36 
ENGINEERING EEPOETS. 
length of the railroad would be increased but two or three miles, 
thus making a saving of sixteen or eighteen miles in the total 
distance from sea to sea; I have paid some attention to the 
determination of the practicability of carrying the road directly 
to the Gulf at the point referred to. The topography of the 
country clearly indicates that the line laid down on the map 
(diverging from our presents line of location at a point three 
miles south of Lake Otiapa, thence passing this lake on the west 
and following down the valley of the Chacalapa Eiver) would 
not only be a feasible route, but one very favorable for the cheap 
construction of the road. 
As regards building material, the country furnishes abundance 
of excellent timber, convenient to all parts of the work : there 
is an extensive limestone quarry within two or three miles of 
Jaltipan, from which may be obtained a good quality of lime, 
and fine building stone. Abundance of the best material for 
manufacturing brick is found on all parts of the line, and there 
is also no lack of sand for purposes of construction. A good 
limestone quarry is said to exist on the Coachapa River, at a 
point six or eight miles above its confluence with the Coatza- 
coalcos. This quarry would furnish stone convenient to any 
works that might be required at the terminus of the road, 
whether at Mina-titlan or any other point on the river. 
It is not improbable that future explorations will demonstrate 
the existence of good quarries at numerous points on or near 
the route above described. 
In case stone is not found convenient for the masonry of 
all parts of the line, the work being generally light, temporary 
w T ooden structures might be substituted till the track was laid, 
when materials could be transported to the work at a snlall 
expense. Every point on the proposed line is easily accessible 
from the mule-roads which traverse the country. 
The total distance from Mina-titlan to Mt. Encantada by the 
travelled roads (via Otiapa and Chinameca) is about fifty-four 
miles, but by railroad it will not vary much from thirty-eight. 
As regards the cost of construction on this portion of the 
route, the graduation and masonry of a single-track road, re- 
quiring the same amount and quality of work, would probably 
