The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-13
OPENING ONE OF MEx1co's NEW RAILWAYS.


corporations The government has the
majority of the stock Of the National
Railways of Mexico only, which have
altogether about 5000 miles, and II
operates some other railways, such as
the 1nter-Oceanio, under long, time
leases. The government Is improving
these lines. and 1t Ia now building
eight branch lines. which aggregate
over Lis miles. The most important
of these is a road from Tampico to
Vera CRUZ with a short line connect
ing with Mexico City.
The government roads are known as
the National Railways of Mexico. They
consist chiefly of three main lines,
which were merged into the one sSs-
tenn in 1909. These lines are the old
National hallway, the old Mexican
Central Railway and the old Mexican
lnternational Railway IN addition to
this. they include the Vera Cruz and
1sthmus Railways and the Pan-.Amer
lean Railway. which has been built to
the Guatemala border These lines
belong 10 the government in the sense
that 1t owns the majority OF the stock
The bonds are held abroad. as is also
little more than 40 per cent OF the
stock The hondholdcrs are operating
the property, and the chief officials arc
Americans. Tho net capitalization of
tho road, including bonds and stock
outstanding is about $4,000 per
mile upon which 1t had i'll 1911 not
income of per cent Preferred stock
pays a per cent dividend.
rho Southern PnciHcss HALLWAY In
Mexico.
Outside Of tho National Railways,
tho most important system in tile re-
public is that OF tho Southern Pac tic
Company of Mexico. This was pro-
Jected by Hartman as a connection
with our Southern Pacific. and includes
number of lines along the west
coast, 1t has now almost thousa no
miles of railroad, and has concessions
which entail the building of about five
hundred miles more. This road has
been seriously injured during the rev
oiution, but many OF the bridges de-
stroEed have been replaced, and i'm
proNements will be made as soon as
possible, and the road completed. The
southern Paciic lines connect with
Northwestern part of the country with
! the port of Guaymas, and they are
now IN operation AS far south as Tepic
] They will be extended TO Guadalaiara
/ In connection with short strip OF
( the National Railways, as soon as
/ conditions are settled.
MexicOs Oldest Railway
/ The first railway in MEXICO was a
h,
/ which ran from Mexico City to the
| shrine OF Guadalupe. This was built
/ IN S54 and three years later the con-
1 ccssion was granted for the old Mex
/ lean Railroad. which ran from Vera
/ Cruz TO Mexico City.
This was built by English capital
under good concession. and it was
completed IN 1873, having at that time
I received something like Sl2,OOU,OOO in
subsidies The road is about 800 miles
long. including its branches. and II
cost over S30.000,00n or about slOO, 900
a mile. When 1t was begun the Indians
objected to its construction, and in
order to pacify them the work was
begun at both ends and carried on to
TIC meeting point, half way between
the coast and the capital AS all the
4 materials came from England. this on
tailed an enormous expense. il cost
ing as much as So to bring q steel
ran rom Vera Cruz to the capital by
wagon. The same WAS for a time
oi the Mexican Central Railroad, which
runs from FL Paso to Mexico CITY.
the road from Vera Cruz was cap.
itali@cd at Si6.000,00O. and it has al.
ways paid a good profit on the invest
m"nt. For long time II had a mo
nopoly. and at the start It's ireigh,
rates for this haul OF less than 300
miles we're $40 a ton. and its passon.
ger fares were 10 cents q mile The
ROAD Is marvel of engineering. and
1t has some of the sieepcst grades
upon reco"d. 1t runs from the low
lands at Vera cruz right up the noun
ANS and II has some grades so steep
INA. S'amcse twin engine, with a
double header, has been constructed q
! mount them. This engine has Two fra
boxes, two boilers and two sets OF
dr'Nihs wheels 10 make IT go with
IL the train climbs an altitude OF .
300 feet in twelve miles and more
man 1000 feet IN twenty five miles
hitting YOU out Of the tropics and into
the temperate zone
: some Queer Features of RaiIrond
building.
large part OF the old Mexican
road has tics of mahogany and ebony.
The chief objection TO the ebony tie,
was that 1t WAS hard TO drive the
splkes into them, and almost lrnpos
slole to get them out when the rails
mad 10 be changed. on the Tehauntc.
pee road some of the track is laid or
mahogany ties, which cost there from
80 10 80 cents each. The ebony tree,
) 90 not grow as large as the mahog
any trees, and their ties are more OK.
;, pehslVe 10 make. On the Mexican
u road many steel ties have been en-
= ploycd
Ihese are hollow plates. about fouI
u ihcnes wide, and OF the same Iengt,
y as an ordinary tie, so made that whe,
y '"Iheo upside down they look like :
:. l.push. The interoceanic road use:
= stecl disks To hold the rails, tyin1
. snfm together with cross piece o
io'l out these do not work AS wei
as the solid steel ties.
= large part OF tho Mexican Contra
al tpfs