Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-27

Engineers Now on Last Link
Connecting Frontier with
Western U. S.

Flinging their ribbons Of steel down
the broad backbone of continent, en-
gineers for the Southern Pacific Kali
way of Mexico within a few days Will
complete the last link in Il railroad TO
connect the western United States
with the border of Guatemala by a
rail line running down the rugged
mountains of central Mexico through
Mexico City.
The last link of about $50 miles in a
rail line connecting the Guatemalan
border with western United States
through Tucson, Ariz.. permitting
United States shippers to send gooos
and travellers to go through western
Mexico instead of going east through
Eagle Pass or Laredo, Tex, Is due Iof
completion within o week. A traveller
may then depart from any point in the
United States. journey down the west
coast of Mexico from Tues IN, through
Mazatlan and Guadala jara to Mexico
City. connect there with the railway
10 the Guatemalan frontier and thence
run on narrow gauge rail to Ayutla,
provided bandits said to be sup'
sidized by the authorities in the south
ern Mexican provinces have not been
al their periodic work of tearing up
the rails so as to insure shipment or
coffee through the eastern port of lu-
catan.
Epic i'm Rail Construction.
An epic of railway construction
work, rivaling the deeds of the railroad
builders of the United States Rockies,
is being worked out down in the rug
ged CordiIleras of Mexico, where in
trepid engineers are throwing their
steel ribbons across deep gorges. tun-
neling through mountains and brldg-
ing raging torrents TO bring the com
merce of the two continents closer to-
gether.
With completion of the 2S0-mile gap
between Tepic and Guadalajara, one
of the greatest engineering feats on
the North American continent viii
have finished, and the way be opened
for through travel from the western
United states into Central America.
Traversing the broken country of CEN
trail Mexico, broken by the rugged Cor
dilleras through a land whose mighty
mountains thrust snow-clad peaks
many thousands of feet into the air.
the engineers have about completed
their job. Work on the railway spine
had been commenced and the city of
Topic reached just before the begin
ming of the Madero revolution, but from
that date until 1918 no more work was
done. Construction was begun again
in 1928 and the link is now virtually
finished at cost said to be in excess
of S14 200, 900.
In distance of 20 miles there are
81 tunnels and several bridges, the
rest of the trackage is laid out along
the edges of rugged mountains. all &C.
compiisied at a tremendous expendi-
rf Lab nd
Feat in Bridging Gorge.
One of the greatest engineering feats
of the construction work was the
bridging of the Salssu Puede gorge
with a steel-girded framework TAO feet
long and 240 feet high. Before COM
pletion of the railway to the city of
Topic, the entire state of Topic was
practically isolated from the outside
world, dependent upon it's rich natural
resources. Villages were accessible
only by trails along which Indians
travelled on donkeys and by foot, car
rying their products to the nearest
railroad station to exchange for ma nu-
featured goods. Now this is all to be
changed. Topic is traversed by a rail-
road-precursor of trade and ciyiiiza-
ton in wild land.
To reach Mexico City in the past
travellers from the west coast had to
come east to Eagle Pass or Laredo,
Tex. and thence down the Mexican
National Railway. With completion of
the Topic uadala lara link they need
only come east as far as Tucson to
continue their journey southwark
along the west coast of Mexico over
the tracks of the Southern Pacific
Railway OF Mexico.
After leaving Mexico City the road
is good to San Geronimo and down TO
Salina Cruz. But from here south, ac-
cording TO reports, the right-of-way is
infested with bandits said to be sub
sidiZed by the government Of Yucatan
TO periodically destroy the right -of-way
SO coffee shipments will go out from
Yucatan ports rather than through
the Pacific Ocean gateways on the
other side of the peninsula