The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1876-02-12

4 ftip y tAs Summit 4 Tie Aaass--
Hazsy nsisss.


4 Trip y " Summit 4 Tie Alass--
Hazsy nsisss.
Corrsspondeacs San fnneisco Rulletin.l
LIMA, October "a, 1873.
Who can comprehend this mighty
work in one trip. or in tifty trips ?
You have passed over one hundred
and four miles qf railroad from the
sesshcrc to the mmit-perhaps
not over eighty as the mule trail
gocs--and nearly half that distance
has been over the broad plain Of
Lima aud up the open valley Of the
Rimac, without any serious obsta-
Ulo TO overcome, aud with . rise
that amounts to less than five
thousand feet. In the remaining
fifty-tivc miles you past through
sixty tunnels, and in many Of them
through rocks so hard that the core
Of the diamond drill used in their
construction, scores glass as read
lily ds the point Of the diamond It.
self. More than q tunnel to each
mile, and in total length within a
fraction Of five miles, or one clev-
cnth Of the whole distance. Nor
is this all. Above the mouth Of
some of these tunnels are yet to be
seen the ropes fastened for hum
dreds Of feet to ule face Of the pre-
cipicc by means Of which the engi-
nccrs had first to lower themselves,
and while swinging in inid-air lo-
cate the place, and afterwards the
mon, to begin the work Of excava-
tion and make for themselves o
foothold in tho perpendicular face
Of the solid rock.
Alta place called tho "Inhcrnil-
las" (Little Hells) the road crosses
tho river on IN iron bridge, ono
hundred and sixty feet long and q
hundred aud sixty-6ve feet above
the water. Both ends Of this bridge
spnng from the smooth face Of OPP
posing preclpiccs, that rise IN sheer
perpendicular height from two to
three thousahd feet. The tunnels
Of approach are through the solid
rock, as most Of the tunnels on The
road have cunes, and 81 some In
stances reverse cuncs.
Emerging from the upper tunnel
the road occupies tho river bed
and another tunnel was cut through
The point ofanotllcr precipice Il
make passage for It's waters. which
here roar and tumble like o cata'
ract. Of these iron bridges there
arc from forty to fifty, varying II
height from twenty to two hun
drcd and fifty feet, aud IN lcngtl
from twenty to six hundred feet
and all resting OH the solid rocl
itself or on masonry equally strong
The approach to tho "Varrugas'
bridge, the highest bridge IN tn
world, is through a cut hundrct
aud five feet on ono side, and sixt,
feet on the other. This bridge ha
thrcc piers Of iron network, on,
hundred aad nincty-scvcn two hun
drcd and fifty two and one hun
drcd and forty-six feet high, re
spcctivcly. Seen at some distance
in tho morning light, from tn
bottom Of the ravine It spans,
looks like the work of fairies Il
the night in its delicate and sym
nctrical traccry; but, once upo
J 1t, you find 1t as solid as the rock
upon which it stands. In illlin
mp and hewing down the altcrfal
: ing gorges and spurs Of the noun
tain side, you encounter fills wit
a center depth Of one hundred an
sixty feet, and cuts in the soil
rock Of even greater depth, an
these often where the sides of tn
mountain are SO steep that til
lower slope Of the embankmcn
. extends to the river, several hui
) drcd feet below, and the uppe
:. slope Of the cut several hundred
3 Of feet up the side of tho inoui
tain.
SOME ASTONISHING GRADES. AN
CURVES.
But IN building this road thu Al
: parcntly insolublc problems ofcol
struction were not confined
{ these unparalleled cuttings, FIJI
bridges and tunnels /; but even vii
!, the advantage Of the steep grade
/ ofthrec and four per cent. (max
/ mum 2ll feet to the mile) allowc'
Q according to radius Of curves (ail
!. this part Of the road is nearly q
IS curvcs), the most serious probe
# Of oil for the engineers solutie
|, was how 10 gain height within Il
e Strengthened limits Of the quclrad
d to which nature has restricted Il
It very possibility Of aroad over the
'6 abrupt mountains. Taking adva
10 tagc Of the mountain side, at plac
y where least obstacles were Q
'e countered, or availing thcInselv
Q, of some confucnt quclrada, whi
~ = -