The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-28

What will be welcome news to Pen
sacOlians is the announcement that
the Inland Gulf Pacific Transport Com
rany, with a capital stock Of S6,00O,-
600 is to inaugurate a line of steamers
between Pensacola and the isthmus
Of Tehuantepec, the port Of landing
being COatzacOalcos.
Back of this announcement, which
was recently made by Managing Di-t
rector w. w. Smith, of New York, is
a plan, which if carried through, will
bring Pensacola to the front as port,
for il is the intention of this company
to in a measure compete with the
Panama railroad and Panama canal
for the trade of Western Coast OF
South America as well as the Orient.
The Inland Gulf Pacific Company is
composed Of capitalists of New York
and London, and was formed some
time since, for the purpose. Of handling
this trade by rail and water and a
portion of the undertaking is already
about completed.
From Pensacola freight will go to
CoatzacOalcOs, thence across the 18TH
mus Of Techuantepec by rail to the
Pacific side. There it will be trans
ferred to steamers and carried to its
destination. The route thus taken is
as near as by way Of the Panama
canal, and it will be in operation many
years before the Panama canal is
anywhere near ready to be placed in
service.
The railroad has been under con.
struction for some time and is now
so near ready for use that the COM
pany is having constructed at the
works of the American Car and FOun-
dry Company 1000 box cars. These
cars will be so constructed that the
freight will never be unlOaded from
/ the time il is placed in them at the
original point of shipment until they
reach the Pacific side Of the isthmus.
The cars containing the freight will
be lifted from the trucks and lowered
F, into the hold Of the steamer and upon
the latter reaching CoatZacOalcos W
be lifted out and placed on trucks on
. the new railroad there, thus saving
time in loading and unloading freight
and its consequent cost 1t is claim
ed that in this manner one of the big
steamers can be loaded within four
+, hours. The company has also under
construction two immense steamers at
the yards of Craggs & Sons at Middle
Borough, England, which win be
| placed in the trade between Pensa-
! cola and CoatzacOalcOs, and which
will transport the box cars across the
gulf. The vessels will be COM
pleted within the course Of eight or
/ ten months.
1t will thus be seen that the inaug-
uration Of this line of steamers will
| cause the shipment Of freight through
( this port for countries which are now
never touched. and possibly never
would be but for the formation Of this
/ big concern, which has behind it some
/ of the mflliOnaires Of London and New
! York. Pensacola will be the first port
! TO secure any benefits from the ship
ment of freight to the far-away cOun-
tries. and as the Inland Gulf Pacific
! Transport Co. will be in operation
within a year il will give this port a
vast advantage for handling the trade.
The New York World, Of recent
date. SAYS Of the new company and a
portion Of what it proposes to do:
/ Freight cars that can be slipped
! off their wheels and packed away in
/ the holds of vessels without being un
F. loaded are to be owned by the Inland
Gulf Pacific Transport Company, re
Gently formed in this city and Lon
i Don. 10 operate a fast freight line
4 across the Gulf Of Mexico.