The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-11-13

AND HAWAII

More than forty million dollars
worth of merchandise originating in
United States territory crossed the
isthmuses of Panama and Tehuantepec
in 1907, most of II being interchanged
between the Eastern and Western ports
of the United States, including the Ha.
waiian Islands in this term. This total
of more than forty millions of trans.
isthmian traffic in merchandise orig
mating under the American flag is
more than three times as much as that
of any earlier year.
This sudden and large increase in
the interchanges between Atlantic and
Pacific ports via the narrow strip Of
land which separates those oceans is
chiefly due to the opening, early in
1907, IL the Tehuantepec Railway,
which connects the waters of those two
oceans by land haul of but 100 miles,
its termini being Coatzacoalcos on the
Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico side and
Salina Cruz on the Pacific side. This
enterprise of connecting the two
oceans was planned before the con-
StiuNbion pu VIC thElltSt lFuUSCOutl-
mental railway in the United States,
the first concession for the road hav.
ing been granted by the Mexican Gov.
eminent in 1857. This and subsequent
concessions having failed to produce
results, the Mexican Government in
1882 itself took up the work, making
a series of contracts under which o
road was completed from ocean &c
ocean in 1894, but owing to defectiv,
conditions its partial reconstruction
became necessary, and this reconstruc
ton was accomplished through a part
nership arrangement entered into b,
| the Mexican Government with Brit
ish firm, the road having been actual
| ly opened for business in January
1907. Modern steel docks at thu
Eastern and Western termini permit
the transfer by steam and electric
| power of merchandise from the hole
| of the vessel direct to the car standing
on the dock alongside the vessel ant
the retransfer from car to vessel b.
the same manner. The time occupied
| in shipment across the isthmus is les
than twenty.four hours, and the entir'
time occupied in the transfer from tn,
hold of one vessel to that of the othe
vessel less than forty-eight hours. Reg
ularly established steamship lines nov
run between Coatzacoalcos at the Gull
end and Philadelphia and New York
| and between Salina Cruz at the Pacif,
end to the Western ports of the Unite,
States and the Hawaiian Islands, whil
various lines connecting with foreigi
| countries also touch at the Eastern ant
Western termini.
| Meantime the Panama route mate
rally increased its business over tina
of the preceding year, despite the fac
that large demands are made upon i
in the transportation of material TO
use in the construction of the isthmial
canal. The value of merchandise orig
mating in United States ports ant
shipped over that line to other part
Of the United States or foreign cour
tries amounted during the year to be
| tween twelve and fifteen million dol
liars. OF this, about four million dol
| lars worth was merchandise sen
| from New York to Central and Soutl
American countries fronting on tn
Pacific, while between two and thre
| million dollars worth was merchan
| disc sent from San Francisco to tn
Eastern ports of the United States
The shipments via Panama from New
York to the west coast ports of tn
| United States were distributed to Sal
Diego, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles
| Oakland, San Francisco, Portland, Sc
attic and Spokane, and those to fol-
eign countries by this route includ
Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colon
bia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico and tn
British Columbia ports of Canada
These include practically all classes o
merchandise, but more especial
meats, -four, cotton goods, mineral oil
mining machinery, manufactures o
iron and steel, and miscellaneous man
ufactures. The movements from Sa
Francisco via Panama to the Easter
ports were sent to Tampa, Philadel
phia, New York, New Haven and Bos
ton, and include wines, pig lead, quicl,
silver, hides and skins, and miscel
laneous merchandise.
The distance between New York an
San Francisco is, direct by land, $40
miles; via Tehuantepec, AIS miles
via Panama, 5305 miles, and via Ma
gellan Strait, 13,os9 miles. From Nel
York to Port Townsend direct the dit
lance is 3199 miles; via Tehuantepe'
800 miles; via Panama, $3.50 mile
and via Magellen Strait, 13,S4s mile
From New York to Honolulu direc
via San Francisco the distance is 52S
miles; via Port Townsend, $500 miles
via Tehuantepec, $500 miles; via Pr
mama, $685. miles, and via Magella
Strait, 1920 miles.
Il