Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-18
PER|lS IN MEXICO
FOR RAILROAD MEN
Maj Hine Tells OF Operating
Difficulties in War-Ridden
Us Republic.
BURNING OF BRIDGES
, A FAvORITE DIVERSION
Cutting of Wires Often Leaves
Trains for Days Without
Running Orders.

After nearly two years of experience
of railroad work, in the revolution-rid-
den northern part of Mexico, MAJ.
Charles Hine of Vienna, Va, a member
of the Army and Navy Club here. has
resigned his position as senior vice
president of the Southern Pacific rail-
road of Mexico and the Arizona Eastern
railroad. He is to take up work with
the Canadian Northern railroad, with
temporary headquarters in Toronto,
Canada. t-'@ sfS .ssss ~
Maj Hine. who is graduate of West
Point, and has served in almost every
possible capacity on railroads. has in
teresting stories TO tell of his recent
experiences in Mexico with the revolu-
tionists He recently told of his ex-
periences in paper on War Time
Railroadine in Mexico" which he read
at meeting of the st. Louis Railway
Club.
Violent Political Opinions.
For nearly three years" said Mai.
Hine. Mexico has suffered from what
are politely termed political conditions
The various participants have expressed
their opinions in terms of force and
violence. Thousands of lives have been
sacrificed; millions. of dollars worth of
property has been destroyed Railways
have suffered severe losses. both by the
destruction of physical property and by
the paralysis OF revenue. resulting from
prolonged Interruptions IN traffic.
The normal method of procedure in
cludes the burning OF all wooden bridges
in the theater OF operations. The smaller
the BAND me greater seems its concep-
ton OF the Importance OF preventing
pursuit by destroying railway bridges.
The topography and ciinatology of Mex
leo are such that provision must be made
for adequate draintpge in cases of sudden
and severe rainfall. The greater part
OF these openings arg, as yet bridged by
for easily be tied up and operation null
ihed by a. few bridge burners The
Southern Pacific railroad OF Mexico alone
has foupd over three hundred bridges
burned In the last three years. The num-
Der destroyed on the other railways of
the republic must run into the thou
sands"
MAJ Hine proceeded to describe ply
sical conditions on the line, and told
of some personal experiences In the
course of inspection trips. illustrative
OF the dangers OF wartime railroading
Experiences on the Line.
On one occasion the writer's motor
carr he said. was run by a man who
had been railroader, a frontier deputy
marshal and a chauffeur For the-par-
ucuiar trip in question he united the
desirable qualities of a careful motor
man, crack shot and a good cook.
The first night was spent in a tool
house. one night in freighthouse. an
other In a waiting room and still an
other In the open country. The car was
towed ground burned bridges thronp pm
the arroyes channels of dry streamsl
On another trip a good sized river
had to be crossed, the long trestie an
proach to the steel bridge having been
burned some weeks before. Visions of
swimmins the river, like Funston in
the PhAnppines, were ended when the
thoughtfuiness of an assistant SUPER
intendent showed a section gang as
water rats towing a raft made OF ties
This interchaneeability of function is
typical OF the ail-arou,id training in
cuicated on the Southern Pacific rail
road. of Mexico by the unit system NJ
organization. Two years of comnleta
and consistent application of the nm
derlying principles of this rational and
practical system have produced graft
wing results Today every department
including traffic and accounting. i'm 3
available from one TO three teyeloped
and tested understudies for every or
nciai position. Coin,.identally during
me only period Of eight months when
conditions approached normal the