Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-30
TRAFFIC CARRIED BY
ISTHMIHN RAILWAYS

More than G4 million dollars worth
OF American merchandise was carried
by rail across the isthmuses of Pa
mama and Tehuantepec in the flacai
year 1903, and in the calendar year
which ends with next month the to-
tai will probable reach 80 millions in
galue. OF the two railway lines which
now carry freights across the narrow
neck of land connecting North and
South America, that at the lsthmus OF
Panama is 40 miles in length, the
other. at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
1870 miles. The one at Panama, owned
by the government, is. OF course, large
~ devoted to work and traffic grow
ing out of the construction of theI
Panama canal; the other at TehuaD-
tepec, 1870 miles in length, constructed
chiefly with British capital and con-
trolled in part at least by the Mexl-
can government, was built especially
for the purpose of handling freights
between the Atlantic and Pacific, and,
although opened at the beginning OF
1907. has already carried about 100
million dollars worth OF merchandise
passing chiefly between the Atlantic
and Pacific ports OF the United States.
Reports received by the bureau oil
statistics of the department OF COM
merce and labor show that The Tehu-
antepec Railway, which crosses theI
isthmus at Tehuantepec in the south
ern Fart OF Mexico, carrying the freight
received from the steamship lines ply
ing between the great port of the
United States and its eastern and
western termini. carried the first year
OF its operation -1907-between 20
and so million dollars worth, and in
the present year will exceed 80 million
dollars III the value of the freight
carried by it. The Panama Railroad.
engaged chiefly as above suggested
in work in behalf Of the Panama
canal, carried in 1907 about u million
dollars worth o. merchandise origi-
mating in the United States and bound
either for other parts of this country |
or for foreign countries, in 1908 about
9lx million dollars worth, and in 1909 |
will show about the same total
The merchandise passing over the
Isthmian railway in the year ending
June 30, 1909, included &c million
dollars worth originating Oh the east
ern coast of the United States and
destined for Pacific ports includinsl
both the United States and foreign
countries bordering on the Pacific. and
% million dollars worth originating
On the Pacific coast and at the Hawai- !
IAN Islands and destined for the east /
ern port Of the United States.
OF the merchandise crossing by way
of the Panama Railway, 8 million dol
lars worth moved from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, and a little less than
. million dollars worth from the Pa
cific to the Atlantic. OF the millions
crossing from the Atlantic side to
the Pacific coast by the Panama line,
millions We're destined to the west
ern ports Of the United Etates, and
:, millions to foreign countries 10
Gated upon the Pacific coast Of Ameri-
ca.
The business of the Tehuantepec
line. although much larger in its
value than that of the Panama route.
included chiefly merchandise moving
between the eastern and western ports
of the United States and the Hawaiian
Islands. OF the nearly 80 million dol
lars worth of merchandise passing
over the Tehuantepec line in the ifs
cal year 1909 over "a million dollars
worth moved from the Pacific end,
destined to ports on the eastern coast
OF the United States; and 81 million
dollars worth moved from the eastern
end, destined for Pacific ports. or