The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-10 00:00:00

SAN PAULO (BRAZILIAN).

Mr. Brunlees, the engineer-in-chief of this com-
pany, states in his report that he arrived in Santos
on the 7th of July last, and proceeded to San Paulo
the same day. After occupying several days in
examining the works he found that generally they
were in an advanced state. On the sth of August
there remained but 600 lineal yards of permanent
way to be laid, and the contractors assured him that
by the Bth of August, the day he sailed from
Rio, the whole would be completed. All the stations
were placed on good cross country roads giving ac-
cess to the line, but excepting at Rio Grande and St.
Paulo, which would be good intermediate feeders,
the bulk of the traffic would come on at Jundiahy,
and hence it would pass over the whole length of the
line. Dr. Passos, the fiscal engineer, accompanied
him over the line, satisfactorily tested the bridges,
and made a list of the works required to be done,
distinguishing those indispensable to the opening
from those which should be completed during the
12 months' maintenance by the contractors. This
list was signed by Dr. Passos and himself, and a
copy was sent to the contractors. He had no doubt
that all the works necessary for the opening of the
line were now fulfilled, and that the line was either
opened, or would be so, during the present month
of September. As some doubts had been expressed
as to the capacity and safety of the inclines, the time
to be occupied on each incline would be 15 minutes,
or an hour for making the ascent of the four in-
clines. Eighty tons of goods could be taken up
each hour, and the same weight let down. Hence
during each day of 12 hours 1,000 tons could be
passed over each way, but by working the engines
at their full power the above weight could be doubled.
A special rail had been laid on the inclines for the
purpose of using a clip break. He had the opportu-
nity of testing one of those breaks, and though the
weight employed was one-third more than the clips
would ever have to pull up in case of an accident to
the rope, still out of many trials made at speeds
varying 6 to 10 miles an hour, there was no diffi-
culty in coming to a dead stop in a few yards. Inde-
pendently of this provision, the wire ropes were of
good quality, and able to bear a strain of 10 times
that of the working strain. The contractors had
frequently run their trains with materials up the
whole ascent in 35 minutes ; but no driver was to
run his engine at more than 18 revolutions per
minute, so as to make the ascent or descent in an
hour ; and when it was considered that the perpen-
dicular height of 2,572 ft. was overcome in that time,
there could be but little ground of complaint. The
works generally were well and substantially exe-
cuted, the masonry in the tunnel and bridges was
abundantly strong, and the iron work in the bridges
and viaducts was of good quality and well put
together. He was satisfied, from seeing the railway
near Rio, which had been made 10 years, that iron
was the very best material they could have used for
sleepers. The engines and other rolling stock were
of excellent manufacture, and well adapted both to
the traffic and the climate. The inclines were now
working admirably, and he was satisfied that they
possessed ample capacity for the traffic, that they
were economical, and that they could be worked
with perfect safety.