Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-22
An Event Of the Age.

One of the most remarkable events
Of the age we live in is now taking
place in Peru. For two years past
work has been progressing in the giant
struggle OF enterprise to gain the mas
terry of the Titan Andean chain. Last
July work was commenced on the east
eIn terminus OF the Lima and Oroya
railroad, which is being constructed
under contract for q, 600, 900 reals by
Henry l.. Meigs. This road, which
commences virtually at Callao, on the
coast, is destined to cross an altitude
of over 5000 feet and terminate at
Oroya, little Indian town, at an alti-
tude of 12,200 feet. Old Californians
are very prominent IN all these
new works. Jesse L. Wet
more, Esq, who was well known in
San Francisco during ring the flush
times as a contractor, has assumed
the great responsibility of superintend-
ing the construction from Oryoa west
ward. The Inca Indians, commonly
known n that country as "Cholos, y
are employed. being the only ones who
can successfully operate at such high
attitudes, where the rarity of the at
mosphere prevents those who have
been raised in lower places from work
ing. The head camp and center for
supplies is now at Yauls, a small min
ing town, at about II, 800 feet alti-
tude. Eighteen miles of tereplein
or grading, have been finished, and
this month the work of max
ing a tunnel through the crest of the
Al L., 10 /
from both ends with a force of fifteen
hundred Indians engaged on it in the
vicinity. The tunnel will be three
thousand feet in length, and elevated
abe the sea higher than the summit
OF Mount Blanc. In airline it is dis
tant from the western terminus on the
Pacific coast only about sixty miles.
| The gradient 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
adopted III order to surmount the great
engineering difficulties and to so
/ lengthen the road to the
best advantage for the purpose
of continually gaining altitude. At
one point above San Bartolome. about
forty-two miles from Callao, it has
been necessary to resort to (which
is simply turn-table and switch,
where the road takes an upgrade in a
reverse direction FIR several miles, and
again returns, forming in its course al
most figure s. The difficulty expert
enced lii working at the eastern end
may be at once comprehended when it
is remembered that the mule train, by
which all tools and provisions, with
the exception of what may be obtained
in the interior, passes over an altitude
of Is, 500 feet, amid a cluster of peaks
covered with perpetual snow. 1t is
hoped by this road to develop the
mineral wealth of the Cordilleras,
which consists of silver ore
Coal has also been discovered in the
vicinity of Oroya and Yauh, which
source III a country which is totally des-
titute 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 cost of $50
per ton, nothing can be obtained for
fuel excepting dried turf, buffalo
chips twenty-five cents SACK and
dried llama dung. The latter is pre-
served by the ton for use in rude
smelling at the mines. Thousands of
sacks have been brought up for the
railroad work, for burning lime which
abounds in that vicinity, etc. Such
items as these will enable those who
are unacquainted 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.