The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-17
acknowledgement.
LETTER FROM PERU.

AkEQllFA, EAu ,SOCIh AMEhlNAi
June |, 1871.
Yourmany readers will remember the
place from which this letter is dated as
being one of the cities that suffered so Sc
yerely from the awful earthquake of Au-
gust, 1868; and although three years have
almost passed since that terrible event,
the city still shows evidence of the trying
ordeal through which it passed, Ruins
meet the eye upon every side, and old
churches that have stood for centuries are
cracked and shattered to fearful extent.
The railroad, that great civili2er and pro-
mOter Of advance and progress, is doing
much toward rebuilding and i'm.
proving by placing the city within
speedy communication with the coast.
The city OF Arequipa is situated in
beautiful valley, seven thousand six hun
bred feet above the level of the sea, and Is
almost entirely surrounded by mountains,
Mont Misti said to bG volcaniC) lies i'm
medately behind the city, and its snow
capped peak forms pleasing contrast 10
the eternal summer OF the valley below (;
to the left of the city n blue line
marks the famous Andes, their out
line being scarcely perceplible in the
far distance Teabaya, a small village
that was totally destroyed by the earth.
quake, and where six thousand persons
lost their lives, lies ut the eastern eXtrcm-
ty of the valley, The village has been
wholly rebuilt and Is very pretty one,
The railroad connecting the city with
MollendO (the seaport Is undoubtedly the
greatest work of the kind in the world,
Leaving Mallendo on tho z a. NJ, train, We
pursue u southerly direction along the
coast for distance of four miles, when
when we reach EnsanadO At this point
grade of four degrees, equal to Il grade
Of2lg feet TO the mile commences, con.
linuing for six miles, this brings us to
'rambO for breakfast. Amer leaving
'rambO, the road winds up the mountain
in IL 2ig.2ag course, we having IN 0ppOr-
tUnIty for seeing the two trains that fol-
lowed directly below liz running in OppO.
site directions. AtalmOst every turn in
the road, we obtain II view Of the magni-
lcent Tambo Valley, lying in rough
gorge, with an opening to the sea, II pre-
aentsan enchanting picture. Wehave now
reached an elevation Of over three thOu
sand feet, and the train is wllrllng along
over vast sandy desert, iOrly.llVe miles
wide, after crossing which we stop ut n
station called VitOr, for dinner. Alter
leaving ViLOr, the ascent is fearful TO be-
hold, the track purSIlrs dGviating
and CirCllitOus route, ut times paSs.
ing over high pr0m0nt0rics, over
hanging cliffs and precipices, whose
awful depths cause one to shudder with
apprehension. In many places we could
look from the Cur window directly down,
for thousands of feet, whilst upon the
other side perpendicular wall Of solid
granite arose 10 an almost inCalCulAble
height. Thus winding and twisting like
an immense serpent, the train plirsues It's
way, until II has reached an altitude Of
eight thousand feet above the sea, then
comes down grade into the valley Of
ArcQnipa, Mere figures scarcely convey
an idea Of the immense amount Of heavy
work that has been done upon this road.
Cuttings and Filings that would have
been pronounced impossible by the most
scientific men Of the States, have been
made, and the work to-day stands "lU
tTektHce."
The completion Of the Arequipa rONd
having demonstrated the fact that the
mountains in South America can be cross
I'd by railroads, Mr. Harry Mciggs, the
contractor, has undertaken 10 build
road from AreQuipa to PunO. This road
will be two hundred and twenty.twO(992)
miles long, and will cross the main ridge
II the Andes ut MI elevation of fourteen
thousand, six hundred feet above sea
level. 1t was commenced inJuly, 1870,
md the grading is completed and ready
for the iron, Il distance of twenty-five
miles from this city, and there are five
thousand men nj work lhirty.thrCe miles
from ArequipN, ut an elevation OF eleven
thousand feet. The road makesa circuit
Of sixty.six miles to gain tlirty.thrce.
Mr.. Meiggs contract for building this
line Is thirty two millions Of soles, the
work to be completed In five years. lie
has rented the Arequipa " Mallendo Road
for thirty thousand sOles per month,
which he uses for conveying material and
supplies TO build the Pnno line. Previous
10 the completion Of the AreQuipa line
Mr.. Meiggs, contracts with tho Peruvian
Government for railways were rs follows