Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-08-05
MEMPHIS TENN: MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST s. 1872
An Eyent OF the Age.

/ One OF the most remarkable events OF
the age we live in isnow taking place ia
Peru, For two years past work has
been progressing in the giant struggle OF
enterprise TO gain the mastery of the
Titan Andean chaina Last Jnly worl.
was commenced on. the eastern terminus
of the Lima and Oroya railroad, which
is being constructed under contract for
270O0,0O0 reals by Henry l.. Mciggs.
This road, which commences virtually
at .Callao, on the coast, is destined to
cross an altitude Of over $1,000 feet and
terminate at Oroya. a little Iudian town,
at an altitude of -l2.200 feet. Old Cali
fornians are prominent in all these new
works. Jesse l.. Wetmore, Esq, who
was we'll known in this city during the
flush" times as contractor, has as
sumed the great responsibility Of super
intending the construction from Oroya
westward. The Inca Indians, commonly
known in that country as Cholos." are
employed, being the only ones who can
successfully operate at such high
attitudes, where the rarity of the
atmosphere prevents those who have
been raised in lower places from
working. The head camp and center
for supplies is now at Yauli, small
mining town, at about 1880 feet alti-
tude. Eighteen miles of terreplein, or
grading have been finished, and this
month the work Of making a tunnel
through the crest Of the Andes has be-
gun. 1t will be worked from both ends
with force OF fifteen hundred Indians
engaged on it and in the vicinity. The
tunnel will be 5000 feet IN length, and
elevated above the sea higher than the
summit of Mont Blame In an air line
ii is distant from the western terminus
on the Pacific coast only about sixty
miles. The gradients is for the most part
two hundred and eleven feet to the mile,
or what is there called four per cent
grade. Many expedients have been adj
opted in order to surmount the great
engineering difficulties and to so
leugthen the road to the best advantage
for the purpose of continually gaining
altitude. At one point above San Bar
tolome, about forty.two miles from Cal
lao it has been necessary to resort to
(which is simply a turn-table and
switch, where the road takes an up grade
in reverse direction Tor several miles,
and again returns, forming in its course
almost a figure S.DThe difficulty expe.
rience in working at the eastern
endmay be at once comprehended when
it is remembered that the mule trail,
by which all tools and provisions, with
the exception of what may be obtained
in the interior, passes over an altitude.
of l6, 500 feet, amid cluster of peaks
covered with perpetual snow. 1t is
hoped by this road to develop the min
eral wealth of the Cordileras, which |
consists OF silver ore. Coal has also |
been discovered in the vicinity of 0roya |
and Yauh. which must eventually prove
a valuable resource in a country which |
is totally destitute Of timber With the
exception of some coal, which is rudely
taken out and transported on the backs
of Llamas to the principal camps, at a
cost of twenty dollars per ton, nothing |
can be obtained for fuel excepting dried |
turf, buffalo chips twenty-five cents
a sack and dried Llama dung. The |
latter is preserved by the ton for use in
rude smelling at the mines. Thousands
Of sacks have. been bought up for the
railroad work. for burning lime, which
abounds in that vicinity, etc. Such
items as these will enable those who are
with the peculiarities OF
the country TO appreciate the fact that
this work, which has been begun, is one
Of the great events of the present age