The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-08-19
THE PAN,AMERlcAN RAILWAY

The Pan-American congress now in
session at Buenos Ayres has approved
of resolutions which extend the life
of the Pan-American railway commits
sion; and it urges the preparation of
a plan and budget for building the
through rail route from Mexico City
to Buenos Ayres-a route of which
detached links are already in exist.
ence 1t Is estimated that about $500
miles remain to be built, and in the
Andes, after leaving the Isthmus of
Panama, engineering difficulties will
be encountered similar to those sue.
cessfully overcome by the builders of
the Oroya railway in Peru and the
Transandean railway through the Us.
pillata Pass between Chile and Ar
gentina.
1t Is at present possible to go by
rail from the United States to the
border of Guatemala the first of the
Central American republics to the
southwark of Mexico. The present So
called Pan-American railway leaves
the Tehuantepec railway at Gamboa,
near the Pacific port of Salina Cruz
in Mexico From Gamboa to Tomala,
176 miles, there is daily train; from
the latter point to Tapachula, AIT
miles from Gamboa, there are three
trains week; from Tapachula to
Mariscal, 40 miles further on, there
Is one train week, early Sunday
morning. The road is brand-new, and
the facilities will be improved as time
goes on. Guatemala and Mexico are
arranging for an International bridge
across the Suchlate river. From Ayut"
la, on the Guatemalan side of the
river, the grading has been completed
for a link OF 25 miles to connect the
Pan-American with the Guatemalan
railways. 1t is wholly probable that
within year through Pullmans will
run from Mexico City to Guatemala
City.
In Salvador, the next country in or,
der, line was begun on April Is, to
connect with the railway system of
| Guatemala. The concessionaire Is to
receive $1,000 in gold from the Saliva
dorean government for every kllo
metre constructed The Costa Rica
railways run in the wrong direction
and will be of no use to the Pan
/ A AbtApipnn Iot
feeders" the railway from CorintC
to Granada in Nicaragua may, how
ever, be OF material assistance to the
project, II the Nicaraguans ever stoL
Aghtlng; and in Panama the prelim
mary survey has been completed fol
a line from Panama to David, some
800 miles distant and near the Costa
Rican frontier.
The GuayaQuil-Quinto railway In
Ecuador will be further link in the
Pan-Amerlcan system; there are short
lines In Peru and Chile that should
prove useful, and when Valparaiso
Chile, Is reached the Pan.Americar
railway builders are at the end o
their troubles. by the Transandear
railway thence to Buenos Ayres the
journey can now be made In 36 hours
tincmding stop of IL hours at Lot
, Andes), the expense being $6S13, will
an allowance of 80 pounds of hant
baggage free.
The contamination of the project o
a Pan-American railway is by N,
4 means so chimerical as many ill-in
2 formed persons suppose, and tn,
4 hearty support of the scheme by tn,
4 present Pan-Amerlcan congress will
, accelerate the coming of the day whel
D It will be possible to make an all
g rail journey from Philadelphia to III
o South American counterpart, the cap
ltal of the Argentine Republic.-Phila
g delphia Ledger.