Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-10
Mr.. PEPPERS TASK
To Investigate Feasibility of
Three Americas Railway.
AN OLD PROPOSITION
RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS
ALREADY MADE.
No Insurmountable Engineering OBJ
stacles-Proposed Early Construc-
ton Of Line to Panama.

BY an appropriation Of s.. 500 carried in the
sundry civil appropriation bill Of the con-
gressional session just closed the United
States has committed itself to q gigantic
system Of railways connecting North and
South America. While this appropriation
is not even q drop In the bucket when the
expense OF the enterprise Is taken into &C.
count, it Ii regarded as the official begin
ming OF the project. To the amount which
the government has set aside for the pur-
pose Mr.. Andrew Carnegie and former Sem
ator Davis Of West Virginia have added
each 5000. With this sum Mr. Charles NJ
Pepper will be started south In the imme-
date future as the representative OF this
country on mission Of investigation. His
duties Will be to determine the resources
Of the Central and South American coun-
tries: the location and condition Of the
railway lines now in existence and opera
ton and the existing condition and future
prospects OF their commerce, as well as
the outlook for an intercontinental rail-
way line connecting North and South
America. The concessions that each gov
ernment Is willing to grant to the enter
prise Will also be one Of the subjects on
winch MI. Pepper will be asked to report.
Meeting Tomorrow.
This plan is in accordance with the action
OF the Pan-American congress held last
year in the City Of Mexico The next step
In this plan which is to be carried out in
the immediate future Is to be a meeting Of
the diplomatic representatives of these
countries at the State Department, which
Is to be held tomorrow. At this meeting
Mr. Pepper will be given the benefit Of the
suggestions and probable attitude of the
several countries interested
FROM New York to Buenos Ayres by rail
-l0,OOO miles-has long been the dream Of
those who have been long working to bring
all Of the nations of the American Continent
into closer social and commercial relations.
With the sanction given the project by
Congress, 1t Is believed that this dream
may become reality within the next few
years. or this 10000 miles OF railroad, over
would have to be built in the United States
and the Mexican lines are also constructed.
The prediction Is made that by 1910 IL not
sooner, 1t may be possible to board a train
at any railway station in the United States
or Canada and travel by rail all the dis
lance to any capital in Central or South
America. Former Senator Henry G. Davis
of West Virginia has perhaps been more
closely connected with this gigantic rail-
way scheme than any other one man Sem
ator Davis was a member of the first inter
NATIONAL American conference, q member of
the intercontinental railway commission of
lS9O-9S; chairman Of the delegation in the
second international conference. and also
chairman OF the Pan-American railway
committee in that conference. Mr. Andrew
Carnegie was also a member of both con-
ferences and is also deeply interested in
the project. Besides these gentlemen. all
to Washington are taking a lively interest
m the plan.
Result Of the Surveys.
been fully established by the surveys made
under the direction Of the intercontinental
railway commission. It was clearly demon
strated that there were no insurmountable
engineering obstacles In the way, and that
the road could be built at cost that would
bring 1t within the limits of a safe COM
mercial investment.
The data which Mr.. Pepper will be in
structed to compile will, besides being a
valuable government guide in the matter,
serve to inform persons wishing to invest in
the enterprise. The complete project for the
international railway contemplates the con-
structton of a line that would connect the
railway systems of the United States on
the north with the systems Of the Argentine
Republic and Chile on the south. The cur
veys made by the international railway
commission showed that the total distance
from New York to Buenos Ayres by the
route which 1t was proposed to follow
"ouiO NC 1V,ASo uueS. Al tQat time there
had been built, principally in the United
States. Mexico and the Argentine Republic
4,T71 miles of railway that would be avail
able, leaving little more than half the to-
tai length to be built. Since that time
however. there has been considerable rail-
way construction in the countries south Of
the Rio Grande. and 1t is estimated at this
time that less than five thousand miles of
railway construction would complete the
line at this time.
Southern Route From Mexico.
The route surveyed by the commission,
beginning at the southern terminus of the
Mexican railway system, traverses Central
America and follows down the line of the
Andes mountains to a point in. Bolivia,
whence 1t crosses over into the Argentine
Republic. Paraguay and Uruguay, with
branch line into Brazil, while another
branch line is projected into Chile. Still an
other branch would eventually be run from
Columbia to Caracas, in Venezuela. Since
these surveys"were made railway construc-
ton has progressed rapidly in the Argentine
I(aNNyr fHvT VIM