The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-12-08
TRAFFIC VIA PANAMA AND
TEHUANTEPEC 1906 TO 1911

I6ItUHlV HI ~ IOOO ~ IOtI
Practically 100 million dollars worth
of domestic merchandise from the
United States was transported across
the Isthmuses of Panama and Tehaun
tepec on the fiscal year 1911 via the
two railway lines connecting, in the
one case, Panama on Jacific with Colon
on the Atlantic and, in the other, Sa-
lima Cruz, the Pacific terminal, and
Tehuantepec with Puerto Mexico on
the Atlantic.
Trans-isthmian traffic between the
eastern and western coasts of the
United States and between the eastern
ports of our country and Pacific coast
points in Central and South America
has greatly increased in recent years.
In 1906, when the Panama railway of
fered the only rail connection via the
isthmus between the Atlantic and the
Pacific coasts, the total traffic amount
ed to about million dollars. In 1907.
on January of which year the Tehuan-
tepec railway became available, the
tota Twas 81 million dollars; in 1908,
AZ million; in 1909, 60 million; in 1910,
S21h million; and in 1911, 80 million
dollars, exclusive of more than three
quarters of million dollars worth of
foreign merchandise.
The growth in traffic by the respec-
tive routes has been, according to fig
ures compiled by the bureau of statis-
tics, department of commerce and
labor; via the Panama railway, from
10 million dollars in 1907 to 26 mil
lion in 1911; and via the Tehuantepee
railway, from liz million in 1907 to
73% million in 1911. In 1907 the
traffic was almost equally divided be-
tween the two routes, while last year
about three-fourths of the total was
moved across the isthmus of Tehuan-
tepec
OF the merchandise passing from the
Atlantic coast ports westward across
the isthmuses, aggregating 621a mil
lion dollars in value, million dollars
worth went to Hawaii via Tehuante-
pee; 4S1s million went to Paclf1c
coast cities, Al million dollars worth
being shipped by way of Tehuantepec
and 81A million dollars worth by way
of Panama; and little over 815 mil
lion dollars worth went to foreign coun-
tries, of which all but l million dollars
worth was by way of Panama. These
west bound shipments left the Atlantic
seaboard at New York and Philadel-
phia, the latter's share being less than
/ million dollars value and that of New
York. 611s million. The westward
movement included a total of S212 mil
lion dollars value to San Francisco,
101b million to San Diego, AZ million
to Seattle, nearly / million to Los An
geles. about a half million dollars each
to Tacoma and Portland, and smaller
amounts to Oakland and other Pacific
coast points. About so per cent of this
traffic was moved via the Isthmus OF
Tehuantepec. To foreign countries the
shipment from the Atlantic coast cities
aggregating S1a million dollars in 1911
as against .5% million a year earlier,
were distributed to Peru, 2 million dol
lars; to Colombia, 115 million; Ecua-
dor and Chile, each about l million;
to Central America, over 2 million, and
to Canada, about 100000.
Hawaiian sugar supplies more than
half of the east-bound traffic to cities
on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the
United States. The total eastward
movement last year represented 81
million dollars, of which Is million was
!. sugar shipped direct from Hawaii via
Tehuantepec to Delaware Breakwater
for orders. In addition to this, 16 mil.
lion dollars worth of miscellaneous
merchandise moved from San Fran
cisco to the Atlantic and Gulf coast
cities. chiefly New York, Boston, Phil
adeiphia, and New Orleans, 5% million
dollars worth being via Panama and
61b million via Tehuantepec East
ward shipments from Puget Sound via
+ the isthmuses totaled 119 million dol
lars. destined mostly fer New York and
: Charleston. Small shipments were
| also made from Astoria and SaI
! Diego.