East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-01-10
NEW RAILROADS IN THE PHILIPPINES

quirements of the island traffic. Trains
make an average speed of about IS
miles an hour for passenger trains and
/ IL miles for freight. They follow the
low lands wherever possible and have
! fairly easy grades and curvature. 1t
| is believed that in no case will the
grades exceed 1-2 per cent, and that
only for inconsiderable portions of the
| line.
| The greatest difficulty which has to
be contended with is the extremely
heavy rainfall which occurs within a
| few hours time, causing sudden and
destructive floods and much damage
to roadbed. This necessitates a very
heavy expense for bridges and an alb
normal provision for flood openings
of all kinds.
/ 1t is estimated that certain lines
will require as much as per cent of
the total mileage to be allowed for
! flood openings in the way of trestles.
culverts and bridges over the whole
line. The country is very much torn
up and distributed by seismic move
ments. In fact, the islands are still
in the process of formation and the
country has not yet found its equilib-
rum. 1t is almost impossible to find
a good solid formation of rock, and
road building in the mountains and
hills is attended by huge landslides
most disastrous and annoying to road
building. There is scarcely any for
nation in the mountains which could
not be worked out with a steam
shovel. This has also played havoc
with the mineral deposits of the
Islands, which are very extensive and
widely distributed. but not concentrat-
ed enough to make mining successful
as a general rule. The mountain tops
are usually covered with dense vege-
tation and fine forests, but with the
exception of tall, coarse grass and
rank weeds, the valleys need no clear
ing or grubbing for railroad purposes.
The natives have no prejudices
against railroad introduction and mod
ern transportation facilities like the
Chinese. and rarely ever disturb rail-
road property or obstruct the track
and telegraph lines. In fact, they have
shown great interest in the proposed
roads and welcome the coming lines
Even extremely poor people gave the
writer every assistance and accommo-
dation within their limited means
while inspecting the routes of the
proposed lines in the interior country
and evinced an unusual interest and
enthusiasm over the prospect of rail-
road construction through their To-
cality. They had some extraordinary
ideas about what a railroad is like
Most of them had never seen one
one man in particular wanted to know
, If he could travel by rail as fast az
a telegram, and others were quite sur.
prised when 1t was explained that they
, would be able to travel as far in an
hour as they could travel on foot at
, present in a day. They were much
interested in knowing how much il
would cost to ride on the railroad
and nearly all the young men express
ed their desire to work for the road
as soon as it started. Steel bridges
. several hundred feet long to carry a
train were quite incomprehensible to
them. And they said they had expect
ed the trains would be ferried across
all the large rivers in boats
This ignorance of railroads, of
course, refers to the southern islands.
The people of Northern Luzon are
. more familiar with railroads which
= have been in existence in that section
for 10 years The people nearly all
expressed their determination to ride
on the trains when the road was built,
and they will do so, as they are true
sportsmen in that respect. They earn
very little money. but If they have a
dollar in the world they will spend it
like king. bet it on a cock fight or
ride on the train; and they are good
losers. They accept a winning or a
loss with equally good grace.
When a native rides in the train he
likes best to take his few belongings
with him in the car where he can see
, them. He has not much faith in bag
gage cars and checks, and we are in
clined to think rightly so from per-
sonal experience on the present exist
ing lines. Especially does the native
insist on taking with him his fighting
cock on the train, street car or boat
wherever he goes, taking better care
of 1t than of his wife and children.