Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-09-10
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/ and freight we're considerably above |
100000 The last rails were laid
the night of January "a, 1855, and the
next day the nrst train passed clear
across the isthmus from the Atlantic
to the Pacific. The entire cost Of the
road up to December 81, 1858, had
been something less than 100000
and its gross earnings in the same
time we're little more than that sum.
The rate across the isthmus was put
at $25 gold, being intended to be to a
certain extent prohibitive until they
could get things into good running or
der, but 80 great was the volume Of
travel that the rate was not reduced
for more than twenty years. Soon aft
er its opening the road began to de
clare "a per cent. dividends, and at
one time its stock went up to $50.
In the SOS the company fell on hard
times 1t lost much of its freight traf-
fc. was held up by the politicians in
Bogota and then suffered by the com
pletion of the Union Pacific railroad.
Next Russell Sage and others like him
got control OF the directorate and
wrecked the road. When de Lesseps
came over to dig a canal his company
bought up the stock and used the road
to help in its work.
Then in 1904 the United States
bought out the French company and
also acquired the railway and so it
became the first American road to be
owned by the government. So eco
nomically and efficiently has 1t been
conducted since then that 1t is cited
as an argument for the government
ownership of all our railways.
The building of the canal and espe-
cially the creation of the artificial Ga
, tun lake made necessary the reloca-
ton of the Panama railroad along
most Of its route. The old roadbed
: now is under water for much of the
: way, the old line still in use being only
: about seven miles in length, from Co
+, lon to Mind and from Corozal to Pana-
ma From Mind to Gatun the grade
! ascends to 50 feet above tide level.
/, From Gatun the road runs east until 1t
( is four and a half miles from the
canal, and then south again on great
+ entertainments across the Gatun valley.
Y Along this stretch passengers OBJ
a tain an unusual view. Because Of the
n construction of the Gatun dam across
e the channel of the Chagres river, the
e Chagres valley and all its tributary
r valleys have been converted into q
l. lake with an area of about 1874 square
= miles. The Gatun valley Is one of
/. these drowned arms and as the train
b crosses, wide stretches of water are to
s be seen on both sides Of the track
n Down below the surface are still Wis
ible the tops Of giant trees that have
y been killed by submergence, and along
r. the edges of the lake the tallest ant
% hardest of the trees reach thir dead
, limbs above the waters. Here and
o there is a pretty little island that no
N long ago was the summit Of hill, anC
10 the shore line is most picturesquel!
II broken up by capes, peninsulas anC
N bays.
le From Monte Lirio the line skirts thu
,r shore of the lake to the beginning o
It the Culebra cut at Bias Obispo. Orig
" inally it was intended to carry the rail
ly road through the Culebra cut on &C
It. foot beam along the east side, ten fee
m above water level, but this plan wa
n knocked out by the slides and breaks
In The line was carried around Gold Hill
a. to distance of two miles from tn
canal until it reached the Pedro M
is guel valley, down which 1t runs t
e, Paraiso and the canal again. Theme
it runs almost parallel with the char
n mel to Panama. There are two bi
rs steel bridges on the line. One, nea
na Monte Lirio, has a center lift span I
ID permit access to the upper arm Of Ga
be tun lake; the other, quarter Of
al. mile long, across the Chagres river 8
he Gamboa. The total cost of buildin
he the new line of the railway was $8,866
in, 1872. In addition, large sum has bee
m expended in increasing the termins
Ial facilities.
ad OF course, even after the canal
es. opened, the railway will have a goo
ed deal of business transporting peopl
nv, and goods between Colon and Panan
he and serving the needs of the operatin
to forces of the canal But its days {
1T. glory have departed, and J. A. Smitl
lily the American who has been its eff
ex- cient general superintendent, reco
he nizing that fact, has resigned and r
rk- turned to the states.