The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-16
COLOMBIA TALKS OF
PORT IMPROVEMENT
Agitation Renewed for Dredg-
ing at Barranquilla.

Agitation has been renewed in Bar
ranqnilla, the chief port OF Colombia.
for the dredging OF the BocaS de Ceniza.
and 30 making It possible for vessels os
large tonnbge to go directly into the
city. instetd. as Is the case at present.
OF dropping their passengers and cargo
at Puerto Colombia. Word has been re-
ceived by the Guaranty Trust Company
OF New York from the, Banco Mercantll
Americana de Colombia that the project
Is again up for consideration.
Commenting on the report. A. II. Bald
win. assistant manager of the foreign
trade bureau OF the Guaranty Trust
Company Of New York. said 1t was as
yet impossible to say whether the Colom-
bians would actually undertake at this
time the much needed reform, which
has 90 often been considered. only to
he dropped.
There Is no doubt" said Mr.. Baldwin.
that opening the Ceniga, which is one
OF the mouths Of the Magdalena River.
would mean a lot, not only for Barran-
qullia itself. but for the whole river val
ley. Colombia is not well supplied with
good ports. Cartagena. the old Queen
Of the indies has definitely lost out in
the struggle for commercial supremacy.
This city Is itself situated on one OF
the many mouths OF the Magdalena. and
IL connected with the main stream by
the ao-called Dique OF canal, which un-
fortuna tely does not provide a navIgable
channel. To build a canal which would
he of valve would be an expensive opera
ton.
"Barranquilla, on the other hand, is al
the lower end of the river navigation,
but is separated from the sea by a strip
Of land, across which runs CeniKa one
OF the chief mouths of the Magdalsna.
This Is now navigable only by launches.
"Barranauilla's position for gathering
the products of the interior and for dis
tributing those which come from other
countries II superb. except for the fact
that II ID not approachable from the sea.
To overcome this difficulty a single
track railroad seventeen and ohe-haif
miles long runs from the city TO Puerto
Colombia which is the true port.
Puerto Colombia is In reality nothing
hut n hamlet lying at the shore end Of
the pier. fully mile long, which projects
out into the Caribbean. Here there IL
room for berthlng four steamships at one
time. and modern devices for the speedy
handling OF incoming and outgoing
freight Passengers also land on the pier.
THE structure itself IL a remarkable
one Built by an English engineer. II
rests on steel screw piles. Its four lines
Of rails connect with the road which
runs to Bafranquilia. Trains make the
trip in about an hour. For passengers
this In unlmportant, but for freight Il
means the extra handling. for the goods.
placed on board the railway cars at
Puerto Colombia. must be handled again
at Barranquilla. whence leave the steam
ships which carry freight mp and down
the river.
There is no harbor at Puerto Colonn-
bia and in addition the rapid shifting
Of the sand bars In the vicinity make
II impossible to foretell just when the
pier will be rendered entirely inacces
sible 10 steamships.
"Barranduilla. having got safely over
the depression which followed the sign
Ing OF the armistice. seems to be on the
up grade. We hear that a wagon road
connecting this city with the rival port
OF Cartasera ID planned and that the
tramway system. which now depends oil
mules. IL TO be electrified.
'The city n one Of the most interest
Ing and thriving along the Caribbean