The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-02-02

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degrees and % degrees. 1t is about
500 miles north of the Panama 18TH
mus, and about 90 miles west of that
route, and averages about $50 miles
in width, as compared with about
forty-lve for Panama. The climate,
Notwithstanding the latitude, is gem
orally temperate, and there are times
of the year when the mercury in Their
mometers falls as low as 81 degrees,
and even in the hot months the tenn
perature seldom rises above 81 de-
grees
For fifty years after Cramer report
ed on the possibility of canal across
the isthmus nothing was done In the
meantime Mexico had become an in
dependent republic. In 1924 a resur-
vey was made, and the engineers re-
commended that the CoatzacoalcosI
River be made navigable as far as
possible, and that wagon road be |
constructed from that point to the
Pacific coast. This recommendation
contains the germ of the present rail
way. In 1912 Santa Ana, then dicta-
tor of Mexico, granted Jose de Garay
a concession to open such a line OIL
communication as that recommended
eighteen years before. He accom-
plished very little, and in 1S47 thel
United States offered $15,O0O,OOO in
crease to the negotiations then pend
ing over the acquisition of California
for right of passage and transit across
the Tehuantepec lsthmus. In the
Gadsden treaty the United States Sc
cured certain rights in the route, and
lseveral explorations and surveys were
subsequently made by American en-
lgineers.
PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS ON ROUTE.
For almost half century the Mexi
lean Government was alternately max
ling grants for railways, roads and
lcanals across Tehuantepec, and about
Jas regularly annulling them. Nearly
every Concessionaire advanced the
IWOrk a little, SO that the route should
not have caused any tremendous drain
upon the treasury of the republic. In
1879 a Massachusetts company receiv-
ed u grant to build and operate Il
railroad and telegraph line across the
isthmus. Although the company set
labout the work in a business-lile
manner, it was found that the prob
lens of engineering and labor were
immense. Even nature seemed to
: propose obstacles to oppose the work,
and in the meantime the Mexican Gov
eminent gave a concession to Captain
james b. Eads to build a ship rail
way across the isthmus. This pro-
ject was one of the most original ever
lsuggested for transporting vessels. 1t
Iprovided for several parable! lines of
rails, upon which a ship, resting in a
Icradle, was to be drawn across the
isthmus by teams of locomotives.
In 1882 the Mexican Government de-
clared the grant to the Massachu-
sets company was forfeited, and con-
fscated the sum deposited as an evil
dence of good faith. The matter was
finally settled by the Government
awarding the company about $780,
600 for the $3,OOO,OOO worth of work
accomplished. Various other attempts
were made to finish the road, and
about 1896 the railway was stretched
from the Gulf to the Pacific. 1t was
not, however, a modern railroad and
entirely unsuited for the interoceaniC
freight carrying which is about tC
make it famous.
BUILT BY ENGLISH FIRM.
An English firm, Pearson & Son
which had built the drainage cana
for the City of Mexico, took the enter
prise in hand in 1898. They relait
q the road with heavy rails and modern
equipment and completed the railway
in 1908. The work done since that
year has been confined to providing
suitable harbors at each end of tn,
line, and this in some respects ha,
been the most expensive and import
ant part of the enterprise now com
pleted.
The railway is 1S9 miles long, anC
in a general way runs north and soutl
across the isthmus. 1t is at present {
single-track road, but the numerous
s turnouts provided will prevent any
e serious congestion of traffic. The road
/ as originally constructed, crossed S3S
e bridge openings, chiefly spanned by
e wooden structures. The number has
= been reduced to 257, and all the bridg
n es have iron or steel superstructures
From the Gulf terminal there is q
+ gradual ascent until the table land is
reached. At the Gultepec River, sew
enty-nine miles from Coatzacoalcos
there is a depression, the river being
$ crossed by "A steel bridge $50 feet in
e length. Up to this point the grades
Y average about sixty feet to the mile
+ The real grade, however, begins here
and after about forty miles of steer
: ascent the Chivela Pass, where grades
} reach as high as 116 feet to the mile
9 is reached. The highest elevation, SOC
; feet above sea level is attained near
Z Rincon Antonio, 1875 miles from the
northern terminal. The headquarter
! of the road is located at Ricon Anto-
: MO, and here large new buildings have
been erected for the use of the staff
y and employees.
ON THE pACTFTC SIDE