The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-07
THE ONLY LINE.
There is But One Railroad
in the Philippines.
Scenery Along the Road Most Pic
ward Improving the Country.
CFrom the Scientific American

tFrom the Scientific American)
The single railroad line of our new
oriental colony traverses some of the
finest country to be found in all these
islands. For probably ninety miles il
runs diagOnally across a continuous
level or slightly 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, wherein is stu
ated Dagupan, the terminus Of the road.
On the southern end this ideal valley
region is bounded by Manila bay, the
Pasig river and Lake Bal, the most i'm
valley region and the bordering noun
tain region is included all of the six
provinces wherein was begun the Span
ish subjugation of these islands, and
today they are the most important part
of Luzon. These are Manila Bulacan
Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecya and
Pangasinan, all of which are traversed
by Iue Mdulld anu bdSupdn EOdu.
The scenery along the line of this
railroad is most picturesque. For fif-
teen miles out of Manila the land rises
in irregular, long, sloping hills. scarce
ly half a hundred feet in height On
one hand is a succession of rice fields,
and on the other the hillsides are ter
raced with queer native bamboo huts.
At Caloocan are seen the first real
CT Of Wv
from Manila is Malolos, the capital of
the so-called Filipino republic. Like
many other native towns, it is stretched
out for a considerable distance among
the bamboos and ponds. Between Ma
lolos and Calumpit, distance of nine
miles, there are twelve bridges across
streams of sufficient volume to be called
rivers. Ten miles from Calumpit is
San Fernando, and ere We reach this
place we have left behind the border
ing hills of Manila bay. Twenty miles
beyond San Fernando we pass through
a cut about 800 yards long and thirty
feet deep, the only one Of any conSe-
uuence on the road, and here at Bam-
ban we have reached the mountains.
Beyond Bamban the landscape changes,
and cOcOanut groves begin to supplant
the bamboo flats. Tarlac is one of the
most important towns on the road. 1t
is located in the province of Tarlac.
The remaining forty-five miles of the
road to Dagupan runs through fiat land,
we'll drained, and there is a succession
of rice fields, cane fields and cocOanut
groves The only important town on
this part of the road is Bayambang, on
the river Agno. The English firm of
Smith, Bell e Co. have a large rice mill
there, and at Calasias, the next station
to Dagupan, are made the finest of Ma
Mia hats. Such are scenes along the
only railroad line in the Philippines,
and in spite of its insignificance this
road has done much toward improving
the country through which it passes.
Ere long American energy and capital
will begin the grand work of develop
ment so long delayed through Spanish
misrule, and the foot of the American
locomotive, echoing through the BAN
boo jungles and cocoanut groves, will
soon awaken these oppressed islands
from their long sleep.