Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-23

ITreacnerons swamFS. a1OSE3 lmpene-
trable juugicS and formidable STRAINS
aud mountains necessitated incredibly
hard labor and continuous work from
1870 To Jan. IS, 1915, when the first
train reached Panama from Colon.
The line was forty seven miles long.
built OF Belgian rails aud on n gauge
Of five feet.
The standard gauge In the United
States is four feet eight and half
inches. so that all locomotives and cars
used on the Panama railroad have To
be specially built with wheels set far
Their apart. -..--
The total cost had been $5.4oT.;aS5S3 or
about $l5S0O0 mile. Dividends were
paid every year from 1853 to 1892 and
from 1901 TO 1903. when IL became
United States property. ill.,.
The great prosperity of the railroad
suffered n serious setback with the
completion Of the California. overland
railroad In 1860. Thenceforward the
valuable bullion shipments avoided
Panama. as well rs passenger and
freight business. The business shows
steady decline from that year
Colombia turned to the French after
negotiating fruitleSsly with the United
States over canal concession. and
the company headed by NJ. de Eesseps
was granted right OF way. It
bought the road for $lS.0.l4. 600 In 1881.
paying considerably more than II was
worth. or $3.50 a share for sixty-elght
Seventieths OF the capital stock.
The French neglected the CONNER
rial possibilities even more than the
American owners had though divi-
dends We're earned during the life OF
the first company When the United
States bought the interests Of the
French company in 1904 the Panama
railroad was one of the properties
transferred. II was sadly run down.
hut under the Americans II was made
over .nto a modernly equipped and op-
Grated system. though subordinated as
commercial proposition to the con-
struction of the canal.
Passenger rates dropped from So
one way ticket In 1875 to $40 under
the Americans today. The trip from
Colon to Panama is two hours and a
half. and the coaches are painted yell
low because that color best stands the
isthmian climate.
The plans for the canal as adopted
by the Americans In 1905 played havoc
with the right Of way of the railroad,
so in June. 1907. the work OF relocat-
ing it back among the hills out OF
reach of Gatun lake was begun. After
five years work. or as long as 1t re-
quIred to build the original line in
ls5o-5. the new line was opened to
traffic In 1912.
This twentieth century Panama rail-
road has cost $9O00O00. as compared
with the cost of the nineteenth cen
fury road. 100000. an increase OF
$2.0OO.OO0 after lapse of sixty years.
The dream of n pan AmPricun rHtl-
road has been entertained ever since
steam locomotion came into use. When
several gaps are filled In there win be
raiiroad communication through Mex
lcp. Guatemala and Nicaragua to Costa
RIta. which adjoins Panama The re-
public of Panama has been planning
an interior railroad system that would
be part OF an all rail route from the
United States to the canal. Before
many years II Is likely that bridge
will span the canal I'm a railroad sys-
tenn that reaches from Canada through
Panama to the mainland OF South
America. thence down the west coast
to Valparaiso.
Ferdinand de Lesseps and his Pana-
ma career vindicate str:kingIy the
truth OF the adage that nothing sue
ceeds like success. The French Pana.
ma Canal company was Hoated on the
strength of his achievements N emitting
q sea level aassc.a k-o.n tile .nediter-