The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-04-05
TO CONNECT AMERICAN REPUBLICS
lntercontinental Hallway Scheme
aud the Reason 1t Failed.

luu inc henson III Eablcus
Engineering News: The report of
the international railway commission
recalls to mind what was without
doubt the most chimerical of all the
schemes promulgated by the nearly
forgotten pan-Amercian congress of
ten years ago. Probably no well-in-
formed engineer ever took very seri-
ously this fantastic project to connect
all the American republics on the two
continents by a government railway;
but it was at it's inception pushed
with such energy by Jew active con-
gressmen and cabinet members that it
certainly came to be regarded by many
people as Il really meritorious enter
prise, whose early contamination was
not only desirable, but entirely prob
able. This idea was greatly encour-
aged by the prominence given by the
daily papers to the deliberations Of the
commission and to the final dispatch
ing of it's surveying PARTIES into the
wilds of Central and South America.
AS some of these papers are now try
ing to revivify the scheme, it may be
well to point out again some of it's alb
surdities, which were obvious at the
beginning and which the surveys have
served to bring out more plainly.
The cost of the enterprise to date
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 ex-
istence the intercontlnental railway
commission has spent 500, 452. ac-
cording to its own showing, of WHICH
$192,734 was spent in making the sur
veys, $65,91O was consumed in office
expenses, and S33,sOs was the cost of
expenses, and $33,sOs was the scot OF
printing the present report. Of this
sum the United States contributed
about $195,O00 in cash and the printing
expenses, Brazil contributed S3O,OUU IN
cash and six other Central and South
American counties the balance. Ar
gentine, Mexico and Uruguay have
lent an encouraging countenance to
the work, but, it is refreshing to note.
have kept close grasp on their purse
strings. Its surveys are about the
only work of the commission which
has served some useful purpose They
were, in general, fairly good recon
noissances of the territory adjacent to
the proposed railway line and give a
good deal of interesting information
regarding the physical geography,
natural resources, people and railways
and other means of communication of
the countries visited. In these re-
spects we are glad 10 recommend tho
report of the commission as useful
publication.
AS far as an intercontinental railway
line is concerned, the surveys also
show that to complete an all-railroute
connecting the United States with the
Latin-american republics as proposed
there must be built some 5,4Oo miles OF
railway, the cost of which, for grading
and masonry alone, is estimated by the
commission at. SITS, 100000. All equip
ment and practically all structural
material, including tools, cement and
even timber in many instances. muS
be shipped into the country from the
United States. 1t is probably a con-
servative figure, therefore, Ito add
from rs to 80 per cent to this sum for
track, buildings and structures. roll
ing stock and the general line and. sta
ton equipment necessary to put the
new railway in shnps to begin opera
ton. This does not include some 10
per cent for interest on bonds, taxes,
Office expenses and salaries up to- the
time of opening the line for business.
which would have 10 be added to the
expenditures Of a private company
building a railway in the United
States, but most of which. it is reason