| Show I 1 THE PANAMA RAILROAD how flow its business has been ruined by its transcontinental rivals construction of the panama railroad was begun in the bath of may day 1850 mid it was opened for january ES 8 1855 the th length of 0 the road is forty seven and one half miles the co cost t of its construction was it continued to bo be the principal avenue for between tho the atlantic at bantle and pacific cotry cooata of tho the unit united ed states until the completion of tho the first transcontinental tin railroad the union and central pacific on may 10 20 1869 during the year ended june 1 0 1869 the total value of merchandise shipped from new toy yoila ic to te san I fancisco and from san salt francisco to new york via panama amounted to 70 As aa the result of the transcontinental rall railroad road competition it fell in the following year to rl during the year ended juno june SO 30 it amounted to only SIJ upon the completion of tile the union and central pacific rall railroad road file in the I 1 carriage of paP passengers tile the malls CON and bullion express goods perishable goods and all the more inore valuably ablo frist fast freights was waa nt at once deflected to the transcontinental railroad nevermore to bry bo trans transferred fy area to any possible trans loth isthmian mian rail or fir water route since the year eight other transcontinental asies ned and parts of lines hae he c been con td anil and direct connections have been formed with lines i caching to every center of trade and ot of production in tills country from tle the atlantic to tho the pacific and from canada to lie gulf thus thug an enormous internal I 1 and transcontinental traille liaa has sprung up tho the total freight traffic of tho the P panama anama railroad through and local embracing freights to and from the entire is western estern coast of north nonh amorim america arric amounted anted during the year of 1397 to only tons whereas the tonti tonnage age carried aro ro ss tho the continental divide by rall rail ric cording to the best means of information ii mounted to over tons and included freights of 0 every byry class from tho the highest to tho the lovist lo 10 ast besides nc aluen und and cn ormom local traffic has haa sprung up tip along the lines and th lr hr branches A vast area iran thus been reclaimed to tho the ails of elvinza tion ilon tho the seventy ton steel locomotive and the pound steel rail have bavo become lie he chief instrumentalities of the grandest grand Bt and most efficient system of transportation ever soon been on tills this globe lid IK the demand for still lay baiger ger achievements Is imperative tho ton steel locomotive has ben been built tire pound steel rail has teen been laid and tho the practicability cabi catill lity ity of tile tho pound steel rail 19 affirmed tho the determining factor in the case is no railroad grades or nr mountain summits or continental slopes but coal the price of coal it Is in a more mere question of fuel and nature aa has to our country superabundant supplies up es of that invaluable e of power national geographical |
