New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-02
PORTO RICO RAILROADS
IRE WRETCHEDLY BAD"
James Peabody, Who Investigated
Them, Describes Conditions.

James Peabody. of Chicago who went to
Porto Rico in January at the invitation OF Gov
error winthrop 20 investigate the railway sys-
TEN Of the island. told something of the results
Of his trip to a Tribune reporter at the Murray
Hin Hotel yesterday The Executive Council,
which now has control OF railway rates in Porto
REQ has adopted a plan of reorganization rec
commended by Mr.. Peabody which may solve
what seemed 10 be hopeless problem OF trans
portation there.
The CHIEF railroad Of the island. according to
Mr. Peabody. is a single track, narrow gauge
road running from San Juan to Ponce. with a
branch to Carolina, altogether 200 miles in
length. 1t is owned by a Spanish company. cap
stalized by French hnanciers and operated by
IN American company on a commission basis.
The capitalization OF the railroad amounted 10
sis 900. including sIO.7OO.O0O OF bonds on
which no interest has been paid For years all
Erofts which tho railroad should have earned
have been eaten up by mismanagement It IS
Eaid that so much Of the large bond issue had
10 be paid in brides TO Spanish officials that
scarcely 100000 was available for railroad
construction
Mr. Peabodys plan OF reorganization includes
cutting down the capitalization TO about $1,000
600 and raising rates 10 enable the company TO
pay interest on its remaining bonds and make
needed improvements TO the road The abolition
of many special rates TO sugar planters is I'm
Guided in the plan
As about so per cent Of the business OF the
railroad is in hauling sugar cane. the sugar
planters in the past have been able to make
contract rates which were ruinous TO the rail-
road company. Mr. Peabody found cases IN
which the railroad under such contracts was
able to charge only so cents for hauling a car
Of sugar cane eight miles from private siding
10 the mill, and returning the empty car 10 the
siding, requiring the use Of a locomotive over a
distance of sixteen miles.
The railway passenger service on the island
IS pluable.' MI. Peabody said 1t is so wretch
eddy bad that IL is amusing. Not one of the pas
senger cars has brake Il. The only brake
for passenger train IS the ore on the locomO-
tive. As some OF the grades Of the railroad are
Fteep, IL is distressing 10 think what would hap
pen II train should break in two going up one
OF the grades. There would be no way TO stop
the cars that got away from the locomotive.
There were no bell cords the trains when
] began 10 investigate the system. one Of nv
hrst recommendations to have bell cords
connecting the cars with the locomotive. The
conductor used 10 poke his head out Of a win
dow and blow a blast on a pocket whistle when
he wanted 10 stop a train between stations 1
was on a train day when a rear car got
on the track. The conductor tried 10 stop the
IRAN, nut the locomotive happened 10 be blow
ing on steam at the time. and the engineer
could not hear the pocket whistle. We kept
going ahead with the rear car humping along
on the ties. Finally the conductor drew a pistol
and fired a shot out of the window, and the en-
gineer heard the shot and pulled up / asked
The conductor II he had shot at the engineer.
The freight cars have brakes but the brakes
ere so arranged that they can be set only from
the ground, after the car is stopped. The reason
FOR that is that nobody ever wants TO stop a
freight car there until IL is siding where
u Is 20 be loaded unloaded. il sometimes
happens that a freight car breaks loose from
The locomotive a grade, and there IS a smash
up but that does not to worry anybody.
AS there are practically no wagon roads in
Porto Rico. the sugar planters have many NOV
able railway tracks leading into their planta-
tons. the cars such tracks being hauled by
mules. They Thick nothing Of running one OF
she movable tracks across the railroad track.
The engineers the railroad have to keep con-
stant lookout for of these Instructions.
which would throw train off the track. There
many private sidings for freight cars along
the lire of the railroad also and II often Ia !
happened that a car has run Of the siding 10
the main track in the way of a train. One OF
my recommendations was for a derailing switch
siding"