The Washington times., 1931-01-28
NEW HIGHWAY
IN CUBA NEAR
COMPLETE
Road to Be Opened Feb. "a
Is Finest Road in Cuba;
Task of Building Described
By HAMILTON NJ. WRIGHT


BOSTON, Mass, Jan. 28.-The
new 700-mile-long Cuban Central
Highway will be formally opened
on February "a, according to
Horace w. Ash, vice president of
Warren Brothers Company, in
charge of Cuban operations, who
has returned from Havana.
All bridges of the great high
way built at a cost of $100,000,-
900 and begun on March 81,
1927, have been completed, Mr..
Ash said. There are only two
uncompleted viaductS remaining
on the highway and these will be
finished very shortly, he stated.
There are only two unpaVed
stretches of the highway remain
ing. These consist of about IL
miles of highway near the ancient
town of Bayamo, which is never
theless so far completed that cars
can proceed at As miles per hour
on the smooth concrete base, and
"a miles in Santa Clara province
which are negotiated by a de-
tour. This work will be conf
pleted well on time for the Off
Cial opening, Mr., Ash stated.
Bus lines are running through
out the highway, and many OF
the CubanS for the first time
find it possible to see their own
country. In some cases bus COM
petition has already resulted IN
a reduction of railway rates. IL
Is now possible to drive from
Havana west to Pinar del RIO
CITY and back in a morning, ana
. from Havana to Matanzas IN an
hour and one-half. Many Amer
leans are beginning to make Ine
tour from Havana to Santa cara
and Camaguey and the more ao-
ventllrous are penetrating Cne
mountains on into Santiago, Mr.
Ash stated.
eve had fast rising rivers to
bridge. some of them like FL
Cauto which rose 35 feet In
single night" he said. 1t was
necessary to sink bridge tOunda,
tions to bedrock to Withstand
the torrents"
Eight thousand labOrerS were
under Mr.. ASh'S supervision al
the peak of the work, he stated
Gasoline powered machines MADE
possible the construction OF the
great highway sooner than antlc-
ipated. Up to last June the com
pany has used seven million gal
Ions of gasoline in cutting
through mountain ranges ana
constructing heavy rock fills in
order to bring the road up
minimum grade of 5 per cent.
"Some of the regions through
which the highway passes are
as picturesque as the South Sea
Islands, with enormous masses
of mountains and foothills.
cloaked with majestic trees and
palms, extending as far as the
eve can reach. Deer, guinea
hens, pigeons and quail tempt
the hunter. The building of the
highway through the noun
tains of Eastern Cuba has
opened up coffee plantations
that had been abandoned for
more than a generation Be
fore the highway was built
coffee was carried from the
plantations to the hulling mills
of Oriente Province on the
backs of mules at a cost Of
SI.OO to S1.2O per 100 lbs. The
same weight of coffee is now
carried by trucks on the high
way at a cost of 10 to Is cents.
Americans who wish to see
Cuba this winter will find the
highway in fine shape" said
Mr.. Ash. "ThOse who know
Havana only will behold cOun-
try they have never even
dreamed Of. Most of the way
the country is open and few
jungleS are traverSed. East and
West Cuba are mountainous.
Picturesque ranges of hills greet
the traveller to Matanzas. AS a
whole the highway in the Cen
trail Provinces of Santa Clara
and Camaguey passes through
plains where much land is de-
voted to sugar. The American
traveller will find good hotel
accommodations in Santa Clara
or Camaguey while on the way
to Santiago and be able to get
gas in every town along the
line. Cars are admitted duty
free into Cuba for three months
with an additional three months
on application.
The construction of the
highway was prodigiOuS en-.
g1neering task, comparable to
the building of the early trans.
continental lines across the
West" Mr.. Ash said. "The en-.
gineerS were far from sources
Of supplies and it was neces-
Sary to construct immense ma
chine shops to take care of the
tremendous destruction of road
machinery encountered in han
ding the heavy rock along the
route. The slippery mud,
gumbO clay and heavy tor.
rents in the rainy season ere.
ated problems of construction
unknown to the United States.
"The new highway is con-
sidered the most modern ever
constructed. There are no
grade crossings with railroads.
Millions have been spent in
improving towns and cities
through which the new road
runs. Aqueducts and drainage
canals to protect the hirhuaN