New-York tribune., 1908-01-20
NEW SEA-T0-SEA LINE.
The Guatemala Northern Opened-
History of Construction.

Guatemala City. Jan 19-The Guatemala
Northern Railway the third line OF rails within
Latin America. connecting the Atlantic and Pa
cifc Oceans. opened to-day. President
Cabrera. the high officials of the government
ahc an American delegation. which included
Major General George ". Davis. who repre-
sen;ed the United States were present to do
honor TO a great work made possible by Ameri-
can enterprise.
The Guatemala Northern Railway had been the
cream and DESPAIR OF engineers and presidents for
half a generation The first spike driven in
1922; and the hrst train ran the road in 1901
President Barrios had hoped see the port bear
ing his name, Puerto Barrios connected With the
capital OF the republic Guatemala City. but he
was disappointed time .. P. Huntington
invested money in the road. but he did not push 1t
through It remained for President Estrada ca
brera 10 inspire capital carry the work TO sue
cessful conclusion
Sir William Van Horne, of the Canadian Paclhc
Railway, who in late years has noted the growing
Importance Of Latin-America and has taken so
large part in developing the railroads o. Cuba
became interested in the Northern. and was Joined
by Minor G Keith VINO had also built railway
in Costa Rica- They began construction more
than three years ago and finished the task winch
others mad abandoned.
The Guatemala Northern Railway from Puerto
Rarrios to Guatemala Citv IS 195 miles long The
highest point is La Gunlbre' 200 teet above sea
level. Vet the maximum grade is only ) per cent
For 1a5 miles the line after leaving Puerto Barrios
does not much above the level OF the coast,
but the last sixty miles within the mountains.
where some OF the engineering feats are remark
able There are many tunnels, the longest being
ael0 feet cut through solid rock. The longest
stretch of straight track is less than mile. In
all seventy bridges built the two most i'm
rortant being 4 short distance from Guatemala
Cftv one Of these crosses Las 'Vacas, a ravine
pa feet deep.
The railway has cost the government immense
sums and within the four years OF construction Of
the present owners oglCl0 has been spent to com
plete the thirty or forty miles left by previous
holders Of concessions
The distance from Guatemala City the port
the Pacific SIDE San jose is seventy-ive miles
over the Guatemala Central (Southern) Railway
which completed by William Name an Ameri-
can. and opened in 1854. Guatemala has nearly one
hundred additional miles Of railroad. chiefly the
Pacific side The most important branch
toward the Mexican frontier. and lacks only thirty
miles of reaching Ayutla the border where II
VIII within short time be joined by the spur
from the Mexican Railway unde- copstruc-
tion When this gap is joined there will be all
rail communication between san Francisco or New
York and Guatemala City.
The first rails connecting the Atlantic with the
Pacific were laid in 1875 in Panama Then came
the transconcinental lines on January 90 1897.
the second tin-American nteroceanic line was
completed when the President of Mexico opened
the Tehuantepec Railway. which is ls0 miles long