The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-28
COMPLETES WITH PANAMA,
Tehuantepec Railway Handling ,Bi,
American Tranac.

vSrs0us tSeuS-lStnmien railways be
serious competitors with the Panama
Canal when Il n completed? This
question y already attracting the at
tsatisn Of Government ofncials. Fig
urss prepared By sxpeEt n the Blu
rsau Of Statistics show that the traf-
No bstwssa the eastern and western
coases Of the United States via the
IsthniaA railways and connecting
ptssnshiD lines amounted to practi-
eaiiy >le.ees.ses In 1905.
There are two railway lines that
new carry frsishts across the mar
row seek Of land connecting North
aaa SsutA America. One crosses the
IssAnus ef PsAana and bslongs to
ne UAitsd 0&atss Government; the
ssAss srsOss the IstAmus Of Tshuan-
tspsss xAs Panama road = 20 miles
'eAA sAee - Tshusntspse, 100 miles.
ne sss - Panama. being owned BY
the 0esssnnsat h now largely dsvot-
- - tssOs ssovins out Of the build
lne g ~ Gsat canal. The one at
rsAsusfsS>e vas constructed chiefly
vita Hritiah capital and u controlled
in part - ne Mexican Government
and vs. sssl( sspseially tor hsulins
frs,vAt Assvssa ths Atlantic and Pa
ciae.
AIsAsssA ths rshuantepsc railway
was sDsasl snly two years ago. It
carrss4 asrins 1897 and 1908 be-
tween see.eeo.eee and 37Q.oeo. 900
worth ot nsrohandiss passing be-
tvssa ths Atlantic and Pacific ports
sf tAs United states. These on,cial
nsursA now available for the nrst
tine. shsw that this new road across
Tehsantspsc In the southern part OF
nsx1co. must BE- seriously considered.
TIE Panama railway. engaged chief
" h canal work. carried In 1907
aSsst eiS.eee.sse worth of merchah-
diss originating In the United States,
and bovAd either for other parts Of
this country or for foreign ports. and
In isss about >s.Soo.oo worth.
rssaasd before the earliest trans
coatIasatai railways In the United
ststss. the rshuantepec road was not
completed from ocean to ocean until
1884. and even then Was no badly
built that . partial reconstruction
bscaas necessary. The railroad. 100
ns'ss IA lsagth. was reconstructed
ana modern steel docks and piers
were provided at the eastern and
westsra terminals by which trans
Ter frsn the hold Of the vessel d.
rsc< . the car standing on the dock
II accs0plishsd By steam and electric
pswsr.
Practically al the sugar from the
Hawaiian Islands destined for the
Eastern ports Of the United States is
now sent by the Tehuantepec route
instead OF going aroud the Horn, as
formerly. In fact. this new road Is
ls supplanting the Magellan route.
The steamers carrying sugar from
Hawaii to Salina Cruz, at the Pacific
end OF the Tehuantepec route, pass,
after discharging their cargoes, to
the north along the western coast of
ports Of Mexico. the United States
and British Columbia and thence
again to Hawaii. This will be an addi-
tional factor In the development OF
the west coast Of Mexico. which Ed
ward III. Hartman declared recently
would some day become one Of the
busiest commercial stretches In the
world. 1t Is toward that western
coast Of Mexico that Mr.. Hartman
Is building an extension OF the South
ern Pacific railway.
The distances between New York
and San Francisco via the two rival
lines are:
Via Panama 5.305 miles
Via Tehuantepec 4,415 miles.