" also known as the "Ferrc
Cerril de Sabanilla y Maroto." Thi
Santiago railway is one of the oldes
roads on the island, having been bui
before our Civil War 1t ran original
to the town of Ell Cristo, only 10 mile
from Santiago, but now its lines o.
tend to San Luis, on the main road
Songo, on the branch running from
Cristo, 35 miles in all. The cost
construction was very heavy, owing
the engineering difficulties encounters
in crossing the Sierra del Maestr
Mountains. From the time of its il
ception until the present hour the roa
has not paid one cent in dividends
Like those of the other Cuban raj
ways, its stockholders are living
hope that the future will bring son
returns.
There are two trains daily each wa
One leaves Santiago at in the NOR
ing, and the other, which is the mo
important, takes its departure at
the afternoon; and the hours of arriy
in Santiago are 9.33 a. m. and 5. q
m. All trains are mixed, that is, tn
consist of all classes of cars, Iassengt
cattle, fiat and box. There is no 81
tenn Of arrangement, the passeng
coaches being sometimes placed next
the engine, and more often in the mi
die, possibly with several cars load
with ill-smelling cattle, both in fro
and behind.
The passenger coaches of the Fer
Carril de Santiago are in very bad &C
dition. Thirty years ago they m
have been fairly good, but now, wi
rusty springs, fiat wheels, unpaint
sides, broken windows, creaky doc
uncomfortable cane seats, and becai
of generally unclean condition, I'll
are little better than the cabooses of
Arkansas local freight. The avert
speed maintained does not exceed
miles an hour on the schedule, a
possibly not over seven miles in reali
Even ut that pace the train sways a
creaks and rumbles over the misera
road-bed in remarkable and sol
times alarming manner. Going up
steep grades the engine stops at int
walls. as if thoroughly exhausted, ;
at times it is necessary for the locor
tive to double on the incline near
Cristo, that is, to haul half the tr
into the station, and then to return
the other part. II the coaches cha
to be at the end of the train this net
states dreary wait of an houi
more, The same work would not t
an American train crew half he
but the Cuban "guardas'' are 81
going and sociable. After the
umphant bringing of the first half of
train into the station it would nj
do to return without exchanging
news with their good "amigos'' j
and Pedro and Manuel. Then ii
Rum Bacardi" is grateful on W
day. and perhapS the enpineer W.