Arizona republican., 1899-07-06
DID NOT PAN OUT WE'LL.
Interconliinental Railway Scheme and
 the Reason Ik Failed.

The report of ',he intercoutinental
 railway commission recalls to mind what was without G0uibt the most chi merical of all the schemes promulgated
 by the nearly-forgoiten Pan-American
 congress of ten years ago. Probably no well-informed engineer ever took
 very seriously this fantastic project 70 connect all the American republics on the two continents by a government railway; but it was at its inception pushed with such energy by a few ac-
 tive congressman and cabinet mem
 bers that it certainly came to be re
 garded by many people as really mer.tOriOuS enterprise. whose carry
 cOnsummatiOn was not only desirable
 but entirely probable. This idea was greatly encouraged by the prominence
 given by the daily papers to the delib- eratfons of the commission and to the
 final diSpatchirg of its surveying part ies into the wildS of General and South America. As some of these papers are now trying to revivify the scheme, it may be well to point Orl. again some of its absurdities, which were obvious at the beginning and which the surveys have served to 3ring out more plainly.
 The cost of the enterprise to Glite and the amount of valuable work which
 those in charge of it have to show for
 this expenditure first deserve notice
 During it's eight years of existence the lntercOntnental commission has spent $292.452. according to its Cxn showing. of which $192, 134 was spent in making the surveys, $65.91O was consumed in
 office expenses. S333. sos was the cost of priIting the present. report. Of this sum the United States contributed about S3O.OOO in cash, and six othe1t Central and South American countries
 the balance. Argentine, Mexico and
 Uruguay have lent an encouraging counsenance to the work. but. it is re- freshipg to note, have kept q close grasp on their purse strings. Its sur
 veyts are aboTa the only work of the commission which has served some useful purpose. They were. in gen. eral. fairly good recoLmoisanIces of the territory adjacent to the proposed raI- way line ard give a good deuI of in- tereSllEg 1pformatiOn regarding the geography. natural resources. peope and railways. and other means Of commULication of the countries vis- lted- Tn these respects we are glad to recommend the report of the com ahsslon as q useful publications
 As far as an internal tionaf railway flne Is concerned. the surveys also show that to complete an aIl-1ail route connecting the United States with the Latfn-American republics as proposed there musig be built some 5.4OO miles Of railway. the cost of wh:ch. for grading and nasoEary alone. is esti mated by the commission alt S175.OO 0OO All equipment and practically all structural material including tools. cement, and even timber in many in- stances. must be shipped into thel country from the United States. Itl Is prd3ably q conservative figure. therefore to add from 9 to 50 per cent to this sum fer track. buildings and structures. rCIng stock. and the gen era1 lire and station equipment neces- sary to put the new railway in shape to begin operation This does not in ciued some 10 per cent. for interest on bonds, taxes, office expenses and sal aries.