Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-31
three years ago the project was turned over
to Sir Wheetman Pearson, Liverpool en-
gineer under a fifty-year concession.

three years ago the project was turned over
to Sir Wheetman Pearson, a Liverpool en-
gineer, under fifty-year concession.
The New Railroad.
Under the terms of the contract Mr..
Pearson and his associates have rebuilt
the road in first-class condition and have
nearly completed extensive harbor works
at both ends of the line. Coatzacoalcoas is
exposed to turbulent storms on the gulf,
and for that reason the harbor works have
been extensive and expensive. A heavy
wall has been built at the mouth of the riv-
er, which is broad and deep for several
miles from the sea, and large system of
wharves has been constructed, capable of re-
ceiving ships of thirty-five feet draught At
Salina Cruz there is harbor, but only
ali open roadstead, with a tremendous surf.
IT has been impossible for vessels to
anchor there, except in very calm weather,
but Pearsons company has inclosed an
area of ninety acres of water by break
waters of solid masonry which furnish per-
feet anchorage and 1900 feet of dock room.
In connection with the harbor a new town
has been built on modern principles. with
sewers, water and other modern improve
ments, including comfortable hotel. which
is planned for winter resort. The climate
is delightful for seven months in the year,
but in the summer season the rains are
very heavy
The wharves are fitted up with modern
IdDor-SdNlHS equipments. similar TO those
on our great lakes, by which a cargo can
be transferred from the vessels to the
trains and vice versa in twenty-four hours,
and the warehouses are capable of storing
a million tons of freight. 1t is intended, If
possible, to make Coatzalcoalcos the chief
shipping port for coffee, which is now being
grown extensively in southern Mexico, and
Is the chief staple of Central America. In
addition to the Hawaiian steamship line
contracts have been entered into with Eu-
ropean companies for a regular service be-
tween Liverpool and Hamburg and the
isthmus, and the promoters believe that a
great deal of traffic with Asia and India
may be diverted that way. -
Terminal and Other Charges.
Under the contracts between the Mexi-
can government and the Pearson syndicate
the entire charge for handling and trans
porting freight from ocean to ocean, in
Guiding loading and unloading Is not to
exceed 81 a ton, which Is only one-third
one-fourth of the rates recently charg-
ed by the Panama Canal Company The
government guarantees dividends of 8 per
cent upon investment ar fifty years from
May, 1903, and If the enterprise shall prove
profitable the Pearson company is to re-
ceive Bly, per cent of the net proceeds for
thirty-five years and % per cent during the
remaining fifteen years. The fact that
these rates are established and are known
to everybody as unalterable will, it is be-
lieved, attract steamship traffic from all
parts of Europe and Asia as we'll as from
the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the
United States. The Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, which until now has had a mo-
nopoly of navigation on the west coast
will hereafter make Salina Cruz a port of
call and bill freight from San Francisco to
New York by that route. The Pacific
Steam Navigation Company, which con-
ducts a line of steamers between Panama
and Liverpool, is expected to make Salina
Cruz its northern terminus The Cosmos
line Of steamers, which is controlled by the
Hamburg American Company and now runs
up the coast as far as San Francisco, Will
also take freight from and to the new rail-
way.
This new line furnishes active competition
with the Panama railway, which belongs
to the government of the United States and
has thus far been opera ted at an enormous
profit 1t has been monopoly for nearly
sixty years. and one of the most profitable
that was ever conducted. Since 1t came I'M
der the control of our government the rates
have been materially reduced but he traf-
fc has not increased to any great degree
and steamship connections with American
ports have not been improved.
Two Other Railways.
Two other railways across the isthmus in
Guatemala and Costa Rica have been under
construction for many years and enough
money has been expended to have built
several lines if 1t had been honestly and
economically applied to the purpose for
which it was intended. The frequent
changes of administration and political dis
turbances in Guatemala have interfered
with the enterprise and millions of dollars,
borrowed for construction purposes, have
been expended for military equipment and
supplies. There is still a gap Of hundred
miles or more to be completed and very
little progress has been made. In Costa
RIGA the government has been building
raiIroad between the two coasts for thirty
wears, and at last it is nearing completion.
1t may be expected that cars will soon be
running from Port Limon on the Caribbean
sea to Puenta Arenas on the Pacific. While
bofh of the roads are of great local impor-
lance, they will not affect international
commerce like the new line across the 18TH
mus of Tehauntepec.