116 



MANILA DAILY BULLETIN 



WHEN the good ship "Salvador" 

 dropped anchor on July 8, 1887, off 

 the shores of Manila, her list of 

 passengers included one Carlos R. de Ber- 

 todano, C. E., representing "The Manila 

 Railway Company, Ltd." of London. It 

 was his privilege to be the pioneer in 

 Philippine railway construction, in that he 

 was the engineer who blazed the way for the 

 Manila and Dagupan line. After two years 

 of service, ill health prevented his further 

 stay in the islands and on September 3, 1889, 

 Inspecting Engineer Horace L. Higgins be- 

 came his successor. Mr. Higgins continued 

 in the management and direction of the road 

 until January 8, 1917, when ownership was 

 acquired by the Philippine Government. 



Events in both the construction and early 

 operation of the road offer data of historic 

 value to the Philippines. The original fran- 

 chise for the Manila-Dagupan line was grant- 

 ed by the Spanish Crown, as publicly pro- 

 claimed in the official Gazettes of Madrid 

 and Manila on July 17, 1886, and March 

 24, 1887, respectively. Land for the present 

 Manila terminal was purchased at a unit 

 cost of P0.24 per square meter. Contrast- 

 ing this with present day prices of PIS 

 and 1*20 for adjoining property, the rapidity 

 with which real estate values are enhancing 

 may be appreciated. On July 31, 1887, the 

 inauguration of work and laying of the cor- 

 ner stone was marked by impressive ceremo- 

 nies participated in by His Excellency, Gov- 

 ernor General Emilio Terrero, church dig- 

 nitaries, civil and military authorities, and 



a concourse of people. The official dress 

 prescribed for the occasion was "Prince 

 Albert coat and silk hat," a requisite that 

 would effectively bar practically every Amer- 

 ican in the Islands from attending a similar 

 function at the present time. 



The entire line of 195.39 kilometers from 

 Manila toDagupan was completed and placed 

 in operation on November 24, 1892, having 

 occupied approximately five and one half 

 years in building. It may be of interest to 

 record a notation in the Company's files to 

 the effect that the native labor of the Phil- 

 ippines was found much more efficient and 

 economical than imported Chinese labor. 

 The estimated cost for the project was i*4, 

 964,400 as against an actual cost of 1*7,899, 

 000, or slightly over 1*40,000 per kilometer. 

 During the period of construction, and for 

 ten years thereafter, all material and supplies 

 used on construction were declared exempt 

 from the payment of customs duties and, as 

 additional government aid, the Philippine 

 treasury guaranteed 8% interest on the in- 

 vestment for two years of the construction 

 period. 



Beginning with 1893 the road was operated 

 for an uneventful period of five and one-half 

 years. In May 1898, and simultaneous with 

 the destruction of the Spanish Fleet by Ad- 

 miral Dewey in Manila Bay, the revolutionists 

 destroyed the road at various points and 

 thereby seriously interrupted subsequent ope- 

 ration. In July of the same year the English 

 consul, on behalf of the company's London 

 interests, lodged a formal protest with the 



Spanish authorities against further inter- 

 ference with the operation of the road. Re- 

 lief was denied by the Spanish Governor- 

 General on the ground that to operate the 

 road would in effect "aid and abet the in- 

 surgents." 



With the American occupation on August 

 13, 1898, the roadbed was restored and traf- 

 fic resumed, only to be again interrupted 

 early in February of 1899 when hostilities 

 opened between the American and Filipino 

 forces. The United Stajes Quartermaster 

 Department proceeded to operate that 

 portion of the road falling within the Amer- 

 ican lines, and as these advanced from time 

 to time the English management moved its 

 offices, first to San Fernando and later to 

 Bautista, keeping well within the insurgent 

 lines. All employees of the road operating 

 within the insurgent lines were given a mil- 

 itary status by the revolutionary govern- 

 ment, the rank being in keeping with the im- 

 portance of the position held by each indi- 

 vidual employee. Later, however, the rev- 

 olutionary authorities decreed that only 

 Filipinos be employed in the operation of 

 the road. As a result, Mr. Higgins, manag- 

 ing director, was conducted through the 

 insurgent lines at Calulut and delivered over 

 to the United States military authorities. 

 The other English employees were permitted 

 to embark at Dagupan on a steamer for Ma- 

 nila. 



Upon the restoration of peace the railroad 

 management found itself confronted with 

 the task of reconstructing destroyed bridges 



CENTRAL STATION, MANILA. 



