The Republican journal., 1903-04-23
AL OVER TIE WORLD BY RAIL.
Pan American Road Only a Link in a Great
International Chain.

m Ann "
International Chain.
Moved by National pride, or possibly
spurred to action by the universal and
continued praise bestowed upon the
Gar now that he has actually complet-
ed the longest railroad in the world,
Mr., Carnegie has actively embarked
upon a rival scheme of even far greater
magnitude. for his plan contemplates
nothing less than carrying out James
G. Blaine's life project of connecting
the railway systems of the United
States with those of the South Ameri-
can republics, says Alexander Hume
Ford, in Golfers Weekly.
From it's inception to its finish, the
Latin-AmericanS seem quite willing
that Yankee thought and energy shall
predominant in the carrying out of the
great intercontinental project. 1t was
fifty wears ago that the Pan-American
railroad was first mooted, a patriotic
American offering prize of $4,000 for
the best essay on the advantages to be
derived from the building of railroad
binding together the countries of North
and South America. The prize was
awarded many years ago, and its donor,
now a very old gentleman, still lives In
Washington, hoping that he may yet
see the idea he originated become a
reality.
In 1880 the project was taken up by
James G. Blame, then Secretary OF
State. A Pan-American conference
was held at the National capital, and
until the time of his death MI Blaine
worked indefatigably to carry the plan
to success. The United States Govern
ment appropriated S36O,000 for surveys
which were made, and it seemed as
though actual work was about to be-
gin; but after the death OF MI. Blame
little progress was made until last year.
held in the City of Mexico, it was rec
commended that the United States take
the initiative and appoint Commits
sioner to carry out the recommends
tions made by the Congress. Secretary
Hay has in consequence just appointed
Mr.. Charles NJ. Pepper as special rep
resentative to the heads of the South
American republics, and Mr.. Carnegie
will pay the expenses Of this inveStiga-
ton.
1t is a strange coincidence that Mr..
A. J. Cassatt, Chairman of the first
Pan American Congress, in 1890, is now
President of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
which has a mileage just equal to the
distance from New York to Buenos
Ayres, and annual gross earnings ex-
actly sufficient to build the missing
links of the inter-continenta line. The
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad, too, will form
the first section of the through route.
Although the quickest way to reach
Buenos Ayres is still via Europe, the
intercontnental railroad has made
some progress since our surveys were
made for Its extension, so that it will
soon be possible to travel by direct
train from New York to Ayutla, on the
border of Guatemala, a distance OF
some J, 100 miles. But from Ayutla to
, CuZco. III the mountains of southern
Peru, there is gap OF nearly five thous-
; and miles to be built.
The cost of the missing link will be.
it is estimated, in the neighborhood of
5000, 600, 900, or about the amount that
it cost to build the Trans Siberian Rail
way. Fully ten years must elapse be
fore we can hope to travel on through
trains from New York 10 Buenos
! Ayres, and even then the time of tram
sit will probably prove disappointing to
many. At an average speed of twenty
, five miles an hour. day and night, some
seventeen days would be consumed
making the trip.
Great as are the present projects for
ouI intercontinental system, there IS
every evidence that by the time of its
completion they will be greatly extend
ed. The Argentine Republic and Chilli
are both building southward to Cape
Horn, while Canada is constructing a
1 railway to Alaska which it is expected
American capital will carry much
: further north, perhaps to meet the rail
: road already building southward from
, Cape Nome: SO that at the end OF ten
! wears America may have cape to cape
railway some fifteen thousand miles in
| length, or, if the scheme of the Denver
company recently incorporated with a
Capitalization of S5O,OO0,OOO is ever
carried into effect, we shall be able to
travel from any part of the two
Americas by rail to Paris; for this com
paDy-encourage by Remnants travels
across Alaska and Siberia, surveying a
telegraph route, before the Atlantic
cable was laid, and De Windt's later
ccomplishments-ho to put an iron
girdle about the earth. The Russian
engineers of the Trans-Siberian Rail
way express their opinion that the
! American-Asiatic route, though expen-
sive, is feasible, but their energies are
| turned southwark to connect the Car s
Trans-Asian railway with the Indian
system in Asia, and eventually perhaps,
with the proposed Arabian railway,
which will have Cairo as southern
terminus. So that when all these pro-
jected railways are built-and there is
no doubt of their eventual construction
we shall have Cape OF Good Hope
to Cape Horn all-rail route, while every
important city of America will have
| direct railroad connection with every
large city of the five continents.