17

F.—6a.

One of the many problems which hud to be solved was presented by the luxuriant vegetation, which, if left to itself, would soon overgrow the track and stop the trains. Manual labour is constantly employed to remove the rapid growth, and figures for a considerable sum in the annual maintenance of the road; but in addition the company has to make use of an ingenious device for sprinkling the roadbed with crude oil, heated to 210° Fahr,. from their oilfields on the Coachapa River, a tributary of the Coatzacoalcos, which destroys even the roots of the plants, and has the additional advantage of laying the dust, thus adding to I lie comfort of travelling in a hot climate. The Tehuantepec route will at first be worked with a single track, and it is calculated that ten freight trains, carrying 300 tons net, can be despatched in each direction every twenty-four hours. It is claimed that freight can be transferred across the isthmus within thirty hours after a vessel enters the harbour at the other terminus, and the company promise a freight-train service of twelve hours from ocean to ocean. If, however, the movement of freight proves to be as great as is expected, the line will doubtless shortly have to be double-tracked. The rolling-stock is of the most substantial and modern description, and is more numerous in proportion to the mileage of the line than that of any other railway in the republic ; but, nevertheless, provision has been made for further increase in the equipment, if the needs of the traffic require it. The following is a statement of the rolling-stock at present in use, or ready for use, and an increase of 20 per cent, is actually on order : — Number Engines ... ... ... ... .. ... .. 40 Passenger-coaches ... ... ... .. ... ... 35 Private cars ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 5 Baggage-cars ... ... ... . . ... ... ... 10 Box cars ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,250 Flat cars ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 120 Stock-cars ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 60 Tank-cars ... ... .. ... .. ... ... 15 Guards' vans ... ... ... ... .. .. ... 21 All tEe locomotives burn oil fuel, which is at present imported from Texas in tank-steamers, and unloaded into three large storage-tanks at Coatzacoalcos, each with a capacity of 6,000 tons. Very shortly, however, Messrs. S. Pearson and Son's oilfields at San Cristobal on the Coachapa will be in a position to supply oil. A pipe-line is already laid from the oilfields to the refinery now building at Minatitlan, a distance of twenty miles, and a track-line is being laid direct from Minatitlan to a point on the main railroad eighteen miles from Coatzacoalcos. This will enable the oil to be delivered to the engines cheaply and expeditiously ; but the consumption of oil fuel in the locomotives, besides the advantage for the company, has a great advantage for the persons travelling by the line in the freedom from smoke and coaldust, as any one who has travelled behind an oil-burning engine will know. The box cars have a very ingenious arrangement for expediting the loading and unloading of freight at the wharves. The roofs are so constructed that about one-half can be pulled back and the loads can be lifted by the cranes direct fioni the hold of the ship, and dropped into the interior of the car, and vice versa. The general offices and shops, company's hospital, &c, are established at Rincon Antonio, a healthy spot at an elevation of 900 ft., and at a distance of 125 miles from Coatzacoalcos. The climate there is pleasant and salubrious, and the heat is tempered by the winds that are constantly blowing across the isthmus. The general offices are quite a model in their way, and are especially adapted for the heat of the tropics. The shops are equipped with the most modern machinery and appliances for everj' possible repair to the rolling-stock and engines in use on the line. Here, as at Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, every bit of machinery is direct-driven by electricity, generated by a steam plant, crude oil being used for fuel. Here, as at all other places where Messrs. S. Pearson and Son have large works, every care lias been taken to make life as agreeable and homelike ss possible to the officers and employees. Comfortable modern houses have been erected for the general manager and superior officials, whilst the subordinate officials are lodged in excellent staffbouses. A commodious clubhouse has been built, and quarters provided for a Catholic chapel and a Masonic lodge. Special attention has been given to the question of a pure and abundant watersupply. As I before said, the two terminal ports are still far from being completed, though the works at both ends are sufficiently advanced to admit of the entrance of large ships and of the speedy handling of freight. At Coatzacoalcos little remains to be done beyond deeper dredging of the channel on the bar, f.nd the building of further wharves and warehouses ; but at Salina Cruz there is still much to be done in dredging out more space in the inner harbour, building wharves and warehouses, and finishing the dry dock. The last bit of work on the harbours will probably not be done before 1900. At its mouth the Coatzacoalcos River is 2,000 ft. wide, and forms a natural harbour of almost unlimited capacity, with an average depth of 50 ft. The problem, therefore, which the engineers in charge of the port works had to solve was merely the removal of the bar in order to prevent it from forming anew. This has been met by following the plan adopted at the mouth of the Mississippi and at Tampico. Two converging jetties have been built, extending from the mouth of the river into the sea, so as to confine the current within as narrow limits as possible, and compel it to scour the channel across the bar.' These jetties are each over 4,000 ft. long, and built of rock and rubble; both are practically completed with the exception of the protecting blocks at the extremities. The normal bar is 14 ft. on the crest, and the channel is to be 33 ft. deep and 656 ft,

3--F 6a,