Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-18
AN INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY.
Possibilities of a Great Line to Join
tho Continent.

Imagination in the scheme Of building
vast railroad to unite all the coun-
tries of North, Central and South
America. Though this great line, when
completed, will not compete in length
with the railroad which runs all across
Northern Asia, 1t will, nevertheless.
be numbered among the worlds great
est projects, tremendous victory over
space and time. There can be little
doubt, also, that the regions to be
opened up and united by the Pan
American line are Of greater natural
wealth, better supplied with almost un-
touched resources, and more promising
for future development than the great
wheat fields and forests Of Siberia and
the dry Manchurian uplands.
It would seem that the credit for
first forming the idea Of Pan-Amer-
lean railroad, running from the north
ern to the southern extremity Of the
New World, belongs to the venerable
DR.. Edward Everett Hale, who includ-
ed it, in lecture delivered several
years ago, among the coming wonders
Of the world. The Pan-American con-
gress, which met in the City Of Mexico
two years ago, indorsed the project.
and practical plans were there discus
sed, by which the natural and econo-
mic difficulties in the way Of the line
might be overcome. 1t was further
brought out on the same occasion that
very large sections Of the Pan Amer
lean railroad were already in existence,
needing only a series Of missing links,
Of relatively short extent, to complete
the chain. Yet another step has just
been taken toward the realization OF
this project, in the appointment Of Mr..
Charles M. Pepper as United States
commissioner to the various Central
and South American countries con-
cerned, who will be in position to see
with his own eyes not merely the dif-
ficulties to be overcome, but also the
immense possibilities to be opened by
this gigantic undertaking. That two
we'll known men Of business have vol
unteered to advance $4,000 each toward
the expense Of Mr.. Peppers journey
shows that the plan appeals strongly to
practical minds. In considering this
great scheme, the first thing to get
clear in our minds is the extent to
which it's realization Is facilitated by
the railroads already built or building,
which can be used as links In the chain.
It is, of course, true that there are
dozen alternative routes from New
York to Texas, the first 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 d.
rect routes. The striking deficiency.
as far as our own territory Is concern
ed, and from a theoretical rather than
practical point Of view, Is the lack
of a great trunk road running north
and south across the western plains,
the wheat and forest lands Of the Ca
madam northwest territory and our own
southwest, toward the Mexican line.
There is no north and south railroad
in the states which compares in direct
ness and consequence with our various
Pacific railroads, or with the CANADIAN
Pacific. There are, of course, numer-
GUS combinations by which passengers
or freight can go, let us say from
Manitoba to Mexico, but there Is no
single main artery, such as the Fan
American scheme contemplates. AT
present this Is, as we said, rather q
theoretical than practical difficulty.
When we come to Mexico, the next
link in the chain, we find that our SIS
fer republic makes an admirable show
ing. There are two main arteries con-
Meeting our railroads with the Mexl-
can system, the one making connection
at Ell Paso with the Arizona and New
Mexico lines, which thus introduce the
circulation at our Pacific coast, and the
other at Cuidad Porfirio Diaz, joining
the Mexican lines with San Antonio
and Galveston and the Gulf States.
Southwark through Mexico we nave
the Ferrocarril Central Mexicano'
which practically covers the whole OF
the great Mexican plateau, culminatins
at Mexico City at n altitude OF over
900 meters, and for a considerable
part of its length running at about
5000 feet above sea level. The huge
masses Of Mount Popocatapetl and the
Serrania de Ajusco Immediately to the
south of Mexico City compel the line
to defect to the east, through Ometus-
co to Apizaco, and thence to Puebla
where the Mexican Southern railway
carries the line southwark to Oaxaca
City. The Mexican railroads pass
through fifteen out Of the twenty-seV-
en- Mexican States, and already tap
population of over eight millions.
After Oaxaca there is considera"
BILE break between the Mexican anc
Guatemalan lines, but the two govern
ments have pledged themselves to sup
nly the missing links, which Will Drlns
us to the south of Guatemala, whence
a series Of Central American lines must
be constructed as follows: through san
Salvador 220 miles; through Hondn,
ras, 10 miles; through Nicaragua, 224
miles: through Costa Rico, 1868 miles;
bringing us to the northern border OF
Colombia, and thus technically to
South American territory, though still
north Of the Isthmus of Panama.
It is little early. to discuss the best
form Of bridge for this Pan-American
line to cross the future Panama canal,
but, when we remember that the line
which now joins st. Petersburg prac-
tically with Peking was begun only
NtnhOl4Q
then Tsarevitch, laid the foundation
stone at Vladivostock, we may with
confidence predict that the said canal
bridge will not only be designed but