Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-03-22
AMERICAN
RAILROAD
TO SPAN THE AMERICAN CONTINENT
WILL Be CONSTRUCTED
The Capital 10 Back the Enterprise Has
Been Provided
BY ALEXANDER HUME FORD

II the plains Of several million
aires are carried to completion, il
will yet be possible for those who
dread the pcrils of the deep to traye
by rail To Paris or even TO Hongkong.
In fact Yankee enterprise promises
soon to girdle the earth with iron
rails, 80 that the Patagonian may
board Pullman sleeper in Cape
Horn, at the extreme Of South Anne.
RIGA, and journey uniuterruptedly for
nearly twenty thousand miles TO the
Cape of Good Hope, at the Southern
end of Africa. Everywhere the world
over the Yankee promoter is at work
bringing every other country nearer
his own
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie hopes to live
long enough to see the completion OF
his pet project the Pan American
Railway, which he is 6naOciering
When completed connected line OF
railway will exist between Halifax,
Nova Scotia, and Valparaiso, Chill
The New York drummer may begin a
journey by rail through the Pan
American countries that will - e
him ten thousand miles before be
reaches the gurtberest town ON his
route. Encountered by Mr.. Carue-
gics optimism, Denver company
has incorporated for fifty million dol
lars and propose to build an extern
sion TO the Pan American Railway,
from Seattle to Bchring Straits. The
agents Of the company are now IN
Russia seeking permission from the
CTar to tunnel the Straits and contin-
ne their railway to junction with
the aus-Sibcrian railway system
which project, if ever completed will
place the railway systems Of Europe,
Asia and Africa in direct commuui-
cation with those of America.
The Pan American Railway has al
ready made considerable progress in
fact half Of the distance between New
York aud Bunos Ayres Is now span
ned by iron rails, aud Mr.. Carnegie's
engineers report that about five thou
sand miles will remain to be construc-
ted. at a cost of about two hundred
million dollars. When the railway
il completed it will be just twice as
long as the trans-Siberian system.
James G.. Blaine was the father Of
the Pan American Railway scheme,
but, after our government had spent
half million dollars on surveys aud
actual work was about to begin, Mr.
Blaine died and the project fell into
innocuous desuetude under the Clcye-
land administration Again, under
Roosevelt, however, the Pan Amcri.
can Railway moves foreward. At the
Congress of the two Americas. held
recently in the City Of Mexico, the
United States Government was asked
to begin the work, the South Ameri-
can delegates promising that their
home governments would aid. Mr..
Carnegie offered to assume all preli-
minary expenses, and our President
promptly appointed a commissioner
to visit the mead, of the South '.ue-
rican republics and secure their CO.
operation.
Mr. Cassatt, now President OF the
President Of the Pennsylvania -ys-
TEN, which is to form the first link
in the New York to Buenos Ayres
Railway, was chairman Of the first
Pan American Congress in 1890, that
decided on the construction of the
great railway that would bind togcth-
cr the two Americas.
At present it is possible to travel