The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-04-25
GhGteLIiseule5tl
sorrn AMERICAN LETTER.
From n Former citizen OfwAecIinG'

Fam, n Former Citizen ofWhcclinG.
co,,n,noudcnec Of the IntCllIgenccF.
CoSrErclcN, Chill, January /, 1873.
Taking steamer at Valparaiso for this
,i,rIifAM,, l arrived in thebeautiIuI
Raw Of Talcahuano at Ar. NJ, the follow
inc div. This bay Is one Of the best on
the West coast Of South America, and
owing to its having such fine anchorage
and harbor facilities, Is the iayorite Tor tho
S S.' Sea whaling fleet The town Of
Talcabuano Ia situated on a small plateau,
behind which Is q high hill, a portion o.
,Ne village extending above tho base Of
tho hIn. Tho town lies on the southern
shore Of the bay, and has mixed popula'
lion Of about 5000, The people are arc IN, IN a
somnolsScent state for about nine months
n The vear: the other three they acquire
'n 1nJ ys cspilal from the advsntof tho
whsiiUa aee. 10 maintain them. Talca.
%n"nn e The seaport Tor Conception, with
which II b connected by q line oirallway,
Int Il Is not yet open for tho public. At
nresent communication is kept up with o
line Of rlckety American stages over o
yery bad road. The Chlllian, Conception
&Talcahuano railroad, now under process
Of construction under the efficient man.
agcnent Of Messrs. Rolfe d Slater, whose
former connection with Mr.. Harry Mclggs
Is a sufficient guarantee Of their ability, Is
TO extend from Talcahuano, on tho coast,
to Chillian, inland o distance OF one
hundred and sixteen miles. That
por,lon oil tho road already COM
Melted Is equal to any road IN
SOuth America. The station and auxiliary
buildings at Conception arc the most Gle.
rAnt and complete in tho Republic, and
reflect great credit on Mr.. Poison, by
whom they were designed. The con.
strlction department is in the hands Of
NJ. Charles +. Wilson, o live, energetic
gentleman, whose diplomatic talents emi.
ncntly qualify him for the difficult task Of
promoting and advancing the interests OF
his employers among people whose in.
,lOlent dispositions are averse to anything
like labor. Aided by Messrs. Desmond,
Smythc and Huisler, civil engineers OF
superior ability, he is pushing the work
nDidly toward completion. The road
will be- turned over TO tho government in
April completed to Malvoa, Just half way
to CHILEAN. The contract Is for four mil.
lion dollars, to complete in five years from
1870. -
CoNCEPCION.
This city is the capital Of the province
Of the same name, was founded by Gen.
enl Valdivis, in October, 1850, and soon
OecAme the second city in Chill, but it
was abandoned and soon afterwards de.
slroyed by the Indians. In 1864 it was
rebuilt and again destroyed by the Indi.
ans after having massacrcd the garrison
and inhabitants ',....
Don Garcia De Mendoza rebuilt the city,
and being well fortified It wlthstood re-.
peated attacks Of the Indians, until the
year 1908, when 1t was destroyed, as we'll
as all the cities founded in the Auracanian
Territory, by tho great Indian warrior,
laillamachu. 1t was again rebuilt and
well fortified, and was the most populous.
city in Chill, Tor the Indians had ceased
lOmoIest 1t. But in 1880 at was totally
destroyed by an earthquake and rising Of
tue sea, which swept away everything. It
WAS again rebuilt, and again destroyed in
isl by an earthquake and rising Of the
sea which entirely covered it. The in.
habiIants escaped and took refuge in the
hills, but continued in an unsettled state
Tor thirteen years, not being able to decide
among themselves on rebuilding. At
length they agreed to abandon its former
site, and founded a new city nine miles
from the sea, in beautiful plain called
Mocha, upon the northern shore Of
the River Bio Bio. A portion. Of the
inhabitants remained on the old site, and
"smSll village called Pence still exists
there) The city now became populous
and thriving, but was again doomed to
destruction by the awful earthquake Of
1886. TWAS again rebuilt and nearly de-
sltoyed by IN earthquake in 1868, but
since then II has thrived and Is now u
handsome city of from seventeen 10
twenty thousand population. They have
AOcauIltul plaza, in the centre Of which
monumental column, surlnounted by
SslAluc Of Industry. At the base arc four
MeFmalds from the mouths of which
snaI! jets OF water are thrown into u
circular basin. The whole is surrounded
with beautiful flowers. On tho south side
Of the Plaza is situated the Cathedral,
tue interior Of which Is very handsomely
decorated. A seminary for the education
81 young men for the Priesthood adioins.
The streets are well laid out, but not
paved. The city has some very fine resi-.
dences and three very good hotels, u
Theatre and a club. The climate in win.
Ter Is not very cold, but ram falls to
great extent In summer it is sometimes
very warm, but never extremely hot. Tho
principal business is grain and wool. 1
now start for a trip to the frontier and
Will give my experience among the I'M.
r"nqucrablc Auracanians in another let.
Ter. Nh