68 
THE TEHUANTEPEC SHIP RAILWAY 
engineers came to the United States Congress with a hill for the 
charter contemplated in the Mexican concession. Scarcely two 
months later the promoters of the Nicaragua canal came before 
Congress with a somewhat similar measure, and the two projects 
antagonized each other up to the death of Mr Eads, in 1887. 
Meanwhile the most exhaustive survey's were made and a satis- 
hxctorw route was laid doAvn between the ocean terminals of the 
isthmus. The requirements of the charter as to beginning con- 
struction work were fully complied with, and the amount of con- 
struction work done l)y Mr Eads will he best appreciated by the 
statement that about $500,000 in gold was exi)ended. 
From the Tehuantepec railroad to the Panama railroad, meas- 
ured along the Pacific coast, is al)out 1,200 statute miles, and to 
the Nicaragua canal aljout 800 miles. All commerce from these 
more southern routes must pass directly by the Pacific terminus 
of the Tehuantepec railroad in going to San Francisco, Oregon, 
Yokohama, or Hongkong. On the Atlantic side Tehuantepec 
has similar advantages in distance over southern routes. The 
calculation shows that on eighteen routes to be affected by open- 
ing u]) Te]iuantc[)ec the aggregate saving in distance over the 
present cape routes and Panama is over 125,000 miles and l)y sail 
routes nearly 200,000 miles. 
Mr Thomas J. Vivian, an expert statistician of the Census Office, 
was engaged to make a report upon the probable traffic on the 
proposed ship railway. The results of his very careful and ex- 
tended investigation and his clear analysis and groujnng of a 
great number of facts fully justified his selection. The detailed 
estimates show that in 1896 we might expect a traffic of 5,288,000 
tons of freight, if the railroad Avere fully equipped and sufficient 
time had elai)sed to develop the ncAV commerce. At a rate of $2 
per ton, to include handling and transpoiding from ship to ship, 
and adding to the total receipts from freight the passenger re- 
ceipts, Ave AA’ill have a gross income of $10,576,000. Estimating 
the operating expenses at 60 per cent of the gross receipts, Avhich 
for through traffic is sufficient, Ave shall have a net income of 
$4,294,000. The estimates of traffic for a ship raihvay, in the 
same conservative manner, give a total traffic for 1 896 of 7,263,000 
tons, Avhich at $2 per ton Avbuld yield a gross income of $14,526,000. 
Assuming the cost per ton for transporting from ocean to ocean, 
including all expenses, at 50 cents, the net income Avould be 
$11,044,000. 
The cost of moving steamships through any canal on the 
