The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-03
NORTH. AND SOUTH
AMERICAN RAJ ROAD

; imagination In the scheme OF building
vast railroad to unite all the countries
North. Central and South Americ
Though this great line, when complete
will not compete in length with til
railroad which now runs all acros
northern Asia, it will, nevertheless, b
numbered among the worlds create:
prof ects, tremendous victory over spaC
and time There can be little doub
also, that the regions to be opened Il
and united by the Pan-American lin
are of greater natural wealth, better sup
piled with almost untouched resources
and more promising Tor future develop
ment that the great wheat-felds ant
forests of Siberia, and the dry Man
churian uplandS.
1t would seem that the credit for frs
forming the idea of Pan-America1
railroad, running from the northern t.
the southern extremity of the New
World, belongs to the venerable DR.
Edward Everett Hale, who included it
III a lecture delivered several years ago
among the coming wonders of the world
The Pan-American Congress, which mel
in the city of Mexico two years ago, Ell
dorsed the project, and practical plans
were there discussed, by which the nat
ural and economic difficulties in the wav
of the line might be overcome 1t was
further brought out on the same occa-
sion that very large sections of the Pan
American railroad were already in exist
ence, needing only a series of missing
links of relatively short extent, to com
plete the chain. Yet another step has
just been taken, towards the realiza-
ton of this project, in the appointment
of Mr.. Charles NJ. Pepper as United
States Commissioner to the various Cen
trail and South-American countries con-
cerned, who will be in a position to see
with his own eyes not merely the dif-
iculties to be overcome, but also the
immense possibilities to be opened I'D
by this gigantic undertaking. That two
well-known men OF Business have vol
unteered to advance FIVE thousand dol
lars each, towards the expense of Mr..
Peppers journey, shows that the plan
appeals strongly to practical minds
DETAILS OF THE SCHEME.
In considering this great scheme, the
first thing to get clear in our minds is,
the extent to which its realization is
facilitated by the railroads already built
or building, which can be used as links
in the chain. 1t is, of course, true that
there are a dozen alternative routes
from New York to Texas, the f1rst-stage
of the journey, while several plans are
at present under discussion by our rail
road companies, for traversing the great
Southwest by new and more direct
routes. The striking deficiency, as far
as our own territory IS concerned, and
from theoretical rather than a prac-
-1cal point of view, is the lack of great
trunk road running north and south |
across the Western plains, and serving |
Is a direct link between the wheat and !
forest lands of the Canadian Northwest |
| erritory and, our own Southwest, to-
wards the Mexican line. There is no |
north and south railroad in the States |
which compares IN directness and conse-
Iuence with Our various Pacific rail-
'oads, or with the Canadian Pacific.
There are, of course, numerous COM
)inations by which passengers or freight
an go, let us say, from Manitoba to
Mexico, but there is no single main
Irtery, such as the Pan-American
cheme contemplates. AT present this
s, as we said, rather theoretical than
PRACTICAL difficulty.
When we come to Mexico the next
ink in the chain, we find that our sister
epublic makes an admirable showing. |
here are two main arteries connecting
'ur railroads with the Mexican system:
he one making connection at FL Paso
With the Arizona and New Mexico lines,
which thus introduce The circulation of
'ur Pacific coast; and the other at Gu
lad Poririo Diaz, joining the Mexican
ines with San Antonio and Galveston,
nd the Gulf States Southwark
through Mexico we have the Ferrocar-
IL Central Aexicano, which practically
overs the whole of the great Mexican
lateau, eliminating at Mexico city at an
ltitude of over 1000 meters, and for a
considerable part of its length running
t about 5000 feet above sea level. The
uge masses of Mount Popocatepet1 and
he Serrania de Ajusco Immediately to
he south OF Mexico city compel the line
D defect to the east, through Ometus-
o to Apizaco and thence to Pueba,
here the Mexican Southern Railway
arries the line southwark to Oaxaca
ity. The Mexican railroads pass
trough fifteen out of the twenty-seven
lexican States, and already tap a popu
alton of over eight millions.
IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
After Oaxaca there is a considerable
reak between the Mexican and Guate-
lalan lines, but the two governments
ave pledged themselves to supply the
Missing links, which will bring us to the
outh of Guatemala, whence a series of
,entral American lines must be CON
tructed, as follows: through San Sal
adoi,. 22o mnes; through Honduras. 70
llles{ through Nicaragua, 224 miles
trough Costa Rica, 363 miles; bring l.
lg us to the northern border of Colon
ia, and thus technically to South
american territory, though still north of
lie Isthmus of Panama.
1t IS little early to discuss the best
orm of bridge for this Pan-American
ne to cross the future Panama Canal. /
ut when we remember that the line
Inch now Joins St. Petersburg prac-
cally with Picking was begun only
acro r.,ta,, L (