The National tribune., 1908-05-28
THE PAN-AMERIcAN RAILROAD
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THE PAN-AMERICAN RAILROAD.
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nent has long been mooted in official
and commercial circles, but people gen.
orally have dismissed it as something
likely to come, but not during the life
time of this generation.
The principal advocate of the scheme
has been Hinton 2. Helper, who at
tanned National reputation prior to the
war by a book, entitled '"rhe Impend-
ing Conflict Mr.. Helper, being a
North Carolinian born and bred, the
book had particular significance as ex-
pressing the ideas of the -slavehold-
ing whites of the South. Mr.. Helper,
who is still alive, is an enthusiast on
the subject, and has devoted his life
since the war to advocating the project.
He travelled over much of the country,
and became thoroly convinced of the
practicability of an all-rail line between
the United States and South America.
But this did not meet The acceptance
of engineers generally. Everybody has
admitted that in the course of time we
should have such communication, but
practical men believe that the trunk
line would have to connect with a
steamship line across the Caribbean
Sea. This was the view that the late
Secretary Blaine took and at the time
of his death he was connected with
some practical railway builders and
capitalists in the consideration of line
which would reach the Caribbean Sea
at Cartagena in Colombia, whence a
steamship line would run to Tampa,
Fla. The main objection to an all-rail
route was the position of South Amer
lea. Few people stop to realize that
South America lies far to the east OF
North America. Most people. without
thinking, would say that it lies west
of Mexico, but if they will look on
the map they will see that the meridian
of Washington only cuts across a small
portion of the extreme northwest cor
ner of South America.
The plan of Mr.. Blaine and those as
sociated with him was to extend a di-
rect line from Cartagena south between
the parallel ranges of the Andes to
some point in Patagonia The Andes
are like the Allegheny and Rocky
Mountains in consisting of great central
parallel ranges, separated by an almost
continuous valley. With a direct rail-
road running thru this valley the diff
ferent cities and countriesaiwould build
connecting lines, So as to reach all
parts of the continent. apparently,
however, the all-rail route. is making
much more progress than was expect
ed, and ex-senator Henry G. Davis.
Chairman of the Permanent Pan-Amer-
lean Railway Committee, nhas sent to
the State Department areport from
Charles NJ. Pepper, which gives the
progress in detail that is made toward
the consummation ofsthis project. Mr..
Pepper says: IL !.He1ii .ttH
In Argenffna. e
The railway lines of the Argentine
Republic have reached the border OF
Bolivia, a distance of 1900 miles from
Buenos Ayres. and that under treaty
agreement with Bolivia the Argentine
Government is making engineering
studies for the prolongation of its line
to the town of Tupiza. which will be
reached from the north by the line to
be built by the Speyer-Cityr Bank Syn
dicate of New York.
In July the New York syndicate will
haze. completed the first section of the
Bolivian railway under its contract with
the Bolivian Government This section
will be 12S miles long. and it will re-
suit in thru railway communication
from Lake Titicaca to the town of
Uyuni, 1863 miles. The line from Uyuni
20 Tupiza, 125 miles. will then be un-
dertaken. From the latter point to the
Argentine border is 80 miles, so that
Of the $40 miles which constitute The
bolivian link in the Pan-Amcrican sys-
tenn III miles rer,aIn to be completed.
and these are provided for. Since the
Argentine lines 10 Bolivia are already
comple-ed !. nay he said that only
1T --'T en- Of a total of lao miles
are - @ fill in the gap between
Fu- end Lake Titicaca.
In Chile.
lway construction on the
al line between Valpa-
y; 9s Ayres has advanced
e .urhaur stage ride is the
only be : i continuous railway
u e. the Pacific to the Atlantic
1t is expected that the spiral tunnel
which will enable the junction of the
railway lines 10 be made will be COM
plcted in Is months This win place
the Chilean railways In connection with
the Pan-American system thru Argen-
tine connections. The Chilean Con-
gress has also provided for the con-
struction of longitudinal line paral-
leling the coast. which ultimately will
reach the Bolivian section of the PAN
American line by the railway to be
built from africa. Belgian and German
syndicates have made bids ranging
around s20,000.000 for constructing the
500 miles of the longitudinal line be-
tween Papudo and Copiapo.
In Peru.
In Peru $50 miles of railway is in
operation from Puno. on Lake Titicaca,
toward the city of Cuzco, and active
work is now in progress for the re-
naming 66 miles. This will form 246
miles in the Pan-Americai route from
the south. While the line is being
prolonged from the south toward Cuzco
progress is also being made from the
north toward the same point. The link
from Cerro de Pasco to Oroya was COM
pleted some time ago. and the pro-
longation TO Huancayo, q distance of
63 miles. is now being made. The Pc
ruvian Congress has provided for n
Ither extension to the city of Aya-
cucho as the first section in the con-
nection with Cuzco.
In Ecuador.
In Ecuador the railway from Guaya-
quill has reached the outskirts of Quito,
ESQ out of the 290 miles which consti-
iute the line being in operation. A long
section of this railway, 200 miles, fol-
lows the general Pan-American route
Branches to Cuenca in the south and
Ibarra in the north, each a little less
than 100 miles, will serve as feeders
for the Guayaquil & Quito Railway when
they are built. Both these branches
will be on the direct Pan-American
location.
In Mexico.
In Mexico by the construction of the
Tehuantepec Railway the Government
provided thru link in the Pan-Amer-
ican system, and construction has pro-
ceeded from San Geronimo on the
Tehuantepec line south until the Guate-
mala border Is only a few miles dis